Unwelcomed Meeting

JP with mdman and Cindy

After Elizabeth checked on Clement's family, and told Harold to look after them, she wished Sung, Vor and Maseo good luck, got what she needed ready and had one of the servants get Cronk. As said, it was about an hour after the meeting.

Elizabeth had a small bag, carrying a Greek translation book, some paper, pen and ink and anything else she might need.

When Cronk arrived, the cab was outside. "Are you ready Mr. Cronk?" Elizabeth asked the Orc.

Cronk had a task to do in the hour he had before leaving with Lady Elizabeth. He wanted to give Clement’s family some cheer. What would put a smile on a lady and girls’ face but a plant?

So, Cronk donned some work clothes and took to digging up a plant from the garden. He placed it into a large pot, with some fresh soil. Cronk them ensured he had watered the plant so it would take root.

He carried the plant to their quarters, knocked upon the door, and carried it to place on a table. The girls danced about Cronk, bringing a smile to his face. Cronk would have thought it ironic, if Cronk had known the definition of ironic, that Cronk intended to bring smiles to their faces, and they had brought a smile to his.

The girls had said Lady Elizabeth had been there and had just left. Cronk knew she’d be calling for him soon, so he dismissed himself and departed, knowing he needed to clean up and change.

Cronk had just cleaned up, not yet dressing, when the maid entered, calling, “Monsieur Cronk?”

Cronk quickly pulled the small towel he carried from the bathroom in front of himself. The maid blushed, yet smiled as her face peered downward to the place the towel hid. In a sort of sultry voice, the maid said, “Monsieur Cronk…Lady Elizabeth is awaiting you by the front courtyard.”

Cronk shrugged and thanked the maid. When she had left, Cronk quickly dressed, heading to meet Lady Elizabeth.

She asked if he was ready. Cronk replied, “Yes Lady Elizabeth!” Then opening the door for the lady, Cronk made a request with a sheepish grin. “Need bigger towels.”

At Cronk's request, Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from laughing. She had a guess as to why Cronk wanted a bigger towel. "I will see what can be done to accommodate that request, Mr. Cronk."

She thanked the Orc for opening the door, and Harold carried her small bag. Before the driver helped her into the cab, she quietly said to Harold. "Harold, please see what can be done about getting some larger towels."

"Yes, Lady Elizabeth" Harold responded. While Elizabeth never indicated the request was for Cronk, Harold knew.

Once Cronk was in the cab, they were on their way. The traffic was less, then the other day and it only took about 15 minutes to arrive at headquarters. In the way, they had some light conversations.

Elizabeth and Cronk, went into the front office to check-in. A human man was behind the desk, Elizabeth had not met him before but the placard on the desk read Mr. Richard. He, upon seeing her, stood and bowed. She signed the registry book for both herself and Cronk. Not that she assumed Cronk couldn’t write, honestly Elizabeth didn't know, but she did assume the standard size fountain pens would be awkward for an Orc sized hand to manage.

The man looked at the name. And then spoke English in a light French accent, "Lady Elizabeth, do you need to see the Baron?"

Elizabeth was about to say, no, that she was here to use the library but a familiar male voice spoke before she could. "Yes, Lady Elizabeth needs to see me."

She turned and curtseyed at the Baron, who was standing before her. "Of course, Baron Greenwood." Was her only response. 'What does he want now?' Her only thought.

Cronk couldn’t understand why Lady Elizabeth bowed to the Baron. In Cronk’s mind, the man should have bowed to the Lady. He just stood there dumbfounded, a look upon his face of disbelief, misunderstanding, and anger at the Baron’s lack of respect for the Lady.

“Cronk too!” Cronk insisted, not wanting his bias disrespected.

"Of course, Mr. Cronk." Elizabeth responded, then to the Baron. "He is my guard for the day. He goes where I go."

"Well, then," the Baron didn't look too pleased with Cronk coming with them, as if he had wanted to get Elizabeth alone. "By all means. Mr. Cronk should come as well."

The Baron led them, to the elevator, up then to his office. Once both Elizabeth and Cronk were in his office, the Baron closed the door behind him and took a seat. Then motioned Elizabeth to do the same, which she did.

"I assume that Captain Wayneright made his way to your home today." The Baron began.

Elizabeth knew full well Maseo was not the Captain Wayneright the Baron was referring to but she just went along with it. "Yes, a Captain Wayneright arrived, was sworn in and is now a member of team." Elizabeth responded, not uttering a single lie in her statement

Cronk followed Lady Elizabeth into the office. Upon entering, Cronk chose to stand behind and to the side of where Lady Elizabeth sat, so that Cronk would be within the line of site whenever the Baron looked at Lady Elizabeth.

Cronk didn’t trust the Baron. It wasn’t just because of the rumors spread about the estate by team members and staff. Cronk had noticed at the last meeting with the Baron, while the Baron said one thing, his eyes were saying another. Quinn had certain dealings with men like that. Quinn had taught him never to trust a man whose eyes didn’t match their story.

So, Cronk stood by Lady Elizabeth. Alert. Watching. Ready to protect his boss.

The Baron cleared his throat. Elizabeth was expecting a speech about something but instead all Greenwood said was, "What do you mean by 'a Captain Wayneright'?"

Elizabeth realized she was likely playing at a game that the Baron was well versed at, manipulated meanings.

Elizabeth though had a response. "Baron Greenwood, you sent me a message saying Captain Wayneright would be joining the team. You then sent a letter to a Captain Wayneright, talking about the order. Neither the message nor the letter contained a first name. The Captain Wayneright that showed up had read the letter. If it was not the correct one, I was not privy to that information and I had to swear in the one that showed up."

"What do mean, there was no first name?" The Baron actually seemed confused.

Elizabeth came prepared, just in case it came to this. She pulled out both the letter and the message and showed it to the Baron.

Greenwood stared at both pieces of paper for several minutes. Then...well...if smoke could have physically come out of his ears it would have.

"Damn it," Greenwood stated. "That was supposed to read Elijah Wayneright. I let one of the new secretaries take care if it. Should have known better."

Elizabeth didn’t say it but she assumed that new secretary was going to be assigned, probably to a less hospitable job.

Greenwood ranted for about a minute about incompetent idiots. Then he turned his frustration towards Elizabeth. "And you....you should have realized I meant Elijah. Did you do this on purpose."

"What difference does it make now? The one that showed up had read the letter. I had no choice." Elizabeth then paused. "Why? Why would you take away two of my team members and then, of all people, assign Elijah Wayneright to my team? You really want me to fail, that badly? Fall on my face?" Elizabeth’s tone was somehow not disrespectful but it was clear she was annoyed with the Baron.

"If a few changes to your team would make you fail, then I am correct about you leading a team." Greenwood stated.

"No, you are not. I will not fail at this, no matter what you do." Elizabeth said. "But why do you want me to?"

Greenwood knew excatly why he wanted her to fail, his body language and his eyes said he knew but the only thing he said was. "Have your new team member meet me, when he can?"

"Certainly, Baron." Elizabeth responded.

"You're dismissed." The Baron started on some paperwork not bothering to look up as Elizabeth curtseyed again and then left with Cronk.

But not before Cronk gave the Baron a warning. He was hot. So hot, that if a walnut were to have fallen upon his head at that moment, it would have exploded.

As Lady Elizabeth began to walk out, Cronk took it as an opportunity to approach the Baron’s desk. He leaned upon the desk with huge knuckles, as his hands were balled into fists.

“Be nice to Lady!” Cronk insisted, before himself turning to leave and following the Lady Elizabeth.

Baron Greenwood could not avoid looking upward at Cronk. He then glanced down at the Orc's rather large fist. He said not at word, just let Cronk have his say and watch him walk out.

When Cronk reached Elizabeth she was a little ways down the hallway. Trying to keep her composure by breathing deeply. "Mr. Cronk. I would like to make a detour before going to the library." At this rate they might not get to the library before it closed for the day, but no one irrated Elizabeth more than the Baron.