Rosy shut the door. She walked down the hallway outside the room. A few steps away from her new room there was a second door leading to an adjacent room. She stopped.


    Rosy lifted her ear up a little. There was the *clink*clack* of silverware coming from behind the door. Rosy cracked open the door and poked her head inside.


    Plinth and Landlady Starling were seated on opposite sides of a table that had been pushed up against the wall. Placed on the center of the table was a pot of tea and a cake stand with a decadent yellow butter cake on it. The Landlady was sipping quietly from a teacup. Plinth was holding position with a forkful of sweet butter cake halfway to his mouth.


    "What are the two of you doing?" Rosy asked.


    *Cough* Plinth gently set the fork and cake back down on the plate in front of him.


    "We were merely having an after dinner sip of tea." He said quietly.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    [... follow along with me here. Glitter…]


    Plinth stopped talking. Ms Starling stopped moving. The two of them perked up their ears.


    Rosy''s attention was drawn to a cast iron vent at the top of the wall. A tinny echo could be heard coming through the vent.


    Rosy slid into the room. "Can you-"


    Plinth quickly waved a hand at her. He held a hand over his mouth.


    <Sorry. Does that vent allow you to hear what is happening in the next room over?> Rosy whispered.


    Plinth twirled his desert fork in his hand. <No. Nothing like that. Those vents are meant purely for keeping the airflow moving in the building.>


    Plinth looked at the landlady. The landlady looked at Plinth. Plinth looked at Rosy.


    <However... air does vibrate when people are speaking so...>


    [...chisel a wax sculpture of his face…]


    Rosy shut the door to the second room behind her. She tiptoed over to the table.


    <Scoot over.>