‘What exactly are you, madam? If I might ask?’
Vastra smiled.
‘Silurian. Though from what I read of your books that would not exactly be accurate. We could be called Eocenes, but even that is a misnomer. An old friend of mine called us Homo reptilia, which sounds lovely except we are not descended from apes like you humans are.’
Vastra rubbed Jenny’s shoulders lightly, eliciting a smile.
‘In the end, Jenny, I am myself, nothing more. And what I am is different enough to what you are to make all the other complications seem small by comparison. Before we go any further, you need to be honest with me…but more importantly, you need to be honest with yourself.’
‘Honest about what, madam?’
‘You need to be honest about whether all these difficulties are worth taking on for what we have. What we could have. Together.’
Jenny thought for a moment, then leaned in and once again pressed her lips to Vastra’s. She held the kiss for a few moments, then stepped back and smiled.
‘Does that answer your question, madam?’
Vastra smiled.
‘Go get dressed, Jenny. And hail Parker…we are going to need a carriage this evening.’
Jenny turned and began to leave the room. Two steps later she ‘accidentally’ let go of the sheet covering her, and slowly walked to her room. As she reached her door she looked back, saw Vastra staring at her, and with a wave and a wink, walked into her room and closed the door.
~~~
Jenny and Vastra waited just outside their door for Parker to arrive. It was very difficult not to give in to temptation, but both of them knew the risks, and neither of them was willing to expose the other in any way.
The clomping of hooves on cobbles streets heralded Parker’s arrival. He pulled up to the front of the house and hopped down off the driver’s perch. He hustled over to the carriage door and opened it for the two ladies.
‘There you are, madams. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.’
Vastra took a look at Parker’s clothes. She was used to seeing him in more traditional work clothes, but this night he wore a nicely tailored suit, complete with polished shoes and gloves. She looked at him warily.
‘You seem turned out a bit more impressively than normal, Parker. What might be the occasion?’
Parker smiled.
‘You can thank your girl Jenny…she told me tonight was a special night for you, and I should try and make my best impression on you. I hope it’s not a problem, madam.’
Vastra chuckled and then turned to look at Jenny, who had already stepped into the carriage. Jenny looked out and winked, a smile creeping across her lips. Vastra pointed at her, waggling her finger slightly, which only caused the girl to begin giggling. Vastra then turned her attention back to Parker.
‘Not at all, Parker. Not at all. Just a bit unexpected, but a rather nice surprise.’
‘Thank you, madam,’ Parker said, bowing slightly as Vastra stepped up into the carriage. He closed the door carefully behind her and then mounted the carriage himself.
‘Where to, ladies?’ he called down cheerfully.
Vastra turned to Jenny, who shrugged her shoulders. Vastra sighed.
‘Some lot of help you are,’ she whispered.
‘Hey!’ Jenny replied, her whisper slightly louder. ‘It’s not like I ever got much chance to go out to eat before!’
Vastra leaned out of the carriage.
‘Parker…I will leave it up to you. Someplace nice, perhaps by the river? It does not have to be extravagant, but someplace where they treat their customers well. Do you know any place that fits that description?’
Parker thought for a moment, then clapped his hands.
‘I know just the place, madam. Friends of the family run it, and they make the best steaks in London, and that’s no lie. You should find it quite to your liking, I’m sure.’
‘Very well then, Parker, take us there.’
She leaned back into the carriage, then stuck her head out again.
‘About how far away is this place, Parker?’
He looked down into the darkness of Vastra’s hood.
‘Oh, a half hour, I’d wager? Why?’
Inside that hood, Vastra smiled.
‘Oh, no reason, Parker. We’re in no rush. Just bring us there.’
‘Right enough, madam!’
Parker cracked the reins slightly and the horses started off on their course. The carriage jerked and bucked for a few moments, but soon settled down. Jenny looked over at Vastra curiously.
‘Why’d you want to know how long the ride would be, madam?’
‘We still have too much lost time to catch up on, Jenny,’ she said quietly.
Even in the darkness, Vastra could see Jenny’s smile widen.
‘We’ll have to be quiet. Can you do that?’
Jenny nodded, biting her lower lip innocently.
Vastra sighed. I love it when she does that, she thought wistfully.
They leaned in, simultaneously, and kissed. Being in the carriage only added to the exhilaration.
~~~
As the carriage drove off, a ragged looking man stepped out of the alley directly across from Vastra’s home. His clothes looked almost muddy, the knees of his trousers almost worn through. He looked at a sheet of paper in his hands…even from across the street, he could make out the girl’s face. That was all he needed to know at this point…the rest would follow on from there.
He began to walk, unsteadily at first, but with increasing nimbleness and speed. He had overheard the discussion, heard the driver’s recommendation, and knew exactly which restaurant they were heading to. Better still, he knew a short cut that would get him there in half the time. His jog became a run as he made his way up the mostly empty street.
He would get there before them.
He would be ready.
He would succeed where his partner failed.
And in the end, he would reap the rewards of that success.
After all…He promised them reward beyond compare if they were successful. The reward would be greater still, he reasoned, if only he partook in it.
