"Thomas, can you just- yeah, thanks mate," Charles grunted as his friend assisted him in setting down a heavy crate on the wooden dock. He stood up and blew out a breath, wiping his rolled up sleeve across his forehead. He hadn't been working for too long, but he was already sweating hard. A large shipment had come in as they did every few weeks, and he and some other guys were assisting the crew in unloading their supplies. It was hard work, but Charles always said it was good for the soul, like his father taught him.
The streets were noticeably busier as London started to wake up, people bustling over the cobblestone to sell their wares, pick up supplies, and travel to and fro in a frenzy. Around this time, those who had to purchase their fabrics, foods, and merchandise across the seas would come down to the docks to receive their goods. Therefore, the docks were busier around this time of day than any other.
Charles waved at a group of ladies from a restaurant further downtown who came by to pick up, if he remembered correctly, a crate of fresh tomatoes and a few more crates of bread, corn, and other fresh vegetables and fruits. He knew most of the people who came down to pick stuff up, because he was friendly and loved to be so. He always made it his business to know people's names, what they were coming for, and where they were coming from. So when he saw a familiar figure cross onto the docks, lavender dress swinging, his face split into a grin.
"Isla! Good to see you," he said amiably as she approached, returning his smile and dipping her head towards him.
"Always a pleasure," she chuckled. "Got anything for me today? One of the ladies said there might be a shipment of silks in."
"I can't say I have," he said with a small shake of his head. "Might want to check with Jameson over there." He nodded in the direction of a tall man in a black overcoat holding some sheets of paper and shuffling through them with one hand. "He'll know if we've got anything today."
"Wonderful," said Isla, tying her shawl together in front of her sternum. "I'll do that. Have a nice day!"
"It's already better," Charles said with a joking wink as she headed off.
She crossed the docks, weaving around crates and young men, some of them giving her a double glance, which she ignored. Jameson was conversing with the captain of the ship, so she waited a moment to the side until he was finished before making her approach.
"Good morning, sir," she said politely, stepping forwards. He turned towards her, looking down from his rather remarkable height. "I'm from a boutique in town- Silk and Chiffon. If I recall correctly, we ordered an order or two of silk from the East; do you happen to know if those came in today, and if so, where I could find them?"
Jameson hummed and shuffled through his papers, eyes scanning over the documents. "Silk and Chiffon... Silk and... under what name, Miss?"
"Er, that would be Elliot, sir." Her aunt's surname. A lot of their orders were placed under her name since the business still legally belonged to her.
"Ell...i....ot... ah, yes. We've got one crate of silks for you down... that way, I believe," he said, pointing her towards the edge of the dock where some crates were being unloaded.
"Perfect. Thank you for your time," she said with a bright smile, to which Jameson tipped his cap. She headed off again in the direction he'd pointed.
She waited by the edge of the dock as three of the dockers unloaded the crates. She scanned them, waiting for the right one. Finally, she noted one crate with ELLIOT scrawled on the side in black ink. She stepped forward and took it from the young lad of maybe ten years lifting it off with a nod of gratitude. She shifted it to rest on one hip and slipped him a penny in thanks, to which he smiled brightly and pocketed it. (What could she say? She had a soft spot for children.)
@boneshadow22
The streets were noticeably busier as London started to wake up, people bustling over the cobblestone to sell their wares, pick up supplies, and travel to and fro in a frenzy. Around this time, those who had to purchase their fabrics, foods, and merchandise across the seas would come down to the docks to receive their goods. Therefore, the docks were busier around this time of day than any other.
Charles waved at a group of ladies from a restaurant further downtown who came by to pick up, if he remembered correctly, a crate of fresh tomatoes and a few more crates of bread, corn, and other fresh vegetables and fruits. He knew most of the people who came down to pick stuff up, because he was friendly and loved to be so. He always made it his business to know people's names, what they were coming for, and where they were coming from. So when he saw a familiar figure cross onto the docks, lavender dress swinging, his face split into a grin.
"Isla! Good to see you," he said amiably as she approached, returning his smile and dipping her head towards him.
"Always a pleasure," she chuckled. "Got anything for me today? One of the ladies said there might be a shipment of silks in."
"I can't say I have," he said with a small shake of his head. "Might want to check with Jameson over there." He nodded in the direction of a tall man in a black overcoat holding some sheets of paper and shuffling through them with one hand. "He'll know if we've got anything today."
"Wonderful," said Isla, tying her shawl together in front of her sternum. "I'll do that. Have a nice day!"
"It's already better," Charles said with a joking wink as she headed off.
She crossed the docks, weaving around crates and young men, some of them giving her a double glance, which she ignored. Jameson was conversing with the captain of the ship, so she waited a moment to the side until he was finished before making her approach.
"Good morning, sir," she said politely, stepping forwards. He turned towards her, looking down from his rather remarkable height. "I'm from a boutique in town- Silk and Chiffon. If I recall correctly, we ordered an order or two of silk from the East; do you happen to know if those came in today, and if so, where I could find them?"
Jameson hummed and shuffled through his papers, eyes scanning over the documents. "Silk and Chiffon... Silk and... under what name, Miss?"
"Er, that would be Elliot, sir." Her aunt's surname. A lot of their orders were placed under her name since the business still legally belonged to her.
"Ell...i....ot... ah, yes. We've got one crate of silks for you down... that way, I believe," he said, pointing her towards the edge of the dock where some crates were being unloaded.
"Perfect. Thank you for your time," she said with a bright smile, to which Jameson tipped his cap. She headed off again in the direction he'd pointed.
She waited by the edge of the dock as three of the dockers unloaded the crates. She scanned them, waiting for the right one. Finally, she noted one crate with ELLIOT scrawled on the side in black ink. She stepped forward and took it from the young lad of maybe ten years lifting it off with a nod of gratitude. She shifted it to rest on one hip and slipped him a penny in thanks, to which he smiled brightly and pocketed it. (What could she say? She had a soft spot for children.)
@boneshadow22
"I'm not crazy, my reality is just different than yours." - Lewis Carrol