Dawn's office was on the top of the central building of the old manor. To access the place an elevator ride was necessary, once at the top you were greeted by two beautiful doors that opened to a large office looking both onto the estate and city, an office connected to a small apartment now turned into a library that once doubled as a home away from home when working late hours meant not being able to go home. The place had seen generations of Frigg command soft power from its space, and now it was Dawn's turn. No soon the two women had closed the door behind them Dawn cricked her back as she tried to improve her posture.
"This act is not getting good for my health" said Dawn.
"Maybe you should get a medical corset grandmother?" suggested Aurora.
"Could be. Or maybe I need less stress."
From the shadows of the room a body appeared, a man of posture and rigour, balding yet not too old, his demure and uniform screamed butler, yet the attentive eye could see that the man may be something more. This was Willsworth, Dawn's most trusted employee and personal butler, ready to be called at any time, now appeared in front of his mistress with a tray containing a glass of water with anti-acids, another glass with a gin and tonic, and a small bowl of peanuts.
"Your anti-acids and your pick-me-up madam" announced Willsworth. Dawn picked the glass with the effervescent liquid first.
"Thank you Willsworth, you are a life-saver" stated the eldest Frigg as she downed the glass in record time and elegantly suppressed a burp. Once the ritual was done she put the glass back on the tray and took the gin and tonic. "What a day, and is not half day yet" Dawn took a pinch of peanuts and ate them before she sipped her gin and tonic. "I know this is a morale boosting event, but I can swear they are becoming longer every year."
"It is the nature of the beast madam, it is for each of us to carry the cross we have chosen. And for those who have chose to serve that cross is ever larger" spoke Willsworth with butlerian eloquence.
"Wise words as usual my good man. Now, off with the pity party, let us do some quick checks before my appointment is here. Aurora, if you may begin, what have you found out about the parties bidding for our companies' stocks?" enquired Dawn.
Aurora went for a folder on top of the desk and began reading: "As you know grandmother two new companies have made sizeable offers for large quantities of stock in the agriculture and fashion branches of the business."
Dawn stepped onto the large window and looked into the horizon "How large of an offer?"
"A French Bank is offering $300,000,000 for point five percent of the agricultural branch, while a Kenyan trust fund is offering USD $1500,000,000 for twenty percent of the new fashion company. The French are offering to pay up-front while the Nigerians are interested in buying more" stated Aurora.
Dawn shifted her gaze to the crowd mingling at the garden.
"Such good offers in a time we are in need of cash, how convenient…" Dawn sipped her Gin as she observed her son down at the party, hidden behind the one way window she observed the fruit of her womb pretend he could charm anyone with a brain, all whilst his new pet tried to play the meek card. The more Dawn stared at the woman, the more she believed Nuit was aware of her gaze. Pursing her lips Dawn returned to talking to her granddaughter. "Have look into our potential buyers dear? Anything we should know before engaging?"
"A little Belgian birdie told me that the French Bank is in fact planning to resell the stocks as part of a package to a holding company in which dear Uncle has a friend with controlling interest. Meanwhile I have discovered that the Kenyan trust-fund seems to have one of Uncle's wiggly lawyer friends as their purchase adviser in the United States" stated Aurora as she stared at her grandmother. The Grand Dame looked at her granddaughter, elegant and beautiful, the shining future of the family legacy, and then down to her second son, entitled and self-centred, nothing like his older brother. Gears turned into the sagacious mind of the elderly lady as experience and wisdom helped her intellect paint a picture of what was really going on.
"Crafty, too crafty, my dim little son of mine could not have come up with this thing himself, he is being assisted, and that new secretary of him is the key" stated Dawn.
"Would that be madame Nuit? Plain but not too plain? Modest but not too modest? Simple yet not too simple? The perfectly forgettable person" pointed Willsworth as he prepared some refreshments for the upcoming guest.
"The very same. You should have seen how she managed to pull uncle out of his bad-mood spirals before. It looked almost like magic" stated Aurora.
"If I may briefly speak freely madam?" asked the attentive butler.
"You have more than earn the right Willsworth" nodded his employer.
"It is clearly not Master Blu's type, he was always more into, how could I say this gently 'Young, voluptuous, and dim women', preferably easy on both the eyes and to lure to less savoury engagements if I am not mistaken" explained Willsworth as he grabbed an empty tray and readied himself.
"I could not agree more" said Dawn, she stared deep into her Martini glass to meditate briefly before she finished its contents, no soon the glass had left her lips Willsworth had a tray ready to receive the glass and address the issue. "Yes, my blue boy little tantrums. Grandfather would spank his bare bottom when he decided not to obey. I do not know where those tantrums came from, but I blame myself for not being a better mother."
"Do not blame yourself madam, you did your best, it is master Blu who needs to raise to your level" Willsworth stated as he offered his employer another Gin and tonic that she accepted gracefully.
"Wise as always Willsworth" Dawn turned at Aurora and inquired: "What do we know about this new floozy my son calls a secretary?"
Aurora shook her head at the question: "Not much if anything at all. Average school, good grades, parents dead. The is the perfect Jane Doe, no past to be suspicious of."
Dawn looked again, she saw Nuit besides Blu, trying to look as unobtrusive as possible. Dawn could feel that Nuit was aware of her, looking at Dawn from the edge of her eyes.
"There must be something. Maybe I should send Detective Mortis after her, he might be able to dig something up. Speaking of witch I must prepare for my meeting with him" stated Dawn.
"That man? Why would you need his help grandmother, he is a creep" stated Aurora.
"You do not like Detective Mortis dear?" asked Dawn less as a businesswoman and more as a grandmother who could hear her granddaughter having conflicting emotions.
"I do not know why you trust him, he is strange, weird, creepy…"
"Why thank you. Coming from you miss Aurora I will take that as a compliment" said the voice from the shadows.