Gin Mills and the Goods

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"Y'know," says Chaddick from where he's perched on the sofa, "Hester came and interrogated me about you."

Tedros glances sharply at him, halfway through putting on his gloves.

"What? When?"

Chaddick waves him off.

"Don't worry, it was a while back. She wanted to know why I was defendin' you."

"What'd you say?" Tedros demands.

"Told her the truth; that I knew your old man was Arthur Pendragon, but I knew you'd keep everything quiet from him, because you've not ratted me out, yet."

"What'd she say?"

"Nothin', which means it was a fine excuse. Stop worryin' and hurry up, I wanna watch Beatrix."

Tedros grabs his pearls and shoves his feet into his heels, internally cursing and praising Chaddick's bluntness in equal measure.

"She's okay with you now, right?" Chaddick checks as they leave Tedros's dressing room and head for the bar.

"Think okay is a bit strong, but she's not itching to shoot me every second she sees me, if that's what you mean." Grumbles Tedros.

"Eh, that's just Hester." Chaddick tells him. "Only people she likes are Anadil and the boss."

Tedros frowns at the omission of Dot, but they've entered the bar, and any comment he makes will be drowned out by the usual bellowing. Plus, Nicola is waving them over, and she and Anadil are sat with Hester, who Tedros imagines would not appreciate the knowledge that they'd been talking about her.

---

"--but she got away before I could ask-- why aren't you on stage?"

Tedros frowns, sliding into the booth beside Nicola (Chaddick goes on the other side, saving him from having to sit next to Hester).

"I thought you think I'm a shit singer. Changed your mind? I do have good legs."

"It was just a question, sap." Snaps Hester. "Does the boss know about this?"

"The boss told me I didn't have to perform tonight, actually." says Tedros, somewhat impatiently, scanning the crowd. He can't see his stupid weasel face, but that doesn't really mean anything, there's so many people. He hopes he hasn't come, but after seeing him outside earlier, it's a very faint hope. Maybe he'll have left after he realised Sophie wasn't here.

Actually, where was Sophie--?

"Pendrag--"

"Not that name!" Tedros hisses, whirling back to the table in a panic. Hester smirks at him.

"You weren't listenin'. I said, did your mission with the boss really go that bad?"

Tedros clenches his teeth, irritated he's been forced to think about it.

"None of your business. If the boss didn't tell you, I won't."

Hester snorts.

"Didn't have to cash, did you? She ain't a bad kisser by any means, but you might be--"

"We saw my father." Snaps Tedros, cheeks flaming.

Hester's mirth disappears.

"What?"

"He was at Foxwood." Tedros mutters, suddenly wishing he was on stage, after all.

"An' you talked to him?"

"Had to, he saw me."

"Didn't get suspicious, did he?" Peeps Dot.

"No, he was hungover." Growls Tedros. "And I'm not stupid enough to just give it away."