Chapter 5 #3
Mulligan blinked. Then he nodded, and the other men did, too. “That’d do nicely,” Mulligan said. “He’ll work hard for that—he’s a good lad, and you won’t find any man more determined and loyal.”
Kit grinned and clapped Mulligan on the shoulder. “Right, then—let’s tell him the good news.”
On the way to the door, Kit paused beside Wayland to mention the notion of them taking on their first apprentice. Wayland had no objections; Kit hadn’t imagined he would. Joining Mulligan at the door, Kit looked at Jack, who had, as instructed, remained precisely on the same spot.
Kit couldn’t help smiling as he said, “You’re in luck. Mulligan and the others need an apprentice to train under them. You’re the first to come and ask, and the men have said they’re willing to give you a chance.”
Jack’s eyes grew round. He glanced at Mulligan, then looked back at Kit. “But I’ll get paid?”
“Aye, lad.” Mulligan lightly cuffed Jack, then looked at Kit. “The same rates as any apprentice—right, my lord?”
Kit nodded. “Exactly.” He waited for a moment, drinking in the dawning wonder in Jack’s face, then asked, “So what do you say? Are you the lad we need as our apprentice?”
Jack’s eyes lit. “Cor—too right I am, sir—your lordship!” Jack bobbed multiple times.
Kit laughed and set a hand on his shoulder.
“In that case, welcome aboard.” He glanced at Miss Petty.
“Why don’t you and Mulligan give Miss Petty your full name and let her sign you on to the payroll and work out your wages so you’ll get them next Friday with the other men?
” Kit nodded at the gantry struts that the others had gone back to assembling.
“Then you can join us in putting the gantry together.”
Leaving Mulligan to steer a dazed Jack to where Miss Petty stood waiting, Kit shrugged out of his coat, set it aside, and returned to assist Wayland and the other men.
Mulligan soon returned, with Jack the Lad in tow. As they worked, first Wayland, then Mulligan and the other men took to sending Jack to fetch and return tools. When Wayland asked Jack for an angle, Jack returned with a selection as Wayland hadn’t specified.
Miss Petty seemed to be the only employee who viewed Jack as if she was as yet unconvinced of the wisdom of taking him on; Kit was aware of her hovering at the edge of the action, writing notes on what she needed to order for her and Mulligan’s office as well as the larger office Wayland would make his design studio, yet also keeping a sharp eye on proceedings and on Jack especially.
Eventually, they reached the point of driving in the final large nails to lock the main section of the moveable gantry together.
The four carpenters, together with Wayland and Kit, had to exert themselves to hold various struts tensioned and steady while the honors of driving in the nails fell to Mulligan.
“Better get the nails in quick,” Wayland warned. “We can’t hold everything in place for long without something shifting.”
Mulligan nodded and hefted a hammer—one of middling weight.
Shaw saw and snorted. “Even you’ll need something heavier. You’ll want to drive through the struts in just one or two blows.”
Mulligan looked at the hammer as if surprised it was the wrong one and grunted—then Jack was by his side, offering the heaviest hammer and reaching for the lighter one…
The lad had anticipated the need and had fetched the weightier tool.
Mulligan flicked a glance at Kit as he accepted the heavy hammer, then with well-placed blows, he efficiently drove the nails down, locking the gantry into its final rigid shape.
As soon as the last nail went in, Wayland released the strut he’d been holding and reached for a right-angle, and again, Jack was there, holding out the correct tool.
Wayland nodded his thanks as he took it and quickly went over the corners of the gantry, then he sat back on his heels with a smile and a relieved sigh. “Perfect. Now we can get on.”
After a while, Kit saw Miss Petty waiting and went over to speak with her. She had, he noticed, stopped watching Jack.
She held up her notebook as Kit approached. “I believe I have all the information I need, my lord. I’ll get the necessary orders in first thing in the morning.”
Kit nodded. “Good. If at all possible, push for delivery on Monday. We want to get this space fully transformed and functioning as soon as may be.”
“I understand you expect more men to commence on Monday?”
“Yes. It would be helpful, perhaps, were you to spend at least half the day here, taking down details. Mulligan or Mr. Cobworth can help you with rates—not my forte, I fear.”
“Of course, my lord. I’ll pop into the office on Monday morning and deal with anything urgent, then I’ll make my way here.”
A burst of general laughter had Kit glancing to where the men were working at attaching various anchors for wheels and pulleys to the gantry prior to hoisting it into position above their heads.
The men were still chuckling, and from the direction of their gazes, it was clear the source of merriment was Jack.
But the men weren’t laughing at him but with him, and from the pleased smile on Jack’s face, he knew it.
Kit surmised Jack had made some comment that had elicited the laughter. In an environment in which activity could sometimes become intense, that wasn’t a bad talent to have.
Beside him, Miss Petty cleared her throat. “I have to say that although I harbored reservations, Jack seems a worthwhile addition to the crew.”
“He does, indeed.” Kit noticed a gentleman sporting a cane—one more for show than use—walking briskly toward the workshop door. “Who’s this, I wonder?”
Miss Petty looked, then swept around. “I will ask, my lord. One moment.”
Bemused, Kit watched as Miss Petty sailed up as the gentleman, seeing her coming, halted just outside the open doors. Straining his ears over the steady din of hammering, Kit heard Miss Petty inquire, “Can I help you, sir?”
The gentleman looked rather peeved to have been forestalled, but he offered, “Councilor Peabody to see Lord Cavanaugh. It’s about the school.”
“Please wait here, and I will inquire as to whether his lordship is available.” Miss Petty swung around and walked toward Kit, her eyes widening in question.
Realizing that his remarkable secretary was giving him a chance to avoid the man, Kit sent her a nod of thanks and moved forward, passing her on his way to the door.
Fetching up before the shorter man, Kit arched his brows. “Lord Cavanaugh. What did you wish to say about the school?”
“My name is Peabody, my lord—Councilor Peabody.” Peabody sketched a bow, then straightened and fixed Kit with a man-to-man look.
“I have the honor of being the councilor for Abbey Ward, into which neighborhood the school that previously occupied this warehouse has moved. I spoke with the school administrator this morning, and she directed me to you—she claimed you have agreed to stand as sponsor to the school?”
Kit inclined his head. “I have.”
Peabody looked ingratiating. “I understand that you have underwritten the transfer of the school to its new premises and that Prior Robert—a godly man with scant experience of secular matters—at your petition, agreed to the school moving into the Abbey’s hall.
However, I suspect no one in the city has yet made known to you the…
ah, community expectations that apply in various areas.
For instance”—Peabody gestured widely—“this area, around the docks and harbor, plays host to homes that house dockside and shipyard workers, as is sensible. In contrast, the area around the Abbey is inhabited by citizens of rather higher social standing. To relocate a school for dockyard brats to such an area risks disrupting the social norms.”
Despite having taken a deep dislike to the man, Kit kept his expression unreadable and arched his brows. “Is that so? Pray tell, which of society’s norms do you consider to be at risk?”
Peabody blinked. The silence stretched as he patently tried to find acceptable words in which to cloak his complaint.
Kit made no move to help him out and simply waited.
Peabody’s color rose, then he harrumphed and said, “Social norms such as in which areas the various classes live.”
“I wasn’t aware the city imposes restrictions on where people of various classes reside.” Kit kept his tone mild. “But regardless, the boys are only visiting, as it were. They’re not taking up residence in Trinity Street.”
“Be that as it may,” Peabody huffed, “those who do live in Trinity Street are complaining!”
“Indeed?” Kit looked thoughtful. “The school relocated yesterday—today was the first day of classes. How many people have complained?”