Affirmation cont

A story by Allie Elle

In the last section we read the letter from social services and were introduced to a strange letter and letter head.

Part four: touching on the Magi.
Sarah gently took the letter from Richard’s hand and looked at the writing; the name at the head of the letter was strange. She wondered who the heck Lupus, Wolfing and Canis were to her it was strange names for a firm of lawyer’s. There were the letter head three different types of dog on a shield and the script was formal and old fashioned. The letter was not typed but hand written and Sarah had difficulty in reading the script she swore it was written with a quill and ink. She scanned the letter with a smile as it seemed to be aimed at the orphanage and she scanned it.

Dear Mistress,
Pardon the formality of this letter but as the Mistress of the hall my clients have instructed me in contacting you. We are aware in recent years the Hall has been a facility for the care of unwanted children. We are also aware that local government is in the process of withdrawing their funding to your auspicious facility.
My clients are the family that originally owned Orpheus Hall and in the early part of the twentieth century due to financial constraints offered the hall for the use in which is put too at present. They have followed what has been happening at the hall closely and wish due to changes in their fortunes to assist you in your work.
They have only one concern you have in your care a young man who is close to reaching his age of majority and as such will be leaving your care. My clients have various businesses and one is located in the town not far from the hall. As the young man in question has no formal qualifications and is unlikely to progress without help my clients are willing to offer that help.
On the day of June the tenth at two post midday they are expecting Richard to attend an interview at this office with myself and my partners to arrange his further employment or placement.

Yours in good health
James Robert Lupine QC

Sarah looked at the letter and her jaw dropped how the hell these people know about Richard and how he faced no further support in the system. As she mused over this she also realised that Richard had no formal clothes like a suit and she had less than three hours to get him one. She also wondered where the hell the money would come from to get a suit for him, there was not enough in the petty cash and Richard had no money and Sarah always put a lot of her wages back into getting things for the children. Just then one of the children was screaming in the hallway and both Sarah and Richard stood up together. As one they walked towards the disturbance and stopped dead in their tracks, there was a man dressed in a formal suit with a top hat and cloak stood by the main doors. He bowed as they approached and held out a hand with a small half smile.

“Aah Mistress Sarah I have the temerity to presume and Master Richard.” His words were old fashioned and he swept off his hat.
“Can I help you Sir?” was Sarah’s response.
“Allow your humble servant to present himself, George Magi at your service purveyor of fine garments.” He produced a card which Sarah read in shock. There was the three dog type heads at the top of the card.
“It has been brought to my attention that Master Richard has a meeting with some of my clients today and is lacking in a suitable wardrobe. My humble self has been dispatched to assist.”

With that George Magi bowed again and produced a measuring tape and a large trunk and a smile crossed his face. He approached both Sarah and Richard and he seemed to shrink in size until he was just below Richard’s shoulder level. His face seemed to soften also and years dropped off him and he appeared in his mid twenties. He held out his hand again and grasped Richards in a tight hand shake, a small frown crossed his face and Richard looked down and for a brief second saw his dream self’s hand held there.
Richard took another look at this strange man and what had happened and pulled his hand free and ran through the hallway until he reached the stairs and found a dark corner. He crouched down shaking and tears starting to form, he wondered who this strange man was and what had happened. As he crouched down he heard Mr Magi talk to Sarah.
“Ma’am I fear my presence has upset the young gentle man i think it may be best if I call one of my seamstresses to help measure and costume him.”
“Richard is pretty shy for a boy his age Sir please don’t judge him harshly”

“on the contrary Madam I do not judge the gentle man at all but strive to make him as comfortable as possible.”
With that he stopped and a young woman walked through the main doors she was a female copy of George and she curtsied deeply. She stopped and scanned the hallway and without a word walked to wards where Richard was hiding. She smiled warmly as she crouched and touched his cheek with a soft finger and then slowly moved her hand down to take Richards hand in hers and gently urged him to his feet. She without a word led him back to the foot of the staircase and Sarah stood there and tilted her head and saw the streaks of tears down his cheeks.
She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and nodded for him to go with the young woman and she turned to George and raised her eyebrow. The gentleman nodded and walked with Sarah into the office leaving Richard with the young woman.
“Don’t worry little one I won’t bite you,” Her voice was soft,” it’s only sorting out clothes for you hun.”
With her gentle words she led Richard towards his room away from the others. Richard walked slower than usual as Sarah had not explained to him what was going on.

She led him through his room door and then turned to smile gently and her face seemed to glow. She sat Richard down on his bed and looked him up and down and gently touched his cheek her finger seemed to leave a track of light. Richards’s cheek muscles relaxed as the finger moved down its track on his face and the corner of his lip turned up into a slight smile. Her face seemed to shimmer slightly too and it softened a few years dropped from her and she appeared to be the same age as him. The transformation didn’t stop at her face but her body and clothes changed until she appeared to be a full teenage girl her smile became larger and then she nodded to herself.

“That’s better now I can talk to you on the same level Richard,” her voice was warm and slightly husky,” Let me explain a bit or you might not be able to understand what is going on.” Richard looked at her and couldn’t form the words he needed to say so she went on not as much talking openly but inside his mind.
She explained in his head that really nothing that she did was ever going to harm him but that it was all going to be done to help him. She knew he was not ready to look after himself and that what was going to happen with the Hall would lead to harm to him in the future. That her employers were to make sure nothing happened to him and his future, she then stopped and almost seemed to be searching through his mind. Subconsciously he created a mental image of her opening doors to rooms in his mind and her peering through but not in a bad way. There was one room he wanted to keep locked from her and he concentrated on that door as his mental image of her reached it. He pictured her trying the door and getting nowhere as she fought the handle. Her images self shook her head and Richard focused on the outside world again.
“looks like I may still have a bit of work ahead of me to get you to trust me” her voice was gentle and held no rebuke.

To be continued
Part 3 gaining trust and a very strange interview .