2. There was a knock on the door, and Tilden sprang off of his stool in order to answer.
“Viola!” He exclaimed and, without thinking twice about Victorian standards for
propriety, gave her a brief hug.
“Hello, Mr. Bellworthe! I trust you are well today?” The girl grinned back at him.
Obviously she wasn’t thinking much about standards either. Although, this could
easily be justified considering the fact that neither of them were anywhere close to being
in the upper class.
3. Tilden lead Viola over to the table, the only convenient sitting area in his humble
abode, all the while smiling happily. “So, Miss…”
“Kalson. Viola Kalson. Sorry, I guess I didn’t introduce myself properly, did I?”
He shrugged in response. “Don’t worry about it. I’m from the slums of England. People
don’t even think of manners there.”
“Really?” Viola tilted her head in eagerness. “I’ve always thought it would be so
wonderful.”
“Unfortunately. It’s a dog-eat-dog world there. You’re far too pretty to be in such a
place.”
4. The pair chatted the evening away pleasantly, discussing an entire array of subjects.
In fact, they had such a good time that both of them were rather downcast when it was
time for Viola to leave.
6. In other news, Tilden finally caught enough fish and boots to start his own little fish
market on his property. It wasn’t much, but it brought in some money finally.
7. Although, much to his displeasure, Tilden’s new blossoming romance and market also
brought with them winter. Now he would have to both live off of and sell all of the
produce he harvested and the fish he caught all winter.
8. He didn’t exactly mind though. As long as he got some profit out of it, things were
looking up for him.
9. A lot of people actually quite liked having a market right down the street from them, so
business boomed as well as it could with the little resources available to him.
10. After a few weeks into his business, he felt secure enough in the little money he had
saved up to propose to Viola, who had been visiting him steadily the whole time.
11. Viola happily agreed to be his wife, and both of them were thrilled. Tilden was also
thrilled to learn that, after Viola’s father had passed away, he had left his only
daughter all of the money he had saved up in the form of a dowry, a grand sum of
15,000 simoleons.
12. Despite the rather large and unexpected dowry, Tilden decided it was best to hold off
on the marriage for a couple months. He wanted to take the dowry he was granted,
along with the measly amount of money he had earned, and build a new house, one
that didn’t look like the armpit of the neighborhood, as it does now.
13. And perhaps a house with windows that aren’t irrevocably dirty, as well.
14. Taking all of this into account––his recent engagement, his bustling fish market––things
were going quite well for Tilden. He was settling into Coleridge rather nicely, and he
had made quite a few new friendly acquaintances through his business. Viola was
rather happy as well. Although they were not to marry very soon, Tilden had allowed
her a sum from her dowry to buy new clothes, so the girl was rather satisfied.
15. Unfortunately for Viola, a bit of a problem erupted one day after work. She finished
up her duties as a serving girl at Raganeau’s, said goodbye to her colleagues, changed
out of her work uniform, and then went on her way towards the Bellworthe abode.
What awaited her there was not something she wished or expected to encounter.
17. …But others seemed to have less than pleasant motives on their mind. Madame
Raganeau, the wife of Miss Kalson’s boss, stepped onto the poor plot of land, looking
very much out of place, and having a scowl planted directly on her face.
18. Conrad Abbott, a friend of the Raganeau family, walked up and greeted her. “Well,
Madame Raganeau! I am all amazement! What on earth brings you to a fish market?”
“Oh, you know, Mr. Abbott––just doing some shopping.” Madame Raganeau shrugged
and gave her friend a slightly amused, but sinister, raise of the eyebrow.
Mr. Abbot returned the favor. “You? Shopping at a fish market on a hovel? Come now,
dear friend! Tell me what this is all about.”
19. “Well,” Madame Raganeau smiled, “if you insist. Although I could seriously ask you
the same question!”
Mr. Abbott laughed loudly and declared, “Why, it is no secret! I have nothing to hide! I
was merely buying a present for my son-in-law. He’s a real tramp, that fellow! I’ve
caught he and his brother at the brothel six times in the past month! Those Becketts
sure know how to raise ‘em!” He snorted.
“How horrible! You’re buying him a fish? Goodness, Conrad, that is truly scandalous.”
The man smiled. “Ah, but I have a feeling it is not near as scandalous as your
reasoning for being here!”
20. “Scandalous is truly an understatement! You should have to promise not to say a word
about this––especially to Jacques.” Madame Raganeau lowered her voice.
“But, of course. You have my word.”
21. “Well, I believe that my husband is sleeping around––”
“What? Jacques?” Mr. Abbott gasped in surprise! “No!”
Madame Raganeau shook her head. “Yes, I am afraid so. I only go to the restaurant
on occasion, as you know it is not proper for a woman to work, but when I do––oh! He
stares at this one serving girl endlessly. I know that stare. He is not a hard man to
read. It is filled with passion and desire! And the way she looks back at him––so sickly
innocent! I know there is something amiss going on!”
22. “And how is all of this relevant to a fish market on a peasant’s hovel? I’m pretty sure
the man lives here alone.” Conrad Abbot queried, truly intrigued by the wonderful fill
of gossip.
“Well,” she shook her head and wagged a finger, quite diverted, “I asked Mrs. Dahlia
Archibald, you know, she cooks for the restaurant, where the serving girl lived. Of
course I came up with a clever and sly excuse so she would not expect my true intent.
She told me that she did not know where she lived except that the girl comes here every
day after work!”
23. “Well you are quite the Sherlock! What is your plan of action?”
The vicious gossip pinched her nose up in scrutiny, and placed a hand to her chin in
thought. “You, I am sure, will be completely delighted by this! I have come so I can
confront the girl, of course! I can be terribly persuasive and intimidating, so I am sure
that once I discuss the matter with her that she will never set foot on Raganeau’s ever
again!”
Mr. Abbott was, indeed, very diverted about the subject. The pair laughed in
amusement for a few minutes before Conrad had to leave, and just in time, too, for the
very girl in question had just been seen to walk into the house.
24. As soon as Madame Raganeau walked into the hovel, she immediately started
laughing, for it had been a long time since she had seen a place so poorly situated.
25. “Mrs. Raganeau?” Viola walked into the room.
The woman sneered, thinking “The poor girl can’t even get my name right! What bad
breeding!”
26. “You are Viola Kalson, are you not?” She asked, very directly.
Viola, a bit taken aback, had to take a moment before responding. “Yes, I am. I am a
serving girl at your husband’s restaurant––”
27. “My, you look even more like a whore up close!” Madame Raganeau laughed––or
rather, cackled.
“Excuse me?!” Viola practically lost her temper. How could this woman dare make such
an accusation?
“You heard me. Come on, you must know why I am here!”
28. “Quite the contrary.” Miss Kalson regained her temper and crossed her arms in an
attempt to calm down. “I do not know what has evoked such terribly rude behavior
from such a respectable woman.”
29. The woman looked Miss Kalson up and down. “Alright. I will humor you. I know
about what is going on between you and my husband, and I have come to put an end
to it.” She could hardly believe her husband would be attracted to such a poor, homely
woman.
30. Miss Viola had to contain herself from giggling. “But you cannot be serious, Mrs.
Raganeau! I would never do anything of the sort with your husband, for I am
engaged, and he is married!”
Madame Raganeau almost believed her for a moment. Almost. “What? You cannot
expect me to believe that!”
31. “I assure you Mrs.––”
“Madame!”
“…Madame, that I am truly and happily engaged to the Mr. Tilden Bellworthe, the
good man who owns this fish market and abode. I have the ring to prove it! Why else
would I be here, inside of his house, while he is outside still working? For he finishes his
work about an hour after I finish my duties at your husband’s restaurant, so I come
inside, do a little reading and sewing, and wait for him to close shop so we may have
dinner together.”
32. Madame Raganeau laughed. “Oh, honey, you are so naive.”
Viola scowled involuntarily. “But I tell you the truth! I would never go near your
husband! It is not my fault he stares so inappropriately at me! If anyone is to be at
fault, it is your husband. I have nothing to do with his inappropriate behavior. Now
please, I ask you to leave, for I am sure Mr. Bellworthe would not want such an
unpleasant woman in his home unannounced.”
33. “Very well, Miss Kalson. I offer you no congratulations on your upcoming nuptials; we
both know you don’t deserve them.”
34. That evening after dinner, the young couple sat in a bit of an awkward silence. “My
dear,” Tilden spoke up, “how was your day? You seem awfully quiet.”
36. “Oh really now?” Tilden raised an eyebrow in tender skepticism. “Is that so?”
37. Viola sighed. “Alright, alright, Mr. Bellworthe, I can see the skepticism through the
back of your head. To be honest, I had a rather unpleasant encounter today.”
“Really? With whom?”
“My boss’s wife, Mrs. Raganeau.”
“And what did she want?” Tilden flipped a page in his book.
38. “She accused me of having inappropriate relations with her husband because of the way
he stares at me all the time!”
Tilden contemplated the matter thoroughly. He couldn’t necessarily blame her; the
staring was rather bothersome when he had met Miss Kalson at the restaurant a few
weeks ago. “Do not become angry with me for asking, because I just want to clarify––it
is not true, is it?”
“Of course not! Mr. Raganeau is a slime ball Frenchmen who mooches off of everyone!
And plus, I am happily engaged.”
39. “Then do not worry about it, my love. The truth has a way of working itself out in the
end.”
These simple words were enough to ease Viola’s fretting mind, and she broke into a
relieved smile. “Oh, Mr. Bellworthe, what would I ever do without you to calm me
down?”
Tilden thought of the upcoming marriage. “Luckily you will never have to find out.”