Read Traitor, Book 1 of The Turner Chronicles Page 6
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Rearranging things that did not need rearranging seemed to be Cathy's favorite pastime. Aaron entered the store to find the leather goods against a completely different wall, while the fruit now rested on a shelf near the window. Looking around, Aaron could see other changes. Why, he wondered, had she put the vegetables way in the back?
"How did it go?"
She started, jerked her head around, and stared at him. Her brown eyes looked enormous in her narrow face. Why had he never noticed that before? What he had taken for thin and fit was nothing more than hunger. Doyle and Missy were not so delicate looking. Did she give them her food?
"I've had three customers since you left. The bank clerk, Mister Banks, bought a full dozen of your magic writers. He said Mister Doland liked their neatness and the time they saved. Since there was no price on them I had to guess what you would charge only Mister Banks didn't like the price I set so we had to haggle until he agreed to pay two and a half gold ten for each writer. About an hour ago Mistress Averys bought two measures flour and a half measure sugar, and then a Mover came in and bought lemon drops."
"You did good," Aaron said absently. "I never managed to sell a writer for more than two gold. Uh--why are you doing a rearrange?"
"I hope you don't mind." Running her fingers through work dampened hair, Cathy gave him a weak grin. "I'm trying to make things look more appealing and to put basic necessary things in the back. That way people have to walk past the stuff they normally don't buy, and they might pick some of it up on a whim."
Aaron shook his head. "I never thought of that." He looked at the jars again. Streaming sunlight through the windows created a sparkling shimmer inside the thick syrup, highlighting the fruit in a rather mouth-watering way.
"Maybe it's a good idea," he confessed. "I never thought too much about where I set things. Generally, I just put stuff down wherever there was an empty space."
Her smile brightened. "I can move it all back if you like,"
"No," Aaron said. "Leave things where they are. I'll just have to learn where everything is again."
"Sure. Are you going to the dance?" With a lazy sigh, she stood erect and brushed her hands off on her clothes, canting her head to one side as she did so.
Aaron smiled. "Why do people keep asking me that? Do you think you can run an inventory? All you have to do is write down each item and how many of them there are." Suddenly, his face grew warm when an unwelcome thought struck him. "That is if you can write. There is no shame in not having an opportunity to learn."
"Oh no, sir. I mean yes, sir; I can read and write. Mama tutored the Manor children and some of the townspeople. Me and Missy are teaching Doyle."
"Good. Good," Aaron said uncomfortably. "I'll be in the back room if anything comes up.