"Hm?" Tilly glanced over at Hettie and shrugged, trying to mask her worry. "Yeah, I guess so. I mean, what if Steelgrave won't see us?"
"Well, then we turn the gig around and drive it right back to town again, but remember, honey, nothing ventured, nothing gained." replied Hettie, relying on an ancient adage. "I don't know why, but somehow I think he'll see us." she said, optimistically, as they bumped over another dog-hole.
"And don't worry about those Evergreen hands giving us any trouble: don't forget that between us, we know all their little secrets... and boy, some of them really are little!" she chuckled, holding up her thumb and forefinger a mere inch apart.
Eventually they reached the place and Hettie lied with great calmness that Mister Steelgrave was expecting them.
That got them as far as the front door and the hand that had escorted them in took care of their pony and trap while Hettie's gloved knuckles rapped on the large oaken portal of the big ranch house.
"I was born the day after Valentine's, but I don't guess I'll ever find a valentine of my own."
Hettie's confidence -- or at least show of confidence -- made Tilly feel a little better, and she let out a laugh as they wound their way to the ranch. On arrival, Hettie's confidence saved the day once again, and before Tilly knew it they were standing on Mr. Steelgrave's front porch.
While Hettie knocked, Tilly took the opportunity to look around. Everything in the yard was just so, a testament to the time Elias had spent building his little empire, and to the control he exercised over everything. Tilly started to get nervous again. Elias would jump at the chance to get his hands on another property in town...wouldn't he?
She pinched her cheeks a little to make better use of the light dusting of rouge she'd put on. Not too heavy, or it would ruin the ethereal illusion that she almost floated around in the pale pink dress from Mr. Pettigrew. No telling what would be called for in order to get Elias on their side.
@ [Flip
@ [Javia
Ling was coming out of the kitchen when he heard the knocking on the front door. He stopped, brow furrowed, looking at the oaken door like it was alive. It would not be any of the men, they came to the back door, then he thought that it might be Latham and Ashworth as they came to the front door, so he shuffled to the door and opened it.
Imagine his surprise as there were two women standing there. "May I help you?" He asked, still trying to understand why they were there.
@Javia @Bailey
Poor Ling, he had probably never seen a pair like this before.
Tilly's were pretty impressive, too.
"Good day, my man. My name is Mrs Rosenkranz and this is my associate, Miss Burke. Would you be so kind as to inform Mister Steelegrave that we are here? We have come to discuss a business matter of no small urgency." Hettie announced grandly.
"We'll come in to wait shall we?" she added, pushing forward in such a way that the diminutive Chinaman would have had to grab a handful of her to stop her, or be crushed beneath a stampede of high-heeled boots.
"Come Tilly!" she waved in her companion airily.
@[Bailey]
Kim Lee, known as Ling, has a past when he lived in China,he lived in a village at the foot of Wuru Peak of the Songshan mountain range in Dengfeng County, Henan province. High above was the Shaolin Monastery where he trained as a disciple, but never completed the final task to become a Shaolin Monk. He had the knowledge to stop the women where they stood, except it was forbidden to use his training on a woman.
"You wai\t here, I will see if Missr Steelgrabe will see you. He is not feel well." Ling tapped his chest where his heart was.
"What the sam hell is going on out he-" He paused as he took in the two women, and it was plain to see what they were, it was what they wanted that piqued his interest. "It's all right Ling. Ladies, please, step into my parlor and let's see what this visit of yours is all about. Ling, tea for me, and whatever the ladies would like."
\
"I was born the day after Valentine's, but I don't guess I'll ever find a valentine of my own."
Tilly followed in Hettie's wake, flashing an apologetic glance at the Chinaman. Hettie was nigh unstoppable when she wanted to be, and this was one of those times. But Ling's words made her pause. Mr. Steelgrave wasn't feeling well? What did that mean? Hopefully it wasn't something catching.
She drew back a bit as Mr. Steelgrave himself appeared, appearing to be in high dudgeon. But thankfully he didn't order Ling to throw them out, and instead invited them into the parlor. Well! This was a pleasant surprise. And he didn't appear to be too under the weather.
"Tea for me, too, please," she said with a sweet smile to Ling as she brushed past Hettie to venture through the parlor door. She gave another winning smile, at once innocent and all-knowing, to Elias. "Thank you for agreeing to see us, Mr. Steelgrave. I shall let my companion handle the introductions."
@[Javia]
"You wait here, I will see if Missr Steelgrabe will see you. He is not feel well." Ling tapped his chest where his heart was.
"Oh shit, I hope 'Missr Steelgrabe' doesn't die on us before we've concluded negotiations" whispered Hettie to Tilly. "Maybe it's just heartburn" she guessed optimistically.
"What the sam hell is going on out he-" He paused as he took in the two women, and it was plain to see what they were, it was what they wanted that piqued his interest. "It's all right Ling. Ladies, please, step into my parlor and let's see what this visit of yours is all about. Ling, tea for me, and whatever the ladies would like."
"Tea for me, too, please," Tilly said with a sweet smile to Ling as she brushed past Hettie to venture through the parlor door.
"Coffee with a kick of brandy in!" Hettie called after the sallow skinned man. Lord, Elias' complexion didn't look much better.
"Oh, Mister Steelgrabe, er, Steelgrave... please sit down, if we had known that you'd been ill, we would never have dreamed of calling on you unannounced like this!" Hettie fussed, leading the cattle magnate into his own parlour like he was a decrepit old man.
Tilly gave another winning smile, at once innocent and all-knowing, to Elias. "Thank you for agreeing to see us, Mr. Steelgrave. I shall let my companion handle the introductions."
"Yes, I'm Mrs Rosenkranz and this is Miss Burke. We're working girls at Mrs Adams establishment: Miss Burke, as you can see, is extremely beautiful and is our star attraction, and I do the books. I'll get right to the point Mr Steelgrave; Sally is at the point of selling up and we don't want a bully called Colonel Buller taking over, we heard that you might be in the market for a whorehouse and Tilly and I thought we might be able to smooth the way for you taking over from Mrs Adams as owner."
She wished now that she hadn't worn such a low cut dress, her assets were bubbling over and she feared for their potential buyer's heart condition.
@[Flip]
This visit probably was not good for Elias' blood pressure, nor the weakened heart that circulated the life giving substance that the Chinaman Ling called a fluid connective tissue, something to do with cells, Ling could go on.
"Oh, Mister Steelgrabe, er, Steelgrave... please sit down, if we had known that you'd been ill, we would never have dreamed of calling on you unannounced like this!" Hettie fussed
"Nonsense, a slight setback is all, I'll be right as rain in a day or so," Elias said having no real idea how sick he was, nor how long he would be recovering. "Now, how is it a cattleman can help you ladies?"
"Yes, I'm Mrs Rosenkranz and this is Miss Burke. We're working girls at Mrs Adams establishment: Miss Burke, as you can see, is extremely beautiful and is our star attraction, and I do the books. I'll get right to the point Mr Steelgrave; Sally is at the point of selling up and we don't want a bully called Colonel Buller taking over, we heard that you might be in the market for a whorehouse and Tilly and I thought we might be able to smooth the way for you taking over from Mrs Adams as owner."
"Well now, yes I, ah, I am well acquainted with the Colonel, though he is not of the rank, I promise you." He began, "He is a lot of bluster and blow. Now, the man is wealthy, yes, quite well to do. That is a fact. Then again, so am I, and I had been entertaining such a business venture just recently. The question, dear ladies, would be the asking price for her business." His eyes fixated on Misses Rosencranz's ample bosom. That was the moment the refreshments arrived.
She wished now that she hadn't worn such a low cut dress, her assets were bubbling over and she feared for their potential buyer's heart condition.
"Ah, good man Ling. So, the Colonel, of course, will try to lowball Misses Adams, guaranteed, though if I were to entertain such a purchase, I would need to know her asking price, and that would be considering the ownership of the property, the current expense, and any debt, that sort of thing." He said with a smile. He was interested, alright, if the price was right. He would have a message delivered to Cole Latham to present a written offer to Misses Adams, based on the woman's asking price.
Bailey
Javia
"I was born the day after Valentine's, but I don't guess I'll ever find a valentine of my own."
Tilly reached out for the teacup offered to her by Ling and blew on it before taking a tentative sip. It was good tea. She looked up to acknowledge when Hettie mentioned her name, and rolled her eyes a little at Elias as if to say "Nonsense! Hettie's the real star," but smiled in spite of herself, pleased at the high praise from Hettie.
Hettie could do no wrong in Tilly's eyes, especially right now. Her companion knew exactly what she wanted, it seemed like their interests aligned with Steelgrave's, and Steelgrave seemed quite taken with Hettie. It all came down to the price. Tilly knew nothing about the finances of the brothel, but it seemed like they'd been doing well.
She cleared her throat daintily and piped up, "One thing we mustn't forget is the brothel's potential, Mr. Steelgrave. We've already been doing well for ourselves, but with your ownership and backing and a few improvements, I'd like to think we could be comparable to an establishment in one of the larger cities. You know, a really luxurious place you could be proud of having your name attached to."
Having said her piece, she sipped at her tea again. She'd let Hettie take care of the actual numbers.
@ [Javia]
@ [Flip
"... not that your name necessarily would be associated with the business." Hettie quickly added. Steelgrave might not exactly want his name over the door!
Hettie was well-prepared for such a moment, she stood and drawing out a piece of paper adorned with various figures in a neat copperplate hand (for Miss Henrietta Louise Christian had been a very well educated, if somewhat over-developed, little girl back in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, before her early marriage to a boring clergyman) she stooped over Mr Steelgrave and handed him the document, her dress straining against the laws of physics to hold in its ample load.
"I think that you'll find our figures very satisfactory" she announced "And I can undertake to ensure that Mrs Adams won't accept any offer from Buller, no matter how much higher."
"I've included figures for possible improvements, too, but that, of course would be up to you as the new owner. I might add that I've found out that the Saloon is planning to stay open all hours of the day and night in the near future, to service the new mine workers in the area... we could expand our number of girls to meet that need too." she added.
