minute before seven Jewel passed through the depot waiting room and into the Harvey House restaurant. Fred Harvey stood by the door, holding his watch fob in his hand.
"Good morning, Miss MacMillan," he said as she approached. "Just go on into the kitchen and report to Mrs. Jahner. She will show you what to do."
"Thank you and good morning to you, Mr. Harvey." Jewel made half curtsy as she passed by the man, then bit her lip and forced herself not to yawn as she reached the kitchen.
She stood in the doorway, trying to look interested in her new surroundings, and studied the assortment of chefs and helpers as she glanced around for her supervisor. When a large, thick woman elbowed her way through the workers, then stomped in her direction, it was all Jewel could do to keep from spinning around and running out through the front door.
"I'm Maggie Jahner. You looking for me?"
Jewel nodded and produced a shy smile. "I'm Jewel MacMillan. Nice to meet you." She stuck out her hand, but the big woman ignored it and went on with her speech.
"In the future be in this kitchen at ten minutes before the hour." She stood back, gripping her own pointed chin between two meaty fingers, and examined her newest charge. "Hmm," she grumbled. "I s'pose you'll do, but don't forget that Mr. Harvey expects perfection from everyone who works for him. If you get so much as a speck of egg on that white apron, have someone watch your station while you come in here and change it immediately." Maggie lifted a slablike arm and twirled her finger. "Let's have a look at your skirt and blouse."
Still fighting the urge to yawn, Jewel did as she was told and turned around in a slow circle.
"Guess that'll do, but don't be sitting around getting all wrinkled up. Just 'cause you got on a black skirt don't mean the creases won't show. Come, I'll show you to your station." As they walked, Maggie glanced at her watch. "The first train arrives in about a half hour. You got till then to acquaint yourself with the other waitresses and find out the best way to do things, but once we get some customers in the place, not another word between you—understood?"
"Between who? Me and the other waitresses or—"
"'Course, you and the other girls. Nary a word—hear?"
"Yes, ma'am." Jewel managed to resist the urge to salute, but she opened her mouth, sucked in a huge gulp of air, and yawned instead.
Maggie leaned her bulk forward and stared at the dark rings under Jewel's eyes. "You make it to bed before curfew last night?"
"Oh, yes, ma'am," she lied, blinking in an effort to moisten her tired eyes. "I didn't sleep too well in my new surroundings, though. I'll be perkier tomorrow."
"See that you are." Maggie looked away from her and pointed to a section of the dining room. "Those tables are yours, and it looks like you got your first customer. Here—take him this menu and keep his coffee cup filled. You got to learn sometime, might as well be now."
Jewel straightened her shoulders, nodding to her supervisor, and marched stiff-backed to the table where a man sat reading the newspaper. "Good morning," she said sweetly. "Welcome to Harvey House. May I get you some coffee?" The paper fell to the table, revealing the man's features.
"Morning," Brent Connors said through a broad grin. "I appreciate the offer. Make it two cups. Looks like you could use one yourself."
Jewel bit her lip and closed her eyes. Not this morning, she prayed silently. Please, God, not this morning. Grumbling to herself, she took a deep breath and stared down at him. "What do you want?"
"Breakfast—like most folks who stop by here. You have some kind of problem with that?"
"I've got a problem with you," she spit out.
"Tsk-tsk," he said, his dimples carved into his cheeks. "You're a bit on the testy side this morning. Lose some sleep last night?"
Refusing to be baited, even though she now knew he had realized she was under his bed, Jewel gave him a smile that was little more than a grimace
"Good morning, Miss MacMillan," he said as she approached. "Just go on into the kitchen and report to Mrs. Jahner. She will show you what to do."
"Thank you and good morning to you, Mr. Harvey." Jewel made half curtsy as she passed by the man, then bit her lip and forced herself not to yawn as she reached the kitchen.
She stood in the doorway, trying to look interested in her new surroundings, and studied the assortment of chefs and helpers as she glanced around for her supervisor. When a large, thick woman elbowed her way through the workers, then stomped in her direction, it was all Jewel could do to keep from spinning around and running out through the front door.
"I'm Maggie Jahner. You looking for me?"
Jewel nodded and produced a shy smile. "I'm Jewel MacMillan. Nice to meet you." She stuck out her hand, but the big woman ignored it and went on with her speech.
"In the future be in this kitchen at ten minutes before the hour." She stood back, gripping her own pointed chin between two meaty fingers, and examined her newest charge. "Hmm," she grumbled. "I s'pose you'll do, but don't forget that Mr. Harvey expects perfection from everyone who works for him. If you get so much as a speck of egg on that white apron, have someone watch your station while you come in here and change it immediately." Maggie lifted a slablike arm and twirled her finger. "Let's have a look at your skirt and blouse."
Still fighting the urge to yawn, Jewel did as she was told and turned around in a slow circle.
"Guess that'll do, but don't be sitting around getting all wrinkled up. Just 'cause you got on a black skirt don't mean the creases won't show. Come, I'll show you to your station." As they walked, Maggie glanced at her watch. "The first train arrives in about a half hour. You got till then to acquaint yourself with the other waitresses and find out the best way to do things, but once we get some customers in the place, not another word between you—understood?"
"Between who? Me and the other waitresses or—"
"'Course, you and the other girls. Nary a word—hear?"
"Yes, ma'am." Jewel managed to resist the urge to salute, but she opened her mouth, sucked in a huge gulp of air, and yawned instead.
Maggie leaned her bulk forward and stared at the dark rings under Jewel's eyes. "You make it to bed before curfew last night?"
"Oh, yes, ma'am," she lied, blinking in an effort to moisten her tired eyes. "I didn't sleep too well in my new surroundings, though. I'll be perkier tomorrow."
"See that you are." Maggie looked away from her and pointed to a section of the dining room. "Those tables are yours, and it looks like you got your first customer. Here—take him this menu and keep his coffee cup filled. You got to learn sometime, might as well be now."
Jewel straightened her shoulders, nodding to her supervisor, and marched stiff-backed to the table where a man sat reading the newspaper. "Good morning," she said sweetly. "Welcome to Harvey House. May I get you some coffee?" The paper fell to the table, revealing the man's features.
"Morning," Brent Connors said through a broad grin. "I appreciate the offer. Make it two cups. Looks like you could use one yourself."
Jewel bit her lip and closed her eyes. Not this morning, she prayed silently. Please, God, not this morning. Grumbling to herself, she took a deep breath and stared down at him. "What do you want?"
"Breakfast—like most folks who stop by here. You have some kind of problem with that?"
"I've got a problem with you," she spit out.
"Tsk-tsk," he said, his dimples carved into his cheeks. "You're a bit on the testy side this morning. Lose some sleep last night?"
Refusing to be baited, even though she now knew he had realized she was under his bed, Jewel gave him a smile that was little more than a grimace
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