81 
New Bank and the Stable Roof

By the middle of September the new bank was completed. A great celebration was planned for the sixteenth of September when the doors would open for the first time.

Several executives from London, as well as Gifford and Martha, were on hand for the opening. A few brief speeches were made, the ribbon was cut, and clapping went around the gathering.

Then Geoffrey stood and announced, “The Bank of Milverscombe is officially open for business!”

Most of the crowd came in for tea and biscuits, then gradually dispersed and made their way back to homes and a few of the shops. The London contingent would be on hand for about another hour, then would return on the midday train.

Even before the day of the opening it was obvious that Geoffrey was a hit in the community. Everyone loved him. His father hardly recognized the son he had raised and trained to follow in his footsteps. He had trimmed down, and was so openly friendly with everyone as to make Gifford cringe. A banker couldn’t be friendly with his clientele; he must maintain an edge of aloof superiority. But Geoffrey’s months in Milverscombe had made a new man of him, driving into the village early on most days, walking about in the morning before opening and at the lunch hour greeting new acquaintances. Already many had had him in their homes for tea. As Gifford watched the proceedings on this day, therefore, and observed the laughing and informal exchanges between Geoffrey and every farmer and sheepherder for miles crowding through to shake his hand, he could not help but consider his son a sap, mixing and on such terms with this backward lot. What kind of nonsense was this all about? And that idiotic plaque on the wall about melting mammon down to do God’s work. Gifford could make no sense of it whatever.

Was his son becoming a country bumpkin like all the rest of these louts! He was strangely like his cousin Charles. Was there something about the air at Heathersleigh that took away a man’s ambition? How could this bank possibly make any money with such a creed behind the manager’s desk? The sooner he got back to London, thought Gifford, the better. It was mortifying for the rest of the executive committee to see this! He would have to keep a close eye on Geoffrey’s dealings in the future.

Maybe Heathersleigh Hall was haunted with the ghost of old Henry’s wife, he thought to himself as he stepped aboard the train with several of his colleagues an hour later—making lunatics of all its residents. Perhaps the children’s rhymes of his childhood around here hadn’t been so far off after all. This was as bad as what had happened to his cousin with all his religious fanaticism.

Martha wanted to remain for a week. Let her stay on in Devon as long as she wanted. He had had enough of this place!

————

On their way walking back to the cottage, Amanda, Catharine, and Jocelyn were talking about the bank opening and their plans for the remainder of the day.

“Poor Gifford looked uncomfortable, didn’t he, Mother?” said Amanda as they went.

“I did seem to notice him squirming behind the collar when Mr. Mudgley pressed by him. He isn’t much of a countryman.”

“And when Geoffrey was talking to Mr. Roper about building a new barn,” added Catharine.

“Somehow I don’t think that is quite what Gifford had in mind for this bank. What Stoddard needs is a new crib,” Jocelyn added, laughing. “Have you seen Cordelia lately? She is so huge, if I had to guess, I would say she is carrying twins.”

“But everyone does love Geoffrey,” rejoined Amanda. “If I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it. He really seems to like the people.”

“I know, and I think it is wonderful,” said Jocelyn.

A brief silence fell.

“I picked up a few yards of ribbon this morning from Mrs. Feldstone’s,” she added. “Would you girls like to help me tie up some bunches of lavender from the garden?”

“Just so long as I save time for a letter to Terrill,” said Catharine.

“When do you see him again?” asked Amanda.

“Next week, I hope. But he is so involved right now with the war nearly over, he is having a difficult time getting away.”

“I’d like to, Mother,” said Amanda. “It sounds like fun.”

“We also want to save time to prepare a late tea, because Geoffrey is bringing Martha for a visit after the bank closes for the day.”

“Are they staying on awhile?”

“Only Martha. Gifford is returning to the city today.”

“Why don’t we wait to tie up the lavender when she is here?” suggested Amanda. “She would enjoy working on it with us.”

“Do you think so?” asked Jocelyn.

“I am sure of it, Mother. She is very clever with things like that. She helped me make some lovely dresses. Did you know that she made yards and yards of bandages for the war effort?”

“Then I think that is an excellent idea. We will invite her over tomorrow.”

The sounds of shouts interrupted their conversation as they entered the clearing approaching the cottage.

“That sounds like Rune,” said Jocelyn. “Wasn’t he in town this morning?”

“Apparently not, Mother,” replied Catharine, pointing ahead, “because there he is up on the stable roof—look.”

They hurried ahead.

“Amanda!” shouted Stirling the moment he saw them, “—come quickly! The board is slipping . . . grab the end of it, would you, and help me steady it.”

Amanda handed Jocelyn her handbag and ran toward him, Catharine right behind her. Amanda and Catharine took hold of the end of the huge beam a few feet from where Stirling held on while doing his best to keep from falling off the ladder. The board was slanted steeply up to the upper section of one of the vertical walls where Rune was struggling with the other end while trying to keep from falling down.

“I thought we could hoist these joist beams up ourselves,” said Stirling, moving up a little higher on the board now that he had more hands to work with. “But with the ladder and weight, it was too awkward for us. All right . . . let me see, Catharine, I think I have it now—if you could hold on to the ladder and steady it . . . I’ll try to climb a little higher.”

Catharine let loose of her portion of the board, hurried over, and placed her two hands firmly on the ladder, while Stirling took a step or two up.

“Amanda,” he said, “if you can just hang on where you are long enough for me to step up and take the weight off your end . . . good . . . I think we’re getting it. Steady, Catharine, I’m going to take another step, but I’ve got to keep both my hands on the board, so don’t let me fall.”

“Stirling, don’t say that!”

“I’ll be fine.—How are you doing up there, Father?”

“It’s coming,” Rune shouted down. “Another two or three feet and I’ll be able to balance it on the end joist and swing it up and over.”

“Oops—my end of the board is too high!” exclaimed Amanda as the beam began to pivot, her hands now outstretched above her head. “I can’t hold it anymore.”

“It’s all right,” said Stirling. “It’s high enough . . . Father, I’ll give it one more shove . . . good . . . got it?”

“Push it my way another foot. . . .”

Suddenly the beam swung the rest of the way up as Rune balanced it in its center.

“That’s it!” cried Stirling. “Hold it there, Father, I’ll be right up.”

Stirling let go and scrambled up the ladder, then crawled out on the frame opposite his father.

“Stirling, be careful!” Amanda called up to him. “You’re moving around up there too fast.”

Stirling laughed, but continued along like a spider on the wall edge.

“All right, Father,” he said in a moment, “I’m ready . . . swing it around in my direction.”

Father and son struggled a minute to coerce the board into position, then all at once with a great thud, the heavy beam settled into place.

“Whew!” sighed Stirling as he worked his way back to the top of the ladder and climbed down. “Those extra hands made a big difference. I wasn’t sure what we were going to do. You came along at just the right time.”

“I doubt we did that much good,” laughed Amanda as Jocelyn now walked up to join them.

“It was all a matter of balance,” said Stirling. “I don’t think we’d have managed alone. I thought we’d be able to, but these boards were too much for us.—And . . . we have another eight beams to get up there. What do the two of you say to lending us a hand?”

“Do you mind if we run in and change into our work dresses?” asked Catharine.

“Not at all. We’ll take a breather.”

“I doubt that my sister will be content to hold up a ladder the whole time,” said Amanda. “She will want to be up on the roof with you.”

“That might be arranged!—You might bring your gloves too!” Stirling called out after the two girls as they ran for the cottage.