He shrugged.  "Pa has read one.  He's thinking of buying one for him and Ma."  He chuckled.  "I would like to see him driving her around the property and around town."  He glanced at the manager who had met his parents was laughing as well. 

He looked back to Karen.   "It's really getting to be popular in London.  I figure best to look into it, as if they do take over the work from the horses, we would be out of business.  Well, at least in carriages.  I figure there will still be people wanting to ride horses and compete with them."  He reasoned.

"If they are safe, then why not?" she chirped in. After all, he seemed to value her thoughts if he was asking about it anyway. She smiled and said, "It sounds like a good investment opportunity." Her brows shot up and she waited for her fiance to digest this little bit of a sentence suggesting she was good with moneys. But he already knew she was a good saver, at least. "I would say that for a time, there will be people who do not wish ta make the change ta a horseless carriage. I think ye're right ta worry that it could do some damage to yer business if ye don't make the leap in the long run, however."

Lorn listened to Karen and nodded.  She was making sense to him.  "It will take some time for the boys to learn about the automobile and how they work.  I want them to know how to fix them and drive them.  Wouldn't seem to make logic to buy things and not know how to fix the things.  So, this is a go.   And hiring two new grooms for here."  He looked to the manager.

"Is there anything else we might need to discuss before we close till the next meeting?"  Lorn paused then glanced at Karen.  "Oh, who does your wife go for her seamstress work?  Or would you know of some that the ladies in town seem to favor?"

The man gave a frown.  "I know of a couple that the missus wishes we could afford to get a frock made up from."  He wrote down the name and address of the one the wife wanted to hire and the one she currently hired most often and handed it to Lorn.

Lorn looked at it and nodded.  He got up.  "Thank you, Mr. Thomas.  We'll let you get back to work then."  He shook the man's hand again.  Mr. Thomas gave a quick smile and nodded to Karen as well.

Lorn handed the addresses to Karen.  "You figure out which you want to try first.  But let's go to the bank first."  He suggested.

She nodded to the man and then smiled as Lorn escorted her out of the office. "Aye, to the bank." She was starting to look like she was feeling more confident. When he handed her the two addresses, she looked over them both and shrugged. They could go to either one, for all she cared. "I haven't gotten a new dress since the bairns were still in me." She sighed, looking forward to this adventure they were going on.

Lorn aimed them toward the bank.  "Let's try this one that his wife wanted to get a dress made by.  If it is that hard to get her for someone, she must be good.  Perhaps with a bit of a bribe or two she would work with you."  He winked.  At the bank he was met by one of the clerks.

"Hello, Mr. Vaughn.  How are you today?  Ma'am."  He also nodded at Karen politely but thinking the woman was a servant with Lorn.

Lorn smiled back and nodded.  "I am fine dandy, sir.  This is Karen Calloway, my fiance."  He introduced Karen.  "I want to set up an account for her.  And any bills she has sent here are to be covered if not by her, then by my account." 

The man gave Karen a look of surprise, but quickly moved to indicate a desk nearby.  "Of course, Mr. Vaughn.  Congratuations to the both of you."  Lorn indicated the chair for Karen first.

Karen nodded in agreement with Lorn, "Alright... Ye should know, though, that I... have ne'er worn a fancy gown in me life." Not even at her first wedding. She chuckled softly.

Then they were at the bank and she caught the look of the clerk, but chose to say nothing about it, only blushing softly when she was mentioned as Lorn's fiance.

She pressed her lips together and sat down, smoothing calloused fingers over the fabric of her skirt. She really was nervous, it felt like.

The clerk gave Karen a form.  "Please fill out the information needed there, Miss Calloway."  He then moved over to give a form to Lorn.  "And I will need to know how much to move over."

Lorn filled in his information as he spoke.  "I think to start lets put 10 pounds, there are quite a few things she will need for the wedding.  Then each month 5 pounds moved over, from then on."  He stated continuing to fill in his form.  The clerk's eyes went wide again at the amounts.  He gave her a look again but started his part of the business at hand.

"Once you have married, you will need to come and do a change name, ma'am."  The clerk stated calmly.  "And when will the wedding be?  If you don't mind my asking."  He glanced between the two of them.

"We haven't set a date yet, but... whenever Mr. Vaughn is ready, I am." She smiled as she took the form and began to scrawl out the information on the form. Lorn might see that she had beautiful penmanship. She was well educated. When she finished the form in no time at all, she handed it back to the clerk. "Aye, I will change me name when the time comes." She nodded and gave a winning smile despite her nerves.

Lorn glanced over just in case she had needed help with something but noticed that she was quite fine without his assistance.  He handed his form over as well.

"Very well, Mr. Vaughn, I'll have this taken care of right away.  Is there anything else that I can do for you while you are here?" 

Lorn nodded.  "Yes, please give me about two pounds in coinage so we can do some shopping today."  He smiled at Karen with a wink. 

The clerk nodded and went off to take care of the tasks.

She waited until the clerk was gone and then her smile turned into a frown. "I think we cowed the clerk with our wedding announcement." She chuckled after that though. Her eyes met his and she reached over to touch his hand. "I am so glad it's ye I am marrying, though." And that made her smile spread again.