by Zina Abbott
Bennett arrived on the scene in time to see Mrs. Shumaker place her hand in Delphinia’s and to witness Delphinia cover it with her other hand. “I’m Miss Brown. It’s so nice to meet you.”
Bennett rolled his eyes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Brown. You must call me Winifred.”
“Thank you, Winifred. Please call me Sarah.”
“How long have you worked here, Sarah?”
“I’m not actually an employee. I’m here as a consultant.”
Bennett canted his head and raised an eyebrow.
Consultant?
He had never asked her to act as a consultant. He had never asked her to be in his store at all. To add insult to injury, he had allowed Miss Brown to order him around as far as cleaning up his building, which he knew he needed to do anyway, and telling him how to organize his furniture pieces. He had escorted her at night across the river and back without her offering any explanation why she felt the need to meet with one of the miners and his wife, and he had put up with her last-minute changes to the furniture arrangement. Then he had tolerated her instructions on how he should dress. After all that, not once had she ever invited him to address her by her given name.
Pleased, Mrs. Shumaker sucked in her breath. “How nice of Mr. Nighy to think of asking you to be here. Of course, it is obvious from your gown, which I admired as soon as I caught sight of you, that you come from a background where you understand what is tasteful and stylish. It is a pleasure to have someone like you to guide me.” Winifred turned to the bedroom setup. “I love how this is set up. I can just see how it would look in our bedroom.” She turned to her husband. “Can’t you, dear?”
Gerald patted his wife’s shoulder as he cajoled. “Now, Winifred, we came here to look at a new dining set, not bedroom furniture.”
“Oh, I know, but it is so lovely. Although, I do prefer the golden walnut to oak, don’t you, dear?”
“I will defer to your unerring tastes, my love. Now, shall we move on to what we came to see? It appears he has a dining set right over here.”
Delphinia made a sweeping motion with her palm. “Right this way.”
The group moved to view the dining set.
Winifred clasped her hands with delight. “Oh, how beautiful! And I love how the table scarf and flowers add such a special touch. Of course, we have just redone our dining room in greens and golds, which is why I am interested in the golden walnut. Do you have a set in that finish?”
“Delphinia stepped forward before Bennett could speak. “Not a complete set. Right now, the dark walnut is what we have to show one of the styles available for the china cabinet and sideboard. Of course, Mr. Nighy can certainly custom make a set in golden walnut for you. It may take a few weeks, but the advantage is you may choose your favorite pattern for the trim.”
“Oh, yes! That sounds like it would work out well. We won’t be in need of it until Thanksgiving, will we, dear?”
Gerald rocked back and forth heel to toe. “No I don’t believe so. With winter weather getting ready to set in, we won’t be entertaining many business associates from Denver or beyond probably until next spring. How much will a custom-made set with the same number of pieces as this cost me, Ben?”
Bennett cleared his throat, feeling like a schoolboy who had finally been given permission to speak. “I’ll have to work up an estimate for you, Gerald. I can have it to you by…” The sight of Delphinia mouthing “Tuesday” distracted Bennett. He pushed down his annoyance. Did she think he was daft? She had already suggested—dictated, actually—what day he could provide the quote. “Tuesday, Gerald. I’ll bring it by the house Tuesday, unless you’d like me to stop by the bank with it instead.”
“Tuesday at the bank will be best. I’ll take it home and talk it over with Mrs. Shumaker and get back to you.” Gerald Shumaker turned to Delphinia. “And of course, Miss Brown, you are welcome to stop by the bank and ask for me personally if I can be of assistance to you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Shumaker. Perhaps I will.”
When pigs fly. Not as long as you have an assistant manager from New York working for you.
Before Bennett could shake the banker’s hand and call it a business transaction, Delphinia’s voice captured everyone’s attention. “Winifred, would you like to see an example of Mr. Nighy’s work in golden walnut? I believe I saw a small curio cabinet on the other side of the bedroom set.”
“Oh, yes, I’d love to see it.”
Delphinia led the group over to where she recalled having seen the curio cabinet. “It is such a versatile piece of furniture that will go well in so many places in a home. The nice thing is it helps keep the dust away from your collectables. It also shows you one of the scroll designs Mr. Nighy uses on his furniture.”
Winifred interlocked her fingers and brought them to her lips. She turned to her husband. “Oh, Gerald, this would be perfect for that short wall in the dining room where you enter from the front foyer. Don’t you think so, dear? And the design is such it would probably blend well with whatever we decide on for the dining room set. I very much would like to have this piece. May we have it delivered this weekend?”
Gerald Shumaker sighed as he offered his wife an indulgent smile. “Of course, my dear. Perhaps it will get some of the…busyness off the top of the long table in the parlor.”
“Oh, thank you, Gerald. Now, if I only could come up with something to improve that dismal entry foyer we have.”
“What do you have in there now, Winifred?” All eyes turned again to Delphinia.
Winifred waved her hand. “Oh, it’s nothing fancy, I assure you. We have the usual bent wood coat rack, of course, and the ever-present umbrella stand. The bench painted dark brown was a quick purchase because we needed something when we first moved there. However, it makes that space so dark, and so uninviting.”
“Do you have windows to provide natural light?”
“Only two tall, narrow windows on either side of the door.”
Perhaps if you have not redone the walls recently, you can add a light gold wallpaper to complement what you have used in your dining room. When you are ready to redo it, I would suggest you use lighter wood in that area, either a light oak or a lighter shade of the golden walnut you have chosen for your dining room. A mirror would also help add light.” Delphinia turned to Bennett who had begun to feel he was nothing more than another accessory like the vase of flowers on the sideboard. “Mr. Nighy, do I recall correctly seeing a wall mirror framed in light oak? If so, would you mind bringing it over for us?”
“One moment.” As Bennett left to fetch the mirror, he tamped down resentment over Delphinia having taken over his furniture sales and reducing him to the position of being an errand boy. Then again, she was the force behind the bid for a large dining room set. And she did make the sale on the curio cabinet he had worried he might never find a buyer for unless he all but gave it away.
“Over here, Mr. Nighy. Stand so you are in front of the bed and hold the mirror at a ninety degree angle to the door.” Bennett bit back a retort as he traveled the extra dozen steps carrying the heavy mirror with the oak frame towards the front door.
“See how the mirror, even at an angle, catches some of the light? You might consider something like this when you redo your foyer. A narrow table for hats and bonnets under it would be tasteful, also. Of course, you want to stay with a lighter color wood, and replace your bench with one of the same light wood, perhaps a chest bench where guests can store their overshoes during wet weather.”
“What a marvelous idea. Don’t you think so, Gerald?”
“May I set the mirror down now, Miss Brown?”
“Yes. I believe we’re through with it. Thank you.”
Bennett let the heavy framed mirror slide through his hands until it rested on top of his boots. He quickly realized he would not want the weight of the piece bearing down on his toes for long.
“Do you already have your new draperies for you
r dining room, Winifred?”
“Yes, we had a man come up from Denver and install them two weeks ago.”
“On your foyer windows you may want to stay with gathered sheers to allow in the light. However, since the dining room is so close to the foyer and from your description the two rooms seem to flow one into each other, you may wish to obtain a length of the same fabric you used for your dining room draperies. If you go with a light wood chest bench to match the mirror frame for your foyer, an upholstered seat to match your draperies might add a nice touch.”
Delphinia watched Winifred look off into space, her forefinger tapping her lips in contemplation. She ignored Bennett who now stared at her with both eyebrows raised.
When Winifred spoke, she started slowly. “Yes, I think I would very much like that. I’ll send for two yards of the drapery fabric.” She turned to her husband. “Dear, the mirror, small table and bench can’t be that much more expensive than what we have already purchased. I’d like to have this mirror delivered with the curio cabinet. Mr. Nighy can add the figures for the other pieces to match this frame on his estimate. A bench at least five feet long, please. As soon as the fabric is delivered, I’ll bring it by.”
Gerald sighed in resignation. “If it will make you happy, I think we can manage that, my dear.” Then he offered her a teasing smile. “But I see I will need to be careful how often I take you furniture shopping so I don’t risk breaking the bank.”
“Don’t make me wait too long, dear. I do think I want to come back later for that bedroom set.”
Delphinia stood back while Gerald made arrangements for Bennett to come to the bank later to collect what was owed for the pieces he would deliver the next day. The four wished each other farewell as the Shumakers departed the store.
Once it was just Bennett and Delphinia in the building, the two stared at each other in silence for several seconds. Bennett spoke first. “Well done, Miss Brown. I’m impressed with your abilities. I’m not sure why you’ve gone to all this effort, but thank you.”
What could Delphinia say? She dare not admit she had done it because she had desperately felt the need to accomplish something using the intelligence she had been born with and the skills she had learned. As she faced an uncertain future, she desperately needed to reassure herself that she was worth more than a being a bargaining chip, an asset on her father’s balance sheet, or a stepladder for her mother’s social climbing. She needed to reassure herself she could be more than an arm ornament and brood mare for a man who preferred to spend his time and money from her dowry with his mistress. Instead of earning Bennett Nighy’s disgust by admitting her insecurities, she resorted to displaying her usual air of superiority she used as a shield for emotional self-preservation.
“My pleasure, Mr. Nighy. I always enjoy helping those in need. And your furniture really does belong in people’s homes rather than gathering dust in a warehouse. Now I suppose I better get these things that belong to Mrs. Howard back to the boarding house. I’m sure she has made the beds already and is wondering where the pillows and counterpane for mine disappeared to. I need to assure her I did not abscond with them permanently.” Delphinia walked past Bennett to gather up the pillows.
As she passed him, Bennett spoke. “There is just one problem with the deal you made with Mrs. Shumaker. I don’t do upholstered furniture.”
Delphinia stopped, arched her back—a very beautiful, graceful back, Bennett noted—and turned. She jutted her chin in his direction. “You do now.”
“I work with wood. I have never done upholstery and I see no need to start.”
“Mr. Nighy, if you ever wish to offer parlor sets rather than lose business to stores in Denver that do sell upholstered furnishings, you need start. If you don’t want to do that type of work yourself, hire someone else who knows how to do upholstery to do it for you. As for the bench she ordered…” Delphinia waved her hand dismissively. “I’m sure you can manage that. Use a little padding, fold over the fabric, and secure it in place with brass tacks. How hard can that be?”
The two glared at each other for several seconds before Delphinia’s eyes dropped to study the mirror still resting on the tops of Bennett’s toes. “Mr. Nighy, might I suggest you put that mirror back where you got it? Perhaps once you do, you can help me move the foot board so I can remove the counterpane without it falling to the floor, recently swept though it may be.”
Bennett gritted his teeth as he hefted the heavy mirror off his feet. He tentatively made his first step to verify that his toes had not gone numb and he still possessed the ability to walk. Once he felt reassured he was still mobile, he carried the mirror to its previous resting place. All the while in his mind he asked no one in particular what he had done to offend the universe to the point it had sent Miss Sarah Brown to disrupt his life.
All right. He must admit the woman had garnered extra sales that he probably would not have made on his own. Because of her insistence, he had won enough time to work up a decent bid for the dining room and foyer furnishings. He would bet money that Gerald Shumaker would buy everything for his wife, no matter the cost. And, with a little bit of luck, Miss Sarah Brown would decide she was finished having her fun tormenting him and would move on to someone else in town.
Bennett did his best to ignore her slender, but well-shaped form as she bent over to fold the counterpane after he moved the footboard off to one side. Once he realized she had started speaking again, he forced his attention off her bustle and back to her words.
“You may wish to purchase some bedding to keep on hand so you can replicate this display in the future, Mr. Nighy. Not a patchwork quilt, though. Save something like that for showcasing your pine. Choose something in a solid, neutral color.”
Bennett watched as Delphinia picked up the paisley shawl and draped it over her shoulder. It was then he realized that she had deliberately color-coordinated the outfit she wore with the display items she had brought.
“Mr. Nighy, if you can spare a few minutes, could you please help me carry this bedding back to the boarding house? It will save me a trip.”
Bennett sighed in resignation. He had been raised to be a gentleman. Under the circumstances, he needed to offer more than that. “It will be my pleasure, Miss Brown. Then if it is convenient, I would like to invite you to have dinner with me at the River Valley Inn restaurant to thank you for your help today.”
“That would be lovely, Mr. Nighy, and a nice break before we return here and get back to work.”
Bennett felt his jaw tighten once more. Get back to work? Her? Here? What on earth was this woman talking about? “There will be no need for you to return, Miss Brown. I have no further appointments to show furniture this afternoon. I can manage any customers that might stop by.”
With her chin once again jutted forward, Delphinia turned to face him, the bed pillows in one arm and glass vase with the silk roses in the hand belonging to the other. “I have not forgotten the disaster that is your business office, Mr. Nighy. Unless you want all my hard work undone, you have an estimate to prepare and deliver by Tuesday. Considering the current lack of organization of your financial records, I doubt you can accomplish that on time without help. We will begin to rectify the situation this afternoon.”
Shaking his head, Bennett wadded up the counterpane under one arm, followed her outside, locked the door behind him, and took long steps to keep up with Delphinia as she strode down the boardwalk. The woman was going to be the death of him yet.
.
.
.
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CHAPTER 15
~o0o~
After their dinner at the River Valley Inn restaurant, where by unspoken mutual agreement they talked about a variety of topics, none of them dealing with the Nighy Furniture Store, the two rose to leave.
“Mr. Nighy, I will stop by Howard Boarding House to freshen up before I meet you at your store. I assume the front door will be open. If it is locked, and I am not able to attract yo
ur attention, I will assume something is wrong and summon the sheriff for assistance.”
“In other words, Miss Brown, you have no intention of letting me get away with locking you out.”
Delphinia slowly turned her head to face him and blinked. “Whyever would you deliberately lock me out, Mr. Nighy? It is not every day one gets an offer of assistance without it being coupled with a request for payment. I would think you would welcome my help.”
Bennett bit back the first response that came to him. Instead, he focused his mind on the problem before him involving sorting through all the papers scattered about his office in order to find the information he needed to work up a solid bid for the banker. He offered Delphinia the crook of his arm. “I have no intention of locking you out, Miss Brown. If you don’t plan to be too long, I’ll wait for you at Howard’s, then escort you to my store.”
To Bennett’s surprise, the woman agreed. As soon as they stepped outside, he saw his companion shiver as a stiff breeze blew past them. The sky remained blue, but the feel of the air warned Bennett a storm might be making its way to Jubilee Springs. His attention was caught as a jerk on his arm prompted him to tighten his muscles and brace himself. Delphinia had tripped and lost her balance. He watched as she looked behind her to see the raised board that had caught her boot heel.
Delphinia turned forward and once again regained her composure. “My apologies, Mr. Nighy.”
“None needed. It is why I offered you my arm. However, if you wear your footwear with low heels, it probably would be safer, especially since winter weather is almost here. We have already had one snow storm this month, and I suspect another one is on its way. These boardwalks can get quite slippery when they’re wet or covered with a thin sheet of ice.”
“I’ll take your warning under advisement, but I’m sure I can manage with the boots I have on now. My low-heeled boots detract from my current wardrobe, so I choose to not wear them.”