#scarsdale

"Thank you for coming, Miss Zara," Marzanna pours the tea for both, "With the parlor restored to vintage glory, I did do feel the urge to use it."

Her tea set is, shamefully. lacking in proper cracks other marks of history. But at leasst it's not tacky.

"It is lovely. I am especially fond of the antique hair art - why, to think, that most represent a dozen departed souls..."

"Thank you, oh how I wish I could have salvaged still more, but I think with time, the whole of it will grow more acceptable. I understand your paramour is an artist, of suitable tastes?"

"He is! To see his art, you would never think him a troll..."

"Why, you would think it belong to one of our own..."

"I confess, I was surprised to hear of his kith, but now that you give him high praise" A proper nod, 'Yes. I might inquire of his gallery so to speak. Sometimes I imagine a painting of a parlor , much like this one,, and gathered with in, some of the greatest murder mystery writers of all time. Each one a suspect in the others eyes."

"He does take commissions." Sip.

"I hope i'm not being gauche, in truth, proper sluagh conversation has been a stranger to me for a time now. I have tried to stretch the old muscles in the area, Alabaster Hollow is quite interesting, not thriving in intrigues, but still."

"Alas, Dougal and nockers both lack subtlety. There is intrigue - but more boggan fare, I think - jockeying to be the best regarded, the most clever..."

"indeed, a new maid fancies herself quite the favor getter, I noticed. Bordering on lickspittle, pardon the phrase but if the slipper fits." A sip

"New help? I wonder if that will truly get her far..."

"from what I can tell, no but I'll stay abreast. if only to keep my hand in."

A sip , Marzanna eases into the ritual gently

"Have you had the chance yet to show respects to Madame Grey?"

A soft nod, "oh yes, I sent a proper vellum letter, lightly scented with Myrrh, first, of course."

"Going the extra mile rarely hurts, aye."

"Particularly when one's name is associated with plastic flamingos" A sigh, "trutfhully, zara I fear I am in something of a hole, and not a nice moist dark literal one."

"Your sister was barely here - how much of an impression could she have made?"

She arches a brow, " she's like a pastel wildfire that leaves little healthy ash, but perhaps I give her too much credit"

A sigh and a sip

"She is a passing thing. Gone and soon enough forgotten."

"Had she been here for longer, mayhaps..."

"You do give me hope, and I thank you. please, you claim to be gregarious and yet I am monopolizing the conversation, I do fear. How fare things with you?"

"Quite well! I am working on Yuletide gifts... I prefer to give books, and matching the book to the person is so important..."

"Oh quite, though i suspect you have a talent for such" she smiles "I noticed the cup you let me use when we supped at your place. Agatha Christie is a favorite of mine."

'Aye? Wonderful! Have you ever seen any of her plays?"

"Spider's Web , and Mousetrap only, if you mean live." she says "But those are the two most popular so not so hard to fi.. oh my, that will be on advaantage of moving to this area isn't it? A grander theatre area to be sure"

"Oh, aye!"

"Difficult, a'times, but worth it..."

"oh " a sip, her eyes intrigued "yes, i think I shall like it here"

"I find it meet to wear ear plugs at a show - it is loud enough to hear through them."

"prudent, yes." A sigh "at one time, I went to what I thought was a genteel poetry reading," A dark look, "Little did I realize someone thought screaming every third word was 'art'"

"Alas.:

"i rectified it later, but in the short term I was in terrible pain and missed much of what was said by more pleasant performers for a time after." A sigh "The world is just too loud."

A sigh. "Aye. Loud and bright."

"I understand the days hre can be pleasantly overcast quite often. is..is there much fog at any particular season in this area?" hopeful

"Oh, wait for fall - we have, I believe, the greatest concentration of Horsemen chimera in the States..."

"oh? is ..is this that area?" A blush, of embarrassment at needing to ask and delight

"Forgive, I had no idea. Does Ichabod himself also appear?"

"Rarely. Mostly only in Sleepy Hollow proper. But horsemen? near any crossroads."

" oh i am glad I came here twice over"

"When Fall comes, we shall watch for them. It is delightful. You may see a few all year in the Dreaming beyond the hollow - the woods there are oft full of fog and secrets."

"i do enjoy fog, it walks on little cat feet, you know?"

"Aye! I know the poem."

"it is wonderful" A smile toothless, "as it stands, I have gathered a few cat toys. And even constructed one. A set of knucklebones tied by fine string, it clacks and rattles but not too loudly"

"Have you any kitties yet?"

"not yet" A sheepish look, "I've gathered a few toys first, and a cat tree...I'm trying to decide if I should stop at 2 or 3 cats"

"Three is a magic number. Balanced."

"mmm yes, three fold rules, morning noon and eve... maid mother crone..." pondering "Well, I had thought of a black cat, a white cat, but perhaps I should look more to the soul of the beast than the fur"