The quaint tea house buzzed with hushed exchanges of intellect, the gentle clinking of cups and rustling of papers. At the centre of it all sat Jennifer Pearson, surrounded by a fortress of research and reports carefully strewn beside cakes and tea. Alistair, ever the observer, watched the determined focus in the young woman's brown eyes as she flipped through each page, glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. Across from her, Dr. Charland remained equally engrossed in their scholarly exchange- a wavelength completely foreign to Alistair.
Alistair sat as the third party, occupying himself with remaining as unobtrusive a presence as possible as the two delved into topics beyond his comprehension. Despite that, it wasn't difficult for him to sense the depth of their discussion or the fact that it was steering towards the result he was hoping for.
After a prolonged silent assessment, punctuated by the shuffling of papers, Jennifer finally set down her pile. Her expression held an air of awe and contemplation, "I truly don't know where to begin." She sat upright, brushing back a lock of blonde hair into her ponytail. Dr Charland followed suit and Alistair became alert once more as the woman peered curiously at the both of them. "This is all so... convenient."
With subtle eye-widening, Alistair fought the urge to quell her doubts; right now, he wasn't the one for the job. As he hoped, Dr. Charland quickly spoke with a soft chuckle, "This is a lot to process, I understand. But this opportunity could be transformative for you and the world of medicine as a whole."
"I don't doubt that at all," Jennifer's soft frown of contemplation remained, her gaze shifting to Alistair as if just remembering his presence. "Working with the Doctor, being granted ample time to pursue my research and having a benefactor on top of it all? It's too good to be true, a fantasy almost. It's hard to believe that all of this came to be by coincidental meetings."
Alistair smiled curiously, quirking a brow, "So you think there's a catch."
At his words, Jennifer sighed and readjusted her glasses, "It's not you or Dr. Charland's intentions that I'm concerned about here." With a steady gaze, she folded her hands over one another. "Between the three of us... You know how aristocrats are. There's no such thing as a fair deal with these types, especially when you're ranked beneath them. You can't trust them," Jennifer sighed once more. "And this Arabella Lockhart- my apparent 'benefactor'. From what I hear, she's quite... 'a character'."
The corner of Alistair's lips twitched in a suppressed smile just imagining the look of offence that would have crossed said 'character's' face if she'd heard that. Alistair took a tremendous effort to bite back his laugh and return to the conversation unfolding.
Dr. Charland hadn't hesitated to jump to the defence, "While I can't speak for the whole of aristocratic society, I can vouch for the Lockhart house with confidence," The man leaned forward, a reassuring smile on his face. "I've been working under their support since I first obtained my license, the previous earl prioritized the advancement of the earldom above all else and I don't doubt the same goes for his children."
Spotting his opportunity to speak, Alistair turned on the charm with an easy-going smile, "If you ask me, I don't trust all nobles either," Experiencing both ends, as royalty and as a commoner, the curtain had long been ripped. "'Noble' is nothing but a title created by themselves to feel self-important. There's rarely anything truly noble about them, let alone morally superior..." Against his will, a flash of Arabella's oath to him crossed his mind and he stifled a small smile. "Even so... There's something special about the Lockharts." He sat back in his seat and Jennifer mirrored him with a raised brow. "But you don't care about empty appraisals, you just want evidence. Look around. You saw the earldom, the developments, the people. It's all bustling with life and not just for the wealthy." He smiled. "Can that easily be said for any other place?"
Jennifer kept her eyes on him over her glasses, a silence stretching over the table as she pondered. It didn't take long for a quiet amused chuckle to leave her as she tilted her head at him, "I remember thinking it back then, when we met in Nyotari... You're a little beyond your years aren't you, Al."
The comment caused him to flinch subtly, though the action was quickly suppressed with a casual smile of acknowledgement.
Dr Charland sent a warm smile her way, "The boy has spoken my mind better than I had. Regardless of how it comes to be, our intellect combined could save lives, there's no denying that," The old man stroked his chin with a determined smile. "So what do you say?"
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Watching the two intellectuals leave to finalise their agreement lifted a weight Alistair wasn't even aware of. That was one step closer to his plan- his highly volatile plan but a plan nonetheless.
The pub is all rowdy, high energy. The whimsical thought crosses his mind as to how accustomed he was to such an environment. It was no place for children yet so crucial to the childhood he remembered and the woman responsible for that was sitting right across from him taking an unashamed gulp from her glass.
Katherine's visible eye gazed lazily around the establishment, a soft hue to her face from the alcohol, as she spoke, "Everett, huh. That takes me back."
"So you do know of him?" Alistair smiles in relief. The 'Major Everett' that Arabella had mentioned to him only sparked vague memories and if anyone were to know anything, it would be Katherine.
Katherine snorted and took another long sip from her glass, "I more than 'know of him', he was my superior a time back- James Everett."
He squinted slightly, raising a brow, "That's awfully useful information never to tell me. You have connections with a high-standing military officer?"
"Connections? No nothing like that. I guarantee you, if James knew where I was right now I'd be in a cell," At that, Katherine's eye twinkled with mirth, "And trust me, he's no use to you or your cause."
"I'd disagree," Alistar pinched at his chin thoughtfully. "Arabella's news about him being replaced got me thinking. He's a commoner but was able to get to the position of Major, that sort of thing is unheard of. Not to mention he's being replaced because his handling of the commoner uprisings up North are 'unsatisfactory'." He sent a questioning look Katherine's way who simply allowed him to ramble on in intrigue. "Do you think he's aiding the uprisings in secret?"
Alistair was no stranger to the climate of the North. From the information he'd gathered from his time in the palace, there was an extended effort to quiet the uproar of commoners going against their lords. It was all very 'hush-hush', barely reported in commoner papers let alone aristocratic ones.
Katherine's visible eye narrowed in thought for a brief moment before she pulled out a cigarette to light, "Optimistic, but that's not the man I know. If he's failing to obey commands, that's a definite sign something is up..." She raised the cigarette to her lips before letting out a long, slow exhale. "James is a stick in the mud. Always has been. It's more likely something akin to self-sabotage." A slightly amused huff left her. "Too moral to stop it, too uptight to break the rules. That's what I'd bet my money on."
He lifted his gaze from the table back to Katherine as a realisation dawned upon him, "...He was Major since back when you were in the military? But..."
Pausing mid-inhale, Katherine's sharp brow raised in acknowledgement. "By now, he's probably been serving longer than the actual General has. Still, he's only 'Major' Everett."
The unspoken reason settled between them- a bitter acceptance. It wouldn't matter how much of his life Everett dedicated to his service, nor if he was a better leader than any other soldier; He wasn't noble. It was no secret that high-ranking positions were political favours to the aristocracy more than anything else... Which made his ascension all the more intriguing.
The fact that Alistair had even the vaguest memory of meeting the man meant that Everett had lasted in his position at the very least for another 2 years despite the odds. If his second chance was for anything it was to not squander any opportunity that arises.
And Major Everett was nothing but an opportunity.