Anne Douglas (16 page)

‘I thought you were going to call me Fraser,’ he said, laughing and waving to the waitress for their bill. ‘And I’m admitting nothing.’

‘I didn’t say I’d call you Fraser, and I didn’t say I’d be manageress.’

‘But you will. Come on, let’s go.’

‘Thank you very much for giving me lunch,’ she murmured when they were walking to the car. ‘It was very kind of you,’ she stopped, then added hastily, ‘Fraser.’

‘My pleasure.’

As he assisted her into the car, she knew without looking that his smile would have that hint of triumph she had noted before. But then he must be used to his little triumphs. Hadn’t she said that he was big enough to make sure he got his own way? But maybe, if she took the job, she might get her way too and persuade him to give Cassie a job?

As they drove swiftly back to Edinburgh, she cleared her throat and spoke. ‘Did you say we’d be needing more staff?’

‘I did say that, yes. Especially if I convert the old office into a plant room.’

‘Well, I wonder if you’d mind considering somebody I know would do very well. She was my friend at the orphanage but then she ended up in service because that’s what they wanted all the girls to do. I was the only one who wanted something else.’

‘I bet you were!’ Fraser gave her a quick glance. ‘But if this lassie’s in service and has had no experience, how do you know she’ll do well as a florist?’

‘Because she’s very good with her hands. I’m sure she could learn the techniques very quickly, but she’d be very good with the public as well. She has a lovely personality.’

‘And a good friend in you. Oh, well, I suppose I could give her an interview and see how she did. Leave her address with me and I’ll suggest a time to see her.’

‘She could only come on a Wednesday afternoon. That’s her afternoon off.’

‘Only come on Wednesday afternoon?’ Fraser stared at the road ahead for moment then gave a great burst of laughter. ‘Honestly, Shona, you thought you weren’t suitable to be manageress – seems you’re managing me already! I’d better take care, or you’ll be running the whole place, eh?’

After a little hesitation, she laughed with him and continued her drive with him feeling more at ease than she’d thought possible.

After all the misgivings, as the weeks went by and the roof didn’t fall in over Maybel’s because Fraser Kyle had taken it over, gradually the girls had to admit that things were going well. Perhaps it was easiest for Shona to do that, for she worked more closely with Fraser and had gained confidence in him more quickly, but as time moved on the same confidence came to Isla and even to Brigid – though she had been for a time understandably hostile to all that was new. Particularly Shona’s promotion.

‘I knew you’d feel bad, Brigid,’ Shona had groaned, ‘but you don’t feel half as bad as me.’

‘Still took the job though, eh? But what did I expect? You’re the blue-eyed girl with his Nibs, all right, even if your eyes do happen to be hazel. I’ve a good mind to put in my notice.’

‘Oh, don’t do that, Brigid! We couldn’t do without you.’

‘Wait till Mrs May hears about this, and Willa and all. They’ll be astounded.’

‘Well, we can find out when we see them, can’t we?’ Shona said with an unhappy sigh. She was still feeling guilty, but what could she do? Maybe she should see Mr Kyle and tell him she’d changed her mind?

‘Och, let’s forget it,’ Brigid said suddenly, and turned aside. ‘It’s not worth falling out over, is it? I’d probably have done the same as you if I’d been in your shoes. And I don’t really want to leave.’

‘And I don’t want you to!’ Shona had insisted. ‘I just want things to be the same as always between us.’

But as Brigid had once remarked, things were always changing, nothing stayed the same, and changes were coming so thick and fast to Maybel’s it was hard to keep up with them.

First, there were the promised alterations to the upstairs flat, when Mrs May’s rooms were turned into offices and a Mr Stuart MacNay – tall, thin and thirty years old – was appointed to look after the accounts. Quite an expense, that, which Mrs May had not taken on as she had always done her own accounts and her own typing, too – but then she was keen to save money and had had some training before she married. Though Mr Kyle might have done his own accounts, he certainly would never be seen doing his own typing, the girls said with a laugh and, sure enough, he soon arranged for Miss Elrick, his middle-aged typist from Peebles, to come over twice a week to do his secretarial work. Bit of a battleaxe, the girls thought her, but at least she was only part time.

‘Next there’ll be another assistant coming, I suppose,’ said Isla. ‘We’ll need somebody when the new plant room’s opened.

And that was the next new thing: Mrs May’s old office undergoing transformation into a place specially organized for house and small bedding plants, which led Shona to ask Fraser when she could arrange for Cassie to come in for an interview.

‘We’re going to need another pair of hands pretty soon,’ she told him. ‘You did say you’d see Cassie on a Wednesday afternoon.’

‘I know, I know, but I’ve been snowed under.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘Fix it up, then. Next Wednesday afternoon all right?’

‘Fine. I’ll send her a postcard this very day.’

‘Can’t wait to see this wonderful friend of yours, Shona. Is she anything like you?’

‘Nothing like me, but a very good worker and very skilful. I think you’ll be pleased with her.’

‘Maybe,’ was all he would say.

In the event, he was quite pleasantly surprised, for Cassie, desperately nervous as she was, acquitted herself well in the interview, coming over as a personable and helpful young woman who would be good with the public and quick to learn. If she might lack Shona’s innate flair and natural affinity with plants, she could still develop into a useful member of staff, Fraser decided, and at the end of the interview he told her he was willing to offer her a job with a six-month trial.

‘Now scoot off and tell your friend, Shona,’ he said with a smile, as Cassie rose, speechless, from her chair. ‘She’ll give you all the details you need to know and I hope you’ll be able to start work as soon as you’ve completed your notice.’

‘Oh, thank you, Mr Kyle, I’m so grateful.’

‘Off you go.’ He held open the door of his new office and away she went, down the staircase, looking for Shona to share her relief and happiness.

‘Oh, Shona, I can’t believe it! I mean, me getting the job! Working with you at Maybel’s!’

The two of them were hugging in the workroom, almost in tears at the thought of Cassie’s being able to leave her tyrant employers, though Shona, who’d come in on her afternoon off, said they really must calm down – she had all sorts of official things to tell Cassie. And then they must work out where she was going to live.

‘Oh, my, I’d never even got that far,’ Cassie cried. ‘Didn’t dare to think of it in case I didn’t get the job. But now I have – Shona, where will I go?’

Though Cassie was suddenly looking anxious, Shona said she must come through to meet Brigid and Isla in the front shop, then have a cup of tea.

‘And don’t worry about finding somewhere to live; I have an idea about it. If it works out, I’ll let you know as soon as I can.’

‘Shona, you’re my guardian angel.’ Cassie sighed. ‘But I’d like to meet the other girls. I just hope they’ll approve of me.’

‘Of course they will. Why shouldn’t they?’

‘Well, I’ve no’ got the right experience. I’ve only been in service.’

‘That was in the past. Your future’s with us now and you’ll be fine. Come on, let’s go to the shop.’

‘She’s nice,’ was Brigid’s verdict when Cassie had departed for her tram, all starry-eyed again about her good luck. ‘I think she’ll fit in and be quick to learn.’

‘Quicker than me,’ sighed Isla. ‘But, yes, she’s nice. I like her. Can you really find her somewhere to live, Shona?’

‘I think so. I’m going round this evening to see my old friend, Mrs Hope, in the Dean Village. She’s got no room to take Cassie in, but I think she’ll know somebody who has.’

So it proved, with Addie being only too pleased to give her advice on helping out a sweet girl like Cassie, and approving of Shona’s idea to ask Kitty to let her a room. Of course Kitty’d be glad to help Cassie out, too, and have the chance of earning a bit of extra money! After all, she did have two bedrooms, eh? And only needed one, seeing as there was no baby on the way yet.

‘Let you and me go round and see her now,’ Addie urged Shona. ‘Then you can tell Cassie and set her mind at rest.’

‘I thought of Kitty straight away, but I didn’t like to ask her without seeing you first, in case you felt she’d rather no’ have a stranger in the house when she’s a newly-wed.’

‘A bit of cash will sweeten that along, and I’m sure Cassie will be no trouble. What a nice thing it is, her getting a job with you, then, eh? After all her troubles in service!’

As Mrs Hope had said, Kitty was quite willing to let her spare room to Cassie, saying she remembered meeting her very well when she’d come over for tea sometimes with Shona from the orphanage. As for what Johnny, the young husband thought, that wasn’t clear, for he was so much under Kitty’s spell that anything she said seemed to be all right with him, which made Shona and Mrs Hope exchange glances and smile.

‘I’ll tell Cassie then,’ said Shona, ‘and she’ll come round when she can to see the room and make arrangements. Thanks so much, Kitty – and Johnny, too. Cassie will be so happy. I’m sure she’ll be a very good lodger and no’ be too much in the way.’

‘Nae bother,’ Kitty told her. ‘We’re just glad she’s getting out o’ that service job. What a life, eh? No’ for me!’

The following morning, having sent off a letter to Cassie, Shona was in the workroom, preparing flame-coloured gladioli for an order, when Fraser put his head round the door.

‘Morning, Shona. I just popped in to ask – are you pleased with me?’

‘Pleased?’

‘For giving your friend a job, of course. That was what you wanted, wasn’t it?’

‘Oh, yes, and it was good of you to give her an interview, but I know very well you didn’t give her the job because of me.’

‘And how do you work that out?’

He came to the table where she was working and, perching his large bulk on a stool, fixed her with his light green stare.

‘Well, because you’re a businessman. You wouldn’t take on a person who wasn’t going to be right just to please somebody else.’

He raised his eyebrows, still keeping his gaze on her. ‘Well put, Shona, and very shrewd. I can see I’ve no chance of fooling you into gratitude. Cassie did do well and I wanted to give her the job. I think, eventually, she’ll be an asset.’

‘It’s nice of you to say that.’ Shona’s smile was wide and genuine. ‘Maybe I’ll show some gratitude, after all,’ she said jokingly.

‘Enough to come out with me one evening?’

Her smile faded. ‘Go out with you? Where?’

‘I was thinking, if you haven’t seen it, we could go to the cinema. They’re doing a repeat showing of that new “talkie”, as they call it. Al Jolson in
The Jazz Singer
. What do you think?’

He had taken her so completely by surprise that she had no answer ready. Fiddling with the leaves she had been forming into a frame, she tried to think what best to say, what excuse she could make – or did she in fact want to go? It was true she was not really attracted to Fraser but she was impressed by him and couldn’t help feeling flattered and excited at the idea of going out with him. He was someone who’d had so much success, who might help her to do well and maybe help others, too.

‘I would like to see the picture,’ she said at last. ‘People have been talking about it.’

‘Raving, you mean. Well, that’s fine, that’s lovely. If you’d like to see it, we’ll go. How about tomorrow night? I’ll call for you at your lodgings.’

‘No, no, there’s no need to do that. I’ll meet you at the cinema. Which one is it?’

‘The Picture House. The second showing of the evening is eight o’clock.’ He grinned and rose from his stool. ‘You can see I’ve done my homework. Better let you get on, then. Don’t forget to turn up, will you? Eight o’clock tomorrow evening.’

‘I won’t forget.’

When he had left her she sat for some moments before picking up a flower and deciding where to put it. Her fingers, she was annoyed to find, were trembling.

When Shona was going out for the evening, she always told Mrs Gow, who affected not to be ‘nosy’ but always took an interest, gently probing until Shona gave her details. When she heard the following day at teatime that Shona had arranged to see the new talking picture, she did cry, ‘Fancy! How’d they do the voices, then?’, but soon began to wonder whether Shona was going out on her own? Or with one of her admirers, one of those young men who came to the shop? Or that nice young sailor laddie?

‘Archie? Oh, no, I haven’t seen him for some time,’ Shona told her. ‘I think he’s given me up. And I haven’t seen what you call my admirers, either. They soon realized I wasn’t interested.’

‘I see.’ Mrs Gow had the look of a hopeful puppy waiting for a titbit. ‘You’re never going on your own, dear? You never know who you might be sitting next to in the cinema!’

Shona waited a moment, deciding whether to be honest or tell a little lie. In the end she admitted she was going with Mr Kyle.

‘He asked me if I’d seen the picture and if I hadn’t, would I like to go with him. I thought I might as well.’

‘Mr Kyle? Your boss?’ Mrs Gow’s face took on a concerned expression. ‘Shona, is that a good idea? He’s a lot older than you, eh?’

Shona rose and gathered together their dishes. ‘Yes, but what’s that got to do with me seeing him?’

‘Well, an older man, and your boss . . .’ Mrs Gow pursed her lips. ‘Who knows what he’ll expect?’

‘Expect? He won’t be expecting anything. We’re only going to the pictures.’

‘He might be married, eh?’

‘Of course he isn’t married!’ Shona’s tone was exasperated. ‘Look, mind if I don’t help with the washing up tonight? I’d better be getting ready.’

‘That’s all right, pet, I’ll soon rattle through the dishes. You go and get ready.’