what to do with myself. I thought I’d just drop by and . . . er . . . fold that washing I put on the pulley in the utility room yesterday. And I might as well iron it while I’m at it. While I’m in the kitchen I could mash a pot of tea. Would you like a cup, Miss Thomas?’
Cait smiled at her. ‘I know you’re really here because you’re worried about me, and I appreciate that. Yes, I’d like a cup of tea, Agnes, thank you.’
The old woman smiled back at her before she went off to mash the tea.
Cait stared thoughtfully after her. This turn of events had come about because of her own small display of consideration for Agnes last night. Agnes wanted to repay her by showing some back. Cait felt she now understood how friends were made. Suddenly she didn’t feel so alone any more. She had made her first friend.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
At mid-morning the following Monday, Glen was fighting to keep his concentration focused fully on the bags of coal being emptied down the chute into the boiler room, in an effort to stop himself from worrying over the outcome of Jan’s planned escapade tonight. He was desperate for its success, not relishing at all the prospect of a repeat performance should it fail. He didn’t think his nerves would stand that. He was going to have to be patient, though, as by his calculation it was going to be at least seven o’clock before Jan got back to the flat. And that was provided she didn’t face any setbacks during the operation. He was thankful that he had spotted a couple of job vacancies while he’d been out walking at the weekend. He was going to go straight after work tonight, not only because he really needed to find himself another job but because applying for them would help occupy some of the time, instead of pacing the flat, waiting for Jan to come home.
Meanwhile, upstairs in the office, Jane Trucker was telling Cait, ‘There’s many in the company that think themselves capable of running this place . . .’ She suddenly realised what she had inadvertently said and vehemently hoped that the young woman she was addressing didn’t see it as a jibe against her, as Jane hadn’t intended it to be. Thankfully there was no sign from her demeanour that she had and Jane hurriedly continued: ‘. . . but no one who could step into Mr Swinton’s shoes and carry on where he left off. Maybe Mr Harris the accounts manager, Mr Gerrard the foreman over at the main factory, and a couple of the other foremen have the skills between them to do the job, but I can just imagine what trouble that would cause, each of them fighting to be top dog. So that leaves us with the only other option of advertising for someone, though this near to Christmas and the job only being short-term, I can’t see us getting anyone.’
Cait thought about this for a moment before she replied, ‘But if that’s the only option then we have to give it a try. And in the meantime we struggle on the best we can.’
Jane Trucker nodded in agreement as she closed her notebook, picked up the bulky folder of letters that she had asked Cait to sign and said to her, ‘I’ll go back to my office and telephone the newspaper office. Our advertisement should go in tonight’s Mercury.’
Cait watched her as she began to make her way to the door, and frowned. She had been very mindful today to watch exactly what she said and how she said it, but regardless all through their meeting this morning Cait strongly sensed that Jane wasn’t quite sure yet that the young woman she was dealing with had indeed had a change of heart. It was apparent that the formidable secretary wasn’t going to be so easily won over as Agnes had proved to be.
Cait’s brain cranked up a gear, whirling frantically in her effort to decide what she could do to convince Jane there’d be no going back to her old ways. Something else Glen Trainer had told her gave Cait an idea. At busy times even the owner or manager will roll their sleeves up and get stuck in to help out. She was well aware the secretary was over-burdened with work, trying to cover much of what a manager would normally deal with. She