Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
J oyce heard the door open. She and Beryl were in the kitchen. Joyce was making a cottage pie that would be for Mitch and Kyle’s dinner. Beryl was mixing batter for a nice Victoria sponge for afters.
Joyce was eager to talk to Mitch about Beryl and the possibility of keeping her on. He mounted the stairs without so much as a hello, his eyes squinting at some unseen thing only available in his mind.
She frowned and went back to work, piping the mash on top of the pie. She usually just did it with a spoon, but she wanted it to look extra nice, considering what she was about to ask for.
But nothing about his face or his mood said now was the time for that talk. He was headed for his office anyway, so he’d probably forgotten. Just as well. She could speak with him tomorrow.
His office door opened and closed. He’d most likely work until supper.
Then the office door opened again. Mitch appeared at the end of the kitchen counter. “You wanted to talk to me, you said.”
“That’s all right. It can wait. I know you’ve got writing to do.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded as she made swirl after swirl of creamy mashed potatoes on top of the beef and vegetable mix. “Positively.”
“Is there any coffee left?”
She already knew there wasn’t. Kyle had finished it. The two men drank the stuff like it was water. “I’ll get a fresh pot going and bring you in a nice cup. Would you like a few cookies to go with it? There’s some toffee chocolate chip left.”
“Sure.” He went back to his office, crisis averted.
She set the piping bag down and got the coffee brewing. She finished her piping, covered the cottage pie loosely with foil, then eased it into the fridge until dinner time. She was just about done cleaning up when the coffee finished brewing.
She poured a cup, using one of Mitch’s favorite mugs, then put three cookies on a small plate and took the lot to his office door. “Coffee,” she called out. She didn’t have a hand to knock with.
“Come in.”
She pressed the lever handle down with her elbow, carefully keeping the plate even so the cookies didn’t slide off. She found him in his usual spot at his desk. She set the cup and plate down. “There you are.”
“Thanks.”
She turned to go.
“Joyce, what did you want to talk to me about? If it’s important—”
“It’s…” She gave him a quick smile. She couldn’t lie. It was important. “You don’t seem like you’re in the best of moods. Tomorrow might be better.”
“I’m in a fine mood.” He smiled as if to prove it. “What’s going on? Is it something bad?”
“No, nothing like that.” She inched closer to the desk. Apparently, this talk was happening after all. She took a breath, organizing her words. “I…I wanted to propose something to you.”
He turned his chair to face her.
Why was she nervous? She lifted her chin, doing her best to find her stiff upper lip. “Having Kyle and Ruthie here has created some extra work. I’m not complaining, mind you. I love having Kyle home and the addition of Ruthie, well…” Joyce smiled. “She’s an angel and that’s all there is to be said about that.”
Mitch nodded. “She is. And I know it’s been more work.” He sighed. “I don’t see that changing.”
“Neither do I. In fact, I expect the messes to get bigger as Ruthie grows. It’s just a fact of life.”
“And you want a raise.”
Joyce frowned. Was that what he thought? “No, that’s not what I was thinking at all. You just gave me a pay rise.”
“Oh? What then?”
“Well, what I’d really like is a little extra help. Just a few days a week. Someone who could function as a nanny, really. Look after Ruthie, do her laundry, things like that. I’m only one person, after all. If Kyle’s going to be writing, which it seems he is, the extra help will benefit him, too.”
Mitch’s eyes narrowed as if in thought. “That’s not a bad idea. Kyle will be occupied, especially if he gets a contract. Which I think he will. But finding someone who’s reliable and trustworthy and not going to gossip about anything she might overhear or—”
“I have someone in mind.” Joyce’s heart was pounding. The only explanation for that was how important this was to her. How much she wanted to keep her sister here. She wiped her hands on her apron.
“You do?” His brows rose. “You seem pretty sure about this.”
“I am. It’s something I’ve been thinking about.”
“Who is it?”
Joyce swallowed. This was it. “Beryl.”
His brows went up again. “She’s a great choice, I’d love to have her. But is she good with this? With staying? That’s a big decision.”
Joyce nodded. “She’s good with the job and with staying. She wants to. I know she’d love a job looking after Ruthie. It would also be a huge help to me. I don’t like admitting it, but I’m not getting any younger.”
“None of us are.” Mitch twirled a pen through his fingers. “Where would she live? With you? The guest house isn’t very large.”
“It’s plenty of room for us. We can be perfectly happy there. She’ll have to go back to Devon to tidy things up, possibly ship a few things over, but that won’t take too long.”
“And you just think you need part-time help? That would be enough?”
Joyce nodded. “Yes. She could easily do three to five days a week as needed. That would be a tremendous help. More days than that and I’d have to talk to her about it. Would that be enough for Kyle to get work done?”
“I’m sure it would be. I’ll pay her for as many days as she works. And I’ll base the pay on your salary, if that’s all right with you. And if it turns out more days are required, we’ll make the necessary adjustments so that it works for everyone. How does that sound?”
Joyce wanted to smile but didn’t. It felt like giving too much away. She hadn’t expected Mitch to offer that much. It was more than fair. Beryl would be thrilled. She’d feel like a queen. More importantly, she’d feel useful again. “It sounds wonderful. She’ll need to apply for an extended work visa, but that shouldn’t be any bother. Thank you.”
“Thank you.” Mitch smiled. “I was just thinking about how we were going to miss Beryl when she went home. She’s already been such a help. Knowing she’s going to stay just feels like a perfect solution.”
Joyce did smile then. “I think so, too. She’s very good with Ruthie.”
“She’s fantastic with Ruthie.” Mitch’s eyes narrowed. “She’ll still bake for us once in a while, won’t she?”
Joyce laughed. “Oh, yes. You don’t have to worry about that.”
Mitch stood. “Maybe she can even teach Ruthie how to bake someday.”
“Wouldn’t that be something.” Joyce folded her hands together, as pleased as punch at how things had gone.
“It’s not going to be cheap for Beryl to send things to the States. I’d be happy to give her a little signing bonus, as it were, to help out.”
The man was too kind. But Joyce had money saved up. She’d help her sister with whatever bills there were. “She’ll be all right, I think. Very kind of you to offer, though.”
“Just let me know.”
Joyce gave a little nod. “I should let you get back to work. Thanks again.”
She made her way out, closing his office door behind her. She could barely contain her excitement.
Beryl straightened, having just put her cakes in the oven. She squinted at Joyce. “What was that all about?”
“You coming to work here. Three to five days a week as needed. Your salary will be based on mine, so it’ll be plenty for you to live on. Your main duties will be looking after Ruthie and her needs.” Joyce exhaled. “You’re still wanting to stay, aren’t you?”
Beryl’s lips parted and she blinked without saying anything for a few seconds. “Blimey.”
“Is that a yes?”
Beryl grinned and pressed her hand to her throat, eyes a little damp with emotion. “I’m moving to America. To live with my sister. Of course it’s a yes.”