The Lawyer And The Dressmaker

That afternoon, Lexie and Lady Kathleen found their way to the building by the bakery. They saw a paper in the hallway that said that the lawyer's office was up three flights of stairs. "This lawyer better be a good 'un for all the work it be fer climbin' these steps. I jest hope he knows his business and can find your father's papers somewhere in the city."

When they finally got to the third floor they knocked on the door. They heard a man say, "Enter." There was the man from the coffee house, just as he said. The office was dirty and the window was small. He didn't wear a wig as was the custom in those days. He sat with his legs crossed and didn't stand to greet them. He pointed to two rickety chairs and motioned for them to sit down. "Now then, he said, what can I do for you? I know that you are not men. I have been watching you at the coffee house. Your idea of disguise has not fooled any of the men that meet there either. They are curious of course, as to just what you are trying to hide. Right at this minute
they are in the betting room betting against the odds that I will help you. I will help you of course, but it will cost you a lot of gold. I want half right now and the rest when I find out what you want to know. I will tell you my fee when you tell me what you are so anxious to find."
Lady Kathleen did not sit down and told Lexie that they were not going to waste their time talking to this so called lawyer. They would take care of business themselves. They slammed the door on the man and went down the stairs to the dirty busy street. Lexie said, "Well, now you've done it. What do we do now?"
Lady Kathleen said, "My dear, we are ladies, so we are going to dress like ladies. The first thing we are going to do is find a modiste. (A dressmaker) They walked slowly and watched the signs and finally after two hours of walking found a dressmaker shop. Lady Kathleen told Lexie not to talk because her use of the English language would not pass in this shop. (She talked like the poor young girl that she was.) When they walked in the door
the woman seamstress was not a bit happy with their looks. Lady Kathleen had a story all ready for her. She explained that all of their clothes had been stolen by some pirates. All they had to wear was what they were wearing. She also said that she had money, but needed the clothes very quickly.
Usually it took quite a long time to make a dress, but the lady said that she just happened to have two dresses that she could make fit them. She had a seamstress there to help her. She also had jewelry and some accessories for them. They now looked like proper ladies of the English 1700's.
After another hour of getting the dresses fixed they walked out the door looking like two beautiful ladies that just might be allowed entrance at Lady Bonita's home. She wasn't going to take any chances however, and found a print shop and had a few calling cards made with her name on them; Lady Kathleen Taylor. She then found a hansom and they were on their way to get Marlee.
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Marlee had sneaked up to her room to put her pirate dress on so she would be ready to set sail on the ship as soon as she saw it in the harbor. She made a quick stop to say goodbye to Stashia and was on her way down the road. She followed the road that the hansom had taken so that she would be able to find the Cap'n.
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The ladies were so uncomfortable in their dresses. They had dressed in pants and shirts like men for so long that the hoop skirts and tight corsets were so very scratchy and itchy. They kept squirming around and grumbling. The dresses were so tight it was hard to breathe. Lexie was complaining about it to Lady Kathleen when suddenly she let out a scream! Lady Kathleen yelled, "What on earth is wrong with you?" She yelled so loud that the horse jumped and started to gallop down the road. The driver was yelling and pulling back on the reins trying to get the horse under control before the hansom flipped over. It was rolling on one wheel as it was!
Remember that old wrinkled dog was Marlee's friend.....