With the hours stretching endlessly and passing slowly, Charlotte welcomed the return of Edward’s uncle.
“Here I am, miss, ready to do an honest job for honest pay.”
He slid a piece of paper across the counter toward her. Poor penmanship made the words hard to make out, and she realized they were mostly misspelled once she recognized them as street names. Below these were what she assumed were people’s surnames, all jumbled together.
“All them’s work I’ve done and done well. Now, about the price.” And he went on to discuss the cost of lumber and nails, balusters and a handrail, posts and newels, risers and —
“Perhaps if you could write all that down,” she asked.
His face soured. “I already wrote all of that,” he protested, pointing to the single sheet. “I haven’t got time to compose a novel for you.”
Fair enough. “What’s the final cost, Mr. Tufts?”
“Not too dear, not too cheap, you’ll find it perfectly reasonable.”
“What is it?” she asked again.
He named his price, and she did think it fair since she had no idea what the price of a set of stairs should be, but his cost wouldn’t empty their account.
“How long will it take? I’ll have to close the shop, and I want to do that for as brief a time as possible.”
“Yes, miss, of course. I’ll need the money up front to buy the supplies, and I can start as soon as I have them and finish as soon as I’m done.”
She stared hard at him.Was he giving her any real answers?
“An estimate of how long once you start, please, Mr. Tufts.”
“Shouldn’t take longer than three days.”
She nodded. That was quicker than she had hoped. “Do you work alone?”
He hesitated. “Yes. If I had another man with me, I’d have to charge you more.”
“Of course.” That made sense. “Give me a little time to think about this,” she told him. After all, she needed to follow up with some of the places he’d given her, and she needed to gather the funds. The only thing that gave her some assurance in this new endeavor was that the man was Edward’s uncle. Since she’d given his nephew a job, he would do right by her.
“Can’t wait too long,” he interjected quickly. “I’ve got other work to do. Getting busy, you know. So if you don’t hire me now, you may have to wait longer, and I don’t know when I will be able to fit you in. I was doing this quickly and so cheaply as a favor, being as how you hired Edward.”
“I appreciate that, Mr. Tufts.” But she wouldn’t be rushed. “I’ll let you know,” she added firmly.
“I’ll come back tomorrow for your answer,” he said, just as firmly, turned, and left, without even asking to say hello to his nephew.
Well!
“Edward, do you feel comfortable handling the front while I run out on some errands?”
He appeared through the blue curtain. “Yes, miss. It doesn’t seem as if I’ll be run off my feet.”
No, it certainly didn’t. Grabbing her jacket, hat, and gloves, Charlotte set off in a hackney to see some of the places Mr. Tufts had listed, and hopefully, speak to some of his previous employers. Also, as she was no ninny, she would drop into the offices of two of the builders she’d gleaned from the newspapers.
After all, she wasn’t trying to get a mansion built, just a simple staircase.How hard could it be?She and Edward could probably manage it themselves. That made her giggle as she directed the driver to the first address.
CHARLOTTE WAS A LITTLE early to arrive at her sister’s house on St. James’s Place. Amity had turned the massive antiquated home into a modern and welcoming one over the past year with bright, cheerful wallpaper and soothing paint, new rugs, and some soft furnishings.
“There’s my lovely girl,” Amity said, not getting up but dropping her knitting project onto her lap and holding out her hands.
Charlotte ran over, grasped her sister’s hands, and took the space beside her on the pretty rose-colored sofa.
“You look wonderful,” she told Amity, whose cheeks had filled out along with the rest of her. “The picture of health.”
