Page 54 of The Number of Love
A glance through the peephole, however, made his brows rise. It wasn’t the doctor. He opened the door with a smile that he knew held a question within it. “Red. Good morning.”
Redvers Holmes offered a smile more sheepish than confident. “Sorry to drop by unannounced, Elton.”
“No trouble at all—I’ve certainly got time enough on my hands for a visit. Won’t you come in?” He stepped aside, holding the door wide. He’d been more than a little surprised on Monday when Red had escorted Dot home, but he’d been happy enough to renew their acquaintance.
“Thank you.” Red swiped his cap off his head as he entered. He walked slowly, but the oddity in his gait from the prosthetic was barely noticeable at that pace.
Drake could still barely keep up. “Sit down, please. Make yourself comfortable. Would you like some tea?”
“No, no, don’t go to any trouble on my account.” He darted a glance at the kitchen, however, in a way that said he’dlikea cup, just didn’t want toaskfor one.
Drake turned into the room with its still-warm kettle. He put it back on the stove to heat and spoke across the half wall separating the kitchen and living area—an arrangement that had probably horrified Dot when she first saw it. No maid, no cook, and not even a decent wall to separate the kitchen from the more formal part of the flat. “No trouble at all. I insist.”
He kept his tone casual, but his intent wasn’t. He’d tried to sound Red out the other day on where he was living now, what he was doing, but the fellow had been vague in all his answers, and it would have been rude to press. He had a feeling the truth wasn’t very rosy. All the questions he’d asked himself about his old acquaintance kept delivering up the same answers: he was hungry and cold and in need, but too proud to admit it.
Well, a friend knew to give whether it was asked or not. He’d make sure to serve him a sandwich before he left too. “What a pleasant surprise it was for Dot to run into you the other day. I didn’t quite catch the story of how your paths crossed.”
“Oh.” Red chose the chair that would face both where he stood in the kitchen and the sofa. “Thanks to Miss De Wilde. She’d ... hired me to do a bit of sleuthing for her.”
Drake measured a spoonful of tea into the teapot. “Are you an investigator now?”
“No. Not that I’d be opposed to such work. Or any work. I...” He broke off with a stumbling chuckle. “Sorry, old boy, this is blazing awkward. I was actually wondering—that is, I know the war hit your shipping company hard, but if you’ve any positions...”
Drake’s heart sank. “Not here in England, I’m afraid. I sent the few ships we had left to join my grandfather’s fleet in Spain until the war is over. Those blasted U-boats, you see.” He poured some steaming tea into a cup. “Wish I had better news for you. But with all our crewmen either down with the ships or joining the navy, there wasn’t much choice. Didn’t make sense to keep the offices open either. Once the war’s over, Abuelo and I plan to relocate half of everything back to London, but in the meantime...”
In the meantime, he had no job to offer Redvers Holmes. Would that he had. But there would besomethinghe could do to help. There was always something. He had only to ask the right question.
Red sighed. “Assumed as much, but I thought I’d ask. Work’s rather hard to find when a chap only knows physical labor and can’t do it anymore.”
“You have some education though, don’t you? I know you and Nelson were chums—from school, I’d assumed.” With the shortage of men in London right now, he ought to be able to find a job in an office somewhere.
Red’s cheeks flushed to match his name. “I was never much good with letters and figures. They tend to, well, jump around on me. But I’ve a good memory. And my hands aren’t impaired, and I’ve always been good withthem, much to the dismay of my father, who alwaysclaimed the Holmeses were better than that.” He snorted. “Glad he can’t see what’s become of us now.”
The question had yielded an answer, anyway. Education might lend a bit of pedigree, but it didn’t guarantee a position if one couldn’t put it to use. Something else, then. Drake picked up the cup and saucer and made his slow way toward the sitting area. “I’d offer you sugar, but Dot has forbidden me on pain of death from touching her stash before the dinner party this weekend.”
“I never take any, regardless.” His smile flashed bright. Then faded. Red took the cup when Drake eventually reached him with it.
Drake sat with awhooshof breath and a wince. “I’ll be happy to put out some inquiries for you, Red. As you can see, the war has indeed hit us hard.” He waved to the small flat—a far cry from the house the Eltons had once called home. “But some of Father’s old friends have fared better. One of them may be in need of a trustworthy worker—I can certainly vouch for you.”
“I would appreciate that. Thank you.” Red stared into the cup. “Sorry, Drake, I hate to have to ask. But every door I’ve knocked on has been shut in my face when they see me limping on this blasted foot.” He scowled at the tea, then seemed to realize it would better serve a different purpose and sipped at it. “I’ve half a mind to remake the thing. Would if I could get any parts. If I can eliminate the limp—”
“Well now. That’s something I can probably help you with.” He motioned to the small table between them, which Dot had stocked with what she thought he might need to work, including paper and pens. “Write down anything you might need. And you’re welcome to do the work here, if you’d like. I believe there’s a set of tools.”
His friend’s eyes lit. Then faded, like his smile had. “Thank you. Of course, I can’t impose on your hospitality for the length of time it would require to—”
“Nonsense. I’d be grateful for the company. Much as I love my sister, we do bore each other after a while.” He smiled. “Seriously, Red. You could come by every day, and I’d be nothing but grateful for the change of pace. I don’t do well with convalescence, it seems.”
Red took another sip of his tea. “If you’re certain...”
“Very certain. All my other friends are deployed, as you can imagine.” Or facing court-martial. Or gone forever, like Nelson.
Red must have heard the unspoken additions. His nod was the sort of slow that came with the burden of too many brothers lost. “It seems the blokes still in the city aren’t the ones I’d ever run with. Even when I could run.”
Drake nodded and glanced at the clock. The doctor would be coming any minute, and he was likely to scare Red off. “You can certainly run better than I can just now. I say, I don’t suppose you’d feel up to a few errands for me? Just around the corner? If it’s too much, please don’t hesitate to—”
“It would be my pleasure. Walking is no trouble for me at all anymore, I assure you. After six months on this thing, I like to think I’ve mastered it.” He sat up straighter. “Do you have a list?”
“I’ll make one while you finish your tea. My physician will likely stop by while you’re out, but then we can have lunch, if you agree. I do hate eating alone day after day.”
