Some people probably would have winced at Rebeka's comment but Estella just laughed. "Yeah, that's exactly what I did." She wasn't too sensitive or self-conscious about that fact. Especially as it was true. She had practically curled up on the floor of the engine catching a bit of sleep before coming in. Nothing wrong with that. Just the faintest hint of doubt hit the back of her mind as the question rose up: was there something wrong with that? The doubt was quickly dismissed. First off, Rebeka didn't seem to indicate that it was and secondly, what was done was done. No point worrying about what already complete.
She took another drink of her coffee**. Despite having lived in the United Kingdom for some time, she still hadn't got a hang of drinking tea. Denmark was predominately coffee drinkers. And though she hadn't drunk a lot of it when she was young, she had picked up the habit and had grown to like it as she had traveled through Denmark. The coffee was American style, obviously, but still not bad. It helped wake her up a bit and it was warm.
"That would be a good idea," she concurred. "I have a good idea of a few different things that we need, just to get started. I didn't make a full list but I know where to get started on." She finished her cup. "I presume you're coming with me?" She inquired glad for the company. It made sense really. Rebeka probably could authorize payments and such - something that they would be foolish to let Estella do without really knowing her.
When the other woman seemed ready to go - the two guests had already departed as well - Estella headed with her outside the airship. She wore basically the same thing she had been wearing the last couple days - trousers that had been slightly modified to fit her better, a sleeveless shirt (her jacket undoubtedly somewhere in the engine room), and boots. In the dark, she may or may not be mistaken for a boy - depending on the lighting and if she had her jacket - but daytime, it was evident she wasn't. Despite the pants, the smudge here or there of grease, the lack of grace (comparatively) in her walk, there was a touch of feminity to her. And the corset helped indicate that as well - tastefully displaying a bit of her form. Not that she thought much of it. It was something that society deemed and despite the fact she wore pants, there was only so much she could really push.
Her hair was pulled back and up pinned in an almost ponytail-style, a few strands purposely left out, hanging down. Little pouches completed her attire, hanging from her belt. Usually, that's where she kept her most precious items or tools - necklace excluded.
Shopping for parts with Estella was an interesting adventure. She might not know the name of a part but she did seem to know if a part worked or not. She examined any part that she might be interested in and then rail into the vendor if it was anything less than what he had said it was or promised it to be. Not so much because the part but because he was trying to cheat them. The vendors quickly realized that despite the fact they were dealing with two women, they knew what they were talking about.
Once she found a part and understood if it would work for what they needed or not, then came the haggling. Having grown up poor and used to haggling for everything, she countered any offer the vendor made with one of her own and then spent a bit of time attempting to haggle him down. Something that they really didn't comprehend as much as there wasn't a lot of it done here in England - or most places for that matter. But Estella did it well, using her knowledge of parts to work in her favor.
As they walked away from a vendor, yet another part picked up, a smile returned to Estella's face. Not only did they get a few good parts but they purchased them at a fairly reasonable price.
~ ~ ~
"Thank you," Roger nodded and followed Bea out the door.
Randolph T. Smith. The address from the envelope indicated he was not too close to the docks. That meant a long walk with a suitcase or catching a ride. Flagging down a cab, Roger helped Bea in before giving the address to the man.
He wondered how nervous Bea was. He was a bit nervous himself. This man had held a letter for Beatrix from her father for a year. He hadn't contacted her, hadn't said anything up to that point. In fact, he hadn't really even indicated it was from him, just her father. Hopefully, this meeting would provide some answers that they sought. Did he know about the journal her father had? Did he know where to find it? Did he have anything else that would help them figure out where to go from here? The half of the map enclosed also was a mystery. Did this Mr. Smith have the other half? Who else would Bea's father entrust it with?
There was so much that they didn't know. And the threat of danger was evident as well. Someone had been watching Bea after her father's death. Someone neither of them had even realized. Was that individual still watching or was she safe? Had they given up or were they still out there?
Whatever the case, they had to be very careful. The individuals who may or may not be following them were dangerous and had not hesitated to kill the professor. Roger doubted they would be more lenient to Bea.
But he kept his fears to himself. Giving Bea a smile, he gave her hand a slight squeeze. "Don't worry. We'll find out the truth soon enough." He told her confidently. At least a lot more confidence than he felt.
The house they stopped at was a very old, very large mansion of sorts. The gates were open so the cabby brought them up to the door. Helping Bea down, Roger paid the man. "Can you wait a moment?" He asked the man giving him an additional coin. "Just in case, no one is here and we need to head back right away."
The man examined the coin and then nodded. "Yes, Sir." He declared.
Nodding his thanks Roger looked at Bea. "Ready?"
**[note: I changed it from tea. Denmark is more a coffee drinking culture. I looked into Estella's background and her heritage shouldn't make a difference in something like this.
Also, realized we had him in Glasglow not Edinburg but it works lol]