closed starter @bruiscdviolets
location: kensington gardens & grosvenor street
The afternoon light filtered through the trees of Kensington Gardens, casting shifting patterns over the neatly raked paths where London’s finest took their daily promenades. Alice walked beside Cassandra, the rustling of silk and muslin mingling with the distant hum of conversation. To anyone watching, they might have seemed an unlikely pair—the noblewoman and the modiste—but Alice had long since learned that proximity to power could be just as valuable as possessing it. She enjoyed these strolls, not only for the company but for what they represented. To walk beside Cassandra, to be seen in the right places, was a subtle but necessary maneuver. Alice was no fool—her livelihood depended not only on the quality of her gowns but on her ability to navigate the delicate social currents of the women who wore them. She was tolerated, even welcomed, so long as she remained useful.
Still, she did genuinely adore Cassandra. Their friendship had grown beyond convenience, though Alice would never pretend she did not appreciate its advantages. And today, her dear friend was distracted. As they turned onto Grosvenor Street, where grand townhouses lined the road like sentinels, Alice cast Cassandra a sidelong glance. She had seen that expression before—the faint crease between her brows, the absent way her fingers toyed with the ribbon of her reticule.
With a smile touched by both warmth and curiosity, Alice finally broke the silence. “Cassandra, my dear, you are far too lost in thought for such a beautiful afternoon. What is it that troubles you?”