My eyes feel heavy, but I hear the clear voice of Etty talking to Elaine about waking me up or letting me sleep. I toss my feet over the edge of the bed and sit up.
"I'm getting up." Grumbling as I start moving, I feel exhausted. Looking at the girls, they stare at me, squinting to focus on me better.
"What are you staring at?" I ask as Etty comes over and feels my head and as she checks she sniffs me.
"Did you drink last night, Rakara?" She leans back shaking her head with a wrinkled nose in disgust.
"You reek of alcohol, the room reeks of alcohol...." Elaine opens a window, letting a cool breeze run through the place.
"Something like that." I wash my face and change into my clothes. "I will be down in a minute ladies. Oh, and Elaine, put up the 'Help Wanted' sign in the window. I need to start interviewing to find a cook for the kitchen to help out around here. I need to start spending more time at the new shop in order to get the crews started on fixing it up." I check the mirror, looking at my cheek which is a little darker on the one side from the fake scars, but it's not obvious.
The girls nod, not saying much. I figure I might as well ask them, "Do you ladies have a person in mind that we should hire instead of putting the sign up?"
Elaine perks up, "I do! Her name is Dinah and her husband got injured in the textile factory and can't work. They have got two young ones at home and poor Dinah works herself to the bone as a laundress in the factory. She seems to be a good honest person."
It doesn't take me more than a second to agree, "Give the local tube a ring and leave a message for her to come visit me when she is off work. If she's interested in the job."
"I will, Ms. Langridge." She turns and heads downstairs to leave the message. Etty, who is looking very beautiful today, is still is looking at me with an odd expression.
"Yes, Etty? What is on your mind?" I ask, not caring for the intense stare she is giving me.
"Why did you drink when you are getting over being sick?" We walk downstairs and once in the kitchen I inform her.
"I didn't actually drink, I got something on my face, some paint, and it wouldn't come off. So I used alcohol to finally get it to come off." I say nonchalantly.
"What were you doing messing with paint?" She inquires unconvinced.
"I was checking how much was left for the new shop, to see if I could paint a wall there like I did here."
"Oh, alright." Etty doesn't inquire any further and we begin making our pastries for the day.
"You know, Rakara. I was thinking maybe when we get the cook, since we will have someone in here all the time, maybe we could offer an egg breakfast with a pastry or scone. Just something easy and light for the people who come and grab a pastry for breakfast, what are your thoughts on it?" Etty throws her idea out at me and I am impressed.
"I think that's a marvelous idea. We will have to make sure we have extra eggs. Maybe about four dozen extra a week? We'll start with that and you can let me know from there." I give my consent to try out her idea which delight lights up her face.
She turns bashful and inquires, "Will Mr. Chambers be coming by again today to check on your health?"
Her ears look red enough they could start a fire. The clues click together in my head as I take in her question, dolled up appearance and shyness.
"You like Mr. Chambers? Derek?!" I ask pleasantly surprised.
She nods, "I do, is he courting anyone by chance?"I see her hopeful expression and can't help but giggle.
"He is not seeing anyone. I can also tell you he is a decent man. I don't think he will be coming by today though."
She glances down disappointed, but her hopeful gaze returns to my own. "Is Mr. Fairchild coming back today?"
It is my turn to blush, "Yes, he will be here later tonight."
As the day goes on, I put the picture of Etty and Derek together. It was merely a daydream but I felt it would not hurt to maybe push these two towards each other and see what happened. I would just need to figure out a way of having them meet....
I snap my fingers, an idea coming to mind. Etty furrows her brows questioning me with a smile on her face.
"Why don't you put some fresh baked pastries in a box and after we get through the morning rush, you can take the pastries to the Chambers house? You can offer it to him as a thank you for helping to take care of me a few days ago." I suggest.
Etty's excitement comes bubbling up with a giggle, "Yes. That is a fine idea."
It's about noon when Etty comes back from taking the pastries to the Chambers.
"So how did it go?" I ask her.
"He was still asleep. The housekeeper informed me he was up late working last night, otherwise I would have been able to personally hand them over. Oh well." She sighs, disappointed as we continue on with our day.
I'm in my office, putting together the list of supplies that I need to pick up for the shop, when my tube rings.
"Hello?"
"Ms. Langridge." The voice I do not recognize on the other side is male and sounds gruff.
"Yes, who am I a speaking with?" I hear a clearing of the throat and his voice returns.
"It's me, Derek Chambers."
"Oh! Hello, is something the matter?"
"No, I wanted to know who.... Etty...is, you know the lady that left me the pastries." His voice is low and quiet and I am not sure how I should interpret it.
"Etty is the one who serves the tables and was in charge when I was ill."
"Oh.. The taller brunette?" His pitch rises in interest when he puts the face to the name. Making me smile at his response I affirm who she is.
"Yes, that is Maraquette or Etty."
"Alright, thank you, Rakara." I can hear it in his voice how he ready to end the conversation.
"You are welcome?"
"Good day, Ms. Langridge."
"Good bye, Derek."
I set the earpiece down and laugh, "That was the shortest conversation I have ever had on the tube."
I get back to work and join the girls after I finish writing up the supply list. I hum when I see Etty and just smile helping the girls clean up for the day. My blood seems to alive, as the clock ticks by, getting closer to the evening.
There's a knock on the front door of the shop, even though we are closed. I go to open it and Elaine calls out to me.
"That is Dinah!"
I open it smiling at the woman, who was about my age, dressed in the clothes from Atwood's place. Even with the clothes on though you could tell they were borrowed. My heart ached for her as I could instantly tell she felt out of place.
"Good evening. You must be Dinah, my name is Rakara Langridge. Please come in."
"Evening ma'am, Elaine's message said something about a job?" She looks around the place wide eyed and hesitant to touch anything.
"Hello Dinah." Elaine greets her as she comes out from the kitchen with the clean and dried teapots for the tables and the change of table cloths.
"Hi." Dinah's large smile brings life into her face that looks tired otherwise. Her dry and frizzy hair did not help her appearance. She had the same appearance as some one who got zapped by a static electrical current.
"Please Dinah, have a seat. Are you hungry or thirsty?" I ask her to sit at one of the tables that had not been changed yet. Etty brings over a plate of the left over pastries and a pot of hot water and my favorite tea.
"Thank you, Etty." I get the tea started to steep and watch as Dinah, shyly reaching for a pastry, pulls her hand back.
"If you are hungry, go ahead and take as many as you would like."
"Thank you ma'am." She expresses her gratitude and takes two pastries, eating the first one with relish. I let her finish, waiting for the tea to finish, before pouring us each a cup.
"Dinah, I am looking for an employee, a cook to be precise, who can be trusted to show up everyday, on time. Who can cook things like these pastries, scones, and other items, quickly and be clean while doing so. Your appearance and manner must also be pleasant while you are working here. I do not care for foul and vulgar language or topics in my shop and will not tolerate them from my customers, much less my employees. We will provide you some clothes to wear while you are working and give you some things that Elaine and Etty can demonstrate their uses later to you."
Dinah swallows a big gulp of hot tea, nodding as her eyes water.
"I will pay you one hundred silvers a week, every Sunday. You will be expected to be here by seven in the morning. We close at five, but you are required to stay and help clean and prepare for the next day until six. If you need a day off, just ask me and do not take advantage of it by asking too many days off."
I take a sip of my own tea as she shakes in disbelief, her eyes the size of saucers.
"Does this sound reasonable to you?" I ask her.
Unable to speak she nods her head, covering her face with her hands, she begins to sob.
"Why are you crying?" Utterly confused at her reaction, I turn to Elaine and shrug.
Suddenly, I have a crying head in my lap sobbing out, "Thank you! Thank you!"
I pat her back and comfort her, "Don't cry. Also you should thank Elaine, she is the one who suggested you. Now, you can start next this coming Monday. I'll have Elaine take you some clothes to wear that you can keep at Mr. Atwood's. The girls can tell you how that will work. I guess I should ask you, do you know how to read and do math?"
She glances up and then down, shamefully. "I know my math and I can read a little, having to know how to wash specific fabrics and taking them to the right place, but I am not very good."
I chew on my thoughts and stand motioning Dinah to follow me to the kitchen. I pull out a recipe card and ask her to get me the ingredients on the card. She does well since everything is labeled, she is just slow having to check and make sure it is the right one with a few of them. I know living in the Undercarriage, money to buy some of the ingredients are luxuries that many live down there can only dream about if they have even heard of them.
"Good job, now read me the steps, just so I know how well you read. I'll still give you the job, but depending on how much help you need, I may send you home with a reader to help you study and become more proficient."
I end up giving her to take home, three readers, informing her to study at her own pace. The girls let me know that they will take her back to show her how they use Atwood's between the two districts. I'm walking them out the front when Derek Chambers appears before us.
"Mr. Chambers." I greet him.
"Ms. Langridge. How are you feeling today?"
"I'm fine, thank you. What brings you here today?" I ask, forcing myself not to look at Etty.
His ears turn red, but his face remains stoic as he turns his attention to Etty. "I came to thank Ms. Etty for the lovely pastries this morning. If I may escort you to your destination?"
"Well good night, everyone." I enter the shop and close the door and watch through the window as Derek offers Etty his arm and a blushing Etty takes it, avoiding everyone except Derek eyes.