[sylvanSpider]

Benjamin knew from experience that being left behind was not a fun endeavor. He at least hoped that he gave her something to do while she was in his private study, like she had for him while she was gone, but he knew that wouldn't be good enough. Once out of the room, Benjamin picked up his pace heading for his father's own personal study. If he could find his father's most recent papers, he'd be able to find out what the date was.

"Benjamin, is that you dear? You've gotten up late again today, haven't you? It's nearly ten o' clock!" the voice belonged to a female, and it was that feminine voice that he'd grown the most familiar with over the course of his very long life. That of his mother. Benjamin froze and leaned over the staircase rails catching her as she was donning her bonnet for her morning stroll.

"Don't worry, mother. Yes, it's only me. I actually didn't sleep late today, I just started with some reading. I wasn't hungry yet, you see," Benjamin said with a lie that made the absolute most sense. He'd skipped many meals in favor of the written word or rushing off to the theatre, so it was perfectly believable.

"Well alright, Benjamin, just don't forget to eat. You'll get even thinner and wither away," she flashed him a smile and he came down the stairs to see her out.

"Again, mother, don't worry," he replied, grinning. He'd forgotten just how much his mother loved and worried about him. It was no wonder the murder affected her so hard. "I'll eat a short time from now, but for the time being I have some errands of my own to run. I'll return and we can eat together, how does that sound?" Even as he was saying this, he cringed a little bit knowing that as they ate, April would be locked up in that room. "Say, mother, do you know what the date is? The days have been sort of blurring together as of late."

"I'm glad to hear you'll at least be getting a little sunshine today. It's October twenty-third, dear. I really think you should start paying a little bit more attention to the world around you."

Benjamin laughed, "Have a nice stroll, mother. I'll try to be here when you return." With that, his mother disappeared out the door, looking as pretty as she ever did. Benjamin would have to remember to thank her for her part in his genes before he was taken from her.

He donned his own hat, hailing a carriage and making his way to the downtown district. As expected, he was stopped en route to the clothing shop by well-wishers who had seen his play and wishing him upcoming successes on more, of course asking if he was writing anything more to which he responded with a smiling "Always." He did, eventually make it into the shop but when in there, he had no idea what to look for; women's clothes were as foreign to him as Oriental China and he sighed as he slunk to a clerk to help him.

"Benjamin Wright! What brings a gentleman like you into my humble shoppe?" the shopkeeper said, beaming at his appearance. Benjamin scratched the back of his head and offered her a sheepish smile.

"Well, as you might have guessed, I'm here to purchase women's clothing...for a woman that-that-that I'm trying to court," he stammered, peering at her from the tops of his eyes, quite bashfully to any onlooker and the shopkeeper herself.

"Oh isn't that just lovely?" came the heart-filled reply. The shopkeeper's cheeks were flushed with excitement to be aiding him on his endeavor, "Just who is the lucky woman?"

"Her...her name is April," Benjamin stammered, "I want to get her an entire outfit, not just the lovely outerskirts, but everything she would need for a date out in the town. I intend to escort her everywhere, so if they could be comfortable as well, that would please me to no end." He flushed realizing that there were other garments that went with outfits that he should probably not lay eyes on, "Ehm...for the underskirts...She will certainly need those, but if-if...if you can package them in a way that I won't see, so as to keep her honour, you see, it would be much appreciated."

The shopkeeper kept her giddy smile as she practically danced to one of the shelves, "Ah, so by everything, you did mean everything! What a good gentleman you are, Benjamin. Very well! Let's get everything we need then, shall we?"

By the end of his shopping experience, he was baffled by exactly how much went into a woman's outfit for an everyday adventure and he hoped that April would be able to figure it out. There was one problem, however, he had no way of explaining that a corset was out of the question, and the shopkeeper had already packaged everything up for him. She would have no other lady to help her with it. He gulped, paling a bit as he heaved the heavy package under his arm, a reaction that the shopkeeper anticipated as nerves. He returned long before his mother did and stole away to the study, panting and thankful that none of the servants or the maid saw him.

"Here we are," he said, chipper, "An entire outfit of everything you'll need. Ehm...do you ah...think you'll be able to figure it out?"