Read Traitor, Book 1 of The Turner Chronicles Page 15
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Cathy was in a snit when Aaron returned to the store. Billy Haig had tried to make off with four books and a jar of peaches. He dismissed her protests, saying Aaron was more likely to believe the word of a full grown adult man like himself than a wee little snip of a girl who was no better than she ought to be. After giving her an insulting chuck under the chin, he started to slip the books under his shirt, at which time Cathy took the discussion from the verbal to the physical. Hauling back her leg, she kneed him in the crotch as hard as she could. While he was bent over she informed him that his thieving was NOT going to take place in THIS store, and he had best get busy doing the work he was being paid to do once he picked himself up off the floor.
Aaron only found out about these events later. All he knew was that Billy was busy finishing the opening between the two rooms when Aaron returned from the inn. Cathy stood nearby, her eyes fastened darkly on Haig. If asked, Aaron would have sworn he saw storm clouds swirling above her head. She watched Haig work until the job was finished, leaving her station only to wait on customers, and then she shot Aaron an unforgiving glare when he gave Haig a small bonus for finishing the job ahead of time. After Billy left she told Aaron of the incident, but by that time it was too late. Billy was gone with the money.
Just before closing, he went to the Traveler's Rest and escorted Flo to the bank where they transferred a title and signed papers that turned Aaron into an innkeeper. Mister Doland swore himself to secrecy and took seven copper for a transaction fee.
Back at the store, Aaron was momentarily surprised to see Jorrin entering the sitting room, but then he remembered his offer to Missy. He looked in on them a couple times, but the sight of giant, muscled Jorrin listening attentively to the child was more than he could take without laughing so he spent the early evening going through his catalogs and filling out orders for the inn. Tomorrow he would send somebody on horse to Burnridge. From there the order would be shipped by stage until it caught up to Bronson. In just a tad over three weeks Aaron would receive his supplies.
When Missy finally finished teaching Jorrin for the evening, Aaron found himself sympathizing with the pain behind the hairy man's eyes. This type of work was entirely foreign to the smith. From all appearances Missy felt like she had just been through a major battle herself. She had a desperate, haunted look in her eyes.
Jorrin provided Aaron with a surprise. Without saying a word, he reached into a sack he had carried over and brought out a chessboard. Apparently Missy had heard Aaron muttering about needing one so Jorrin gifted him with his set for the use of the room. The board was old and chipped, but it was serviceable and the two of them immediately sat down for a bout. Jorrin was a horrible player. His lack of skill and strategy was offset by Aaron's inexperience so they had a wonderful match. Sometime during the third game Cathy showed up with dinner. Fascinated, she sat down and watched them play. This led to her playing Jorrin while Aaron showed her the moves and a few simple combinations. Before she was finished Cathy had played the two of them several games each. She beat Aaron two games in a row.
Defeated, Aaron leaned back in his chair and felt disgusted by his performance.
"I've always been a quick study," she bragged. "I bet I'll win three out of four before two weeks go by."
"No bet," Aaron told her. "I never have been much good at this game. Why don't you bet Jorrin?"
"Mister Bran?"
"I think not," Jorrin replied. "The Mistresses, they would hang me by my tripes if they thought I was taking advantage of you. They'll be meaner yet if I let a little snip of a thing beat up on me regular."
"Well if that isn't something. A person would think that two grown men would be a little less frightened of a little girl." Planting both her hands on her hips, Cathy stamped her foot. She was such the perfect picture of false pique that Aaron had no choice but to laugh. He was not alone. Jorrin's base deep laughter roared right along with his own.
"Well it isn't fair," Cathy complained. "How is a gal supposed to improve herself if she can't find a victim--um--opponent? Maybe I should go knock on doors and try throwing myself on the mercy of kind strangers."
"Well now, I don't know about that," Jorrin ruminated. "As best I recall there ain't no strangers in town who happen to have doors you can knock on." He scratched his head in seeming perplexity. "Still and all, I suppose I had best do the right thing and take my whipping like a man. All right girl, go ahead and set them up again. This time I'm showing you no mercy."
Cackling, Cathy pounced on the board. Twenty minutes later she pushed her chair back with a glum expression on her face.
"You," she said emphatically, "have been toying with me."
"Maybe just a little bit," Jorrin admitted. "I ain't all that good, but you did just learn tonight. I'd have to be an imbecile to lose to you honest on your first night of playing."
Aaron hummed a little tune beneath his breath. Evidently, he now knew what classification his intelligence fell under.
Watching them battle out another game, he felt content. This unintended game night was a good thing. There really was not all that much for people to do here in the evening. Maybe this would be a way to draw them into the inn. Perhaps he could set up a game room. Would that be enough to turn a decent profit? No, probably it would not be enough for a building that size. How many people were there who would pay a fee to play chess anyway? No, there was no need to be a fool about any of this. He would go with the ideas he had already played with. Flo could advise him if he ran into any hitches.
Turning his eyes back to the game, he was just in time to see Jorrin checkmated. It was possible that he was wrong, but Aaron was willing to bet from the expression on Jorrin's face that the smith had not given that game away. Maybe there were two imbeciles in the room after all.