Where there's tea, there's hope.

[very_sharpe]

Thomas tried not to be nervous. It was silly to indulge in that, wasn't it? It was just a nice afternoon tea, with a lovely woman. He should be practiced at this; it should feel like old hat.

But that was the thing: it wasn't, really. Edith had been the first choice he ever made, the first woman he ever pursued because he liked her. And now here he was again, about to spend time with someone he genuinely liked, that he was interested in by virtue of the fact that-- well, he was interested. And that meant sincerity, and sincerity meant vulnerability, and--

No, he would not get wound up about this. He wouldn't be an anxious mess - Greta deserved a lovely afternoon, and he would endeavor to give her one. His favorite teahouse was decorated for the season, and he'd gotten them a table in a cozy corner between the fireplace and a window. Since it was afternoon tea, they had a lovely assortment of sandwiches and desserts available for them to have at their leisure.

He'd dressed... nicely, but not overly fancy. It wasn't high tea, after all, and even if it was, modern tea service was quite different than what he remembered. No gloves required. A waistcoat and no proper jacket seemed appropriate.

As soon as he saw Greta walk in, Thomas rose from his seat and remained standing as she was guided to the table by the hostess.

Comments

[andhiswife]

The offer to bring Saoirse along is a relief, for the most part. Honestly, if Magnus is throwing a party and inviting children on purpose, she feels all but duty-bound to bring the girl along; she doesn't want to imagine the look she'd get if she had the audacity to show up without Saoirse in tow.

On the other hand, she knows what a convenient buffer children can be. It feels like the nearest thing they could get to being chaperoned, and she can't help but wonder if this is an exceedingly gracious willingness to include her young charge -- further reassurance that Saoirse isn't a problem -- or an attempt to keep things from getting too... improper.

And it's not as if she can really fault him for wanting to, what, progress at some sort of rational pace? She's the one getting ahead of herself. She should be thanking her lucky stars (or perhaps just Mad Sweeney) for every moment she gets with him, not chomping at the bit, in pursuit of more than he's willing to offer.

"I'm sure she'd love to come along," she says, hoping her smile isn't coming across as rueful. "And I'm sure Magnus would be thoroughly unimpressed if I left her at home. He's rather fond of her, as well."

[very_sharpe]

"And I would be very honored to escort you both."

Thomas checked the time a bit ruefully. "Speaking of, though, I suppose I really ought not keep you longer." They had already been at the tea house for a few hours by that point, and the time had flown.

Unfortunately, it had been an afternoon date, and that meant Greta likely had obligations back home to attend to - particularly, a little girl waiting for her.

"I'll call you to coordinate everything, and I-- I hope you'd be open to meeting like this again."

[andhiswife]

If it came from anyone else, she'd think 'honored' was laying it on a bit thick. It still might be, quite honestly, and she has to quell the urge to roll her eyes, even though there wouldn't have been any real scorn behind the gesture. More of an 'oh, please,' than anything else. But with Thomas, she thinks he might actually mean it. Not that it's a literal honor, which is ridiculous, but that he isn't winding her up or going overboard on purpose.

"Oh." She checks her phone, startled to realize just how much time has passed. It's not late enough that she has to leg it back home -- Saoirse won't be shivering on the front step or anything -- but she shouldn't linger much longer if she wants to beat the lass home without rushing. "Yes. She'll be getting home from school soon."

It's a pity. She hadn't known what to expect, going in, and she hadn't been certain of his intentions. But it's getting easier to believe that this is all sincerely meant. Whether he's slightly mental for being interested in her may be up for debate, but... god, he really does seem interested. It's unbelievable, and ridiculously flattering, and she'd really like to stay longer and just sort of bask in it, as if he's the walking embodiment of an unseasonably warm day.

She settles for a wide smile that she just barely keeps from turning into an outright silly grin. "I think I could manage that. We only tried one tea, after all." There, that's a much more measured response than what she's actually thinking, which would be something more like, God, yes, of course, you're dreamy and I can't believe you actually want to see more of me, I'd be completely bonkers to turn you down. At least she has some restraint.