She blinked. “You mean the aviary?”
“Yes, I mean the aviary. When you’re at Elmhurst, you’re to be working for the museum. We are not paying you to do anything else. We certainly aren’t paying you to make new friends or pick up lost causes.”
Heat flared up her neck. Did the lost cause refer to the aviary or to her new friends? “Where is this coming from?”
“Dr. Hugh Geoffrey was here first thing this morning. He tells me you are spending an inordinate amount of time with the gardener and her daughter. Worse, he says you’re meddling in the family’s affairs by looking for an item that belongs to someone else.”
“I’ve been looking for field notebooks and keeping my eyes open for the aviary at the same time, as requested by Mr. Spalding.” She didn’t need to mention the treasure hunt she planned for tomorrow evening since that would be on her own time.
“Dr. Geoffrey is concerned that if you find it, you’ll keep it for yourself. I assured him that I know your character, and you would never do such a thing.”
“Of course I wouldn’t.” She exhaled. “Thank you for that trust.”
Mr. Chapman grunted. “I do not believe you would steal an object, Miss Reisner. But I take the theft of time just as seriously. You know how swamped we are here. You’ve been going to Elmhurst for three weeks now. You’re done.”
Elsa’s heart dropped. “Sir, with all due respect, I have worked on that project on my own time to try to speed up my progress. I certainly haven’t stolen time from the museum for personal pursuits. As far as I’ve come, I still have birds there. I need more time.”
“I need you here. We have a full slate of researchers scheduled for tomorrow, and you need to bring them whichever specimens they request.”
“Then let me have Friday at Elmhurst,” she said. If they wentThursday night, and slept over, she should be able to finish, as long as the relatives let her concentrate. Whatever she didn’t get to, she could tag over the weekend at home, cramped though that would be.
“As I said, I need you in your position here. If you must return to Elmhurst, do so on your own time. You will be here by nine o’clock Friday morning, and you will have the last of the Hudson Collection with you by then. I tell you, Miss Reisner, you’re done with Elmhurst, for good.”
CHAPTER
19
Shopping after work was Mother’s idea.
It wasn’t Elsa’s favorite activity, but it did push Mr. Chapman’s reprimands to the back of her mind as she focused more on her mother than she did on any sale.
“I’m so glad you’re here to help me, dear.” Mother stood beside her on the wooden escalator. “I don’t have a thing to wear to the next club luncheon, and I value your opinion.”
Elsa smiled, and a chuckle broke free. Mother had never needed Elsa’s input for her fashion choices before. And she must have remembered Elsa had previously suggested Macy’s department store. She would never have chosen it for herself. Moreover, Mother’s dressing room was already full of things she could wear to a luncheon.
So Elsa heard the sentiment for what it was:“I valueyou,”her mother had meant.“I value time withyou.”For that, Elsa dared to put her arm around Mother’s straight shoulders. “I value you, too.”
Mother’s perfect posture softened. “Thank you.” The earnest surprise in her tone touched something in Elsa’s heart. Had her mother doubted such a simple statement? She didn’t like to think so. Then again, when was the last time Elsa had truly tried to connect with Mother beyond manners and etiquette and what she assumed was expected of her?
It had been another long day. After her meeting with her boss, she’d skinned five more birds and processed more specimen exchanges with cooperating museums while entertaining an undercurrent of unease for the fate of Tatiana and Danielle. Her thoughts had run the gamut from the Petrovic mother and daughter to what Agnes had told her of Birdie, Sarah, and Linus. Elsa had been full to the brim lately with concern for mothers and daughters she couldn’t help.
What about her relationship with her own mother?
Reaching the next floor, they stepped off the escalator in the handbags department, rounded the bend, and boarded another escalator on their journey to women’s fashions.
“Are you sure you need a new outfit?” Elsa asked.
“Why? Do you need to go so soon?”
“Not at all. In fact, we can still shop if you’d like to. But there’s an English tearoom on the seventh floor. Fancy a cuppa?” She grinned. “We could just keep going up an extra flight, and then be refreshed for the retail adventure ahead.”
Mother smiled then, a real, imperfect smile. The skin near her eyes crinkled in a way she barely ever allowed. “Let’s.”
“Good.”
On the sixth floor, they switched escalators one more time. Soft rays of sunshine fell through the atrium ceiling, tinting the white floors and walls a honeyed gold. The oak railing of this engineering marvel reflected the shine and felt as smooth as silk beneath Elsa’s gloved hand.
And then they stopped. Elsa glanced around, waiting for the movement to restart.
