When the sonata had left her, she delicately held the instrument in hand and looked to the maid. She smiled, looking rather pleased with herself. "Ah, I learned to play when I was a bit younger. My father thought it was a good skill for a woman to have so she could charm a man into marriage. I suppose it worked, this violin was a gift from my mother in law."

She had yearned to use the instrument as a weapon, but it was expensive and when she played it, it reminded her of him and her younger days. Back when she was truly innocent. Funny how murder and cruel went hand in hand but not necessarily from the same source. She did so love to play, knowing that no one, not even her brilliant brother, knew the reason it gave her such inner joy.

"Perhaps, if you continue to do such a good job. I will teach you. But you must have a soft and elegant touch to make it sing."

Mother-in-law? Yet... Miss Koç had made no mention of a husband being around. Only a brother.

Best not to ask about that, then. She didn't want to make the mistress think of any unpleasantness that might've went with that.

"Your father was smart to do that," said Briar, wiping away the last of the blood. "You're very talented."

At the mention of possibly teaching her, the maid raised her brows in clear surprise. She turned the water off and all remaining evidence of bloodshed swirled down the drain.

"Oh," she held the rag between her hands. "I don't think I would be any good at it... but I would be happy to try, when you wish."

Her hands were small, but they were calloused, and strong. She'd never even touched an instrument.

Briar lifted from where she'd sat at the edge of the tub.

"Is the room cleaned to your satisfaction, miss?"

Nisa looked charmed at the compliment and gave the hint of a curtsy. "Thank you, I try." She watched her hold the dirty rag and smiled more, stepping into the now cleaned room.

"You're right. You won't be good. I wasn't either when I started. That is why we learn and practice. Nothing worth doing is easy."

She held up the bow to Briar's chin making her keep her head up straight even though her eyes demanded the other woman not turn away. Even as she had to look down at her.

"I would like to try to teach you. And you are a good cleaner. Welcome to the household. I must ask, you handled yourself well here.." she lowered the bow as she kept watching her. "But can you remain so calm if it weren't the aftermath but you managed to see what happened in the act? Very soon, I will open that door and you'll be free to go outside to do whatever you may need to do. If you are frightened, speak now. I would prefer it."

Briar resisted for only a moment, not having expected for the bow to lift her chin. It was moved easily once she realized the other woman's intention, and she looked down at her, even as she took some discomfort in doing so.

The bow was lowered soon enough, and with it her straightened posture relaxed.

"I'm not frightened, miss," she admitted. "Death is a part of life. I've seen plenty of it happen before me."

Of course she hadn't seen as many people actively killed in front of her, but the figure was higher than zero. She'd seen plenty of corpses, though, and she'd watched people die. Death, to her, was as normal as anything else.

Although she looked a little hesitant to do so, Briar allowed herself a small smile. She was happy to get the job, regardless of her serious demeanor.

"Thank you for giving me this chance, Miss Koç. I'll do my best to serve you well."

Nisa eyed her and then smiled as well. " You speak so casually. I think you will do wonderfully here. I will take care of you if you take care of me." She reaches out for the mop. "Let's put this away and you can get that rag washed with the laundry later. This room still needs repairs but you could never tell anything happened."

She turned to walk from the room. "Let's go and put your supplies up. And you can tell me more about yourself. I find myself very curious. And.." She glanced over her shoulder to Briar. "Welcome home."

She hoped that her speaking casually was a good thing. From the other woman's tone, she couldn't quite tell, but at least she'd smiled when she said it. That was a good sign.

Briar released the mop when Nisa reached for it, letting it be pulled from her grip. The rag was slipped into one of her many pockets, and she gave a nod, moving to follow after the mistress.

When Miss Koç glanced over her shoulder, the maid managed another smile. It was easier this time -- more genuine. The previous had been too, but there was a discomfort in the way that Briar smiled, as if she wasn't quite used to doing it.

"Thank you," she said again, a little softer. "What would you like to know?"

Nisa opened the linen closet and placed the mop and then pulled out a small basket and held out her hand for the dirty cloth to toss in to be washed.

She gave Briar a smile that seemed welcoming, "anything you want to tell me. I've told you of my family, and my honbies, even some of my interests. So I am willing to listen to anything you wish to tell."

Briar retrieved the cloth from her pocket and tossed it into the basket.

The way Miss Koç put it, it made sense. She'd just never worked for anyone that had wanted to know anything about her beyond her work-related skills. She'd already told the mistress that her family was dead.

It took her a few moments to consider before she finally said, "there isn't much to tell, miss. I'm twenty-six, I've lived here all my life."

Neither of those things were particularly interesting though.

"I like working," Briar confessed with a shrug. "Having a purpose. I've been on my own for most of my life, without much other direction."

Nisa listened and nodded. "Well, now you work for me. Your purpose is to help me keep my little secret." She looked at where the cloth had gone and held up a finger to her lips with a smile. "My brother knows, but doesn't like it. Quite a shame." She then walked to Briar and gestured her to follow.

She went to the parlor and carefully placed her violin in a chair so it remained carefully upright. "Then, since you have little in the past. Let us speak of the future." She took a spot on the love seat and waited for Briar to sit beside her. "Do you have dreams? Not the kind in your sleep. Things you'd like in your future."

Briar's smile seemed to widen, if only by a fraction. It was a purpose she could put herself fully into: keeping Miss Koç's secret. It was not her place to judge what made the mistress happy -- it was her job to make sure that she was able to keep doing it. To protect her, she supposed, even if that judgement came from the woman's own brother.

She followed to the parlor, hands clasped together in front of her. There was a short delay before she realized that the mistress wished for her to sit beside her.

"Dreams?" she repeated, taking her place beside Nisa on the loveseat. "I'd have to think about it..."

Did she have any dreams? Goals for the future? Not really. She'd never been able to think that far from the present moment. Briar settled back into the loveseat a bit as she thought it over.

"I would like to... be comfortable, one day. To work because I want to, and not because I have to. And... have a family," Briar answered, though she sounded a little unsure at the end. She hadn't ever connected much with her own, and she certainly didn't want another child -- but other people made families sound like a nice thing to have.