Tabitha lead Nathaniel out of her room. The bouncers turned away from their card game and one began to stand up but Tabitha assured the man that everything was ok and he slumped back down in his chair. The pair made their way up a flight of stairs and down a broad hallway, stopping at a set of double doors at the end. Tabitha took a deep breath and knocked on the doors.

"Come in."

Tabitha opened one of the doors and entered with Nathaniel following close behind. Madam Vivienne's office was narrow, only as wide as the hallway. It was built on top of the partition that separated the entertainment hall in the front from the rooms in the back. Two sets of windows on either side allowed Vivienne to watch over both areas, while a third, smaller window behind her desk allowed a view of the street just outside her establishment. A rope ladder anchored to the wall would also allow her to escape the building if the need should arise.

"Tabitha, my dear, how can I help you?" Vivienne asked, looking up from the papers on her desk and eyeing the couple up and down. She was an older woman, face lined with wrinkles and hair completely white, but she still maintained a dignified beauty about her in her burgundy coloured dress. Across from her was a thin man in a suit who turned in his seat, pen in hand. One either side of the door were two large men, ready to intervene if anyone attempted to cause trouble for Vivienne.

"We want to leave, together." Tabitha stated with a glance at Nathaniel.

"I see," Vivienne replied as she stood from her desk and turned to look out the window behind her. "While I am always happy when one of my girls finds love, or whatever might pass for it, there is the matter of your debt."

"Nathaniel here is going to pay it off for me."

"Oh, is he now?" Vivienne said, turning back to the pair. "Are you aware, sir, that Tabitha's account is outstanding by over a hundred crowns?"

"Yes, she told me she owes you one hundred and seven."

"And you still want to settle her account for her? My my, she must have truly pleased you with her charms if you are willing to part with so great a sum for her," Vivienne stated as she sat back down in her seat and folded her hands on the desk. "Forgive my manners, sir, but I must be blunt. You do not strike me as a man of means and I will not accept credit of any kind."

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"No, I have the money with me."

"Show me."

Nathaniel took his pack and dug out the coin purse again and pulled out a handful of coins to show the older woman. She raised an eyebrow.

"Very well. Pay Mr. Pike here and if everything is in order then Tabitha's account will be settled and she will be free to leave at any time."

Nathaniel began counting out the coins and placing them on the desk. Mr. Pike picked up each one, inspecting each one before arranging them in stacks of ten.

"Tabitha, my dear," Vivienne began as her bookkeeper counted the money, "I must caution you against this. How well do you know this man? Can you trust him? Oftentimes a man will claim to fall in love with a girl in your line of work but what he expects is a bedmate he doesn't have to pay who will do his cooking and housekeeping and will become angry, violently so, if she ever fails to perform her services with the same enthusiasm she did when he was paying her."

"I assure you, Madam, I would never harm-" Nathaniel began before Vivienne snapped her head to look him in the eye.

"Please spare me whatever promises you can think to make, sir," Vivienne said coldly. "I am not interested in whatever stories you have to tell. I am no fool, sir. You do not look like the sort of man who could come by this much money by honest means and I do not have the patience to endure attempts to deceive me. As long as your money is good then I will accept it and Tabitha's debt will be repaid."

"It's all good, Madam," Mr. Pike said as he placed the final coin on a stack.

"Then you, my dear, are a free woman. Do take care of yourself and if this man turns out to be less gentlemanly than he has lead you to believe, you will always have a home here if you want it."

"Thank you, Madam Vivienne. Please say goodbye to Maggy and Lizzy for me."

"I will, dear."

With that Tabitha turned and lead Nathaniel out of the office. She moved as quickly as her legs would allow but the mechanisms were timed to allow a steady walking pace, stairs required an awkward shifting side to side and running would be essentially impossible. Still, an improvement from the plain wooden pegs that many in her condition would have to endure. Out onto the main entertainment hall where patrons were beginning to fill the seats as a band was setting up their instruments on the stage and finally through the front doors and onto the streets. The sun was nearly set now and it would soon be dark.

"Let's hurry to Mr. Johnston's house now, we want to catch him before he turns in for the night." Tabitha said.

"Lead the way." Nathaniel replied. With that the pair set off, Tabitha's legs tapping loudly on the paving stones.