Mina was surprised. “Nye told you that?” For some reason, she had not thought Nye was the garrulous type.
“Oh aye. You needn’t look so shocked,” he chortled. “I knowed him since he were a boy, so I have.”
Mina frowned. “But I thought you said you only moved here ten years ago?”
She thought he blinked a moment, but then his ready smile returned. “Ah well, he were only a lad of eighteen or so then. To an old fellow such as myself, that’s nowt but a boy!”
She nodded, returning his smile. “You do not take your boat out today, Mr. Hopkirk?”
He shook his head. “Too windy,” he said. “My bones is too old to fight against the waves. I only takes her out now when it’s calm and balmy. I shall be mendin’ my nets this afternoon,” he said, glancing at the window. “My word, how the time has flown. I hope I’ve not bored you with my yarns, Mrs. Nye.”
“No, indeed! I very much enjoyed them, thank you.”
“No, don’t stand up,” he said getting to his feet. “I’ll not distract you any further.” He wandered over to the door and paused there a moment looking back at her. For an instant, Mina thought he would speak again, but he merely nodded and let himself out.
Edna appeared not long after with a fresh pasty for her lunch and more hot water for tea. She inspected the curtains and was most pleased to be told a pair was for her own bedroom window. “I can sew up the second pair, Mrs. Nye,” she protested. “Now you’ve put them all ready.”
“You’re very busy, Edna,” Mina reminded her. “And have plenty to be going on with already. I can sew yours up tomorrow. Besides, it never occurred to me, but do you have a curtain rod in your room already?” Edna shook her head, looking suddenly crestfallen. “It is of no matter,” Mina assured her. “I shall tell Nye to have one put up.”
Edna’s expression wavered. “I don’t know as—”
“I shall go and tell him directly,” Mina cut her off firmly. “Besides, I need to stretch my legs. I’ve been sat here unmoving all morning.”
“If I hadn’t made plans already, I could have spent my afternoon off sewing them up,” Enda said with regret.
“I quite forgot it’s your half-day,” Mina said. “I did want you to pick me up a few things from St Ives after all. That is, if you are still agreeable?”
“Of course!”
Mina stepped to the writing desk and hastily scrawled a list. Two bottles of scented lotion, two bars of scented soap, two stamps. The lotion and soaps were for Edna and Ivy so it was a shame she could not pick them up herself, but it was the thought that counted. The stamps were for herself. One to put on the letter she was writing Hannah and one for a spare.
“I shall run upstairs directly,” Mina said. “To fetch my money.”
“There’s no hurry,” Edna called after her. “There’s another hour till I meet the cart.”
Mina was already halfway up the stairs and she did not slow her step as she flew up the attic stairs to collect her half-sovereign. She burst into her bedroom without ceremony.
“Oh!” Nye stood on the threshold, though the other two men were nowhere in sight. Gazing past him she saw the new brass curtain rail fixed firmly into place. “Finished already?” she asked foolishly, but she felt rather discomforted finding him in her bedchamber like that.
“I am,” he said, fixing her with an intent look. “You?” He looked pointedly at her empty hands.
“They are taking shape. I have only to sew them up now which I will sit and do this afternoon.”
“I see.”
“In fact,” she said. “There was enough fabric to make two pairs of curtains. So, I have made a second pair for Edna. Her window faces the courtyard too,” she added and saw his eyes narrow. “So, I will need you to fix up a second curtain rod in her room also.”
“Is that so?”
She raised her chin. “It is, yes.”
“That what you ran up here to tell me?”
“Actually,” she said, walking past him and around the bed to reach the chest of drawers. “I have come to fetch my money. Edna is going into St Ives this afternoon and has kindly agreed to fetch me a few things.” She reached into the top drawer and withdrew a single navy stocking from the back of it. With little other choice, she shook it out under his eyes and pulled out the bundled-up handkerchief from the toe. This she unwrapped to reveal her gleaming half-sovereign.
“You’ll not be sending Edna to St Ives with that much, surely?” he asked with a frown in his voice.
“I don’t have anything else,” she admitted without thinking. “Can you change it for me?”
“Maybe.” He hesitated. “What did you need her to fetch?”
Mina bridled. “Personal items,” she said, drawing herself up. To her consternation, he walked toward her. Mina’s heartbeat picked up disturbingly when he came to a halt before her and plucked the list from her hand that she hadn’t realized she was still holding. She gasped indignantly as his eyes travelled unhurriedly over the list.
“Is that it?” he asked. “I’d have thought from your attitude it was a pair of drawers at the very least.”
“How dare you! No gentleman would ever mention—”
He scoffed. “I’m no gentleman, Mina. I would have thought a smart woman like yourself would have realized that by now.” He let his gaze rake over her. “I had no idea that fine ladies got through soap as fast as you do.” His eyes dwelt on her. “Nor lotion, but I guess that’s how you keep your skin so soft.”
To her embarrassment, Mina could feel the color creeping into her cheeks. How did he know how soft her skin was? She remembered how he had carried her in his arms the day before. Had he touched her skin? “As a matter of fact, it’s not for me,” she admitted. “But to repay Edna and Ivy’s kindnesses toward me.” His eyebrows rose at that. “Ivy used her own lotion on my cuts.”
His eyes flickered. “You don’t have any of your own?”
Mina shook her head. “I used the last of it the other night,” she admitted and even she could hear the note of sadness in her voice. Why was she talking so much? She suspected it was Nye’s fault as he did not talk enough and made her nervous. His proximity was extremely disquieting.
Nye frowned. “So, tell Edna to buy three lotions and three soaps.”
“I need to employ thrift,” she pointed out. “If my money is to last. Besides, I have two bars of soap already. I bought a lavender with me and Ivy gave me a rose.”
“Keep your half-sovereign,” he said brusquely. “I’ll speak to Edna.”
Mina was flustered. “What do you mean?”
“I have a few things to add to her list,” he said turning away. Impulsively, Mina reached out and caught his sleeve, he halted at once.
“But I want to buy them as a token of my thanks,” she insisted.
“They’ll still be from you,” he said harshly. “Do you think I’m in the habit of buying gifts for the maids here?”
She hurriedly withdrew her hand. Was he offended? “No, of course not, but—”