annoyed.
‘Is there anything else you would like me to do after these invoices?’
Lena gave this a bit of thought. ‘I think Christie and Mike might want some help in the warehouse. Could you make a list of all the containers?’
Molly took her pad out to the warehouse. Christie was working at a small desk but there was no sign of Mike, much to her relief. She hardly knew the man but he made her feel uncomfortable.
Christie had all the information to hand and Molly copied it down.
He said. ‘I’m going to make some coffee. Would you like a cup?’
Molly wasn’t fussy about coffee. She much preferred tea but she nodded.
‘What brought you to Dundee?’ she asked him.
He fiddled with his teaspoon. ‘I arrived last year on a working holiday. I came to Dundee on a visit and met Kenneth. I told him I worked in the antique trade back in Canada and he asked me to come and work for him. So here I am. What about you?’
Molly told him about her parents going to Australia and how she had lived there for some time. She mentioned Nell and the new baby and how she had started the agency.
‘With lots of hope and little money,’ she laughed.
She picked up her pad. ‘Well I’d better be getting back. Thanks for the coffee.’
She reached the door when a dark shadow appeared. For a moment she thought it was Mike but it was Joe. He was sweating and his face was red and shiny. Behind him was Kenneth who looked as cool and as well groomed as usual.
Kenneth was speaking to Joe. ‘You should have left the boxes until tomorrow. Christie and Mike would have helped you. You don’t want to end up with a heart attack.’
Joe scowled and muttered something, which Molly didn’t catch. Kenneth must have heard, however, because he put a hand on Joe’s shoulder before walking away.
Later, Molly left the shed and walked through the garden towards the house. The lawn was well kept and she thought she would have a quick look at the cliffs. When she reached the end of the grass she was surprised to see there was no fence and the ground fell away to a small beach which lay about twenty feet below. It was hardly a cliff but it was still a nasty drop.
There was a jetty on the shingle beach with a smart looking cabin cruiser berthed alongside. She was peering over when she heard the voices but before she could draw back, Joe and Mike appeared. They seemed to be arguing.
Suddenly, as if they sensed they were being overheard, they looked up and saw her. Molly almost fell off the edge in surprise, so intense was their gaze.
Molly was mortified. Did they think she was eavesdropping? She turned to go to the house and almost fell over Christie.
She had an irrational stab of fear at the closeness of the Canadian and although she wouldn’t admit it, she felt shaken by the malicious looks from Joe and Mike.
‘I’m just enjoying the view,’ she said, trying to inject a nonchalant and carefree lightness in her voice as she quickly made her way back to the office.
Sitting at the desk, she was dismayed to see her hands were still shaking.
‘Stop it,’ she told herself. Just because the men obviously didn’t like her didn’t mean there was anything wrong. That was the trouble with working in a home environment. You picked up lots of domestic detritus. Maybe Joe had fallen out with his wife and was in a bad mood. As for Mike and Christie, well she hardly knew them. Perhaps they were always like that.
10
Mary was waiting impatiently for her dinner break. She had her wages and Mum had said she could treat herself to something to wear as a reward for passing her exams. She would soon be getting her Leaving Certificate at the school and, after that, she would be a fully-fledged working girl.
She looked over at Molly who was working out all the invoices for jobs done. It had been a busy Saturday morning and the agency was picking up a lot of new business. At this rate, perhaps Molly would get another receptionist and she could become an
‘Is there anything else you would like me to do after these invoices?’
Lena gave this a bit of thought. ‘I think Christie and Mike might want some help in the warehouse. Could you make a list of all the containers?’
Molly took her pad out to the warehouse. Christie was working at a small desk but there was no sign of Mike, much to her relief. She hardly knew the man but he made her feel uncomfortable.
Christie had all the information to hand and Molly copied it down.
He said. ‘I’m going to make some coffee. Would you like a cup?’
Molly wasn’t fussy about coffee. She much preferred tea but she nodded.
‘What brought you to Dundee?’ she asked him.
He fiddled with his teaspoon. ‘I arrived last year on a working holiday. I came to Dundee on a visit and met Kenneth. I told him I worked in the antique trade back in Canada and he asked me to come and work for him. So here I am. What about you?’
Molly told him about her parents going to Australia and how she had lived there for some time. She mentioned Nell and the new baby and how she had started the agency.
‘With lots of hope and little money,’ she laughed.
She picked up her pad. ‘Well I’d better be getting back. Thanks for the coffee.’
She reached the door when a dark shadow appeared. For a moment she thought it was Mike but it was Joe. He was sweating and his face was red and shiny. Behind him was Kenneth who looked as cool and as well groomed as usual.
Kenneth was speaking to Joe. ‘You should have left the boxes until tomorrow. Christie and Mike would have helped you. You don’t want to end up with a heart attack.’
Joe scowled and muttered something, which Molly didn’t catch. Kenneth must have heard, however, because he put a hand on Joe’s shoulder before walking away.
Later, Molly left the shed and walked through the garden towards the house. The lawn was well kept and she thought she would have a quick look at the cliffs. When she reached the end of the grass she was surprised to see there was no fence and the ground fell away to a small beach which lay about twenty feet below. It was hardly a cliff but it was still a nasty drop.
There was a jetty on the shingle beach with a smart looking cabin cruiser berthed alongside. She was peering over when she heard the voices but before she could draw back, Joe and Mike appeared. They seemed to be arguing.
Suddenly, as if they sensed they were being overheard, they looked up and saw her. Molly almost fell off the edge in surprise, so intense was their gaze.
Molly was mortified. Did they think she was eavesdropping? She turned to go to the house and almost fell over Christie.
She had an irrational stab of fear at the closeness of the Canadian and although she wouldn’t admit it, she felt shaken by the malicious looks from Joe and Mike.
‘I’m just enjoying the view,’ she said, trying to inject a nonchalant and carefree lightness in her voice as she quickly made her way back to the office.
Sitting at the desk, she was dismayed to see her hands were still shaking.
‘Stop it,’ she told herself. Just because the men obviously didn’t like her didn’t mean there was anything wrong. That was the trouble with working in a home environment. You picked up lots of domestic detritus. Maybe Joe had fallen out with his wife and was in a bad mood. As for Mike and Christie, well she hardly knew them. Perhaps they were always like that.
10
Mary was waiting impatiently for her dinner break. She had her wages and Mum had said she could treat herself to something to wear as a reward for passing her exams. She would soon be getting her Leaving Certificate at the school and, after that, she would be a fully-fledged working girl.
She looked over at Molly who was working out all the invoices for jobs done. It had been a busy Saturday morning and the agency was picking up a lot of new business. At this rate, perhaps Molly would get another receptionist and she could become an
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