A Lady Friend
I pouted.
"Don't turn theatrical on me now. You are not that old."
His smile widened, his mood turning slightly wry.
"Neither are you, Miss Collins. Indeed, you are as elegant as the first time I saw you."
He gave me a little bow, stooping lower than someone with his back likely should have. "How may I be of service?"
"I need information."
"Of course." He motioned to a small table near the main counter, currently filled in with books and a luxurious candle holder.
"Sit and have tea with me, and we will talk. Unless you are in a haste?"
"No, I have time."
While Erik fetched the tea, I cleared off the table, setting books in neat stacks on the floor. When he returned with the teapot, we made small talk and drank our drinks for a bit, but my mind really was not into it. My uneasiness must have come through loud and clear as my fingers danced along the cup's edge and my toe tapped impatiently.