GG Fic: Victor Victoria (4/7)
Title: Victor Victoria (4/7)
Author: lorelaisquared
Rating: General
Characters: Rory, Lorelai, Emily
Word Count: 2338
Summary: The three generations of Gilmore Girls embark on a journey to Canada's West Coast. Roughly set during Girls in Bikini's, Boys Doing the Twist. Written for TrueLovePooh and Boston4 for the Support Stacie Author Auction.
Author's Note: First, I need to thank my owners TrueLovePooh, and Boston 4 for being so patient with me and my incredibly slow updates. I hope the wait has been worth it.
I'd like to thank my friends J and A for their help in brainstorming portions of this chapter. Their ideas made this even better.
I also must not forget to thank Jewels12 my beta to whom I am eternally indebted to. Thank you for not running away screaming when THREE chapters showed up in your inbox. I owe you a handsome juggler. :)
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3,
Chapter 4: Tea and Lace
Breakfast on Thursday morning was a tense and awkward affair. No one spoke. Emily was still furious with Lorelai, and Rory refused to even look at her mother. Lorelai sighed, having no clue how to fix the situation. She hadn't intended to upset either one of them, and yet, here they were, her mother and her daughter, both furious with her for being truthful.
Unable to bear the deafening silence any longer, Lorelai excused herself, declaring that she was going to go shopping for souvenirs. Once she was finally out in the open air, she felt as though a hundred pounds had been lifted from her shoulders. She sighed with relief and set out to explore on her own.
She patted Clyde on her way past and took her time walking toward Government Street where all the good shopping was supposed to be. She turned right at the corner, passing the large, domed parliament building. On her left, across the street, stood the Royal British Columbia Museum. It was tall and had a large poster hanging from the side wall advertising an exhibit called: 'Eternal Egypt: Masterworks of Ancient Art'. She continued to walk, frowning slightly as reached the next block, which was dotted with beautiful character homes, but none of the stores she'd been expecting. She checked the street sign and it said 'Government Street', so she shrugged and continued to walk, hoping the stores would turn up ahead.
xxxxx
“So Rory, what do you say you and I have a little adventure of our own today?” Emily asked, once Lorelai left the room.
Rory took a sip of her coffee before responding. “Sure, Grandma. That sounds nice.”
“Oh, wonderful.” Emily clasped her hands and grinned. “I was thinking we could get dressed up and go have High Tea at the 'Empress Hotel'”
Rory fought the urge to grimace. She'd hoped her grandmother had something more interesting in mind than drinking tea. “Oh... uh... sure... I guess.”
Emily didn't seem to notice the hesitancy in Rory's voice. “Excellent. I'll call to make a reservation for this afternoon, and then you and I can go shopping for an appropriate outfit. The Empress is rather fancy.”
While Emily made the call, Rory finished her breakfast and returned to her room to change. Emily found her there, twenty minutes later, researching 'The Empress Hotel' on her computer. She'd learned some interesting facts about it and now she was more eager to visit.
“It has an amazing history,” Rory told Emily as they headed to the car. “It's one of the oldest hotels in Victoria.”
Emily nodded. “Yes, that's right. It's a very famous place.”
“Did you know that it's built on water?” Rory asked, buckling her seat belt.
Emily shook her head. “Don't be ridiculous. It's on land.” She pointed to the Empress as they drove past it. “See? Not a speck of water.”
“Well, no, not anymore,” Rory admitted. “But originally it was part of the harbour. The road was too. They filled it in with sand and dirt to build the streets and buildings in this area.
“Really? Is that safe?”
“Safe enough. Apparently it's sinking slowly. And there's a rumour that it will sink completely if there's ever a big earthquake, but so far it's been fine.”
“Fascinating. You do learn the most interesting things on that computer of yours,” Emily remarked fondly.
“The internet is a wealth of information, Grandma.”
“Well, it's beyond me.” Emily pulled into the parking lot of a small boutique. “Here we are.”
For the next hour, Rory was subjected to numerous dress changes, while Emily and two of the shop girls, a blond and a brunette, ooohed, ahhed, and vetoed. At first, Rory didn't mind much. She wasn't in love with any of the dresses, but they weren't awful and she knew that her cooperation was making her grandmother happy. By the fifteenth dress, however, she was getting irritable. Many of the dresses had lace collars and her neck was getting itchy. She was hungry and she had reached the point where she just wanted to pick the nearest dress, no matter how hideous, so she could get out of there.
She wondered if this is what her mother had felt like when she was growing up. She was sure Grandma would have made her try things on, and she was even more certain that her mother would have hated every minute. Rory pulled on the next dress and looked in the mirror. It was yellow, with delicate lacy trim and she thought it made her look like a cupcake. Rory grimaced and reluctantly stepped out of the dressing room.
Once again, the shop girls gushed, telling her she looked gorgeous, and Rory felt like rolling her eyes. Luckily, Emily didn't seem to like this one, and Rory was actually relieved when she was handed the next dress - a bright blue one with black trim.
When she stepped out of the dressing room wearing it a moment later, she was greeted with an excited clap from her grandmother. “Oh, Rory, this is it. You look lovely.” Emily beamed proudly. She asked Rory to spin around a few times before she was one hundred percent satisfied. Then she turned to the blond and declared, “We'll need shoes too. Size nine and nothing too high.”
“Yes, ma'am.” She rushed off and returned several minutes later, laden with about six boxes of shoes. Thankfully, the second pair Rory tried on was deemed a keeper, though Emily did insist on seeing the other pairs, just to be sure.
Finally, they left the store, Rory wearing her new dress and shoes at her grandmother's request.
Emily eyed Rory's ensemble approvingly one last time before sliding into the car. “Now, we are ready for high tea.”
xxxxx
Lorelai was cursing herself for wearing her pretty, purple heels today. She'd been walking for what seemed like hours and her feet were killing her. She had seen endless rows of old, Victorian houses, but there was no sign of a store at all. After almost twenty minutes of hopeful wandering, she finally admitted to herself that she was lost.
She sighed and scanned the street, dismayed to find it deserted. She couldn't even ask for directions. Panicking slightly, Lorelai walked to the next corner and looked for any sign of help. A car drove past, but the sidewalk was empty. She was about to give in to her rising hysteria, when she noticed a sign for a coffee shop about a block away.
Coffee. That's what I need. She thought happily. And there should be people there, I can get help. With a new-found spring in her step, Lorelai strolled toward the coffee shop with visions of coffee beans dancing in her head.
xxxxx
Rory's eyes widened as they approached the Empress, which overlooked the harbour. Green ivy was growing up the sides of the stone walls creating a beautiful effect. She was beginning to understand why this hotel was such an icon. The pictures didn't do it justice.
They entered the dining hall, a large room with ornate wood panelling on the walls and the ceiling. Other customers were scattered around the room, seated at tables set with floral china place settings. Along the back of the room, several people walked past along what appeared to be a bit of a passageway from one side of the hotel through to the reception desk.
A friendly looking waitress came over to greet them. She led them to a table near the window and handed them each a small menu as she explained how high tea worked.
Emily thanked her, and the woman skittered away, leaving Rory alone with her grandmother.
“Wow, the view really is phenomenal,” Rory gushed. She could see the harbour quite clearly, and the lush green lawn of the legislature building was hard to miss. She could even see their hotel, 'Hotel Grand Pacific', towering in the distance.
“Yes. The view is pretty impressive,” Emily agreed, wincing as the bagpiper that Lorelai had seen two days before, picked up his instrument and began to play. “I could do without the music, though.”
“I think it's kind of nice.”
Emily wrinkled her nose. “Sure, if you enjoy listening to dying cats.”
“It's not that bad, Grandma.”
“No matter. I'm determined to enjoy myself, despite the screeching.” She cast one last glance toward the unfortunate musician before turning her attention back to Rory and smiling. “It's not every day that I get to have you all to myself.”
“You make it sound like we never see each other. I see you every Friday.”
“I know, but you're always in such a rush these days, with Yale and all.”
“Well, I'm not in a rush now.” Rory leaned back in her chair, trying to emphasize her point, but leaned a bit too far and lost her balance. Her cheeks were spotted with pink as she picked herself up as demurely as possible.
Emily frowned disapprovingly. “Rory, a lady does not lean back in her chair.”
“I know. I'm sorry, Grandma, it was an accident.” Rory's cheeks flamed with even more humiliation.
“Apology accepted. Luckily no one really saw it happen.” Emily moved in conspiratorially. “We can keep it our little secret.” She winked, which looked so odd that Rory almost burst out laughing.
A small giggle escaped as she said, “Thanks, Grandma.”
Just then, the waitress came to their table with a large, circular tray. She set a big china teapot on the table and placed the matching pitcher of cream and a sugar bowl beside it. Then she put a large, three-tiered silver tray in the centre. The tray was laden with little sandwiches and dozens of delicious looking goodies ranging from tarts, to cookies, to cake.
Rory practically bounced with glee as she eyed the delicious treasures in front of her. Suddenly, she loved high tea.
xxxxx
Lorelai pulled the door of the coffee shop open with a flourish and bounced to the counter. All thoughts of being lost had fled in her single-minded desire for caffeine.
The young woman behind the counter had long, brown hair that was braided into corn rows and each braid was decorated with colourful beads that clattered anytime she moved her head. “Good morning,” the girl said brightly. “How can I help you today?”
“Coffee. Copious amounts of coffee.” Lorelai all but collapsed on the counter.
“Coffee I can do. Any particular kind?”
“The strongest you've got.”
“You got it.” The girl grinned, grabbed a tall mug from behind the counter, and filled it with steaming hot liquid.
Lorelai breathed deeply, relishing the sweet scent as the girl placed the mug in front of her. “Oh, thank you.” She took a sip and moaned, “You have no idea how much I needed that today.”
The girl punched some buttons on her till. “Rough morning?”
Lorelai nodded and took another sip of coffee before responding, “Getting lost while wearing heels from the devil is not something I'd recommend to anyone.”
“Oh, no, definitely not,” she agreed, before quoting the price for the coffee.
Lorelai pulled out her wallet and stared at the colourful assortment of bills. She still had a hard time believing that these pretty pieces of paper were actually money. “Will a blue one cover it?”
The girl laughed. “You mean a five? Yes, it will.” She took the bill that Lorelai held out to her. “Not from around here?”
“No. Thus the getting lost. Speaking of which, you wouldn't happen to have a map, would you?”
“I'm afraid not.” She shook her head regretfully.
“I have one.” Lorelai turned around, startled by the unfamiliar voice. For the first time she noticed a man sitting at a nearby table with a laptop and a stack of papers in front of him. Something about the scene reminded her of Rory, and she smiled for a moment before remembering that they were currently in a fight.
She shoved the unpleasant thoughts aside and approached him. “You do?”
“Yes.” He pulled it out of the bag next to him. “Where is it that you're trying to go?”
“Shopping.”
He chuckled. “Not going to find much of that in this area. There's lots of shopping on the other end of Government, though.”
“I knew I'd turned the wrong way.” She sighed, mourning the lost shopping time.
“Easy to fix.” He opened the map and pointed out where they were and the best route for her to take to get to her desired destination.
“Thank you so much, mysterious man with no name,” Lorelai exclaimed gratefully.
“You are most welcome, lady with the devil's shoes. I'm just glad I could help.”
“Me too. Thanks again.” Lorelai took a final sip of her coffee and turned back to the counter. “And thanks for the coffee.”
“My pleasure.” The girl waved as Lorelai exited the coffee shop, confident that she'd finally be able to get herself un-lost.
Next Chapter
Author: lorelaisquared
Rating: General
Characters: Rory, Lorelai, Emily
Word Count: 2338
Summary: The three generations of Gilmore Girls embark on a journey to Canada's West Coast. Roughly set during Girls in Bikini's, Boys Doing the Twist. Written for TrueLovePooh and Boston4 for the Support Stacie Author Auction.
Author's Note: First, I need to thank my owners TrueLovePooh, and Boston 4 for being so patient with me and my incredibly slow updates. I hope the wait has been worth it.
I'd like to thank my friends J and A for their help in brainstorming portions of this chapter. Their ideas made this even better.
I also must not forget to thank Jewels12 my beta to whom I am eternally indebted to. Thank you for not running away screaming when THREE chapters showed up in your inbox. I owe you a handsome juggler. :)
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3,
Chapter 4: Tea and Lace
Breakfast on Thursday morning was a tense and awkward affair. No one spoke. Emily was still furious with Lorelai, and Rory refused to even look at her mother. Lorelai sighed, having no clue how to fix the situation. She hadn't intended to upset either one of them, and yet, here they were, her mother and her daughter, both furious with her for being truthful.
Unable to bear the deafening silence any longer, Lorelai excused herself, declaring that she was going to go shopping for souvenirs. Once she was finally out in the open air, she felt as though a hundred pounds had been lifted from her shoulders. She sighed with relief and set out to explore on her own.
She patted Clyde on her way past and took her time walking toward Government Street where all the good shopping was supposed to be. She turned right at the corner, passing the large, domed parliament building. On her left, across the street, stood the Royal British Columbia Museum. It was tall and had a large poster hanging from the side wall advertising an exhibit called: 'Eternal Egypt: Masterworks of Ancient Art'. She continued to walk, frowning slightly as reached the next block, which was dotted with beautiful character homes, but none of the stores she'd been expecting. She checked the street sign and it said 'Government Street', so she shrugged and continued to walk, hoping the stores would turn up ahead.
xxxxx
“So Rory, what do you say you and I have a little adventure of our own today?” Emily asked, once Lorelai left the room.
Rory took a sip of her coffee before responding. “Sure, Grandma. That sounds nice.”
“Oh, wonderful.” Emily clasped her hands and grinned. “I was thinking we could get dressed up and go have High Tea at the 'Empress Hotel'”
Rory fought the urge to grimace. She'd hoped her grandmother had something more interesting in mind than drinking tea. “Oh... uh... sure... I guess.”
Emily didn't seem to notice the hesitancy in Rory's voice. “Excellent. I'll call to make a reservation for this afternoon, and then you and I can go shopping for an appropriate outfit. The Empress is rather fancy.”
While Emily made the call, Rory finished her breakfast and returned to her room to change. Emily found her there, twenty minutes later, researching 'The Empress Hotel' on her computer. She'd learned some interesting facts about it and now she was more eager to visit.
“It has an amazing history,” Rory told Emily as they headed to the car. “It's one of the oldest hotels in Victoria.”
Emily nodded. “Yes, that's right. It's a very famous place.”
“Did you know that it's built on water?” Rory asked, buckling her seat belt.
Emily shook her head. “Don't be ridiculous. It's on land.” She pointed to the Empress as they drove past it. “See? Not a speck of water.”
“Well, no, not anymore,” Rory admitted. “But originally it was part of the harbour. The road was too. They filled it in with sand and dirt to build the streets and buildings in this area.
“Really? Is that safe?”
“Safe enough. Apparently it's sinking slowly. And there's a rumour that it will sink completely if there's ever a big earthquake, but so far it's been fine.”
“Fascinating. You do learn the most interesting things on that computer of yours,” Emily remarked fondly.
“The internet is a wealth of information, Grandma.”
“Well, it's beyond me.” Emily pulled into the parking lot of a small boutique. “Here we are.”
For the next hour, Rory was subjected to numerous dress changes, while Emily and two of the shop girls, a blond and a brunette, ooohed, ahhed, and vetoed. At first, Rory didn't mind much. She wasn't in love with any of the dresses, but they weren't awful and she knew that her cooperation was making her grandmother happy. By the fifteenth dress, however, she was getting irritable. Many of the dresses had lace collars and her neck was getting itchy. She was hungry and she had reached the point where she just wanted to pick the nearest dress, no matter how hideous, so she could get out of there.
She wondered if this is what her mother had felt like when she was growing up. She was sure Grandma would have made her try things on, and she was even more certain that her mother would have hated every minute. Rory pulled on the next dress and looked in the mirror. It was yellow, with delicate lacy trim and she thought it made her look like a cupcake. Rory grimaced and reluctantly stepped out of the dressing room.
Once again, the shop girls gushed, telling her she looked gorgeous, and Rory felt like rolling her eyes. Luckily, Emily didn't seem to like this one, and Rory was actually relieved when she was handed the next dress - a bright blue one with black trim.
When she stepped out of the dressing room wearing it a moment later, she was greeted with an excited clap from her grandmother. “Oh, Rory, this is it. You look lovely.” Emily beamed proudly. She asked Rory to spin around a few times before she was one hundred percent satisfied. Then she turned to the blond and declared, “We'll need shoes too. Size nine and nothing too high.”
“Yes, ma'am.” She rushed off and returned several minutes later, laden with about six boxes of shoes. Thankfully, the second pair Rory tried on was deemed a keeper, though Emily did insist on seeing the other pairs, just to be sure.
Finally, they left the store, Rory wearing her new dress and shoes at her grandmother's request.
Emily eyed Rory's ensemble approvingly one last time before sliding into the car. “Now, we are ready for high tea.”
xxxxx
Lorelai was cursing herself for wearing her pretty, purple heels today. She'd been walking for what seemed like hours and her feet were killing her. She had seen endless rows of old, Victorian houses, but there was no sign of a store at all. After almost twenty minutes of hopeful wandering, she finally admitted to herself that she was lost.
She sighed and scanned the street, dismayed to find it deserted. She couldn't even ask for directions. Panicking slightly, Lorelai walked to the next corner and looked for any sign of help. A car drove past, but the sidewalk was empty. She was about to give in to her rising hysteria, when she noticed a sign for a coffee shop about a block away.
Coffee. That's what I need. She thought happily. And there should be people there, I can get help. With a new-found spring in her step, Lorelai strolled toward the coffee shop with visions of coffee beans dancing in her head.
xxxxx
Rory's eyes widened as they approached the Empress, which overlooked the harbour. Green ivy was growing up the sides of the stone walls creating a beautiful effect. She was beginning to understand why this hotel was such an icon. The pictures didn't do it justice.
They entered the dining hall, a large room with ornate wood panelling on the walls and the ceiling. Other customers were scattered around the room, seated at tables set with floral china place settings. Along the back of the room, several people walked past along what appeared to be a bit of a passageway from one side of the hotel through to the reception desk.
A friendly looking waitress came over to greet them. She led them to a table near the window and handed them each a small menu as she explained how high tea worked.
Emily thanked her, and the woman skittered away, leaving Rory alone with her grandmother.
“Wow, the view really is phenomenal,” Rory gushed. She could see the harbour quite clearly, and the lush green lawn of the legislature building was hard to miss. She could even see their hotel, 'Hotel Grand Pacific', towering in the distance.
“Yes. The view is pretty impressive,” Emily agreed, wincing as the bagpiper that Lorelai had seen two days before, picked up his instrument and began to play. “I could do without the music, though.”
“I think it's kind of nice.”
Emily wrinkled her nose. “Sure, if you enjoy listening to dying cats.”
“It's not that bad, Grandma.”
“No matter. I'm determined to enjoy myself, despite the screeching.” She cast one last glance toward the unfortunate musician before turning her attention back to Rory and smiling. “It's not every day that I get to have you all to myself.”
“You make it sound like we never see each other. I see you every Friday.”
“I know, but you're always in such a rush these days, with Yale and all.”
“Well, I'm not in a rush now.” Rory leaned back in her chair, trying to emphasize her point, but leaned a bit too far and lost her balance. Her cheeks were spotted with pink as she picked herself up as demurely as possible.
Emily frowned disapprovingly. “Rory, a lady does not lean back in her chair.”
“I know. I'm sorry, Grandma, it was an accident.” Rory's cheeks flamed with even more humiliation.
“Apology accepted. Luckily no one really saw it happen.” Emily moved in conspiratorially. “We can keep it our little secret.” She winked, which looked so odd that Rory almost burst out laughing.
A small giggle escaped as she said, “Thanks, Grandma.”
Just then, the waitress came to their table with a large, circular tray. She set a big china teapot on the table and placed the matching pitcher of cream and a sugar bowl beside it. Then she put a large, three-tiered silver tray in the centre. The tray was laden with little sandwiches and dozens of delicious looking goodies ranging from tarts, to cookies, to cake.
Rory practically bounced with glee as she eyed the delicious treasures in front of her. Suddenly, she loved high tea.
xxxxx
Lorelai pulled the door of the coffee shop open with a flourish and bounced to the counter. All thoughts of being lost had fled in her single-minded desire for caffeine.
The young woman behind the counter had long, brown hair that was braided into corn rows and each braid was decorated with colourful beads that clattered anytime she moved her head. “Good morning,” the girl said brightly. “How can I help you today?”
“Coffee. Copious amounts of coffee.” Lorelai all but collapsed on the counter.
“Coffee I can do. Any particular kind?”
“The strongest you've got.”
“You got it.” The girl grinned, grabbed a tall mug from behind the counter, and filled it with steaming hot liquid.
Lorelai breathed deeply, relishing the sweet scent as the girl placed the mug in front of her. “Oh, thank you.” She took a sip and moaned, “You have no idea how much I needed that today.”
The girl punched some buttons on her till. “Rough morning?”
Lorelai nodded and took another sip of coffee before responding, “Getting lost while wearing heels from the devil is not something I'd recommend to anyone.”
“Oh, no, definitely not,” she agreed, before quoting the price for the coffee.
Lorelai pulled out her wallet and stared at the colourful assortment of bills. She still had a hard time believing that these pretty pieces of paper were actually money. “Will a blue one cover it?”
The girl laughed. “You mean a five? Yes, it will.” She took the bill that Lorelai held out to her. “Not from around here?”
“No. Thus the getting lost. Speaking of which, you wouldn't happen to have a map, would you?”
“I'm afraid not.” She shook her head regretfully.
“I have one.” Lorelai turned around, startled by the unfamiliar voice. For the first time she noticed a man sitting at a nearby table with a laptop and a stack of papers in front of him. Something about the scene reminded her of Rory, and she smiled for a moment before remembering that they were currently in a fight.
She shoved the unpleasant thoughts aside and approached him. “You do?”
“Yes.” He pulled it out of the bag next to him. “Where is it that you're trying to go?”
“Shopping.”
He chuckled. “Not going to find much of that in this area. There's lots of shopping on the other end of Government, though.”
“I knew I'd turned the wrong way.” She sighed, mourning the lost shopping time.
“Easy to fix.” He opened the map and pointed out where they were and the best route for her to take to get to her desired destination.
“Thank you so much, mysterious man with no name,” Lorelai exclaimed gratefully.
“You are most welcome, lady with the devil's shoes. I'm just glad I could help.”
“Me too. Thanks again.” Lorelai took a final sip of her coffee and turned back to the counter. “And thanks for the coffee.”
“My pleasure.” The girl waved as Lorelai exited the coffee shop, confident that she'd finally be able to get herself un-lost.
Next Chapter