The day seemed to rain down with sunshine. And it only made her smile.
Shopping bags littered her arms, iced cappuccino in one hand as she walked down the streets of St. Martial, idiotic grin on her face. She had even abandoned her usual leather for shorts and a t-shirt – and neither was black. She felt (and looked) like she was nineteen again, so carefree, and the world was hers once again.
It seemed that tremendous love has the power to roll back time.
She glanced down in the bags, at the silken sheets for their bed, the fluffy hotel style bathrobes, the naughty lingerie she had bought that afternoon and smiled – such simple actions that even a week ago seemed so foreign were so…normal now. Satine paid it no mind, glad to leave the world of darkness and death behind. Arachnos passed her by on the streets, and she even had the heart to smile at them – and with her bright hair bouncing, sculpted body, milky skin, more than a few turned their heads to watch her pass by.
I have what you seek.
She paused, glancing over at the shop to her right. The windows were dark and gloomy, cluttered with dusty furniture and odd trinkets. The sign outside the window read “William’s Antiques”.
Come, come and find me Satine.
The door opened at her touch, dust swirling up, provoking forgotten memories…
The mansion door, opening at her touch, forgotten dust swirling up and filling her nostrils with shadows and half-hearted dreams…
She shook her head just as the little man with white hair came from the back, obviously summoned by the bell above the door. He took one look at her and arched an eyebrow, obviously surprised someone looking like her would be in a shop like his. He did manage to stammer out, after some gawking, a proper greeting.
“Well Miss…Can I help you find something?”
“…a watch. A pocket watch.” Satine bit at her lower lip, wracking her brain for any plausible reason she would have said that. Again and again she came up empty handed.
“Well, Miss, I do have a good collection of them behind the counter if you’ll just come this way,” the elderly man pointed towards the counter with a smile. Satine approached slowly, brushing her fiery locks back from her face as she set down her bags on the floor, sapphire eyes glittering brightly with anticipation. He pulled out a couple of trays of antique looking watches, placing them before her. His voice began to drone on and on about specific pieces, picking them up one at a time in his own attempt to show them to her. She pretended interest even as she let her eyes wander amongst them boredly…
…a faint gleam of gold caught her eye, the whispering increasing in her head…
He seemed to notice her attention, and gently picked up the watch, so covered in grime you could barely sense the golden sheen underneath. He smiled that merchant smile, half goodwill, half cheap car salesman, and brushed off the top layer of grime with his thumb, revealing a pair of flags back to back. Above them the words “Deo Vindice” could be faintly read above them.
“It dates from the back from the Civil War, Miss, as clearly seen from the Confederate flag here and the seal above them – means God will vindicate, Miss. But it’s what inside that’s real special, Miss, if you’ll open it…”
Delicately, she opened the clasp and inhaled sharply as the clasp sprung open with a youthful vigor. The words were delicately inscribed, and they brought tears to her eyes:
“If it will satisfy you that I should know you, love you, why then indeed, you should have my soul to stand on if it could make you stand higher.”
The man took note, and explained in soft tones, “It’s a passage from a letter Elizabeth Barrett wrote to Robert Browning in about 1846. From all indications it was most likely a wedding gift to a soldier from
Satine never heard anything past “higher”. Her mind was racing, but she managed to mumble, “I’ll take it, whatever price…”
“Ah, if I may ask, Miss, who it’s for? You don’t seem the collector type.”
“For the man I love more than anything in the world.”
“Then take it, Miss, with my sincerest hope that you will be as happy with him as I was with my Elvira.” And with that, he pressed the watch on her with the name of the best watch fixer in town, and would hear nothing of money. The smile on his face was so genuine that it tore at Satine’s heart even more, but she vowed to herself that he wouldn’t go empty handed for his generosity. It was a rare commodity for her these days.
She walked in a haze down the streets of St. Martial, following the directions she had been given until she found it – buried in a dusty corner, but “Cutter and Sons Jewelry” could still be read on the fading sign. The store was clean and well lit, and unlike the last shop, no dust stirred as she entered timidly. Ever since she had been offered a ring of engagement, she had been overly skittish of jewelry stores.
She gathered her wits and walked confidently forward towards the glass counter still clutching the small white box her watch was secreted in to her chest. The man that approached her was much younger than the previous shop keeper, and did not seem so startled by her mode of dress. All in all, he looked of an age with her, perhaps a few years older, but knowledgeable none the less.
She handed the box to him, causing him to quirk an eyebrow, but he said nothing. Gingerly he produced the watch, closely examining it with a critical eye before speaking. “I’m assuming you want it repaired and restored, ma’am. For a piece as old as it is, it seems to be in rather good condition – two, maybe three hours, plus overnight to let it soak the grime off. Two hundred fifty.”
Satine just stared at him, her eyes resolved as she opened her bill fold and produced large bills and layed them on the counter.
“Ma’am? That’s *considerably* more than two fifty.” He seemed rather stunned.
“It is. In fact, it’s four times as much. And in return, my good man, you are going to show me how to and help me to fix the watch.” Satine fixed him with a resolute stare, as if daring him to disagree.
He shook his head. “Why? Tell me that and I’ll consider it.”
“This watch is a gift to a very special man – and I very much think it would mean more if the labor came from my own hands and heart than if I just threw some cash around on a pretty trinket. Perhaps it’s already thoughtful enough that I did put thought into the gift, but I really want it to mean something…it will be the first thing I’ve ever given him that’s material.”
The jeweler looked at the counter, biting at his lip before speaking. “How old are you? You don’t look old enough to put that much thought into something.”
“I turned forty this year, sir, though it’s none of your business. I just age well.”
He looked up at her, shaking his head with a slight grin. “Keep your seven fifty – but be here at six o’clock tonight, and be prepared to work some long hours to get this into working order. If you’re willing to do it yourself, no reason I should charge you more – plus the company would be nice…especially such gorgeous company.”
Satine smiled sweetly at him and nodded exuberantly. “You won’t regret this, and I’ll wear something low cut and short just for that.”
“What’s your name? I’m Joseph Cutter.” He extended his hand to her.
She took it firmly, shaking it with a grin. “Satine Dubois, monsieur. Bonjour.”
