Read Online Anne Douglas by The Handkerchief Tree - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: The Handkerchief Tree
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Assistant Required. Apply Within.” That’s what it said.’
Shona was sitting very still, a look in her eyes that seemed to have removed her far from Addie’s table and all those watching her. ‘I remember seeing that shop with Ma,’ she said in a whisper. ‘It was one day when we’d gone up to the summer sales – over the bridges, no’ in George Street, they’d have been too dear. We came back through the West End and Ma says, “let’s have a look at the shops”. And Maybel’s was where we looked.’ Shona gave a great sigh, and appeared suddenly to come back to her surroundings. ‘Oh, you should have seen their flowers!’ she went on. ‘So beautiful! And so scented! I peeped into the shop and it was all cool and sort of shady inside, and there was a lady doing watering and she said, “Can I help you, dear?” But Ma came in and grabbed my arm and hurried me out.’ Shona hesitated for a moment. ‘I’ve never forgotten Maybel’s,’ she finished slowly, ‘but I never thought there’d be a job there.’
‘Sounds ideal!’ Addie exclaimed. ‘You’d best apply as soon as you can.’
‘But have your pie first,’ said Dair kindly.
‘Of course she canna go now!’ cried Kitty. ‘You’ve to be back by six, eh, Shona? It’s nearly that now.’
‘I’m sorry, Mrs Hope, I don’t feel very hungry,’ said Shona, looking down at her filled plate. ‘I’m just too excited. Supposing the job’s already gone, though? Maybe I could just run up to George Street—’
‘No, no, the shop’ll have already closed and, like Kitty says, you’ve to be back by six.’ Addie’s voice was firm as she leaned across and tapped Shona’s plate. ‘You settle down, eat up, go back to the Lodge and ask Miss Bryce to help you apply to Maybel’s. The job won’t have gone yet; we only saw the notice on Thursday, so you’ll be in with a chance.’
As Shona took a deep breath and began to eat, Addie smiled and sat back.
‘Never turn down a meal if there is one,’ she pronounced. ‘You never know when you’ll get another, eh?’
‘Is there any more pie, then?’ asked Dair and Jamie together, at which there were groans from the rest of the family, but their mother did find second helpings, causing Jock to ask was she a magician, then? Sure, she was just like that laddie in the fairy story who had a pocket that never emptied, eh?
‘Well, the pie dish is empty now,’ Addie said, laughing, and even Shona, lost in her thoughts as she was, joined in.
Sixteen
All the way home, however, she was consumed by anxiety that she would not be able to find Miss Bryce, or that even if she did find her and was helped to apply for the job, she would be too late and it would have already gone. What she would do then, she didn’t know, for she was strangely certain in her mind that this was the job for her, that it was what she’d been looking for without knowing it.
Was it silly, she wondered, to be so keen on something she really knew nothing about? She’d talked of working with plants but she had no idea what it would be like to work in a flower shop, or train as a florist. All she knew was that she didn’t want to miss the chance of it, and hurrying to Miss Bryce’s office when she got back to the Lodge Shona hoped that luck would be with her and that Miss Bryce would be in and agree to help her. ‘Apply within’, Maybel’s notice had said. Oh, if only she could have already done that!
But only Miss Ruddick, the dark-haired, pleasant-faced assistant to Miss Bryce, answered her knock on the office door. Seemed Miss Bryce was not there – it was her evening off and she’d already left for a concert at the Usher Hall.
‘Oh,’ said Shona, ready to turn away, her shoulders drooping, when Miss Ruddick surprised her by giving her a sympathetic smile.
‘It’s Shona Murray, isn’t it? Perhaps I can help?’
‘I don’t think so – thanks all the same. I was going to ask Miss Bryce to help me apply for a
Shona was sitting very still, a look in her eyes that seemed to have removed her far from Addie’s table and all those watching her. ‘I remember seeing that shop with Ma,’ she said in a whisper. ‘It was one day when we’d gone up to the summer sales – over the bridges, no’ in George Street, they’d have been too dear. We came back through the West End and Ma says, “let’s have a look at the shops”. And Maybel’s was where we looked.’ Shona gave a great sigh, and appeared suddenly to come back to her surroundings. ‘Oh, you should have seen their flowers!’ she went on. ‘So beautiful! And so scented! I peeped into the shop and it was all cool and sort of shady inside, and there was a lady doing watering and she said, “Can I help you, dear?” But Ma came in and grabbed my arm and hurried me out.’ Shona hesitated for a moment. ‘I’ve never forgotten Maybel’s,’ she finished slowly, ‘but I never thought there’d be a job there.’
‘Sounds ideal!’ Addie exclaimed. ‘You’d best apply as soon as you can.’
‘But have your pie first,’ said Dair kindly.
‘Of course she canna go now!’ cried Kitty. ‘You’ve to be back by six, eh, Shona? It’s nearly that now.’
‘I’m sorry, Mrs Hope, I don’t feel very hungry,’ said Shona, looking down at her filled plate. ‘I’m just too excited. Supposing the job’s already gone, though? Maybe I could just run up to George Street—’
‘No, no, the shop’ll have already closed and, like Kitty says, you’ve to be back by six.’ Addie’s voice was firm as she leaned across and tapped Shona’s plate. ‘You settle down, eat up, go back to the Lodge and ask Miss Bryce to help you apply to Maybel’s. The job won’t have gone yet; we only saw the notice on Thursday, so you’ll be in with a chance.’
As Shona took a deep breath and began to eat, Addie smiled and sat back.
‘Never turn down a meal if there is one,’ she pronounced. ‘You never know when you’ll get another, eh?’
‘Is there any more pie, then?’ asked Dair and Jamie together, at which there were groans from the rest of the family, but their mother did find second helpings, causing Jock to ask was she a magician, then? Sure, she was just like that laddie in the fairy story who had a pocket that never emptied, eh?
‘Well, the pie dish is empty now,’ Addie said, laughing, and even Shona, lost in her thoughts as she was, joined in.
Sixteen
All the way home, however, she was consumed by anxiety that she would not be able to find Miss Bryce, or that even if she did find her and was helped to apply for the job, she would be too late and it would have already gone. What she would do then, she didn’t know, for she was strangely certain in her mind that this was the job for her, that it was what she’d been looking for without knowing it.
Was it silly, she wondered, to be so keen on something she really knew nothing about? She’d talked of working with plants but she had no idea what it would be like to work in a flower shop, or train as a florist. All she knew was that she didn’t want to miss the chance of it, and hurrying to Miss Bryce’s office when she got back to the Lodge Shona hoped that luck would be with her and that Miss Bryce would be in and agree to help her. ‘Apply within’, Maybel’s notice had said. Oh, if only she could have already done that!
But only Miss Ruddick, the dark-haired, pleasant-faced assistant to Miss Bryce, answered her knock on the office door. Seemed Miss Bryce was not there – it was her evening off and she’d already left for a concert at the Usher Hall.
‘Oh,’ said Shona, ready to turn away, her shoulders drooping, when Miss Ruddick surprised her by giving her a sympathetic smile.
‘It’s Shona Murray, isn’t it? Perhaps I can help?’
‘I don’t think so – thanks all the same. I was going to ask Miss Bryce to help me apply for a
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