CLOVER

Gemstones

Chiswik hopped onto his little chair and started sewing the ivory colored fabric. He was being so careful and delicate with it that it made Scarlett and William realize how worthy the costumes might be.
"Will we have to pay for them? We already asked you for a favor." William tried to interrupt him. Chiswik looked at him and stopped the sewing for a moment. "Boy, what we will ask you to do is worth both the costumes and the lady's information." He got up from the chair and went to open a cabinet at his left. After opening it, he pulled a velvet box out and opened it for William and Scarlett to see. They both remained still as a statue when they saw a collection of beautiful and rare gemstones. Each and every one of them was in different shapes and colors and lined up to their own labeled spots. There was one spot that was empty, though. The scarlet gemstone.
"Interesting."-William smiled to Scarlett. Chiswik closed the box and placed it back to the cabinet.
"We got them as a trade for our costumes. The only gemstone they failed to give us is the Scarlet Gem. They got the costumes, but we never got our gem, so we need you two to get it for us."
-"Woah are you insane?" William backed off a little. "You mean, we have to steal it?"
"No, not necessarily. It is called a casino for a reason. Today, it will be in auction for the men who will gamble for it."
"So you are not asking us to steal it but to gamble for it." Scarlett scoffed. "You are maniacs!"
"You already agreed to our deal. Besides, you will still owe us either way."
Chiswik sat back to his work, letting them think about it. William took off his jacket and his hat, replacing them with the ones in a mannequin next to him. He dressed up with new clothes so he could look appropriate and acceptable for the casino.
"You should stay here." he turned to Scarlett. "Only men can gamble."
"I think it is best for me to come. While you are busy gambling, I can take the gem."
"I don't think it will be that simple."
"What if it will be? Let me come."
"Great then. We are to leave Sir Chiswik!"
"Good luck, young man!" he wished them. "Oh, but you will have to pay for what you are wearing! Those were not part of our agreement!"
The bells of the door frame rang again as  they left the shop. They knew where to go, but they still felt lost. As they were waiting for a carriage to pass by, they noticed that the Hippodrome was not too far at all. The building was shining through the clouds, and a huge amount of pedestrians were running towards it. They decided to follow the rest, and after almost  12 minutes, they found themselves in front of the gates of The Hippodrome. They got insdie exploring the space with their eyes and just a few minutes in, some well-dressed ladies grabbed Scarlett by her hands and took her to a room saying that she should look magnificent infront of the gentlemen. Scarlett did not protest against them, but William was hanging behind, waiting for her. The beautiful ladies were carefully taking the old dress off from Scarlett and started dressing her with a rose tinted fabric that fell just below her knees. A beautiful sparkling scarf covered her neck and shoulders all the way to her hands, and they later on applied some lipstick to her lips that was just the shade of the dress she was now wearing. After putting a lot of feathers and flowers in her head, they carefully placed a gemstone in the depths of her red hair. The Scarlet Gem. As soon as she saw herself in the mirror, she widened her eyes in realization.
"What is that?" she asked, pretending not to know.
"The beautiful gemstone that will be in auction! We thought you would be the perfect mademoiselle to wear it!" A lady answered excitingly. Scarlett thought that if she managed to run away from the casino, she would escape along with the gem, but she could not leave William behind. The ladies took Scarlett again with them, but this time to the gambling tables, and weirdly enough, William was in the same table Scarlett was going to stay. Scarlett managed to distract the ladies so she could meet with William.
"Wow, so that is what they were doing to you?"
"I know! I look hideous!"
-"No you actually look really mesmerizing."
-"Oh stop with the nonsense, please. I would look better on a man's suit!"
"You can not take a compliment, can you?"
-"Trenor be quiet for a minute! Do you notice anything strange on me?"
William gazed at her for a while, trying to understand what she wanted him to see.
"They gave you a haircut?"
"Oh my, how can you be so blind and stupid?" Scarlett pointed at the gemstone that was hanging on her hair. William gasped and took her hand to run.
-"No wait we can not leave!" Scarlett stopped him. "You need to win it."
"I never gambled in my life! How am I supposed to win a gemstone like that when the men who are playing must be really good at this? It is a gemstone we are talking about."
"I will help you through it, I will need to perform in front of all of you while you are playing. That is what the ladies here do."
"You will have to impress the gentlemen here?" William asked and started laughing. "As far as I can see, you are not doing pretty well with this look!"
"Look who decided to talk! You are supposed to be having the ladies' smitten for you, but none of them is even trying to look at you."
"You are wrong. When you weren't here, almost 10 ladies left their husbands for me." William smiled at a lady who was looking at them and leaned to Scarlett. "See, she is coming towards me." The lady was smoking a cigar and wearing a black furry coat.
"Good evening, my lady!"-he kissed her hand. "I must ask, what did make you come to me?"
"Oh my apologies, I did not come here for you, kind sir, I came here for the beautiful lady." she turned to Scarlett, who laughed gently, looking at William.
Shall the game begin?" another lady shouted. The cards were flying across the gentleman's faces, and the ladies were laughing and pushing Scarlett to the center of the table, making her sit there while the gentlemen enjoyed her view and played. She felt anxious and uncomfortable, and William noticed it. He got up from his chair and decided to make an offer for everyone. The gentlemen were left speechless as William started suggesting that they should not play with cards.
"Take a moment to think about it. Playing with cards to win such a precious gemstone? It seems rather unfair to me. We all know the tricks that can be made while playing, so how about we let the lady who holds the gem choose the most suitable gentleman?" The ice cold stares dropped from every man in the table. They were discussing it when a man, fairly short and with a dark complexion, offered that the lady should dance with all of them and she shall stop to the man who she wants to get the gem and share with him a kiss. Soon enough, William regretted his request, and Scarlett was looking at him in disgust. The cheering ladies ordered the orchestra to play a song, and they indeed played their best one! The Vampire Masquerade. The gentlemen lined up to the floor as the sound of the violins got more intense. Scarlett reluctantly got up from the table, and as she sighed, she got to dance from a gentleman to another. Her steps were smooth and delicate, and the look that they shared was nothing but lust. Scarlett reached William, and then she stopped.
"You finally seem to have found a way to steal a kiss from me." She whispers at his ear. She looks deep on his eyes as he turns her around to the rhythm of the violins. The music slowly fades into the room, and the gentlemen stand in front of them in defeat. Scarlett leans closer to William, just enough for her to take his breath away. Scarlett opened her parasol and covered their faces from the others. She placed the other hand on William's lips.
"Not tonight, Trenor." she stopped him.
They were able to get the gemstone without anyone being suspicious of them and managed to leave the casino after Scarlett got changed.
"We need to find a place to sleep." Scarlett broke the silence. William was not answering, and she stopped in front of him. "What is wrong? You have been really quiet since the dance." she asks. William took another path and continued the walk with her following him. "Please don't tell me it is because of the kiss? Are you falling in love with me, sir detective?"
"You wish I am."
"What if I do?"
William blinked twice in shock. "You are a great comedian, Ginger."-he shrugged her words away.
A light mist covered the streets, and Scarlett tiptoed and kissed him softly. The Big Ben rang. It was already midnight, but no man died from a kiss tonight. He gently held her face and stepped back from the kiss. "We need to turn the gemstone first."
Scarlett nodded, and they turned back to the tailors handing them the gem.
"This is perfect! So effortlessly and fast, you two did it! The headmasters will be absolutely in joy when they hear about this!" Chiswik got the velvet box and placed the gem to its place. "I don't think you two have somewhere to go. I offer you two stay until morning, by then I will have finished your costumes." Scarlett decided to sleep on the couch where Apsley's welcomed their customers to sit while waiting for their suits and dresses while William went outside to smoke a cigarette. She was looking at him from the glass doors, the moon shining through his face and diamond blue eyes. The ashes from the cigarette fell like bird feathers into the puddle he was stepping on.  The same lips that were dying from the dark  smoke experienced a kiss worth a gemstone.