Monday: Covent Garden Flowers

[mylandmyrules]

Nell was a bit tired today, but happy to be back with all the flowers and plants. She'd spent most of the weekend researching and now could easily play tic tac toe and hangman.

If the plants were leaning in a little closer to look at the books on Egyptian mythology that she'd left on the back take for when she got some free time, well, who could blame them!

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

Marc had mentioned Nell having reason for Steven to visit her shop. So there he was, visiting her shop. "Hello, Nell!"

[mylandmyrules]

Nell smiled as he came in and correctly assessed that this was indeed Steven. "Hi, Steven, welcome to Covent Garden Flowers. It's nice to see you!"

[hasaknightjob]

If nothing else the accent did tend to be a giveaway.

"You as well," Steven said. He looked around, taking in the shop for the first time. "Well this is lovely, isn't it? Like a hidden garden."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell beamed at him. "It does, doesn't it? And most of my plants are still out back." They were humming happily.

"I'm glad you stopped by, hospitality and safety to you while you're here. Do you want to look around a little and I can make you a cup of tea?"

[hasaknightjob]

"Marc mentioned the tea," Steven said. Specifically Marc mentioned it existed. Which for Marc was actually an overabundance of details. "Cheers, that's kind. How are you?"

[mylandmyrules]

"He did? Oh, that was nice of him," Nell said happily. "I have my version of a British breakfast tea, of course, but I have a variety of others if you'd like to try one of those."

[hasaknightjob]

"Do you make them?" Steven asked. He indicated the plants to show he meant the tea itself, not just the act of boiling water and putting it in a mug. "If you make them I'll take whichever you're proudest of, if that's all right?"

[mylandmyrules]

"I do," Nell said. "Teas and tinctures and lotions and such like. Learned the basics when I was little and started experimenting with my own as I went on."

She smiled at him. "Not going to give you the ones I'm proudest of as they wouldn't be suitable for you, but I do have one that sort of, well, it helps you feel a bit calm and focused. Good tasting too, if I do say so myself."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven looked at her curiously. "Not suitable? May I ask why?"

[mylandmyrules]

Nell blushed right up to her hairline. She lowered her voice and couldn't help look around before she spoke. "One of them is to help with... well... a woman's monthlies."

So embarrassing.

"The other, I mostly make it to keep my hand in, is for someone in the family way. It's safe and helps settle baby and mother. Keeps things going well, you know."

[hasaknightjob]

"Really?" Steven perked up. "I don't suppose that's for sale at all? Only I've a friend who's expecting, you see."

[mylandmyrules]

"I do sell it or barter for it at home," Nell said, "But I'd be happy to give you some for your friend. To see if she likes it. And if she does I can play with the flavor a bit if it's not to her taste."

[hasaknightjob]

"Are you sure?" Steven asked. He was happy there was even the option to have some. "I don't want to take advantage of your generosity."

[pocketpretzels]

The flower shop was not one of Watts’ usual spots, no, but his visit today was more about who was working in the shop than what the shop itself sold.

He stepped inside, taking a curious look around. Not actually saying anything in greeting, distracted as he was by all the greenery.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell nodded and smiled a bit shyly at him. "Welcome to Covent Garden Flowers. Can I help you find something?"

[pocketpretzels]

Watts tilted his head and gave her a considering look.

“Hm. Perhaps you can. Only it’s someone, not something. Are you Miss Ingram?”

[mylandmyrules]

Everything inside her froze, though she did her best not to show her panic. Who was this? Why did he want her? Was he from the church, somehow sent here to take her? He looked fancy. Maybe someone from the government?

"Mrs. Ingram, you mean?" she asked with her best churchy dignity. "And who would be after asking?"

[pocketpretzels]

Watts had noticed her initial tension, as well as the sudden increase.

“Mrs. Ingram,” he corrected. She looked young to be married, but it wasn’t as if such things were unheard of. “Llewellyn Watts. Detective. You’re- ah. Not in any trouble,” he hastened to add. “It’s just that I’m-“ and here is where he stumbled, uncertain of the terminology he ought to use. “A friend of Steven’s.” He absentmindedly reached out and plucked a leaf from a nearby plant, twirling it between his fingers as he continued. “Good friend. He mentioned you. And I thought- well. I’d like to meet the young woman who managed to strong-arm Mr. Spector into being her friend.”

[mylandmyrules]

She was still on edge, but Steven wouldn't have told a bad man about her most likely. Not on purpose anyway. And he seemed to be deliberately using his body to seem self-effacing. She nodded and then the rest of what he said caught up to her and it was all she could do not to laugh.

"Me? Strong arm, Marc?"

[pocketpretzels]

“Not… in the physical sense,” Watts conceded, with a hint of a smile.

[mylandmyrules]

She put her hands to her face to cover her laugh. "Never in that sense," she agreed. "But I didn't make him do anything. He came here to talk to me after he saw me in the first class."

She wasn't going to say why. She had no doubt Steven had told this gentlemen about tricking Marc into taking the class, so she didn't mind playing a little.

[pocketpretzels]

“No, I don’t think many people could make Mr. Spector do something he didn’t care to.” A beat. “Steven being one of those who could,” he added, smirk out in full force now. “He was quite pleased regarding his success with signing him up for that class.”

[mylandmyrules]

"Was he?" Nell said forcing herself to speak more gently than she felt. It seemed she'd become surprisingly protective of Marc for some reason. "In any case I think I'm the winner in this situation, Mr...?"

[pocketpretzels]

“Watts.” He’d given his name before, but she’d been very busy trying not to appear as if she were a deer in headlights.

[mylandmyrules]

She blushed. She'd taken his name to be part of his title, ie: the detective from Llewellyn Watts.

"Of course, Mr. Watts, I apologize." She spread her hands out. "So... now that you've met me? What do you think?"