Barracks: "What Englishman in his right mind would ever turn down a cup of tea dear Uncle?" Peter chuckled.
"Of course, would be delighted to have one." A cup of tea would be most welcome right then. He smiled to his uncle and shook his head.
"Not at all Uncle Regi. Vera is very understanding is she not and she had to rush off herself. A meeting with a Lady Kingston I believe it was at the museum. You know Vera. She will want to be as proper as she can to a fellow Lady. Worry yourself not, we can check on her later." He sat there and listened a bit, nodding from time to time. Vera indeed did seem to have a large number of Americans around her these days but thinking on it for a moment it did not surprise him. Americans seemed to be far more progressive in their attitudes towards women than those within the ton. Perhaps she was just welcome to those she could speak more freely with. It was one of the things that had made them so close when they were younger. Spending hours speaking of history, science, and such.
As his uncle asked if there was anything else on his mind Peter nodded.
"Just am happy Uncle. And sad," he said.
"I am beyond over joyed that Vera has accepted my courtship and I am hoping for quick steps to an engagement. Yet... to know all these years she had been alone. It saddens me to think that no one has noticed just how wonderful of a woman Vera is and how many years were wasted," he said before tapping the tip of his cane against the ground a few times.
"She will make a wonderful wife though, will she not? Though I doubt father will be happy that I am to marry a bluestocking such as she. Oh bollocks on him then. Vera is proper, lovely, intelligent. It is a right great match," he said quickly. It was obvious that Peter cared for Vera but like with most couples of the bluebloods, there was a noticeable lack of passion.
The same could not be said for Aziza in that moment. She too felt the jolt, it shooting down to her toes and making them tingle. Her face warming, and a smile crossing her features. Looking down at Harry's hand covering her own, she did not have the same thoughts that Vera did when she felt heat in her cheeks. She knew she was sick but it was a welcome illness and one she did not wish to cure. It was the start of something wonderful to Aziza though she worried that Harry would not feel the same as she did. After all, she was divorced, disgraced, had a child whom she could not see for fear of death. Yes, he wanted her safe but that did not mean he wanted anything else from her.
Slowly her eyes came back up. Gazing into Harry's.
"You wanting me to be safe, just makes me want to say thank you again," she said before stifling a slight giggle as she realized how silly it sounded.
"We keep going like this and we will pass the entire day with you saying I don't have to thank you and me thanking you for it," she laughed, a bright smile as she shook her head and raised a single hand to fan away the giddiness that it was causing her. Aziza had not been one to laugh much if ever. Yes she would smile at the club, give a slight chuckle now and then but this was the first full blow laugh she had given in as long as she could remember. Her eyes lit up and her face pinked as she pressed her hand to her chest, her other still laying there and holding Harry's.
A tear brought out by the giggles rolled down her cheek as she tried to catch her breath. He made her feel safe enough to laugh again. She sat there for a moment gazing at him happily and tried to think of something to say but only two words came to her mind and she let them out lightly at the tail end of her breath catching,
"thank you." Museum: Vera looked at William, a bit confused. He had come to check on her?
"Oh..." was all she managed to say at first. Blinking a few times as she stood there with her mouth slightly agape, yet there was the smallest hint of a smile forming on her lips.
Thank you," she stuttered out, just as clumsily as her feet when she tripped herself up.
She could feel her heart beat quickening and her face heating up. Oh dear, the fever was back. Looking away quickly she tried to collect her wits about her. Why was her mind so light right then and her belly full of butterflies? Mr. Khons eyed her for a moment before clearing his throat. "Yes, well get to work and try not to break anything today," he said before turning and walking back off. Now that he knew Vera was alright he wanted to make sure he put some distance between himself and her before she went barreling into something.
Glancing over, Vera looked over towards Lauren.
"Oh yes, I need to summon a brunch over here and set up. Let's head to my office," she said before she started to walk off. She turned around quickly, still walking. Her steps slowly as she moved backwards and looked over towards William.
"Will you be joining us Mr. Drake?" she asked nervously, that small smile starting to return. That was until she back straight into one of the large marble pillars in the main gallery. Her feet slipping out from under her and causing her rear to hit the ground rather hard with her feet splayed out before her.
The Prison: As they rolled up to the gates of the prison the truck came to a halt. The corporal behind them was instructed to disarm and park the car in a side area before he or anyone else from his group would be allowed to enter. The large gate swung open slowly and they entered. This was prison alright but the conditions here were far worse than one might expect in a European or even an American prison of the time. There was not a sign of prisoners to start, mostly just heavily armed guards and a few others walking about. Seemed they were visitors of some of those that were imprisoned there or lawyers; either being shown further into the prison or leaving.
The truck pulled up into the center of a small courtyard and the one that had brought them there hopped out of the cab of the truck before yelling in his native tongue. The guards at the back of the truck jumped down and unlocked the door to the cage of the vehicle. "Come now, quickly," he said as he stood there. No one offered either of them a hand to get down and out of the truck but the look on their faces was easily read. ~Get out now or we will remove you from the truck~ Whatever manners they had had at the barracks had been left there. Haakon and Josephine were on their turf now.
The Road To The Museum: The cat looked over towards Mosi and let out a meow before darting off. Neema quirked a brow as she watched the cat move down the side street and then stop; looking back at them. "That's the direction of the museum..." Rosheen said with a bit of surprise in her voice.
"That it is.." Neema added before plastering an old womanly smile on her face and looking back over to the three women. "I guess that decides it then. Shall we be off?" she stated before giving a quick fare the well to Rosheen and assuring her that she would stop back by at a later time so that they could catch up. Rosheen nodded and headed back into the building. She needed to get back to work but her mind wondered what was going on. She would ask Neema next time they spoke.
The old woman turned and began to head back down the street. This time following the cat more than taking her own route. She was curious to what the cat what was up to. As long as they stayed relatively close to the cats line of vision it would keep moving. If they got too far behind it would stop. If they got to close it would dart off even faster. It was a game of cat and mouse it seemed but this time the cat was leading them towards something instead of chasing them. All Neema could hope for was that the museum in the end wasn't some huge trap.
