“Everything was delivered darling…all the invitations sent out to gather The House together,” she said softly placing the fresh cut roses into the vase upon the dinner table.
“Good” came his almost silent reply which provoked her eyes to cascade over him slowly trying to decipher him and his possible mood.
“Something on your mind love?” she questioned through the thunderous silence, her movements closing the distance between them as she tugged on the small bit of fabric that hung behind his waistcoat. He turned to face her, cupping the side of her face, and with a well-placed kiss upon her forehead he shrugged. “No, though I’m certain now that these pushovers will clear out one another before long. That’ll make life a bit more pleasant for us, wouldn’t it habibi?”
Her crimson lips curled into a grateful smile from the gesture of affection, though her eyes stayed set upon his still curious as to what he meant. Thinking the better of it, she uttered a soft coo of a “Yes” before turning from him upon hearing the door open to her flat, the gent turning back to look out the window lost in thought once more.
“ ’Llo darling, Mr. Underby,” Rusty said with a tip of his head, grubby form stepping completely into the light as they both nodded in return.
“I trust that this final delivery was as much a success…as the others?” she asked, her teeth piercing into her lower lip apprehensively awaiting the answer.
“All done an’ not a problem with it,” he scoffed, arms folding in pride at his accomplished task, “So I hear you and The Cogfather be gettin’ the family together for some real business then?”
She pressed her hands together and slanting her head coyly, a flutter of her lashes as she sidestepped the question with one of her own, “Do you enjoy boxing Mr. Bones?”
“Don’ mind a lil’ stand-up fight…then again doesn’t mind a lil bar room beat down either…”
“Wonderful to hear…I think we can make use of that…you have a rather menacing air about you. You’re no backyard fairy either from what I’ve come to know of you…”
Rusty rocked to the side and gave her a knowing grin but before he could say a word, the gent behind her cleared his throat and nodded over his shoulder, a signal for them to be dismissed for the evening.
Curtsying politely, she followed Rusty out of the room and looked to him as the door shut upon their exit.
“Servata fides cineri…” she whispered before departing into the night and his reply a growl of a whisper, “For the family…”
And so it begins…