#baronyofthesilverwolf

"Marigold, you cook all the time, it won't kill you to let me treat you to a meal." Nadeen guides the boggan into the dinner.

"It's certainly unnecessary, though the sentiment is appreciated. I love to cook, so it's not like it's an imposition." Marigold smiles, despite her insistence, and has taken time to put up her hair in nice clips and wear a fancier blouse and slacks than her normal working attire, even though it's just a diner. "You must be so busy settling in, to a new house and new role, that it really feels more like I'm taking your valuable time."

"I won't lie and say I don't feel like I have much to do, but a sup with you is also a good excuse for me to plumb some valuable insight"

Marigold is moving a little slowly. She was offered a cane, but roundly refused, as she's not an invalid, after all. "I'm always glad to help, even if I don't get out as often as I used to... oh, as I live and breathe, I know this place. Maude - that's the owner, you know - and I used to play canasta." As she sees their destination.

"Oh?" she says

"I Hope it was a friendly game" A smile

A smile and she pats Nadeen's hand. "Cut-throat, but good natured. I used to have a little ladies' group, we'd meet up, play cards, and gossip about this and that. It's been a few years though, first things were so busy, and then with the dratted Virus."

"Well, we've all got our shots now which may not be fool proof, but the staff here is very courteous" and she opens the door for Marigold

"Welcome to Church Street!" Calls the waitress. She hops up from her perch on a stool at the counter where she was idly writing in a notebook, the diner empty at this time of day. A moment of recognition at Nadeen, and she heads over with a pair of menus. "Hello again, Miss Tanya, ma'am. Will you be dining in with us today?"

"Yes, Flo, thank you. This is Marigold, a friend of mine"

"Always a pleasure to have repeat guests, that's just our new regulars. And we certainly have room today, with no wait." A gesture at the empty diner with a small smile. "Follow me, Miss Tanya, Miss Marigold, we have a right nice booth over here, and I can get you some coffee, tea, um, we have fresh squeezed OJ...."

Nadeen hopes Marigold's boggan gifts will do some of the work. Give her a feel of Flo's eagerness to please, and that yes, Nadeen is considering her for something true.

Marigold is settled comfortably into the booth and looks over the diner. "The orange juice sounds lovely, I'll have a glass. Oh, and if Miss Maude is in today, please let her know that I said hello!"

As Flo hurries to put in this request, Marigold watches her go and mentions to Nadeen, "I'm awful glad to that they're still in business. I try to support the local businesses as much as I can, you won't see me shopping over at the Wal-Mart, even if they were closer, but still, folk are struggling."

"Well, I'm a bit worried Flo may end up being let go, and no fault of her own. They don't really need her but she needs work"

That said while Flo is getting drinks.

Soft bustling in the kitchen, muted conversation from within, music is played on a tinny radio, but only enough to be heard, not loud enough to be bothersome. It's a pleasant background combination, along with the tantalizing smells that make bellies grow.

"That's a right shame. Too common, these days. Things are looking up, but the vaccine and the stimulus both came a bit too late for many businesses." She tsks unhappily.

"Mary, is that you?" An aproned older woman with her hair bundled up high in pins and a net steps out from the kitchen. "It's been ages since you've been by! Why, I was just thinking about you the other day. I miss our game nights! My Petey keeps telling me I can play cards online with friends, but I just can't get the hang of those web-cameras and internet whatsits. I just got my second arm-stick over at the clinic a few weeks ago, and it knocked me right on my bum for a day, but you can't keep me down, not when every order counts. Did you hear that they might start bingo back up?"

Maude, the diner proprietor, may not be a boggan, but oh, does it seem that the lady can TALK. "And who's this lovely lady, then? Don't tell me you have a secret daughter you never shared with us?"

A chuckle "A flattering thought. Please, call me Tanya."

Marigold beams, a hand to her chest. "Oh, lord no. I'm far from an empty-nester though, I have my folk over at the Lowell house, and they keep me busy. How's business been for you?"

Maude's smile fades just a touch, and she calls over towards the kitchen, "Flo, hun? Can you keep an eye on that sausage gravy for me?" "You got it!" Is her response.

Turning back to the table, the diner cook leans in a bit and says, "Hate to say it, but it's been better. We're limping along with takeout orders, but I'm not certain we'll be able to open back up for full service any time soon. Harv has made some talk about retiring, but I'd hate to put Flo out. We pay her what we can, and it's not every place where she can work, you know, considering."

Marigold catches that gossip hook. "Considering?"

And a look over to Nadeen, a bit sheepish. "Nadeen, I apologize, you invite me to lunch and here we are, yammering on like a couple chickens who just came around the same part of the henhouse."

Nadeen says to Maude "Nonsense, I wanted to treat you to a good lunch that you'd enjoy and here you're enjoying the company of an old friend as well as the food. This makes me look quite brilliant" The young woman says, then nods to Maude "yes, considering" Sympathetic

Now Marigold's hooked, and her brows go up. "Considering....?"

Maude leans in a bit further and says, in a confidential tone, "Well, it's not every job that will let you bring your babe to work with you. Flo, she's a darling, but you know, she's so young for a child, and unmarried at that, not even a father in the picture. The daycares are opening back up, but she's so protective of her little one, you'd think that 'A B C and Me' was as good as jail for toddlers, and even if she could afford it at that."

"The poor dear." Marigold says, and gives Nadeen a glance, a touch suspicious...

"I confess, I thought about offering her job as a maid service into my and my Housemate's place from time to time, good for her, and good for us to keep the peace and focus on our studies, but there's just not enough work there to provide for her alone." Tanya confesses "What would she do for work in the other times?"

"Are you sure about it, dear? I mean, folk are bound to talk. Now me, I know she's a sweetheart, but there are folk who will judge her based on her, ah, lifestyle choice, you see. And you new to town? I don't let no one give her lip here, but well, you know how folk can be." Maude advises Nadeen.

Marigold bristles a little. "I don't think Tanya isn't the sort to judge someone based on idle gossip. Nor to be turned off on associating with someone based on such baseless chatter."

"Thank you, marigold," a nod of gratitude "And besides, Maude, you're not shying from that risk"

"Me? I'm married, with my boy grown and hopefully bringing by grandbabbies some day if he'll ever settle down. I don't have to worry much about my reputation as a young woman, being called easy or a floozy if you hang around with someone with a bad rap. Not that Flo dates around, why, I've never even seen her give our her number when we did have busier days, and plenty of young fellows asked. But folk will talk."

Marigold frowns a bit and says, "Well, maybe folk should take care of who they talk to about what, then? Maude, it was lovely catching up, but we have some errands to run following this, so we'd best get our orders in."

A hand on her hip, Maude shakes her head. "Still a firecracker, I see. Well! You call me up if you want to find out about bingo. I have to check that gravy." Stepping back to the kitchen.

Looking across the table, "She's always been a bit of a busy body. She's not a bad sort, but she'll just chatter and gossip with no thoughts as to what those hints say when they grow little legs and run off, as rumours do. Hmmmp!"

"She does seem to be concerned with my repuation, it's flattering that she's trying to look out for me. But Flo is so eager to please it's hard not to want to help" A sigh "if only I had a way to do so beyond her cleaning my home up once a week"

Marigold frowns a little. "Don't you think I don't see what you're doing here, Missy. You have to get up pretty early in the morning to pull one over on a grump, you know." Her expression softens a bit though. "You want to bring her to Silverwolf? Why didn't you just ask? Or...well, you're a Baroness, and a Reeve now as well, you could have just done without -my- sayso."

"Because, I want you to talk to Flo, get to know her before I try such a crass and brutish powerplay, now make your order, and tell me what you think of her as a person . How much promise does she show, that sort of thing?"

She reaches over and gives one of Nadeen's hands a squeeze. "You're a good lass."

Flo, just now approaching, tentatively asks, "Are you ladies ready to order? I'm sorry, I didn't want to interrupt. Our special today is the crab cakes benedict, or we have pumpkin spice pancakes if you have a sweet tooth...."

"mmm what do you think, Marigold?"

"Well, I just can't decide. They both sound too good..." Marigold says, tapping at the menu, and looking at Flo. "What would you suggest?"

Flo ponders this a moment, and smiles. "Tell you what, I can ask them to do a half-order of each, so you can try both? Or if you wanted both in full, I'd say to have the pancakes here, and I can pack up the crab cakes with the sauce on the side and it should be good later if you heat it up?"

A smile from Marigold. "The latter sounds good. I'll take the crab cakes home, I'll see what my Gwen thinks of them, and maybe she can come visit next time." Flo brightens a little, "You have a daughter?" Marigold smiles. "No, not as such... but I do have my wards, grown or now, who each share a place in my heart. So, perhaps, in a way, yes."

Flo smiles back. "That's a lovely way of putting it." And looking to Tanya. "And for you, miss? That is, Lady?" Her voice lowered. "Not to make assumptions, but... was there anything you needed of me?" Uncertain. "Not to say you cannot go where you please, but a grand lady visiting twice in as many weeks... even if the french toast IS good..."

"I think I'll try the crab cakes," Nadeen says, "And I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you nervous. I just thought to treat my friend here to a meal as she normally does so much cooking." A smile "how's your boy?"

Flo takes a small step back, looking worried, though she covers it with a smile and a motion as though she was brushing some speck off the apron that holds her order notepads and pens. "He's doing well. But... you're not... that is to say, you weren't..." She shakes her head as though to toss away whatever she was going to say, and smiles again. "Crabcakes hollandaise, pumpkin pancakes, and an order of crabcakes to go! I'll have that right up for you!"

"Thank you," She says

And once the girl is off, she looks to Marigold, "I honestly don't mean to sound like some organzitia thug threatening her family but I fear that's how she reads me"

Marigold looks thoughtful. "I get the feeling there may be something more to it. She seems eager to help, but something worries her... a nice girl." Marigold hmmphs. "If I read you right, you'd like her to come in and help out around the hold? ...And you brought me here to meet her for myself. Very well... find out if she is interested, first. I'd be interested in her story... few folk come to Carthage without ties here, unless they're looking to leave something behind. But... you didn't ask me for all that." The boggan smiles, her eyes crinkling up a bit. "If she agrees to entering your service, then yes, I can help keep her busy, lord knows it looks like she could use a proper job."

"I'll ask" She says

OOC: Is Flo currently enchanted?

OOC: Yes, she is.

BIC: When flo comes back with the food, she inhales it, then says "Flo, I know you can be busy., but do you have a moment"

Marigold takes her time, savoring the pancake platter, and gives Tanya a smile. "Should I leave you to your conversation, or would you rather I stay?"

"Stick around, Marigold, please"

She nods, and appears to simply be enjoying her meal, with sips of that fresh squeezed orange juice.

Flo casts a glance back behind her into the kitchen, but no orders are called, and no guests needing her attention, she bows to Nadeen and then nods as well. "Yes, Lady?"

"I have a job opening of sorts, a position. It's not without it's challenges, strong personalities such as myself, and I don't mean to pinch the staff, but would you be interested in cleaning house now and then, maybe some kitchen duties if it is called for and if you have an interest?"

Flo blinks and looks surprised. "You want to hire me?"

"Yes. I really donn't need that much work but there are other tasks we can keep you busy with so you get more than a mere part time wage," a look to Marigold at that

Marigold pats her mouth with a napkin and sets it aside. "What did you think we wanted of you, dear?" Flo just shakes her head, looking relieved. "Don't look so worried, neither of us will bite." A smile, and the matron delicately does not yet mention Briar. "I am Steward of the local Barony, and we have a need for some light housekeeping, errands and such. Ostensibly, I believe you would be employed as Miss... Tanya's handmaiden, ladies maid, maidservant... I'll leave it to you both to decide the proper title, but she may lend your effort to me when she does not require you to wait on her. And yes, we would provide for you a full-time wage, and can negotiate those details as needed, if you think it sounds amenable."