Chapter Four

I thought that I had best look in on the trio in the taproom. I suspected that if Barkis, himself, came home from his carting job and found Clara in a less than stable condition, he might be upset. Then life around the Black Lion would be tense for several days. Barkis is an easygoing man, but he is concerned about Clara’s tendency to indulge. Blathers quite often is a source of temptation for her. I certainly would not like to see our landlord upset to the extent he would terminate our tenancy at the inn. Now I hoped Alice was not going to turn out to be someone who added to the problem. Based on the singing, I was sure it was a good thing Jane was back on duty.

I hurried down the narrow stairway. There was a board on one step that was more warped, worn, and wiggly than the others. As I stepped on it, it moved, and I lost my balance. The only thing that kept me from tumbling down the remaining stairs was the narrowness of the stairwell itself. I bounced off the opposite wall and landed in a most ungainly position on the next step. The plank that caused my fall tore loose. Being a man of action and being unwilling to have the others find me in this situation, I removed my shoe and pounded the plank back into position. I then rose from the floor, dusted off my breeches, and proceeded to the taproom. “I wonder if any of you are in any condition to assist me in getting to the bottom of this coded message.”

The three faces, all a little flushed by this time, stared at me. Blathers said, “We was just about ta come up and see if we could a helped ya, but then we hears this great racket on the stairs, and we thinks ya must has been drinkin’ sompthin’ up there yourself.”

Alice said, “That we was.” She put down her glass. “But I think I should go home now. Blathers, will you see me to a hansom?”

Clara said, “I must see to the preparations for dinner.”

They left me alone in the taproom without even a cup of tea.

I shrugged and called to Clara, who was now banging pots and pans in the kitchen. “Clara, if you have a hammer, I’ll finish the repair to the stair.”

“Here’s the hammer, and here’s some nails. Hammer it down good so there are no further accidents.”

“Give me all the nails. There are several other planks coming loose. I’ll nail them down, as well.” Sometimes, banging away with a hammer is a good way to overcome frustration.