[For Dot] "We've been in worse jams than this, haven't we, Hildy?"

[st_illunsmeared]

"Now, this is how one ought to be held captive."

For a few glorious moments while Dot busied herself unpacking her trunk, Phryne allowed herself to go from room to room in the beautifully appointed suite, surveying it as a guest in a hotel rather than a woman possibly magically trapped outside of time. The soft blue and rose gold palette soothed senses overstimulated by the riotous color of the lobby and shops. Satin, silk, natural light and not one but two balconies appealed to her love of luxury and appeased pathological loathing of the small, filthy and mean developed in her youth.

Having ducked out onto the east-access balcony, Phryne now called to Dot. "Come and look, Dot. The lights are beautiful." And so plentiful. Displays like this had been unthinkable in Melbourne.

Comments

[st_illunsmeared]

Phryne laughed softly as she always did at Dot's allegiance to Cec, the favored 'older brother'. He was a dear young man, and they would miss him and Bert terribly. And Mr. B. And...

"Oh dear."

She stared down into her cocoa, stomach suddenly turned.

"Poor Aunt P. I don't know how she'll face another loss...or tell my mother I've gone missing. And dear Jane... I never wanted her to know that pain." Mac and Jack would soldier on. But her family...

[st_oh_honestly]

"Oh," Dot said softly, anxious. "I hadn't even thought of my family. My mum and the others."

In a lot of ways Miss Phryne, and Bert and Cec, Mr. Butler, Jane, Mrs. Stanley, the inspector and Hugh were her family now. Even though she did still see her own family at church regularly.

"What will they think Miss?" With the two of them just disappearing like they had.

[st_illunsmeared]

"The worst, I'm afraid."

Phryne drew her knees up to her chest and rested her forearm across the top of them. The pose was intended to seem nonchalant, but, in truth, the feeling of something close to her chest helped hold back the mounting urge to scream in frustration, or weep.

"So we'll just have to free ourselves and find our way back before they've given up hope."

Whatever they did, it would come far too late to spare Jack the feeling of discovering her in the wreckage of a car again. She very much feared it would set them back again. Possibly for good.

[st_oh_honestly]

Dot stared at her cocoa and bit her lip. Her mother would be upset, but she would be fine, she had the church and would think Dot was in a better place. But Hugh, if he still cared even after she gave back his ring, well he would no doubt blame Miss Phryne.

She sighed.

"I'm still not sure how I got here Miss, I certainly don't know where to start looking for an escape."

[st_illunsmeared]

"Nor I, Dot. But I certainly don't plan to let that stop me." Why should she? It never had before. "We'll start first thing tomorrow. You can mingle with the other guests while I search the hotel. And if anyone asks where I am, you'll tell them I'm having the vapors."

Not, of course, that she expected anyone to be looking for her, or to ask Dot if they were, but having their story straight always helped and so would behaving as they always did.

"You needn't be Martha Driscoll again, but a little discretion won't hurt."

[st_oh_honestly]

Dot couldn't suppress the smile that flitted on her lips at the thought of Miss Phryne having the vapors, but she nodded.

"Yes Miss. They're looking for people who can cook and do some of the washing and such for those who can't, should be able to get myself a nice unobtrusive job." No one noticed domestic help, so she would be able to move freely.

[st_illunsmeared]

"It's a pity we don't have Bert and Cec with us. They'd do nicely to establish the in-room dining service, and give us a fine view into the rooms." Phryne supposed she could do it herself, but even her acting skills might be stretched in doing service work for more than a few days.

She resumed drinking her cocoa while pursuing that train of thought and then finally gave a small shrug. "We'll have to be on the look out for a nice young man or two that we can trust to do errands, if we're here more than a few days. I trust you'll let me know if you meet any likely candidates."

The type of young men Phryne herself tended to meet would be more suited to boudoir espionage, she suspected. That was not without its uses, but she'd just as soon do most of that herself.

[st_oh_honestly]

"I will Miss," Dot was considering the different things she could do, "If I offer maid services Miss, I may get access to some of the rooms."

Some people may not wish for a maid.

[st_illunsmeared]

Phryne pursed her lips in a tight frown. She didn't like the idea of Dot being trapped alone in a guest room with someone of potentially nefarious intent. "I think you can leave the snooping to me for now. I do have my pistol."

That decided, she felt somewhat better and returned to drinking her cocoa. "Anyhow, you may as well enjoy the vacation from picking up after people for now. Tea or table service will give you a better chance to speak to them."

[st_oh_honestly]

Dot smiled, picking up after people was the life she'd been prepared to lead and had led for a number of years. Miss Fisher was less work in that respect than any other employer she'd had.

"Tea then," she decided. "Maybe one of the less used cafe areas. I can bake too."

[st_illunsmeared]

"That a lovely idea, Dot. You're sure to earn good will with your baking skills." Especially if what she'd heard about the frightful cook and his obsession with chicken were true. She might have to subsist on Dot's baking almost entirely, unless she were to be let near the kitchen.

"And I'll begin investigating the hotel, first thing after breakfast. There's sure to be a clue to why we've been brought here somewhere." She did feel better for having a plan. It would keep her from worrying over home, her father, her mother, and what Jack would think whenever he learned. Perhaps they'd make it back before word would make it home that she...hadn't.

[st_oh_honestly]

Dot blushed slightly at the compliment to her baking, but if she could be forgiven the boast, she was quite good at it.

"What if there isn't a clue Miss? What if..." She hesitated, it would sound crazy to suggest that perhaps they were dead.

[st_illunsmeared]

"Now, Dot. There is always a clue," Phryne chided her gently, but only very gently. Under the circumstances, worrying seemed only natural. "We may just have to think like villains to uncover it."

But that wasn't the meat of Dot's question. In general, Phryne was ill-equipped for solace and comfort and left that to those in her employ better suited, but at present, there was nothing for it. Chin up, and carry on. "We may not like what we learn, but we shall learn. The important thing is that wherever we are and whyever we're here, we're together."

[st_oh_honestly]

"We're together," Dot repeated. And it did help. After all, hadn't she given Hugh back his ring because she didn't want to leave Miss Phryne. Because she wanted to go on investigations and motor in the Hispano and improve her typing.

It was hardly christian to bemoan getting what she wanted - even if this wasn't quite how she'd imagined it.

She smiled at Miss Phryne, a real smile, even if it wasn't a brilliant one. "If we're going to start investigating tomorrow we should probably get some sleep then."

[st_illunsmeared]

"Yes, Dot, we probably should." Even so, Phryne wasn't quick to rise, and instead stretched her legs out in front of her and flexed her toes. "And you should stay here tonight, I'd rather we not make things too easy for anyone with bad intentions."