Mixing Pleasure With Business (Josh)

As per our discussion, the letter started, and Lisabeth did nothing more than glance at the first paragraph to ensure it was directed towards the head of the Murray family. It was, and she did not need to read more. Work related things was not her business, nor did she particularly care about it, although, from listening in to her father when he didn't know she was, she would go so far as to say she'd be able to hold conversation about it if need arose.

As a female, she highly doubted it ever would. In any case, it was usually boring, and that meant she wanted no part of it. The only part about business she actually liked was when you had to convince people that what you're selling or offering is far better than it actual is; spinning tales in a way that made it feel like the truth was something Lisa always liked to do.

In any case, her father had made a single mistake, and she had been waiting long for this. He had been in a rush and asked her to make sure this letter was sent. As such, the moment she saw the address on the front, sneaked to her room with it. It wasn't too hard to open, carefully and slowly, so as not to leave any marks. Taking a small piece of paper, she very neatly penned, "Enjoy."

She signed it not with her name, but rather, a single 'L' and, with the letter, she placed a single sour sweet, adding more to the business letter than her father would ever know off. Sealing it back was easy, and soon, it was sent away with her father's owl. It was a risky move, tampering with work, but it was the only thing she could think of doing. She was done; it was now Josh's turn, and Lisa couldn't help but feel a tinge of integument at the game.

Lisa was in the middle of studies when her father knocked on her door. She only knew it was him because of the loudness of the knocks; she had told off her servants once before and ever since they only ever knocked softly. Closing the novel she had been reading and pulling the textbook closer towards her, she called, "Come in!"

She was more than curious as to why her father was personally paying her a visit - he never did this - but forced herself to keep calm, and hope that it wasn't because Josh had told on her. It wouldn't have been something she expected, but if he had, then he wasn't as fun as she thought him to be. But as he sat down on the edge of her bed, a perplexed crease in his brows, she knew it wasn't that at once.

"Lisa," he began, reached up, scratched the back of his neck and paused. She tilted her head to look at him, but kept writing the essay, pretending she was not fully focusing. A few moments later, he cleared his throat, the signal for her to turn and properly address him as he held out a box. A mere glance told her what it was, and she stiffened a grin and instead looked questioning my towards her father. "Mister Murray asked me to pass this to you."

She didn't miss the curiosity in his voice, but ignored it. She didn't want to explain it now. "He also wishes to see you again. 'In a less formal setting' as he put it. I have written back to assure him you would love to."

Of course, there had been no asking her permission. At once she knew that her father was hoping that Josh was interested in her, as a wife. It would do wonders for their family name, but she frankly did not care, and she also knew that the only reason he wanted to see her was the game. She would not dare tell her father this, and instead smiled and thanked him, accepting the box with both hands. There was a moment of awkward silence, and then he left, and she hurriedly opened the box.

There had to be a reply somewhere, and it took but a moment to find the writing on the top of the box. A grin formed on her face as she took in the words, and she emptied the sweets into a drawer. She had not actually tasted them, nor did she want to. Instead, she set the box aside, and slipped out a piece of parchment.

It didn't take her very long to write out a simple letter, and it was soon on its way.

"Thank you for the present. It was a lovely unexpected surprise," she had written. "I am sure by now you have father's reply. I am looking forward to our next meet with great expectations. Take care." This time, she had ended it properly, with her perfect signature, practised over and over as a child. She did not include a sweet this time. The letter method had been done with, and she would not reuse something already done. Now it was all up to Josh.