It did not help his temper that Jones kept an over-civil smile for him all the while.

“You’re quite impossible, you know?” Dodson said, sliding by.

The loud display of brewing tea Horace made in the kitchen did not dissuade Jones from continuing.

“I’m wagering you’re anxious to discover the reason for all my questions,” he said from the other room.

“I’ll take that bet,” Dodson muttered to himself.

Jones rounded the door in little more than an instant.

“You were saying something doctor?”

Horace was fairly sure he’d not spoken loudly enough to have his sarcasm overheard. Only Jones’ presence so quickly before him made it uncertain.

“I’m just having a dreadful time finding the sugar. That’s all,” Dodson excused, albeit weakly

“I wanted to let you know I’m just stepping out to give Mrs. Johnson tomorrow’s instructions,” Jones said. “With all the racket in here, I wasn’t sure you could here me.”

A glimpse of a smile traced Jones’ face before leaving the room. No moment passed, long enough for Dodson to relax and regain his composure. Jones reappearance at the kitchen door only served to fan the flames of his discontent.

“And don’t worry, doctor. I plan on continuing when I return.”

Any number of flippant remarks crossed Dodson’s mind. He did well to hold his tongue, uncertain of Jones’ actual departure.

He heard the outer door opened, followed by a noticeable pause.

“The sugar’s on the stove, if you’re interested,” Jones said from the distance.

When the door closed behind Jones, Dodson reluctantly continued, grousing out loud.

Alone with his task, moments turned to minutes. His ruffled feathers smoothed as the tea brewed. He was just placing it in the sitting room when the entry door opened in a rush. From behind it appeared Jones, pausing dramatically at the threshold to take off his coat.

In a doorway it was hard not to notice that Jones stood uncommonly tall. The effect diminished somewhat in the middle of a room, due to his slenderness. His facial features were sharp and unhandsome by some standards, but nonetheless striking for their uniqueness. He kept clean shaven, wore his jet hair cut short, slick, and combed at a part to his left hand.