Page 33 of The Time for Love
Julia smiled. “I have no idea, but clearly, we’ll need to be ready at eight—you know what she’s like about punctuality—and then, no doubt, we’ll see.”
Sophy wasn’t sure she wanted to learn what plans her grandmother was hatching for the evening, but sadly, she wasn’t going to have any choice.
* * *
Martin walked into the main office of Carmichael Steelworks at just past nine o’clock.
He’d already learned from his staff that there’d been no attempts to gain entry to the premises during the past night. Nevertheless, after exchanging good mornings with Mildred and Harvey, he inquired, “Have there been any accidents reported this morning?”
“No, thank heavens!” Harvey looked hugely relieved. “With any luck, those new locks will put a stop to such things.”
The door leading to Sophy’s office stood open, and Harvey turned as Sophy, having heard Martin’s voice, appeared.
She smiled at him, and Martin felt something in his chest swell.
“Good morning,” she said, still smiling. “And yes, changing the locks seems to have given our persecutors pause. All appears to be running smoothly. Hinckley and the subforemen came in early and checked over the equipment thoroughly before opening the gates. Thus far, nothing’s broken or stuck.”
“Good.” Martin hesitated, then confessed, “I have several staff with me, and at the moment, they have little to do. So I set them the task of keeping watch over the steelworks through the night. They reported that no one had tried to get in. Given that, there shouldn’t be any accidents today, but nevertheless, it’s comforting to know there haven’t been any thus far.”
Because that means that none of the workers were themselves involved in causing said accidents.
Sophy understood what Martin didn’t say and, sobering, tipped her head in acknowledgment. He was right, and it was reassuring to have that confirmed.
Indeed, she was sufficiently grateful for that reassurance to overlook his overstepping all reasonable bounds and putting a watch on the place without consulting her. At that moment, she had more pressing matters on her plate. She glanced at Harvey. “I’m going to the laboratory. I want to start work on the alloy for the new contract for Osborn.”
Harvey saluted. “Right, miss. We’ll hold the fort here.”
Smothering a smile, Sophy turned toward the door leading into the yard. She was fairly certain Martin would dog her heels, especially now that he knew she was off to create a new alloy.
Sure enough, he followed her.
She was almost at the door when it opened to reveal Oakshot. He stood in the doorway, blinking, then bobbed his head. “Miss Carmichael. I was wondering if I could have a word?”
Sophy stepped back and waved him into the office.
Oakshot came in and shut the door, but looked uncertain. He saw Martin and bobbed his head to him.
“What is it?” Sophy asked.
“Well, miss, I don’t rightly know whether this is any of my business, but I was wondering about us canceling our order for pig iron from Atlas. If we’re not going to be getting it from them, where should I expect the deliveries to come from?”
Sophy wondered if she’d heard aright. She frowned. “But…” She glanced at Harvey, who appeared as mystified as she, then looked back at Oakshot. “Why do you think we’ve canceled our order with Atlas?”
Oakshot looked confused. “Well, miss…becausetheythink we’ve canceled the order.”
“But we haven’t!” Sophy said.
Behind her, Martin shifted. “Perhaps, Oakshot, you could tell us what led you to think the order has been canceled.”
Oakshot’s expression cleared, and he readily explained, “I got chatting with the driver of the load that came off yesterday. While I was doing the paperwork with him, he said as how it was just his luck that the very last delivery he’d be making to us—the last time he’d be taking a laden dray around that corner—it wasthattime the load would come off. At first, I thought he meant he’d been let go, for some reason, but he’d only be in his forties, so that didn’t seem right. So yesterday evening down the pub, I got to thinking that maybe he’d meant the drivers were changing rosters, and as one of my mates works in the Atlas dispatch office, I asked him, quiet-like, what he’d heard about the delivery of Carmichael’s regular order, and he said they was all that surprised that you, miss, had canceled it.”
“I haven’t.” Sophy felt like she’d been clubbed over the head. Without the steady supply of pig iron, the furnaces and converters would have to be shut down...and steelmaking at Carmichael’s would stop. To start the furnaces up again would be hugely costly, both in time and money…
“Aargh! It’s another accident, just of a different type.” She focused on Oakshot. “Thank you, Oakshot. If you hadn’t checked with your friend and then come to tell me, it would be dark days for Carmichael’s.” She shot a glance at the clock. “I’ll go to the Atlas Works immediately and get this sorted out.” The new alloy could wait.
Determination welling, she nodded to Oakshot, spun on her heel, and stalked to her office. Passing Harvey, she said, “I’ll get this sorted out, but I’ll likely be several hours.”
“Yes, miss,” Harvey returned. “We’ll manage.”
