Chapter Text
It was drizzling in London on that January afternoon. A black cab pulled up to the sidewalk in front of a beautiful brick building, drivels of water spilling down the windows, and Sloane swore to never forget the sight. The brass knocker was chilled under her fingers as she rapped twice then a third time. When the hinges finally creaked open, Sloane was met with the sight of an older woman whose clever smile and red hair reminded her of her aunt in Belfast.
“Mrs. Hudson? I’m Miss Worth here to see the available room.”
“Ah, yes,” the woman’s face lit up in recognition. “From the E-Mails! Come on out of all this wet,” she fussed.
Mrs. Hudson stepped aside to let the young woman in the door, and Sloane ducked her head politely as she passed over the threshold. The heels of her oxford shoes clicked softly on the floor, leaving damp footprints. The older woman shut the door behind her.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” Sloane said, noticing the older woman’s apron for the first time.
“Oh, no trouble. I was just making something for the gentlemen upstairs. They’ve got it in their heads that I’m their housekeeper.” Mrs. Hudson gave her a knowing look.
Sloane smiled in polite agreement. “Just a landlady then.”
“Let me get the keys, and I’ll show you around.” And with that Mrs. Hudson disappeared into her own house, leaving Sloane in the hallway.
She heard an overhead floorboard creak, and looked instinctively up the stairs. A door opened and a men’s voices flowed out.
“What about this one? ‘Four paintings discovered stolen hours before gallery opening. It would have been the first and only time the pieces were available for public viewing since the artist’s suicide in 19--’”
“Boring,” was the cool reply.
“An art heist is boring?”
“When it’s the artist’s daughter stealing them back from her step-father’s foundation… Family drama is boring…”
Mrs. Hudson shut her door, causing Sloane to jump slightly, embarrassed to be caught eavesdropping. The landlady however seemed not to notice and trod further down the hall.
“Just this way,” she said, unlocking a glass paned door and leading the way down a second set of stairs.
Sloane followed.
“It’s a bit damp, but it’s liveable. I ask that the first two months rent be paid on move-in, but in your case I was planning to use the money to re-paper…” She trailed off.
Sloane smelled the damp Mrs. Hudson was referring to, but failed to see any mold or cause for substantial concern. Instead her eyes washed over the peeling wallpaper and faded carpet. The main room had a small fireplace in one corner, and a large window and patio door on the adjacent wall. A wide doorway to her right led to a small kitchen, and behind that was an even smaller hallway she presumed led to the bathroom and bedroom.
“I would be extremely grateful if you did,” Sloane replied. “It’s a beautiful space otherwise.”
“You think so?” Mrs. Hudson wondered.
“Of course! It gets a lot of natural sunlight for a basement,” Sloane thought out loud. “Does it flood in heavy rain?” she asked in a gentle voice, getting closer to the window. “My parents’ basement flooded all the time when I was growing up. I didn’t care much then, but I teach english now. I’ve got a lot of books; I’d hate to see them ruined.”
“Not that I know of,” Mrs. Hudson said, hovering by the door. “Just needs a bit of a shine up is all. Most prospective tenants don’t want to do the work.”
“I do,” Sloane added quickly. “And I’ve got the time.” She looked over her shoulder at the woman.
“You mean you’ll take it,” Mrs. Hudson asked.
“If you’ll have me.”
“Well,” she said suddenly flustered, “I’ll need proof of income, and the first two months rent so I can call up the carpenters.”
“I can pay you as early as Monday.”
“The work could be done by next Friday.”
“Could I move in on Saturday?”
“Will you need help with the movers?”
“I haven’t got much.”
They chattered back and forth ironing out the details, and not fifteen minutes later Sloane was stepping back out onto the wet sidewalk with arrangements to move in next weekend. She bought herself a latte from Speedy’s to celebrate before hailing a cab and returning home to pack her things.