Which was how come he ended up sitting in Patience’s parlour on a chair stuffed with horsehair and covered in some shiny fabric, hoping he wasn't going to slide off and end up on the floor, minus his dignity.
He’d taken in his surroundings at a glance, then looked again in surprise, rapidly revising his view of her. Every single surface was covered in ornaments, and the woman seemed to have a penchant for china dogs. He could feel at least twenty pairs of hard glazed eyes were staring at him pityingly.
-- Playing Parts - Part XI by Jane0904