Aggie let out a quiet cackle and gave him a nod. "My niece is waiting in her room. Go on outside and wait by the bottom of the stairs; I'll send her down to you."

Once Barrel had stepped back out of the shop, the old witch locked the shop door (not that she suspected anything from him at the moment, but, [i]just in case[/i]...)  and flew up through the hole to inform Agatha about her date's arrival. She also imparted that "the poor boy" was quite nervous and apologetic about being late, so best not bring that up again and spoil the good moments later. Then she quickly went back and re-opened the shop. It wouldn't do to risk missing out on any customers coming by, of course.

Agatha squealed giddily and rushed for the door leading to the stairs. Upon stepping out and seeing Barrel waiting at the bottom, she held back a shiver of excitement and began to descend, the strategy of her movement running through her mind. Back straight, head high, hand on the railing -- no, the other hand; that side doesn't have a rail -- bend the knee backward, don't lean forward, touch down on the next step with the toes, not the heels...

Her toes came out a little farther than intended. Agatha squawked with surprise as her foot slipped off the edge of the step. She had to jog down the rest of the stairs to prevent the downward momentum from causing her to fall. When she reached the bottom, she quickly straightened her now-lopsided hat and patted down her hair, her cheeks darkening as she tried to regain some level of poise.