Harley nodded to him politely as he gave her the instructions, trying not to show how hurried she went up the stairs. What a horrible first impression she must have made! He had been expecting her to be a man, of all things! She knew she never mentioned her gender specifically in their letters, but she hadn't though it was relevant to the topic of discussion! Was her handwriting truly so masculine?
Forgetting Findlay's warning about the last step, she tripped, her feet slipping out from under her as she belly-flopped hard onto the landing with an audible thud. She groaned painfully, shakily getting back to her feet, and continued on, trying to salvage her dignity. She had banged her knee fairly hard on the way down, and once she was out of eyesight- and earshot- she hopped up and down, clutching in and hissing out silent curses under her breath. Lord above, this manor was a death trap! That was the second time she had tripped since entering, and she knew, or holed, that she wasn't that clumsy!
Grumbling bitterly, she turned into the right hallway, taking the last room on the right. Opening the door, she was very much surprised by the cleanliness of the room, it was a completely different atmosphere. Everything was neat and eloquent, from the satin sheets on the four poster bed, to the plush carpet covering the old oak floors. Perhaps she had misjudged Mister Findlay before, and he wasn't the slob she had perceived him to be.
She placed her suitcase on the bed, carefully opening it up and taking out her equipment. Beakers, vials, Bunsen burners, microscopes, lenses, glasses, paper and ink pens, rulers, an abacus, red wax candles, chalk, her sketchbook and charcoal, strong soap, mortal and pestle, knifes and dissecting tools, books on anatomy, chemistry, mathematics, physics, forensics, criminology, philosophy, and history. She arranged them all precisely and nearly on the desk and table, moving the sewing machine and vase of white lilies to different locations.
Done setting up, she caught a glance of herself in the mirror, and frowned. Of dear, she did look a mess. Her blonde curls were damp and tangling, makeup running, her shoulders were soaked and hem splattered with mud. She couldn't appear in civilized company like this! Closing the door, she quickly stripped herself down to her bloomers and petticoat, taking out one of her spare dresses. A dark olive color, she had never liked the dress very much, but it was the best quality dress she had, a gift from her aunt in New York. She hadn't touched the parcels sent by her parents and siblings, no doubt they were accumulating at her address in Carlisle by now.
She redid her makeup, and combed her hair, pinning it back in an effort to remain professional, yet formal. Spare stockings and her dress shoes were harder to find, she eventually settled for her brown slippers, hoping the skirts were long enough to hide her shoes.
Having done the best she could to make herself presentable, she hung up her dress to dry, hurrying back downstairs to the lounge to speak with Findlay. She found him at the window, staring out at the weather.
"My apologies for keeping you waiting, Mister Findlay. I hope we may now discuss the subjects mentioned in our letters, regarding the supernatural?" She asked, not beating around the bush.