"The whiskey is just up there," She gestured easily towards the cabinet nearest him. Nemo had spent more than his fair share of meals with her that Penny wasn't concerned about playing hostess. Especially not when Cassandra and Cook were gone from the room. "And you know where the glasses are."

She waited for him to sit before taking a bite of her meal. "Have I told you the tale of Mr. Grimstone and the feral cat, yet?" Penny then asked with an amused smile between bites.

  

Nemo stood automatically to collect the glasses and whiskey, setting them down between them before moving to pour a measure in each cup. He was always amused that she would drink the stuff that he himself had to brace to have. The taste was strong, but everyone else drank it, so he did too. Popping the cork back in, he moved it out of the way and tucked into his own dinner.

Bristling briefly at the mention of Mr. Grimstone, Nemo pushed the reaction down quickly. Why the man's name brought up unbidden jealousy, Nemo couldn't  begin to know, but the fact that Penny spend so much unchaperoned time with the broommaker brought out Nemo's protective instincts. Of course the nature of their relationship was purely professional, at least from what Nemo could tell. He did sometimes wonder if there were any feelings between the two, but had no way of finding out without opening himself up for the question to be turned back toward him.

"I don't believe you have," He managed after a moment, having taken a bite of potato to give himself a moment push it all aside.

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She chuckled over her whiskey glass. Elias' shriek of terror was something she wasn't like to forget anytime soon. "He's not fond of animals," Penny began with a sad smile. The cat hadn't done anything wrong, after all. It simply wished for a warmer home than the cold bush outside the workshop. Surely, sharing space with him couldn't hurt terribly!

"Starley and he are enemies for example. So I was heading over there and there was this cat yowling in the bushes." Everyone in Bartonburg had to know of her feeding the strays, so Nemo wouldn't be surprised to learn what she did next. "I lured him inside the workshop with some treats, it was so dreadfully cold and all. The next thing I know, the cat is hissing at Mr. Grimstone and he screamed like a young girl. The poor man."

  

Well that was an amusing tale at least. It made Nemo feel a bit better actually. Cats he could handle, even Starley liked him after many years of careful coercion. "You'll give the poor man a heart attack one of these days." Nemo chuckled and though wouldn't wish ill will upon Mr. Grimstone, he was pleased by the fact that was a mark against him.

Thankfully, meals like this came easily and the conversation would ebb and flow without much thought. Nemo thoroughly enjoyed it, but he had to wonder just how much longer they would be able to get away with it. Certainly once she was married that would be the end of it. Nemo supposed he'd have to enjoy them while he could, or maybe buck up one day and see what she thought about courtship... Not today though, today he was content to keep going as they always had.

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   Penelope Fawcett

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