quiet “brrring-brrring” of the phone at the other end. When it was answered, Violet said, “Good morning, Hazel. This is Violet Spradlin at the employment agency. How are you this morning?”
Jenna listened to the one-sided conversation with amusement. They sounded like old friends, which she supposed was possible considering the number of people Violet had sent there. She idly wondered if Hazel was Sir Ian’s wife.
“I’d like to speak to Sir Ian,” Violet said. “Yes, I know he’s busy. Yes. No, I’m not calling about his most recent help. Yes, I know. New employees can be quite trying at times. The reason I’m calling is to let him know that I have hired a secretary for him. I believe she will be just what he’s looking for. Yes, that’s right. Yes, I’ll hold.” She looked at Jenna and winked.
After a lengthy wait, Violet said, “Yes, good morn— Yes, I do— As a matter of fact, she’s right he—” She covered the phone and asked, “He wants to know when you can come. He seems to be a bit stressed at the moment.”
“I could come today if I can get directions how to get there.”
“Well, that might work. I did say the position is not here in Edinburgh, didn’t I? I would imagine you don’t have access to a car.”
“No. Will that be a problem?”
Violet spoke into the phone. “She doesn’t have transportation at the moment, Sir Ian. I could have her take the train to Stirling, if you— Oh. Yes. Well, that will work, I’m sure.” She glanced at Jenna. “She’s petite, with reddish blond hair. She’s wearing a dark green suit. I don’t think she’ll be hard to— Yes. I’ll tell her.”
Violet hung up the phone. “Well. That was certainly a short discussion. He wants you to take the train to Stirling. He’ll have his housekeeper, Hazel Pennington, meet you at the station. Once you’ve arrived he’ll discuss salary and days off with you.”
“All right,” Jenna said. Her question about Hazel had been answered. She stood. “I appreciate your willingness to hire me for the position.”
“Don’t thank me yet, dear. Wait until you’ve worked a few weeks with him. Then I’ll know you’re sincere. Sir Ian is abrupt, but according to Hazel, who’s worked for his family for years, he’s fair.”
“Have you met him?”
“Not in person, no. But I certainly recognize his voice when I hear it. It’s very distinctive.” Violet touched her throat with her fingers and Jenna could have sworn the older woman actually blushed. Aha. The plot thickens. Maybe Ms. Spradlin has some designs on the old gentleman. Good for her.
Jenna said, “I need to gather my belongings and check out of my room.” She held out her hand and Violet took it. “Regardless of how this turns out, I’ll still be grateful that you have given me this opportunity.”
“Don’t feel that I’m sending you off like a lamb to be slaughtered. I’ll be checking with you from time to time. If another position should open up, I’ll let you know.”
While Jenna packed the few items she’d unpacked since she’d arrived yesterday afternoon, she thought about what she was doing. She’d accepted a position without meeting her employer first. Given the experience she’d gained working with Basil, she hoped that she could deal with another curmudgeon with little difficulty. She would have to write an amusing letter to Basil and let him know how his training had been put to good use.
Besides, she could visit Edinburgh on her days off and continue her search for Mr. Dumas. As soon as she’d checked in to her room, Jenna had gone through the telephone directory in hopes of finding a listing for him.
There was none.
She’d called the telephone company for any new listings or possibly unlisted numbers. If his number was unlisted, she would at least know he actually lived in Edinburgh or nearby. She’d had no luck there, either. However, she didn’t intend to stop looking for the mysterious—at least to her—stranger. She’d hoped to find work in the city, which would make her search easier, but she’d manage.
Once on the train to Stirling, Jenna thought about her new position. She’d never met an author, published or unpublished. She was curious about what sort of stories he wrote. Perhaps he’d fought in one of the wars and was sharing his experiences. She might find his writing fascinating.
On the other hand, Sir Ian might be a terrible writer. Maybe that was why he was so brusque. Perhaps he was the sort of person who preferred to blame others for his own shortcomings.
What was really important, though, was that she was in Scotland and had a job.
When the train neared the station, Jenna gathered her rather cumbersome bags in preparation for getting off. She had gotten rid of most everything she owned before she came to the U.K. She’d had more than one twinge of regret to see the furniture and furnishings she’d carefully acquired go to strangers. However, the money she received from the sale helped her to feel more secure about her leap into the unknown.
One of the commuters helped with her third bag when she stepped off the train. She thanked him and turned to scan the area. Several people waited to board as others disembarked. Once the train pulled away, Jenna stood alone on the platform.
She had no idea how long a wait she would have for the housekeeper and wished she had a description of her.
Jenna pulled two of the bags behind her, the third hanging from a strap across her shoulder, and headed toward the depot.
“You must be Jenna Craddock,” a cheerful voice said. Jenna paused and looked around. A tall, raw-boned woman of indeterminate age came toward her from the parking lot. “I’m Hazel Pennington, Ian’s housekeeper. I apologize for not being here when you arrived. I got behind some slow traffic, which is frustrating enough without needing to be somewhere on time.” She took one of the bags and started back toward the stairs.
Jenna hurried to catch up. “How did you know which train to meet? I didn’t know which one, myself, until I arrived at the station.”
As they loaded the luggage into a utility vehicle, Hazel said, “Oh, Ian knew. He checked the train schedule and chose the one you’d most likely take. If you hadn’t been on this one, I would have waited until the next one.”
Jenna had many questions about Sir Ian and knew that Hazel would probably be able to answer them. However, she didn’t want to appear too anxious about working for him. She sat quietly and listened to the housekeeper as she pointed out various historical sights along the way.
“If you haven’t visited Stirling before, you might enjoy touring the William Wallace Monument.” Hazel nodded toward a tower in the distance. “The only way up is by stone circular stairs, so you’ll want to be in shape for the climb.”
When Jenna saw the castle high on an escarpment, she made a sound of awe.
“The castle is worth visiting, as well. There’s a military museum there in addition to the carefully restored rooms. There’s a cathedral nearby that has become a tourist favorite, as well.”
Jenna’s excitement grew as she considered the age of so many historic places in the U.K. compared to the relatively newly settled Australia.
She eagerly tried to see everything they passed on their way
