“I will rest after we pass.”
“Assuming you survive the next hour. You realize this level of obsession is unhealthy,” I mentioned.
“Coming from a man who color-codes his files?” A perfect eyebrow arched upward as she looked at me.
“You color-code your schedules so I don’t find that to be an insult,” I said evenly.
Her mouth twitched, the smallest spark of humor. “Kitty, I need you to take out the last of the trash to the dumpster. Meri? Where is Meri?”
“She is shoveling the walk and salting it,” William mildly supplied. “She refused to let me do it.”
“As she should. You’re getting on in years. I would hate to see you fall and break a hip,” Helen admonished.
“I was on a ladder just yesterday,” William murmured but no one else seemed to hear it.
“Jane needs your help with the kitchen Lydia. Braxton, if you could plug in all the emergency lights since you’re so tall,” Lucy half suggested, half ordered.
“I’ll take over breakfast,” Helen announced.
Lucy and Jane shared a pained look before Jane got to her feet. “I can finish making breakfast.”
“Come with me,” Lucy requested before she marched back into the hallway. I followed, finding the drill and fixing the railing. Lucy adjusted the placement of a nearby fire extinguisher. Braxton wandered past and down the hall to complete his assignment.
At precisely eight, tires crunched on the drive. From the foyer, Lydia shrieked, “He’s here!”
The family scrambled. Helen pulled off her dusty apron, hiding it under a couch cushion. Jane grabbed the paint roller and bucket, putting them behind the reception counter. Kitty darted out of the kitchen, lugging a trash bag down the corridor.
Mercer entered with the solemn air of a man arriving to deliver judgment. Clipboard, tape measure, expression carved from granite. “Good morning.”
“Coffee?” Helen offered immediately with a nervous smile.
“No, thank you. You requested a reinspection within seven days of a fail. That'sambitious." He looked around, pen poised as he took in the changes.
“Ambitious is our specialty. You will find all listed violations have been corrected,” Lucy said, stepping forward. Her voice was steady despite the dark circles under her eyes.
Mercer raised a brow but gestured for her to lead the way. The entourage followed with Helen wringing her hands, Kitty whispering commentary, and Lydia live-streaming until Lucy shot her a glare that could have melted her phone.
The tour began in the laundry room. Mercer inspected the new wiring, the replaced outlet, and the fire extinguisher tag. “Acceptable.”
Lucy exhaled. One down.
He moved through the kitchen next. Jane’s domain gleamed. The ovens were spotless, the vents freshly cleaned. Mercer checked the hood for the new suppression system, asked to see the receipt, nodded once, then scribbled something on his pad.
Helen whispered to me, “He is nodding. That's good, yes?”
“It’s promising,” I replied. Even though I had seen the tradespeople about their jobs, and witnessed the determination of the Bennets, plus having done a good deal of work myself, I found I was just as nervous about the inn passing inspection as Helen was.
Not that I would ever show it.
The reception room came next. The newly revealed wainscoting looked proud beneath a fresh coat of varnish. Mercer ran a finger along the molding, inspecting it for any sign of rot, mold, or termites. He found none.
“You have done proper restoration starting here. Well done,” Mercer finally said.
Helen clapped her hands in delight. “You hear that, William? He said, ‘well done!’”
Mercer cleared his throat. “Let’s continue.”
Exits were now properly labelled and backup batteries with emergency lights were functional. Solid railings graced the cellar steps. A servicing sticker now graced the old boiler, indicating it was safe to use.
