Feldspar Tailoring| Morning
20th DENTIS 2718
Juniper breathed a sigh of relief, he'd been worried that his girl would spook the anxious passive, but the man seemed delighted.
"Monogrammed handkerchiefs?" Juniper nodded, trying to put the man at ease. "Not a problem. I can even have them done for tomorrow if you're happy to take Miranda with you when you return. She can bring your..." he faltered for a minute, grasping for the right word, but there didn't seem to be one... 'mistress' is wrong I know...but he recovered. moving on, "um. Her preferences back, to save time and prevent you having to make the journey twice."
He led the passive over to the left hand side of the shop floor, opposite the counter, where there was a wide chest of shallow drawers, made of the same warm wood that furnished the rest of the shop.
Opening the second drawer, it was revealed to contain rows of neatly folded handkerchiefs of different weaves, some with lace trim, some with a band of satin woven into the edges, all carefully arranged with one corner showing on the top.
"If she's given you no specific directions other than 'silk'," the tailor continued, "I'll give you one of each of the silk varieties for ladies that I have in stock, and you can send the correct version back with Miranda once she's chosen."
Just then, Cecelia returned with the coffee, and while she was distracted attending to the journalist, Galiya made a break for his pet. Juniper laughed, and crouched to tousle her hair just as her mother caught up with her. "Training for the races, are we?"
Standing up again, he nearly cracked his head on the corner of the open drawer, but remembered just in time, and stood with only a slight stumble. Coughing awkwardly after straightening his waistcoat, he pulled out several of the little rolls from different rows. Sliding the drawer shut, the wick moved back behind the counter, reaching behind it to come back up with a small box of ivory cardboard, and a piece of stiff paper about the size of a novel. He held it up for Lars to see, and on it were printed five renditions of the alphabet, in increasingly elaborate letters. At the top, the letters were crisp and clean, serifed capitals, while at the bottom of the page swirling curlicues and sweeping lines formed more decorative, ornamental initials.
..good to have a few minutes where I can actually make a good impression...
...and then it was all ruined as a movement caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. The journalist, looking quite at home as he settled back in the chair, crossing one ankle elegantly over the opposite knee and...writing?
His breath caught in his throat and for just a moment the most inappropriate thought flashed through his mind.
...how would he look if I were kneeling there...
...then he realised he was staring, and snapped back into action, desperately hoping that no-one else in the room had noticed him slip. Fumbling the lid off the box, he took out a length of thin lilac ribbon and set it aside.
Juniper placed the rolled handkerchiefs neatly in the box, laying the page on top, and reached for the fountain pen and headed notepaper that he also kept under the counter. Uncapping the pen, he wrote few swift lines in his neat copperplate script, then turned back to Lars as the ink was drying, his face still burning with embarrassment. He cleared his throat.
"That explains everything I have just said, and when they will be ready for collection if Miranda is sent back within a couple of hours. She clearly likes you, so I have no qualms on that front."
He smiled at his girl as she reached her slender head up to nudge at the passive's cheek.
...hold it together, you idiot, they'll all think you're some moony clocking erse...
He took a deep breath as his field leveled.
"Under the handkerchiefs is an envelope. Put the card in it, with her preferred monogram style and colour clearly marked, and the chosen style of handkerchief. Give it to Miranda, take her to an open window, and she'll know what to do from there."
He folded the note, laid it on top of the card in the box, replaced the lid and tied it neatly in place with the length of lilac ribbon, sliding the completed package over the counter towards Lars.
The flustered wick's gaze fell on the coffee left for him by Cecelia, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Moving down the counter slightly so as to not spill on anything, he reached for the drink and took a sip, cradling it in only slightly shaking hands. Catching her eye, he mouthed 'thank you' at her over the steaming brew.