"Let's have a look at you then!" Mary coo'd excitably from across the room as she stepped quickly over to where you stood, she wore a stupid smile .
With a quietened gasp, her hands grasped at the thick material in your new coat, her scrutinising eyes flicking over your clothed form
"well just take a look at you and your fancy clothes Miss" she mocked slightly with a light laugh as you gave a slow twirl in front of her. "Now that there is proper quality ain't it" she mused as her fingers rubbed at the thick woollen clothes you now wore
"I know! They must have cost a fortune Mary" you smiled as you glanced down at yourself "I'd have never been able to afford threads like this... Im so lucky"
"That you are girl..... And judging by all of this, Id say Jacob's proper sweet for you an'all, you lucky cow" she quipped.
You scoffed quickly at her accusations and strode across the bare floor boards of your room to get your hat "Mary... Shut up, he's not! " you giggled lightly as your fingers grasped your new felt hat from the side "I needed help and Jacob being the gent he is, gave it..... Nothing more"
"Nah listen I'm telling you...." She started as she perched down on the edge of her bed looking at you " I reckon you're telling me porkies about that night on the train, something must have gone on, these clothes must have cost a bloody fortune! ...And judging by this, he's been paying quite a bit of attention to your figure of late..... They fit perfect" she said with a playful glint in her eye
You giggled "Mary!, Jacob.... If you haven't forgotten has a sister, he's probably used to buying her clothes maybe.....I don't know!" You shrugged "Jacobs certainly not paying any attention in my figure at all, he's bound to be wrapped up with some 'educated lady' somewhere" you mocked gently before giggling
"Educated lady or not, I still think he's sweet for you!" She replied with a laugh as you offered a shake of your head.
"Oh shush with you!" You sighed eventually, keen to change the subject " are we going out today or not?"
"Of course m'lady" Mary giggled as she pushed herself from her bed and stepped over to you "that's if you can even bear to be seen with me now you're all posh and that" she jested loudly
You giggled at her silliness as you scooped up your hair and placed it under the new hat Jacob had bought you "Actually thinking about it, would you be able to walk a few steps behind me?..... I would appreciate it if you could.... I wouldn't want anyone to assume we're together"
Your gentle laugh slowed as your thoughts drifted away from your sudden merriment. Mary stopped, the smile dropping from her face and addressed your abrupt solemness
"You will be alright, I mean out today won't you?" She asked comfortingly as her eyes skipped over your form
You smiled glancing up "of course I'll be alright!" You laughed nonchelantly "why wouldn't I be alright?"
"Well it's the first time out for you ... You know.... Since..." She halted "without....." She faltered unable to find the right words
"Without Mac?" You finished her words "you can talk about him....yes, It's the first time out and It'll feel so weird without him. He was the closest thing I ever had to a brother.... He saved my arse more times than I care to remember " you sighed sadly "but he'd not want any of us to be morose....... And he'd be bloody ribbing me terribly about these, the cocky little shit" you smiled grasping at your clothes
"You're a good gal ain't ya?" She smiled as she cupped your face slightly "so! "She exclaimed suddenly "Where we off pocketing today then m'lady?" She asked
"I reckon we should head up Westminster.... What do you reckon? Theres a better class of folks up there, the sort who don't even know they're getting done over......always better dibs ....."
"And less Blighters.... You're on, Westminster it is then.... And dressed like that you'll fit right in....Come on " she smiled as you both began to scuff towards the door of your room readying yourself to leave.
****
The Frye's Train
" What are you working on?" Jacob asked flatly as he observed Evie scribbling rather frantically in her notebook. His steps were heavy and deliberate as he scuffed rather nonchelantly into the train carriage
"Ahh good afternoon brother dear" she replied, her tone sarcastic and cold as she took a moment to glance up from her scribe "are you in the slightest bit interested in what I'm working on?" She asked as her eyes fell back to her work
Jacob perched next to her on the edge of her desk, his backside crumpling some papers stacked there "not really, no" he replied coldly with a lopsided churlish grin. Nonetheless, he tilted his head and his eyes cast down to her neatly written words.
"Didn't think so" she quipped quickly, her eyes scowling at his choice of seat "do you mind Jacob?" She snapped as her hands lifted slightly remonstrating at the work that was getting more and more crumpled.
"No" he smiled teasingly "so what is it you're working on now then Evie? ......Don't tell me.... You've found a secret Assassin's vault where the shards of Eden have been kept all this time....no wait, not shards....keys of Eden? Magical pair of boots of Eden? The mystical invisibility hat of Eden? Am I getting close?"
"You're really not taking any of this seriously are you?" Evie snapped angrily
"Not really no" he smiled arrogantly with a slight sneer
"You might think this is a big joke Jacob but these pieces of Eden could spell disaster if they get into the hands of the Templars.....we need to save London, Does that thought not even bother you?" She asked sharply
Jacobs mouth turned slightly as he thought over his answer "what's going to save London is taking out the Templars, not chasing some folly of a magical ancient fantasy Evie"
Evie shook her head somewhat despondently at her brothers total disregard, her eyes fell down to her script once more. There was a moments silence as she gathered her thoughts once again and then placed nib to paper preparing to write.
Jacob remained perched upon the desks surface, arms crossing, his mouth began to make a loud kind of clicking sound as if singing along to some simple and random song that was seemingly stuck in his head, all the while his eyes skirted disinterestedly across the carriage.
Evie paused her writing and took a deepened breath, her eyes widening as she listened a moment to her brothers annoying song. It was only when the clicks turned into a breathy but noisy whistle that Evie slammed her pen down upon her desks surface
"JACOB!" She snapped angrily stopping him immediately with a slight jump "haven't you got anything else you could be getting on with?"
Jacobs mouth thinned as he sighed deeply "I'm bored Evie"
"Id have never guessed" she bit somewhat furiously "look, if you're that bored I'm heading out later to meet with Henry, he says there's news from the Maharaja about a possible vault somewhere hidden deep
underneath London..... Although it pains me to say this, why don't you come with us?" She asked
"I said I was bored Evie, not desperate"
Jacob scoffed arrogantly "nope!"
He sighed loudly as he suddenly pushed himself to his feet, "I'm headed off to the boozer"
Evie immediately began straightening her paperwork where he once sat
"Doing something constructive with your time then I see Jacob?" she seethed before grasping her pen once again and re dipping it into the nearby ink
"Ooooo, be sure to tell me about any secret passageways ways you find on your adventure won't you Evie" Jacob bit sarcastically before he began to laugh gently. "Ooh and make sure you give my deepest love to the Maharaja too won't you" he said lightly before he scuffed just as disinterestedly out of the carriage as he'd entered.
****
Later that evening
Westminster
"Mary come on"' you called from the corner of a nearby street corner "it's starting to get dark, we need to be heading back now"
Mary was stood a short distance from you, her back pressed tightly against the wall of a building and her eyes fixed hungrily on the large doors of the palace of Westminster
"In a bit" she called quietly back, her head turned slightly so that you'd hear her better "there's some late 'do' going on in there tonight..... It's only a matter of time before them fat politician types with their equally fat wallets come spilling out..... And when they do, I'll be waiting for em"
You sighed deeply before striding quickly over to where she stood "Mary ain't you made enough today as it is!" You asked sharply
She prized her eyes from the huge fortress type doors and glanced up at you, your increasing angst easy to see upon your face.
What is it? You ain't normally like this..... You'd normally be well up for dipping into the pockets of them politicians"
You gave a deepened breath "yeah... I would normally but Jacob warned me about being out, especially after dark .... Said there's loads more Blighters about since Elliotson's death and they're baying for the blood of The Rooks to satisfy Starrick.... We're two women out on our own... It's going to be dark in about half an hour.... I just reckon it would be sensible to head back"
Mary thought a moment, her eyes flicking over and observing the nearby lamp lighters at work before they flicked back to you
"We can come back tomorrow, get them then.... "You added " and It's better to be safe than sorry ain't it" You said with a slight shrug
You waited a moment as you saw her silently weighing up the odds in her head, she gave a deepened breath before beginning to nod slowly
"I suppose you're right.... AGAIN" she sighed as she pushed herself from the wall she'd been taking sanctuary behind "but them bleedin posh government types are going to have it you know" she said quite sternly making you laugh as you began to scuff away and down the dampened greasy pavement.
"Tomorrow Mary... We'll come back tomorrow.... I promise " you smiled as you began to walk away linking your arm through hers and stepping out into the thickened fog that was now beginning to descend upon the cobblestoned streets.
The pair of you strode confidently arm in arm through the quickly darkening London streets, you chatted and giggled lightly about the day's events, oblivious to the fact that your journey was taking you through some of the darkest streets and alleyways of more notorious Blighter territory.
With a start you glanced around, a little perturbed at how dark and deserted the streets were now becoming. The thickening London smog descended quickly and silently stalked the narrowing cut throughs and Gullys like some evil sinister monster waiting to engulf its prey.
"Mary, you sure this is the way?!" You asked as you scuffed to a noisy halt at the entrance to a blackened cut through.
"Yeah.... It's through here and then out on Imperial Row.... Clear way back then" she said as she urged you slightly forward, her arm still linked with yours
"I dunno Mary" you replied reluctantly as your eyes cast off deep into the narrowed alleyway. The greasy cobblestones glistened in what little poor light shone down from the tiny grubby windows in the tall red bricked buildings that lined the way so imposingly.
"Well if we don't go through here, we got to go all the way round right to Westchapel and that'll put at least twenty minutes on our journey..... Come on, we'll be dead quick..... We'll be fine! Come on" she smiled with a slight pull on your arm to get you moving
And so with a sense of dread that tightly knotted your gut and a deepened breathy sigh you allowed her to lead you by your arm into the blinding darkness of the alley.
The air was silent and still, with no noise nor person close by.
"Can we just get a hurry on" you said nervously, your misty breath pluming quickly from your mouth and adding to the thick choking smog that now surrounded you.
"We'll be fine love.... Just keep moving eh" Mary smiled, her forced smile telling you that she too felt the same as you. "Look there's the way out" she said nodding towards a suggestion of an archway some distance off in the fog.
"Yep!" You smiled nervously as you sub consciously picked up your pace to a near trot. "The way out.... There it is!"
Your heavy hobnailed heels scraped noisily across the dampened cobbles and hit your ears once again after bouncing from the walls of the nearby tenements. The soft hazy glow of the archway and your safe passage out pulled you closer and closer towards it.
"Alright Rooks" came a sudden deepened growl from the shadows ahead of you.
You both suddenly stopped, your heart pounding in your chest as your eyes narrowed trying to see the owner of the sinister voice. Slowly and silently the figures of three burly men emerged from the shadows and stood shoulder to shoulder blocking your way out. Their red waist coats and sashes were clear through the smog
"Oh shit!" Whispered Mary as you both began to step slowly backwards and away from them. You both turned, stopping immediately to see another three blocking the way you'd come in. The dim light that was visible illuminated a large blade in the hand of the one blighter, it shone and glinted as he turned and twisted the handle of his cleaver within his thick fingers.
"Well we're fucked now" you said as your arm dropped from Mary's