Читать книгу Macgowan Meets His Match - Annette Broadrick - Страница 11

“I see that you’re Australian, Ms. Craddock. What brings you to Scotland looking for work?”

Jenna sat before a Ms. Violet Spradlin, who ran an employment agency in Edinburgh.

“Actually, I was born in the U.K. and haven’t been back in several years. I decided to move to Scotland because I find it breathtakingly beautiful. Since I have no family, I can choose to live wherever I wish, so I chose this region.”

“I see.” Violet shuffled through several papers before she looked up. “You have an excellent work record according to this recommendation. I’m impressed with your skills for one your age—twenty-five, right? You must have started working quite young.”

“Yes.”

Violet sighed and said, “Unfortunately, we don’t have very much to offer at the moment. It’s the nature of the business, you know. I may get several calls in the morning needing someone immediately. One never knows. I hope that you aren’t depending on finding a position right away.”

“I understand.”

Violet peered over her glasses. “How can I contact you if something turns up?”

“I’m staying at a small inn on the outskirts of the city. If you like, I can check in with you every day or so.”

Violet glanced at the file and muttered to herself, “Ah, now I see. You put your present lodging down as your address.” She looked at Jenna thoughtfully, tapping her pen against the desk. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in a position where room and board is offered, would you?” Before Jenna had a chance to respond, Violet continued. “No, probably not. The position isn’t here in Edinburgh and I can’t guarantee that you would find your working conditions all that pleasant.”

Intrigued by Ms. Spradlin’s manner, which seemed to be more discouraging than encouraging, Jenna said, “I wouldn’t mind relocating. And being offered lodging as well would make things considerably easier for me, at least, at first.”

Violet rose and went to a filing cabinet nearby. She thumbed through several files before saying, “Ah. I knew it was here somewhere.” She pulled out a thick manila file and returned to her desk. She looked at Jenna. “I’m not necessarily recommending this position to you, you understand.”

“Yes, I understand.” Jenna wondered what the position could be that it warranted such a warning from the woman.

Violet opened the file and began to read. “Sir Ian MacGowan needs a person with good secretarial skills to transcribe his dictation for his novel.”

“Oh. An author.”

“Well,” Violet said slowly, “I suppose you could call him that, although I don’t think he’s sold anything. He was in an automobile accident a few months ago. Normally he lives in London. However, he decided to return to his family home to rest and recuperate. I believe the process of writing is helping to keep him occupied.”

“Oh.” Jenna pictured a white-haired gentleman, possibly a little overweight, who wasn’t ready to retire quite yet. “You said you don’t necessarily recommend this position. I’d like to know why. It sounds like just the position for me. It probably isn’t a permanent one, but working for Sir Ian would give me time to get acquainted with the area.”

Violet sighed and removed her glasses. She massaged the bridge of her nose as she stared myopically at Jenna. Without saying anything, she carefully cleaned her glasses and replaced them. It was obvious to Jenna that the woman was trying to decide what to say. Was the man some kind of monster? she wondered.

Finally, Violet spoke. “Do you see these papers?” She waved her hand at the open file. “They represent the applicants I have sent Sir Ian during the past several weeks.”

“He didn’t hire any of them?” Jenna asked. What an odd man.

“After complaining incessantly about the lack of qualifications in the women he interviewed, he finally settled on one who stayed two weeks. The second left after three days.” She sighed and shook her head.

“Is he a sexual predator?”

Violet looked startled for a moment before she broke into laughter. “No, no, no. I didn’t mean to give you that impression. He’s just a very difficult man to work for.” She sorted through the papers, reading portions out loud. “‘He’s short-tempered and impossible to please,’ says one. The other says, ‘He set impossible time limits on the work I was doing. He’s really impossible.’”

“Ah,” said Jenna, nodding. “I know just the kind of boss he is.” She smiled. “My last employer was that way when I first started to work for him.”

Violet’s eyebrows rose. “Really. That surprises me. According to his letter of recommendation, he hated to lose you. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I would think this was a letter recommending you for sainthood,” she said archly.

“He was a very busy man, and until I was hired he hadn’t had much luck finding someone who could work with little direction. Once I got past his gruff exterior and convinced him I wasn’t a ‘lazy twit’—I believe his words were—we managed to work quite well together.”

Violet nodded, smiling slightly. “I see. Perhaps you will have more success with Sir Ian than the others.”

“When could we set up an interview?”

Violet’s brows rose. “Oh, he no longer interviews. He said it takes too much time out of his day. He told me to find someone who wouldn’t pester him to death with questions and comments and hire her.”

“Sight unseen?”

“If you think you might want the position, of course. Perhaps you might try it and see. If you don’t like it you will at least know you tried and perhaps by then something else will have turned up for you. So, what would you like to do?”

Jenna weighed her options. She didn’t want to spend any more of her reserves than necessary if she had an opportunity to work. “I would at least like to meet him. Perhaps we’ll both agree that I won’t suit it, but I dislike turning down the offer without meeting him.”

“Good. That’s good. If anyone can assist him, my money is on you, Jenna.” Violet reached for the phone and dialed a number from the file in front of her. She waited. Jenna could hear the quiet “brrring-brrring” of the phone at the other end. When it was answered, Violet said, “Good morning, Hazel. This is Violet Spradlin at the employment agency. How are you this morning?”

Jenna listened to the one-sided conversation with amusement. They sounded like old friends, which she supposed was possible considering the number of people Violet had sent there. She idly wondered if Hazel was Sir Ian’s wife.

“I’d like to speak to Sir Ian,” Violet said. “Yes, I know he’s busy. Yes. No, I’m not calling about his most recent help. Yes, I know. New employees can be quite trying at times. The reason I’m calling is to let him know that I have hired a secretary for him. I believe she will be just what he’s looking for. Yes, that’s right. Yes, I’ll hold.” She looked at Jenna and winked.

After a lengthy wait, Violet said, “Yes, good morn— Yes, I do— As a matter of fact, she’s right he—” She covered the phone and asked, “He wants to know when you can come. He seems to be a bit stressed at the moment.”

“I could come today if I can get directions how to get there.”

“Well, that might work. I did say the position is not here in Edinburgh, didn’t I? I would imagine you don’t have access to a car.”

“No. Will that be a problem?”

Violet spoke into the phone. “She doesn’t have transportation at the moment, Sir Ian. I could have her take the train to Stirling, if you— Oh. Yes. Well, that will work, I’m sure.” She glanced at Jenna. “She’s petite, with reddish blond hair. She’s wearing a dark green suit. I don’t think she’ll be hard to— Yes. I’ll tell her.”

Violet hung up the phone. “Well. That was certainly a short discussion. He wants you to take the train to Stirling. He’ll have his housekeeper, Hazel Pennington, meet you at the station. Once you’ve arrived he’ll discuss salary and days off with you.”

“All right,” Jenna said. Her question about Hazel had been answered. She stood. “I appreciate your willingness to hire me for the position.”

“Don’t thank me yet, dear. Wait until you’ve worked a few weeks with him. Then I’ll know you’re sincere. Sir Ian is abrupt, but according to Hazel, who’s worked for his family for years, he’s fair.”

“Have you met him?”

“Not in person, no. But I certainly recognize his voice when I hear it. It’s very distinctive.” Violet touched her throat with her fingers and Jenna could have sworn the older woman actually blushed. Aha. The plot thickens. Maybe Ms. Spradlin has some designs on the old gentleman. Good for her.

Jenna said, “I need to gather my belongings and check out of my room.” She held out her hand and Violet took it. “Regardless of how this turns out, I’ll still be grateful that you have given me this opportunity.”

“Don’t feel that I’m sending you off like a lamb to be slaughtered. I’ll be checking with you from time to time. If another position should open up, I’ll let you know.”

While Jenna packed the few items she’d unpacked since she’d arrived yesterday afternoon, she thought about what she was doing. She’d accepted a position without meeting her employer first. Given the experience she’d gained working with Basil, she hoped that she could deal with another curmudgeon with little difficulty. She would have to write an amusing letter to Basil and let him know how his training had been put to good use.

Besides, she could visit Edinburgh on her days off and continue her search for Mr. Dumas. As soon as she’d checked in to her room, Jenna had gone through the telephone directory in hopes of finding a listing for him.

There was none.

She’d called the telephone company for any new listings or possibly unlisted numbers. If his number was unlisted, she would at least know he actually lived in Edinburgh or nearby. She’d had no luck there, either. However, she didn’t intend to stop looking for the mysterious—at least to her—stranger. She’d hoped to find work in the city, which would make her search easier, but she’d manage.

Once on the train to Stirling, Jenna thought about her new position. She’d never met an author, published or unpublished. She was curious about what sort of stories he wrote. Perhaps he’d fought in one of the wars and was sharing his experiences. She might find his writing fascinating.

On the other hand, Sir Ian might be a terrible writer. Maybe that was why he was so brusque. Perhaps he was the sort of person who preferred to blame others for his own shortcomings.

What was really important, though, was that she was in Scotland and had a job.

When the train neared the station, Jenna gathered her rather cumbersome bags in preparation for getting off. She had gotten rid of most everything she owned before she came to the U.K. She’d had more than one twinge of regret to see the furniture and furnishings she’d carefully acquired go to strangers. However, the money she received from the sale helped her to feel more secure about her leap into the unknown.

One of the commuters helped with her third bag when she stepped off the train. She thanked him and turned to scan the area. Several people waited to board as others disembarked. Once the train pulled away, Jenna stood alone on the platform.

She had no idea how long a wait she would have for the housekeeper and wished she had a description of her.

Jenna pulled two of the bags behind her, the third hanging from a strap across her shoulder, and headed toward the depot.

“You must be Jenna Craddock,” a cheerful voice said. Jenna paused and looked around. A tall, raw-boned woman of indeterminate age came toward her from the parking lot. “I’m Hazel Pennington, Ian’s housekeeper. I apologize for not being here when you arrived. I got behind some slow traffic, which is frustrating enough without needing to be somewhere on time.” She took one of the bags and started back toward the stairs.

Jenna hurried to catch up. “How did you know which train to meet? I didn’t know which one, myself, until I arrived at the station.”

As they loaded the luggage into a utility vehicle, Hazel said, “Oh, Ian knew. He checked the train schedule and chose the one you’d most likely take. If you hadn’t been on this one, I would have waited until the next one.”

Jenna had many questions about Sir Ian and knew that Hazel would probably be able to answer them. However, she didn’t want to appear too anxious about working for him. She sat quietly and listened to the housekeeper as she pointed out various historical sights along the way.

“If you haven’t visited Stirling before, you might enjoy touring the William Wallace Monument.” Hazel nodded toward a tower in the distance. “The only way up is by stone circular stairs, so you’ll want to be in shape for the climb.”

When Jenna saw the castle high on an escarpment, she made a sound of awe.

“The castle is worth visiting, as well. There’s a military museum there in addition to the carefully restored rooms. There’s a cathedral nearby that has become a tourist favorite, as well.”

Jenna’s excitement grew as she considered the age of so many historic places in the U.K. compared to the relatively newly settled Australia.

She eagerly tried to see everything they passed on their way north. The scenery was breathtaking. She could hardly wait to begin exploring. She would continue to look for a listing for Mr. Dumas wherever she went. Surely, she would find him sometime.

Hazel turned into a driveway no more than half an hour’s drive from Stirling, catching Jenna off guard. From the way Ms. Spradlin talked, Jenna had expected to find an isolated home deep in the countryside.

They followed a narrow lane, and from the way it nestled into the earth, it no doubt had been in existence for centuries. Massive trees marched along on each side, their bare branches arching over like a canopy. Jenna could only imagine their beauty in the summer, covered with green foliage.

She noticed a large and, no doubt, ancient wall that followed beside the lane. If only those stones could talk, she thought. They must have witnessed a great deal of history.

The lane made a sharp turn at the end and Hazel drove through an arched opening. Jenna saw a paved parking area in front of an honest-to-goodness castle. This is where Sir Ian lived?

“This is absolutely wonderful,” Jenna said reverently, looking around her. “I can’t imagine what it must be like to have grown up in such a place. It would be like living in an enchanted castle.”

Hazel opened the back of the utility vehicle without glancing around. “It’s an ancient piece of rubbish, is what it is, but we’re all quite fond of it. It takes a fortune to maintain, of course. There’s always something to repair. If it isn’t the vintage wiring, we’re sure to find a leaky pipe somewhere.” She pulled Jenna’s luggage out and set it on the ground.

Jenna grabbed the handle of the heaviest one and leaned to place the one with the shoulder strap over her shoulder. Hazel stopped her. “I can get these two,” she said, matching her actions to her words. She carried the bags as though they were empty.

Jenna followed her to the entrance. Two beautifully carved doors were set in an arch similar to the one they had driven through. Jenna gazed at the massive example of skilled craftsmanship in awe. Once they entered, Hazel set the luggage into a recessed area near the door and said, “We’ll leave these here for now. Ian is eager to speak with you. Let’s not keep him waiting. Afterward I can show you where you’ll be staying.”

Jenna looked up and blinked. The lofty ceiling of the great hall soared at least thirty feet. Family crests and giant oil paintings of people from earlier times covered the wide expanse. Immediately beneath the ceiling, fan-shaped windows filled both ends of the four-walled entrance room.

Hazel paused in front of a closed door near the wide staircase that curved to the second floor. Jenna could almost see the graceful women who had lived here sweep down the stairs in their beautiful gowns.

The vision abruptly disappeared when Hazel opened the door and said, “Ms. Craddock is here.”

“Good,” a rumbling voice said. “Send her in.”