Page 16 of Hank and Elsie
Then, remembering she needed to get back to her new employer, she quickly used the toilet, washed her hands, and left the bathroom.
Miss Taylor awaited her in the hall. “I desperately need a nap. But first, let me show you the shop in more detail. Then, if you don’t mind working on the Sabbath, I have some hand sewing you can do while I sleep. That is if you don’t need to rest.”
Elsie was so full of energy, she could barely sit still. “Oh, no, Miss Taylor. I won’t mind working at all.”
“Let’s go to the shop, then.” The dressmaker paused at the door. “No need to lock up since I’ll lock the main doors downstairs and no one else is here.”
Locking the door wouldn’t have occurred to Elsie.I have a lot to learn about living in town.
Near the doorway hung a pegboard with three pegs, and a carved and painted flower on each side holding brass keys. “This was my housewarming gift from Pepe and Lucia Sanchez. Do you know them? They work for my father. They didsomuch to help me get ready to open. There’s another one like this in the back room of the shop.”
Elsie knew Pepe, of course. The man worked at the livery and his wide, cheerful smile always welcomed her family to town. But she hadn’t met Lucia.
Miss Taylor didn’t wait for an answer, touching the first set of keys. “This one is for the shop and the outer door downstairs.” She brushed over the second one. “This is for my…ourapartment.” She tapped the third key. “This is for the bathroom. I don’t usually lock the door while the business is open in case a customer needs to use it. I’ll have to ask Mr. Gordon for a second set of keys for you. Just make sure you always replace them as soon as you come inside. There’s nothing worse than being in a hurry and having to search all over for the keys.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Miss Taylor picked up the ring of shop and front door keys and spread them on her palm. “See the differences?”
Elsie leaned to study them before touching one. “This one is thicker here.”
“That’s for the front door.” She smiled. “You’re probably not used to locking doors.”
“No, ma’am.” Elsie took the keys, holding tightly to the one Miss Taylor had selected. “In our house, we can bar our door from the inside, but that’s about it.”
“Might as well practice.” She ushered Elsie out and shut the door. “Go down to the first floor and after insertion in the lock, turn the key to the left.”
Ahead of her employer, Elsie started down the stairs.
“And, Elsie,” Miss Taylor called after her. “Calling mema’ammakes me feel old. Constance will do.”
Stopping, Elsie pivoted and wobbled, grabbing the railing for balance. “Oh, no. I couldn’t be so bold.”
“How about we compromise at Miss Constance unless we are in public when you address me as Miss Taylor?”
“Yes, ma’—uh, Miss Constance.” At the big door, she hesitated, looking at the keyhole. The Smithsons’ home had a proper knob and lock. She’d once seen Mrs. Smithson use a key.I can do this.
Gingerly, Elsie poked the key into the lock as far as it would go. She turned the key to the left, and, when nothing happened, she jiggled it a bit.Still nothing.She tried again. With a click, the key moved.
Elsie let out a sigh of relief. She hadn’t even realized she’d been holding her breath. To be sure, she turned the doorknob, relieved when it didn’t budge, and shifted toward Miss Taylor, who patiently waited in the hallway behind her.
The dressmaker nodded in approval. “Now you have it.” She tilted her head toward the shop door and went inside.
Elsie followed, feeling like a fluffy duckling paddling after her mama duck in unfamiliar waters. She still wanted to examine andsavoreverything in the shop and promised herself she’d do so in the future.
Miss Taylor—so she’d continue to respectfully think of her employer, even as she addressed the dressmaker asMiss Constance—led Elsie toward the back of the room, and then through the closed door into a second space. She gestured to a screened corner. “Dressing area. The other screen hides odds and ends.” She tapped a long table. “For measuring and cutting fabric.”
Elsie touched the measuring stick lining the side of the table. Another ran across the foot. “How clever.” She looked around noting the sewing machine sitting near the window, a comfortable chair next to it. A large clock ticked on the wall. She could imagine sitting in the chair when doing handwork.
“You have another sewing machine!” Elsie said reverently.One was only a dream. But two!
Miss Taylor walked over and spun the wheel. “This was my Aunt Hannah’s. She was a dressmaker, too, and brought me up in the trade. Have you used a sewing machine before?”
“We don’t have one. But our neighbor Mrs. Smithson does. When one of her daughtersanda daughter-in-law were…”Elsie hesitated, knowing that there were ladylike rules around discussing unborn babies—ridiculous rules to her mind about something so natural.
“Enceinte?” Miss Taylor guessed. “Expecting?”
“Yes! But what is that word?”
