Upon entering the room, Ariel observed its grandeur. It was essentially two rooms combined, adorned with more windows than she had ever seen in the theater, all draped with rich green velvet curtains. The dimly lit space was illuminated by several wall-mounted oil lamps, casting a warm, smoky glow. Despite its size, the room was sparsely furnished, holding only a few dressing room essentials.
Shiloh greeted them with a warm smile and rose from her seat at the dressing table to clear a tray of cups from the small coffee table.
"Sorry about the clutter; I wasn't expecting more guests," she said gently.
Mandy waved it off, and Ariel added,
"Don't worry about it at all."
Mr. Warner briefly hesitated beside the couch where Mandy and Ariel had taken their seats, seemingly inclined to join them—perhaps particularly Mandy—but instead opted for a chair facing them.
"What brings you here?" Mr. Warner asked amiably, then glanced at Shiloh and added, "Though I suppose I should ask Shiloh, given that this is now her dressing room."
Ariel looked towards Mandy; it was up to her to steer the conversation since she got them into this situation. Maintaining her composure effortlessly, Mandy responded,
"We were curious to see Shiloh's dressing room..." She began, as Ariel barely managed to suppress an openly exasperated look. Mr. Warner tilted his head in confusion at Mandy's vague response while Ariel discreetly tried to step on her foot only to realize that Mandy had wisely tucked them aside.
"...And we wanted to personally congratulate you," Ariel swiftly added.
The playwright seemed more pleased with this conclusion and his smile broadened,
"How thoughtful of you! Did you hear that, Shiloh?" he asked.
Currently brewing a fresh pot of water, Shiloh smiled warmly,
"Thank you so much; that's very kind of you."
"Absolutely—" Ariel replied with a now genuinely relaxed smile.
"Oh no, not at all; you were absolutely delightful as May," interjected Mandy, glancing slyly at Ariel in what seemed like payback for interrupting earlier.
Ariel clenched her jaw, trying to mask her irritation at Mandy's subtle jab.
Shiloh turned back to her task of boiling water with a quiet smile...or perhaps not entirely warm after all. For obvious reasons, her relationship with the medium was strained, so Mandy's compliments were likely met with reserved politeness. Oblivious to the now slightly frosty atmosphere, Mandy continued talking as if nothing had changed...
"I see we are not the only ones who feel this way; your roses are truly beautiful."
Shiloh turned around, carrying a tray filled with coffee.
"Mmm, yes, they're quite lovely," she replied.
"Can you identify the one that I sent?" Mr. Warner asked, leaning back in his seat and avoiding direct eye contact with Shiloh.
To Ariel, the question felt strained or hesitant, as if Mr. Warner found it challenging to be thoughtful towards Shiloh with Mandy present. Ariel frowned slightly; she had no sympathy for him.
Mandy, only mildly interested, glanced around the room. Nearly every surface was adorned with bouquets of various sizes and styles, filling the room with a rich, sweet aroma. Ariel quickly spotted Mr. Warner's contribution. It was so grand and stunning that it deserved to be called an arrangement rather than just a bouquet. Dozens of roses at their peak bloom were surrounded by lush greenery.
The most striking aspect of the arrangement was its placement. While other bouquets were crowded onto available surfaces, Mr. Warner's occupied Shiloh's small dressing table entirely. It was so large that it hung precariously over the edge, but Shiloh didn't seem concerned. At its mention, she glanced at it, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"It's the one on the dressing table," Ariel said, murmuring her thanks to Shiloh as she handed her a cup of coffee.
Mr. Warner looked at the arrangement and then at Shiloh as she handed him his coffee.
"To celebrate a job well done," he stated simply.
Shiloh's blush faded as she silently gave Mandy her cup. Ariel took a sip of the amber coffee and gazed at the bouquet absently before a thought struck her.
"Mr. Warner," she said, turning to look at him, "why not Magnolias?"
Mr. Warner, having just taken a sip of his coffee, set down his cup rather abruptly. Shiloh glanced at him as she sat down but remained silent. The playwright cleared his throat and regained his composure before addressing Ariel.
"That's very observant of you; you're thinking of the festival?" he said knowingly.
Ariel was actually recalling how he had treated a Magnolia bouquet before but nodded instead,
"It is the Magnolias festival, right? But all you have here are roses..." she observed.
Shiloh looked over her bouquets from behind her cup and spoke softly,
"I'm allergic to them," she said, turning her gentle eyes to Ariel.
Ariel choked mid-sip, her breath catching painfully.
An allergy? I told Noah I was allergic to Magnolias!
"Oh, are you alright?" Shiloh exclaimed with urgency.
"There, cough it up," Mr. Warner urged apprehensively, leaning forward in his chair.
Mandy barely reacted but, feeling she should do something, delivered an unhelpful and rather hard smack on Ariel's back. Regaining her composure, Ariel shot a resentful glare at the medium beside her.
"Better?" Mr. Warner pressed as Ariel straightened up.
"Yes, thank you," Ariel replied, still glaring at Mandy.
"You had quite a spell there; are you sure you're okay?" Shiloh said, offering Ariel a napkin.
Ariel smiled and nodded, "I'm sure; I must have just swallowed wrong. So you were saying you're allergic?" she prompted, eager to hear more after the interruption.
Shiloh hesitated, still worried about Ariel's health, but Ariel's intense gaze made her continue,
"Yes, I've been allergic all my life. It's nothing major though; my supporters just send roses instead and I love them just the same-"
Mr. Warner made a disapproving sound,
"Nothing major? It is major. Shiloh, your allergy is serious," he countered, looking to Ariel appealingly. "She can get very sick; it can even be life-threatening."
In her mind's eye, Ariel saw Mr. Warner standing solemnly in that room again, glaring at the bouquet of Magnolias before angrily discarding them.
That's why he was so upset; he knew how dangerous they were for Shiloh...
Shiloh's cheeks flushed anew as she waved off Mr. Warner's fervent words,
"Please Daniel, it's really fine. I just need to be more cautious during festival time but everyone knows about my allergy and always looks out for me."
Ariel bit her lip thoughtfully,
If everyone knows Shiloh has such a severe allergy, then who would send her such a dangerous bouquet?
Mr. Warner reclined back in his seat without another word, his eyes wandering among the bouquets. Ariel suspected he was recalling who might have neglected Shiloh's safety.
If only we had seen who sent it...
For a brief moment, the air was filled only with the clinking of china and the soft tick of a clock from somewhere in the back of the room. Shiloh gently set down her coffee cup and smoothed her skirt, looking up at Ariel and Mandy with a bright smile.
"So, you must be excited for the festival tonight?"
It was a simple, conversational question, but Ariel couldn't help but notice the slight falter at the edges of Shiloh's smile. She glanced at Mandy and felt a new fire ignite within her.
That Mandy.
Sitting up straighter, Ariel turned her attention to the actress.
"Oh, right. I nearly forgot," she answered with a shrug, taking a sip of coffee. It was a lie, but just a small one. She wanted to seem like it wasn't such a big deal—that the night's events might not involve exchanging love tokens in the form of Magnolias, unattainable for an actress like herself, whether from men like Mr. Warner or women like Mandy. But despite her efforts, Ariel could see Shiloh hadn't bought it. Shiloh's eyes sparkled with something Ariel couldn't quite decipher before she let out a light, pretty laugh.
"Don't be silly. Of course you're excited. Women here wait all year for this one night," she insisted, pouring more coffee into Ariel's cup.
Unable to argue—though the mere thought made her stomach flutter with nerves—Ariel focused her gaze on Mandy. The medium maintained an unusual silence despite ample opportunities to create chaos. She seemed distant and detached from the conversation.
"So, do we have many investigations underway today?" Mr. Warner interjected, steering the conversation to safer waters.
Mandy blinked and turned to Mr. Warner with barely a hint of a smile, wearing an impeccably expressionless mask.
"Of course. Jasper has sent us all out. Ariel and I have tasks to attend to after we leave here," she replied with formal politeness.
Ariel's eyes immediately darted to Mr. Warner, expecting his curious smile to crack under Mandy's cold indifference. But he remained unfazed for even a moment. Blinking in surprise, Ariel wondered if he hadn't heard her? But he had—and nodded.
"Very good. I know the investigation is in good hands when you two are involved," he said warmly, casting an affectionate glance at the unbothered medium and a kind smile at Ariel, who could only manage a bewildered grin in return.
What is he made of? Steel?
Ariel looked back at Mandy, who appeared even more rigid if that were possible—but her mask was slipping. Ariel could see Mandy's irritation in her heavier breathing.
Mr. Warner is either incredibly determined or completely oblivious.
Shiloh abruptly stood, her skirt swirling around her slender legs. She began clearing the finished glasses with clumsy fingers, toppling coffee cups in her haste. Ariel caught one just before it fell, noticing a fleeting look of hurt in Shiloh's dark eyes before she quickly smiled and murmured a thank you.
The tension in the room was palpable, with both Mandy and Shiloh visibly shaken. Ariel glanced at the playwright across from her and guessed he was the cause of the unrest.
Mandy wished he would leave her alone, while Shiloh wished he would never leave.
With Shiloh noisily washing cups at the counter and Mandy fixedly staring past Mr. Warner, Ariel took this moment to voice a question weighing on her mind.
"Speaking of investigations," Ariel began casually, "we found an interesting room yesterday."
Mr. Warner, who had been busy picking lint off his black dress shirt, looked up attentively,
"Oh, really? What was it like? I'm afraid I can't recall just one. We have many intriguing rooms here in the theater," he replied cheerfully, content to discuss familiar territory.
Bearing in mind Mandy beside her, Ariel continued, "It appeared to be some sort of office or study..."
Mr. Warner's eyebrows shot up in surprise,
"An office? Are you certain it wasn't a dressing room? Mine can sometimes resemble one..."
Ariel shook her head firmly,
"I'm positive. It was old and dirty; it seemed like no one had been in there for ages."
Mr. Warner nodded but shrugged his hands,
"Well, I don't know what to make of that. Either you're mistaken or there's a room in my theater unknown to me. The only proper office ever used here was Mr. Marlowe's and that's been locked tight since his death."
Ariel felt a chill of surprise.
Mr. Marlowe's office?
Locked up?
Suddenly the room seemed to shrink as though hidden eyes watched from every dark corner. At one moment Ariel even felt an unnatural breeze brush against her, but it turned out to be just Shiloh passing by.
"So you see, you couldn't have found an office. Maybe it was my dressing room," Mr. Warner suggested knowingly as Ariel remained silent.
"Well," the playwright said as another silence fell upon them, "I have other matters to attend to, but I hope to see you all tonight."
The trio nodded, and Mr. Warner stood up and moved toward the door. Shiloh followed him, expressing her farewell and gratitude for the flowers once more.
"Of course, Shiloh. It was my pleasure," he replied, dismissing her thanks with a wave.
With a smile, Shiloh watched him walk down the hall before shutting the door. Ariel, already on her feet, sensed that it was time for them to leave as well.
"Thank you for the coffee, Shiloh," she said warmly.
The actress smiled as she walked over to her dressing table, tidying up her makeup.
"Thank you for a lovely afternoon," she responded, looking up to give Ariel a kind smile.
Ariel returned the smile and then turned to give Mandy a significant look. However, Mandy seemed lost in thought, staring intently at her hands. A moment later she spoke,
"You've been here a long time, haven't you?" she asked, finally meeting Shiloh's gaze.
Shiloh paused and blinked before glancing at Mandy,
"Yes, for many years. This place is my life; I'm here day in and day out. The only time I've ever been away was when they renovated the theater three months ago, and even then they had to drag me out," Shiloh replied with a hint of pride in her voice.
Mandy nodded,
"You're incredibly dedicated."
Shiloh raised an eyebrow; a blush crept onto her cheeks,
"And you're not? Daniel mentioned you're quite famous; he thinks you have acting potential..."
At this, Mandy stood up abruptly as if the statement unsettled her, though her eyes remained gentle and calm.
"I have no interest in acting."
With a slight wave, Mandy exited the room.
Ariel watched this exchange in astonishment. When she finally regained her composure, she realized she should follow Mandy and gave Shiloh a small wave of goodbye.
Looking equally surprised by what had just transpired, Shiloh managed to wave back before Ariel quickly exited into the hallway to catch up with Mandy.