Lady Be Good by Duran Meredith

Author:Duran, Meredith [Duran, Meredith]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical
ISBN: 9781472222336
Publisher: Hachette UK
Published: 2015-07-27T14:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Not entirely awful.”

Not entirely awful! Had a more satisfying verdict ever been spoken? Hiding an amazed smile, Lilah began to replace the teacups into their crates. Her judge turned away to consider the rest of the dusty room. Tap-tap-tap went Miss Everleigh’s pencil against the notebook she carried.

“This will be our staging space,” she said, her voice echoing off the bare walls. “We’ll begin with the most breakable items—porcelain, crystal, all the delicate wares. You have the list still?”

“Right here, miss.” That she was entrusted with it seemed encouraging, too. Now that they had finished their canvass and begun the more detailed work of appraisal, Miss Everleigh’s temper had mellowed. Her mood, Lilah had observed, followed her work exactly; if it was proceeding at a satisfactory pace, she sometimes even managed a smile.

“Your job is simple enough,” Miss Everleigh said. Her attention fell to the vase Lilah was wrapping. “Careful, there. Don’t swaddle too tightly.”

“Yes, miss.” Lilah tucked the loose end of linen into the lip, then carefully placed it into a crate filled with wood shavings. That was the last of the hard-paste porcelain, for which she was thankful. Handling such valuable objects made her anxious of her grip.

Together they looked over the china still to be cataloged, a minefield of dishes littered across the floor. “You’ll take the English plate,” Miss Everleigh said. “Bone china only. I’ll start with the soft paste. Once you’ve labeled an item, you’ll write a brief description. Focus on distinctions that might increase a piece’s value—and imperfections that might lower it. For instance, that vase you just put away. What did you observe before wrapping it?”

“A small scratch in the glaze along the rim,” Lilah said instantly. “Barely noticeable.”

“Highly noticeable,” Miss Everleigh corrected, “to the clients who will be bidding on it. What else?”

Reluctantly, Lilah started to peel back the linen wrapping.

“No,” Miss Everleigh said. “From memory, if you please.”

Was this a test? Lilah hoped so. A test meant that Miss Everleigh saw a chance for her to prove herself. “The stones are agate and jade. The underglaze is very vibrant.”

“What color?”

“Red.”

“Red as a brick? Red as blood? Red as a rooster’s—”

“As copper,” Lilah said.

“Yes, precisely. It’s a classic example of Jihong porcelain.” Miss Everleigh eyed the crate. “One of two dozen in existence, if that.”

Lilah goggled. “And you let me wrap it?”

“Your hands seem steady.” She shrugged. “Keep your notes in plain language. The more florid descriptions are the job of the catalog editors. They know best how to stir the public’s interest.”

Breathless, Lilah waited. This was all very interesting information, nothing she’d ever learned as an Everleigh Girl.

But her instruction was over. “Proceed,” Miss Everleigh said, and gathered up a porcelain figure, carrying it to her seat at the table. With elegant economy, she turned the figurine with one hand, while with the other, she began to take notes.

Lilah turned to her own business. For the first few minutes, as she worked through the cups and saucers, she remained acutely aware of her employer’s scrutiny.

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