It wasn’t so grand in size a building as it had a feel about it that sent a glow of warmth through Gwen as she first entered. Mostly brick on the outside, it was polished wood upon its floors and had a spiraling staircase at its center. Within all that were bookcases that on the second level climbed almost as high as the ceiling, and on the first still required a good stepladder to reach the top shelf. The issue was that they were all empty and there was yet to be any furniture to sit upon.
Gwen turned backward after her perusal, asking Arthur, “A bookstore?”
Now wearing a chestnut colored wool coat, Arthur nodded. “Yes. My mother stated in her diary that her plan was to open it up after her first book was published. She had my father’s support. He bought the place for her. She wanted to bring in a table where she could sign copies. And remember those magical statues in her room? The knights, dragons, and such? She wanted to spread them throughout the place.”
“What happened?” Gwen asked.
Arthur sadly shook his head. “It was all forgotten after the beginnings of the war and soon my father’s death, her illness so deeply affecting her then, playing havoc with her mind. The rest of her diary is just mad ramblings Guinevere.”
He was holding onto it with shaking hands. They were trembling so frightfully that Gwen walked to him and held onto them gently, feeling how the shaking slowly started to fade as she kept up her steadying grasp.
“I’m sorry Arthur.”
“No doubt you’ve seen hard days too.” He told her steadily.
Gwen looked at him questioningly.
“What is wrong with your sister, Guinevere?”
She moved back from him.
“I’m not trying to pry.”
“No.” She fidgeted. “It’s just…” Gwen kept her eyes down. “I’m doing all I can. I don’t like to talk about it, because it brings on people’s sympathies. And that’s now what I need. Nor my sister. She is still happy. She is still very much alright.”
Arthur stepped forward. Gently, he rubbed her fingers. “I know that you’re doing all you can to take care of her, even working a second job. Do I not pay you well enough?”
Now Gwen lifted her head, shaking her head vigorously. “Oh no Mr-
His look was disapproving so she amended softly with, “No, Arthur. You pay me very well. All your employees. It’s just my sister’s needs are very great right now. She requires medicine at regular intervals and not even what you so graciously pay is enough. That’s all.”
“So you work a job that keeps you in the downtown area hours beyond morning?” Arthur asked with concern etching his brows.
Gwen nodded. “It’s added finances. And Gwaine is a good man, so is Percival the man at the door. They keep everyone working there safe, and Gwaine pays fairly. Tips sometimes are very good too. It assists me in helping my sister and brother.”
Arthur’s hands had still yet to let go of Gwen’s fingers as he asked her, “What if you didn’t have to work there though? What is something else came up, where you could work in the daytime hours so you could be home at night with your siblings? Wouldn’t that be better Guinevere? It could even be arranged that you received a ride home every night. I’d see to it personally.”
Gwen stared at him. “Whatever do you mean, Arthur?”
He gestured around them with a steadily growing smile. “This. All of this Guinevere. I can’t do it alone. I have Gaius to assist with the financing of it and Leon is like my second hand at the steamship yard. He’ll keep all that in order. But I still need someone to help me fulfill my mother’s dream, someone with a good eye for things. Your house has all the warmth a home should have. A bookstore should be more than just a selling establishment. It has to invite people in with its décor and it’s greeting friendly face. That’s where I want you to help me. I promise the pay will be good, better I dare say than you get being a barmaid. I’ll just need you to quit that job as soon as possible.
Part VI: Partnership
It wasn’t so grand in size a building as it had a feel about it that sent a glow of warmth through Gwen as she first entered. Mostly brick on the outside, it was polished wood upon its floors and had a spiraling staircase at its center. Within all that were bookcases that on the second level climbed almost as high as the ceiling, and on the first still required a good stepladder to reach the top shelf. The issue was that they were all empty and there was yet to be any furniture to sit upon.
Gwen turned backward after her perusal, asking Arthur, “A bookstore?”
Now wearing a chestnut colored wool coat, Arthur nodded. “Yes. My mother stated in her diary that her plan was to open it up after her first book was published. She had my father’s support. He bought the place for her. She wanted to bring in a table where she could sign copies. And remember those magical statues in her room? The knights, dragons, and such? She wanted to spread them throughout the place.”
“What happened?” Gwen asked.
Arthur sadly shook his head. “It was all forgotten after the beginnings of the war and soon my father’s death, her illness so deeply affecting her then, playing havoc with her mind. The rest of her diary is just mad ramblings Guinevere.”
He was holding onto it with shaking hands. They were trembling so frightfully that Gwen walked to him and held onto them gently, feeling how the shaking slowly started to fade as she kept up her steadying grasp.
“I’m sorry Arthur.”
“No doubt you’ve seen hard days too.” He told her steadily.
Gwen looked at him questioningly.
“What is wrong with your sister, Guinevere?”
She moved back from him.
“I’m not trying to pry.”
“No.” She fidgeted. “It’s just…” Gwen kept her eyes down. “I’m doing all I can. I don’t like to talk about it, because it brings on people’s sympathies. And that’s now what I need. Nor my sister. She is still happy. She is still very much alright.”
Arthur stepped forward. Gently, he rubbed her fingers. “I know that you’re doing all you can to take care of her, even working a second job. Do I not pay you well enough?”
Now Gwen lifted her head, shaking her head vigorously. “Oh no Mr-
His look was disapproving so she amended softly with, “No, Arthur. You pay me very well. All your employees. It’s just my sister’s needs are very great right now. She requires medicine at regular intervals and not even what you so graciously pay is enough. That’s all.”
“So you work a job that keeps you in the downtown area hours beyond morning?” Arthur asked with concern etching his brows.
Gwen nodded. “It’s added finances. And Gwaine is a good man, so is Percival the man at the door. They keep everyone working there safe, and Gwaine pays fairly. Tips sometimes are very good too. It assists me in helping my sister and brother.”
Arthur’s hands had still yet to let go of Gwen’s fingers as he asked her, “What if you didn’t have to work there though? What is something else came up, where you could work in the daytime hours so you could be home at night with your siblings? Wouldn’t that be better Guinevere? It could even be arranged that you received a ride home every night. I’d see to it personally.”
Gwen stared at him. “Whatever do you mean, Arthur?”
He gestured around them with a steadily growing smile. “This. All of this Guinevere. I can’t do it alone. I have Gaius to assist with the financing of it and Leon is like my second hand at the steamship yard. He’ll keep all that in order. But I still need someone to help me fulfill my mother’s dream, someone with a good eye for things. Your house has all the warmth a home should have. A bookstore should be more than just a selling establishment. It has to invite people in with its décor and it’s greeting friendly face. That’s where I want you to help me. I promise the pay will be good, better I dare say than you get being a barmaid. I’ll just need you to quit that job as soon as possible.
Reply
Leave a comment