Lucky Rabbit

Pandy set the bundles down as gently as she could, then hesitated, unsure what to do with the Moonberry preserves. She should definitely give them directly to Mira, but also, Saskia was a little scary, and Pandy felt a definite urge to do as she was told.

“Um, I have…” Pandy held out the jar toward Luca, who started to take it, then hesitated.

“What is it?” he asked, eyes narrowing. It seemed the new cart and additional business hadn’t entirely made him forget that she was Not To Be Trusted, then.

“It’s for Mira. Your mom?” Why was she asking? She knew Mira was his mom. Argh, why was she like this?

His hand fell back to his side. “She’s sleeping right now. She… sleeps a lot.” Luca’s eyes slipped to the side, their light dimming. “I can give it to her when she wakes up.”

Pandy took back the jar, cradling it against her chest. “I- Maybe she’ll wake up before I go.”

As Luca shifted uneasily, Saskia poked her head back out of the workroom. Without even glancing at Luca, she said, “Come now, or I send clothes to stall next week.”

That was enough for Pandy, who hurried through the door with a weak smile back at Luca. He shrugged in return and was just bending down to untie the first of his burdens when Saskia pulled the door shut between them.

“There,” she said, pointing to a wooden bar that had been set into notches in two neighboring shelves. Items of clothing hung neatly from hangers, clipped in place with short sticks that had been split to create a pinch point.

Seeing that no more words were forthcoming, Pandy crossed to the clothes and turned each item so she could examine it. There were two more pairs of pants almost exactly like the ones she was wearing, except in Falconet colors. Next to them hung two pairs of what definitely weren’t jeans, but also weren’t not-jeans. The material was almost right, and the doubled seam down the outside was a bit too wide, but recognizable. They had button flies instead of zippers – could Pandy figure out how zippers were made, so she could introduce them to this world? – and the pockets were straight openings with a thinner fabric sewn inside like a bag, rather than being angled for ease of hand-insertion, but they were so close Pandy could have cried.

And the shirts! There were the two white ones she’d asked for, so similar to the ones the students wore that Pandy was pretty sure Saskia had just copied the style, then added gussets or darts or whatever seamstresses used to fit fabric to rounder figures. But then, as Pandy continued flipping through the rack, she found three more shirts, each in different styles, from something like a t-shirt to a fancy blouse, complete with beautiful embroidery and lace around wrists and down the front.

After that came a few more foundation garments – just shorter versions of the knickers she’d been wearing for weeks now, thin enough to disappear beneath the slacks. The last item, however, was her favorite. A coat.

Cold didn’t bother Pandy, but that didn’t matter, because everyone needed a coat like this. It was made of something like soft, heavy wool, dyed a deep black that wouldn’t stain, with giant silver buttons and some kind of incredibly plush gray fur around the wrists, collar, and hem. Thick folds of fabric bunched in the back to form soft, heavy pleats that reached to just above her knees.

Before she could think about it, Pandy had the coat off the hanger and around her shoulders. It settled on her body like it had grown there, and she fingered the silken lining, then the fluffy fur. Only then did she think to ask, “Is this, um, rabbit fur?” What would she do if it was? Technically, she wore a rabbit fur coat for 20 hours a day, so would it really be hypocritical of her to-

“Lashik,” Saskia said with a narrowed glance. “You say, weasel? Soft, not cost too much. Not like?”

“I love it!” Pandy hastened to assure her. If she said she didn’t like it, would Saskia tear the coat from her body and eject her into the cold? It seemed entirely likely that Pandy’s role in this was simply to enthusiastically receive the clothing, give them money, and leave.

Expression clearing, Saskia nodded, then gestured to a cloth-wrapped package on a shelf nearby. “I made socks, too. Shorter than ones for skirts. Like for child.”

Pandy lit up, remembering something else she’d allowed to fall to the wayside. “Do you have any more of those? Just… random socks? I know a little boy who needs some new ones. Well, he might not, after the Fall Festival, but I still want to give him some.”

Saskia’s brows lifted. “More children? More than two girls?” She raised her fingers, then switched to one digit so she could point at another, shorter bar full of clothes than Pandy had completely overlooked. Reluctantly, Pandy hung her new coat back up, then went to look at the rest of her treasures.

The pants for Eleanor and Geraldine looked perfect. Two were made for a slightly larger child, and two were so slim they fell almost straight down from the waist. Those waists had buttons on ribbons inside of them, so they could be tightened or let out, and all four pairs had pockets like the ones in Pandy’s clothes. They were simple, in the same style as the uniforms from Falconet, but with subtle differences that would make them more flattering and comfortable for the two girls.

Turning back to Saskia, Pandy said, “Thank you!” with more emotion than she probably should have, because Saskia’s face filled with color.

“Fine, fine,” the other woman muttered, waving off Pandy’s gratitude. “You order them, I make them. Here, I give to you socks also.”

Going over to another shelf, she opened an unmarked box and pulled out two, then three, then four pairs of socks and showed them to Pandy. “What size?” Pandy pointed, and the other socks went back in, only to be replaced by three other pairs, which Saskia briskly wrapped in brown paper while muttering, “Luca outgrows these. No one else wants, anyway.”

The next few minutes were taken up with Saskia wrapping all the items in paper, then refusing Pandy’s offer of more gold with the kind of glare that could have frozen the nose off of a reindeer. Pandy was left with a tower of items she could scarcely see over, and barely had a chance to say, “Could you also-?” before she was practically shoved back out into the main room of the house.

Luca had neatly stacked several bolts of fabric on the table, along with more colors of thread and beads than Pandy had realized were possible, and was just helping Mira to her chair by the window. The woman looked exhausted, with dark circles beneath her eyes, and Pandy immediately began sending Minor Heals in her direction. It only took two to bring her to full health, and once again, Pandy felt a pang of disappointment that her spell couldn’t do more.

“Go get carriage,” Saskia snapped at the boy as soon as she saw him, and he jumped, almost allowing his mother to stumble as she reached for the arm of the chair. Luca’s lips pressed together, but he carefully assisted his mother to her seat, then turned to Saskia with a tight smile.

“Of course, Aunt,” he said, then to Pandy, “Where are you going?”

Pandy blinked. Did it matter? But it probably did. Going further meant more money, but also more time, and some parts of the city were less safe than others. “Um, Avington House? It’s near the…” But she trailed off, because all three of them were staring in her direction, though she knew Mira probably couldn’t make out more than her shadow.

“That place is haunted,” Luca said flatly. “No one will take you there. Is there someplace else you can go?”

Pandy grimaced. She honestly had no idea what else was near her new home, which apparently had more of a reputation than she’d believed. How bad was it that even the regular people knew not to go there?

Clearing her throat, she said, “Well, it turns out that… I live there now. But I just moved in, so I don’t know what’s nearby.”

The boy exchanged a look with his aunt. “We don’t go into that area except to make deliveries, and not often. They’re too fancy to buy from people like us, unless they’re low on gold but don’t want their friends to know.” His expression was too cynical for someone so young, but Pandy understood what he was saying. Unfortunately, even if she could carry all of this, she couldn’t fly during the day, so she was going to need a ride. Worst case scenario, maybe she could get them to put everything on the roof, then make several trips after dark.

“Maybe a shop or restaurant nearby?” she asked.

“That girl. The one with the-” Saskia made a gesture Pandy didn’t recognize, though Luca obviously did, from the way he glanced guiltily at Pandy. “She works at the big house.”

“The palace?” Luca asked, incredulous. “No carriage driver from around here is just going to drive up to the palace, either.”

Pandy left the two of them to figure it out and crossed over to Mira. Carefully settling the jar into the thin woman’s lap, she crouched down next to the chair and said, “This is from Auggie.”

Mira’s brows went up, and she peered at the jar, squinting as if to make out just a glimpse of the item she held. The limp strands of her hair stirred, and two long, slender grass arms protruded from within it. The flower-bud head of her elemental, Flora, poked out next, and the little creature floated down to land atop the wrapped jar.

With shaking fingers, Mira managed to pull the ribbon tying the package closed, allowing the bright sun that shone through the meticulously clean windows and sheer curtains to glint from the glass. The contents looked even more richly yellow than ever, with soft, dense chunks that were presumably part of the fruit, floating like stars in a honey sky.

Raising the whole thing to her face, Flora balanced on her gaunt wrist, Mira attempted to read the little card. “It’s Moonberry preserves,” Pandy told her, trying to hide the way her eyes were burning, and her nose felt stuffy and thick.

With a soft sigh of pure joy, the other woman tried to open the jar, but Luca had noticed what was happening by now, and plucked the jar from her grasp. With a twist, he opened it, then handed it back. Mira barely seemed to notice, lowering her face so she could draw in a low, deep sniff of the jar’s contents. Tears formed in her eyes, gathering on her lashes before coursing down wrinkles that were too deep for someone her age.

“It is,” she sighed, drawing in another long whiff. Then, holding it out toward her son, she said, “Do you remember? Simon used to get me a jar every year for my birthday. Not this large, but without fail. I… I missed it.”

Luca sniffed softly, giving Pandy a very confused look as he swiped at his own eyes, then smelled the jar. Brows drawing together, he said, “I… think so? I don’t think I ever got much.”

Mira laughed, a rich but rusty sound. “No. You didn’t like it because it’s more tart than sweet. You have your father’s sweet tooth.”

Saskia had joined them now, and was eyeing the jar thoughtfully. “I know. Is myrvesha. From,” she glanced at Pandy, “mountains where we grew up. Delicate. Eat by hand, many, many times.” She made a face, lips puckering like she’d just bit into a lemon. “I like, but Seymon, no.” She said her brother’s name with a little twist that made it subtly different from the way his wife said it, and Pandy guessed that was the original pronunciation.

After that, Luca was sent to fetch several small, wooden spoons, so everyone could try Mira’s prize. He made a face when he tasted it, which made Saskia give a tiny snort of laughter, but Pandy liked it. The jelly part was sweet, but not too sweet, and the chunks of fruit were like biting into a very tart cherry. It was crisp, and tart, but balanced beautifully with the sweetness of the rest of it. She wasn’t sure she’d care for the berries alone, but the preserves were delicious.

With Mira happily eating a slice of thick black bread liberally smeared with preserves, Luca finally left to hire a carriage for Pandy. That left the three women alone, and Pandy finally dared to broach the subject of ordering still more clothes. In fact, the beautiful coat had given her an idea.

“I have a couple of dresses,” she said, hoping Augustus had tucked away the rest of Ms. Wellington’s clothes somewhere that wouldn’t be too hard to access. If she really was going to have to participate in noble society, her work clothes probably wouldn’t cut it. “But I’d like one kind of like the coat you made.”

Gesturing, she tried to explain what she wanted. “Full and flowing in the back, but split in the front, all the way to here,” she pointed to her belly button. Before Saskia could look too outraged, she added, “with really nice, slim-fitting pants underneath it. So it’s almost like a coat over a shirt and pants, but not one you’d actually take off.”

Saskia’s mouth had been open, no doubt to deliver a blistering refusal, but now it snapped closed as she looked thoughtful. Nodding slowly, she said, “No beads and bows,” waving away these fripperies. “Neat. Clean. Yes?”

Pandy nodded, trying to remember some of the fashionable outfits she’d seen on award shows over the years. She’d always thought the style was extremely elegant, so long as it was done properly. “Maybe some lace? Not much, just-” she gestured to the bosom-area, and Saskia nodded again, looking more interested by the moment.

They spent the next few minutes talking about the new dress, and then Luca was back, red-faced and panting. “I found someone to take you straight to Avington House, but I had to promise him you’d pay for a round trip. Eight silver.”

That seemed fine to Pandy, but Mira gave a shocked gasp. “Eight? That’s robbery. Luca, can’t you take her yourself?”

The boy looked panicked, and Pandy remembered he’d rented out the cart. Did Mira not know they were doing that? Quickly, she said, “I’d rather take a carriage. It, um, looks like it might rain.”

Mira still looked unhappy, but she nodded understanding as both Saskia and Luca glanced through the window at the brilliant sunshine. There hadn’t been a cloud in the sky when Pandy arrived, and she doubted that had changed.

Biting her lip, Pandy reached into her pocket and pulled out a gold. “Is this enough? I’m still not, ah, very clear on how the money here works.”

Luca and Saskia exchanged another look, and then the older woman hurried from the room and came back less than a half a minute later with a stack of silver coins. “Seventeen silver in one gold,” she said, plucking the coin from Pandy’s hand and pouring the silver into it. Pandy couldn’t help but notice she’d only gotten ten coins.

Seeing her surprise, Saskia smirked. “For new dress. I do not know cost yet. You come back in… three weeks. Bring much gold.”

Eek! How much was ‘much’? But Pandy didn’t have a chance to ask as Luca scooped up some of the packages Pandy had placed beside Mira’s chair when she gave her the Moonberry preserves. Saskia opened the front door, staying out of sight as she did so, and ushered the boy and Pandy out into the street. Pandy felt the door bump into her rear as it clicked shut.