CHAPTER 10
"I think we need to rethink asking his help Mac." Richie stated after Methos had gone back into Joe's office to crash on the couch for the night..
"What other choice do we have?" Joe offered. "I'm sure once we have a chance to explain to him ."
"Joe . you saw what happened . he hates her."
"He doesn't hate her . he doesn't even know her Richie." Duncan replied. "It was just an unfortunate set of circumstances. Once he's had a chance to get some sleep and has a better grip on where he's going to stay . he'll get over it."
"But will she? She was pretty upset with him Mac." Richie said.
"Was anyone else as surprised by that as I was?" Joe asked. "I've never seen her act annoyed, much less . Man when he made that remark about the pie shop I could swear she was about to come out of her skin."
"She said she'd had a long day ." Richie replied in her defense.
"They both had. I think they just got off on the wrong foot." Duncan mused. "I'll let him stay at my place until he finds something else . which will give me a chance to ease him into the idea of helping her . us."
"I'll tell him you offered . in the morning when he's up . or afternoon" Joe laughed, correcting himself. "The way he looked I don't think he'll be moving from that sofa for a good long while."
"I asked Beth if she would accept his luggage when it came . and one of us would pick it up. She said that was fine with her." Richie added.
"That's two problems solved then." Mac said as he reached for a beer. "Why couldn't he be charming for once in his life? It would make my life so much simpler."
Richie and Joe just shook their heads and chuckled. Things really hadn't gone at all like any of them had hoped . or could have even imagined.
After a rough night of tossing and turning, Beth's morning sickness was worse than ever. Thankfully it was Sunday and the shop wasn't open.
"Any time you want to move past this phase . I'm all for it." She patted her still almost flat middle as she walked downstairs to the kitchen to get some clear soda and maybe a cracker or two. She was only half-way across the main room when the doorbell rang . it was a courier from the airport with Mr. Pierson's luggage.
Beth moved aside to let him set the two large suitcases and well-sealed paper box inside the entryway. When he had gone she leaned against the doorframe and thought about the unpleasant way he'd spoken . and her uncharacteristically bristling response. She was about to walk back to the kitchen when she noticed something. The writing on the side of the box . it looked familiar. And then it hit her. She'd seen that same bold handwriting on the sides of the file boxes that had been stored in one of the rooms on the third floor.
She'd found them when she had begun painting and after realizing from opening one box that they contained what appeared to be someone's careful research, had decided to store them in the attic in case they were of value to a former border. Now she realized who they belonged to . and understood a little more about why he was so upset.
She spent the rest of the morning relaxing and doing a few chores that had been neglected during the busy week. Esperanza was visiting family out of the city and by early afternoon, Beth and Barkley were a little stir crazy. It was a beautiful fall day, so she decided they should take a long walk . Barkley was all for that idea.
They struck out and after several blocks she realized that she had inadvertently been going in the direction of Joe's. He'd mentioned how much he missed seeing Barkley, and she knew he spent the afternoons getting things ready for opening . Beth decided to take a chance he wouldn't mind the visit. Plus, it would give her a chance to let someone know Mr. Pierson's things had arrived . and that they would need to use the van or a truck to carry it all since he had almost a dozen boxes stored upstairs.
The door to the club was unlocked so Beth and Barkley let themselves in, calling out for Joe when they didn't see him.
Beth was just about to walk back toward the office when a voice came from the stairway at the end of the hall.
"Joe's not here. Trouble with a delivery or something."
Beth recognized the distinct accent from the night before and cringed a little at the thought of being face to face with the man. It was pretty much the same feeling Methos had when he realized who was in the club.
His damp hair was a tell tale sign that he'd helped himself to Joe's shower. Beth noted he looked less tired than the night before, but upon seeing her . his demeanor had not improved. He quickly buttoned up his shirt and tugged on the oversized sweater he'd been carrying before acknowledging her any further.
Barkley moved to stand in front of her . staring at the stranger.
"You're not going to send him after me are you?" Adam asked with a wary eye on the large dog. But before Beth could reply, Barkley laid down on the ground with a loud groan and rolled on his side with complete disinterest.
"I guess not then." Adam walked past her and behind the bar for his first beer of the day. "Can I get you one? They are sealed . I haven't had the opportunity to tamper with them."
"No thanks." Beth replied, holding her hand up.
There was a long silence as he sipped his beer and she stood across the bar . both sizing the other up . both feeling very awkward.
"Do you know how long Joe will be?" Beth asked.
"About an hour . unless he stops off somewhere else. Was he expecting you?" he leaned against the back counter.
"No . Barkley and I were just out for a walk . and . I was actually stopping in so he could tell you the luggage had arrived and arrange for it to be picked up."
Adam raised an eyebrow and took another sip before putting the bottle down on the counter. "I appreciate the fact you didn't set fire to it."
"It was tempting." Beth replied with a little snap to her voice. "I thought you would want your things as soon as possible . the luggage . and the boxes you had stored at the house."
"You've got my boxes?" Adam wasn't expecting to ever see his research again.
"They were stored in one of the bedrooms when I moved in . the closet door was jammed . nailed shut actually . so I guess the movers missed it when they emptied the house." She replied. "When I found them, they looked important . I thought someone would come looking for them one day."
"They are very important . to me. I'm a researcher . a historian of sorts . and I had a great deal of time invested in that work." Adam didn't know how much she had seen and thought he should cover the fact that she had in her possession many manuscripts and diaries . his diaries.
"Like I said . it looked important. I thought you would want to know it wasn't lost." She said as she sat down on the barstool. Again there was a long silence.
"I guess that was why you were so upset last night." She mused. "Richie told me you flew in from Paris . so on top of being tired and inconvenienced by the change at the house . you thought your work was gone."
"Upset is one word you could use." Adam replied.
"I could think of a few others if you like." Beth let a hint of humor escape and Adam found himself struggling to swallow the last sip of his beer without choking.
"I think we need to rethink asking his help Mac." Richie stated after Methos had gone back into Joe's office to crash on the couch for the night..
"What other choice do we have?" Joe offered. "I'm sure once we have a chance to explain to him ."
"Joe . you saw what happened . he hates her."
"He doesn't hate her . he doesn't even know her Richie." Duncan replied. "It was just an unfortunate set of circumstances. Once he's had a chance to get some sleep and has a better grip on where he's going to stay . he'll get over it."
"But will she? She was pretty upset with him Mac." Richie said.
"Was anyone else as surprised by that as I was?" Joe asked. "I've never seen her act annoyed, much less . Man when he made that remark about the pie shop I could swear she was about to come out of her skin."
"She said she'd had a long day ." Richie replied in her defense.
"They both had. I think they just got off on the wrong foot." Duncan mused. "I'll let him stay at my place until he finds something else . which will give me a chance to ease him into the idea of helping her . us."
"I'll tell him you offered . in the morning when he's up . or afternoon" Joe laughed, correcting himself. "The way he looked I don't think he'll be moving from that sofa for a good long while."
"I asked Beth if she would accept his luggage when it came . and one of us would pick it up. She said that was fine with her." Richie added.
"That's two problems solved then." Mac said as he reached for a beer. "Why couldn't he be charming for once in his life? It would make my life so much simpler."
Richie and Joe just shook their heads and chuckled. Things really hadn't gone at all like any of them had hoped . or could have even imagined.
After a rough night of tossing and turning, Beth's morning sickness was worse than ever. Thankfully it was Sunday and the shop wasn't open.
"Any time you want to move past this phase . I'm all for it." She patted her still almost flat middle as she walked downstairs to the kitchen to get some clear soda and maybe a cracker or two. She was only half-way across the main room when the doorbell rang . it was a courier from the airport with Mr. Pierson's luggage.
Beth moved aside to let him set the two large suitcases and well-sealed paper box inside the entryway. When he had gone she leaned against the doorframe and thought about the unpleasant way he'd spoken . and her uncharacteristically bristling response. She was about to walk back to the kitchen when she noticed something. The writing on the side of the box . it looked familiar. And then it hit her. She'd seen that same bold handwriting on the sides of the file boxes that had been stored in one of the rooms on the third floor.
She'd found them when she had begun painting and after realizing from opening one box that they contained what appeared to be someone's careful research, had decided to store them in the attic in case they were of value to a former border. Now she realized who they belonged to . and understood a little more about why he was so upset.
She spent the rest of the morning relaxing and doing a few chores that had been neglected during the busy week. Esperanza was visiting family out of the city and by early afternoon, Beth and Barkley were a little stir crazy. It was a beautiful fall day, so she decided they should take a long walk . Barkley was all for that idea.
They struck out and after several blocks she realized that she had inadvertently been going in the direction of Joe's. He'd mentioned how much he missed seeing Barkley, and she knew he spent the afternoons getting things ready for opening . Beth decided to take a chance he wouldn't mind the visit. Plus, it would give her a chance to let someone know Mr. Pierson's things had arrived . and that they would need to use the van or a truck to carry it all since he had almost a dozen boxes stored upstairs.
The door to the club was unlocked so Beth and Barkley let themselves in, calling out for Joe when they didn't see him.
Beth was just about to walk back toward the office when a voice came from the stairway at the end of the hall.
"Joe's not here. Trouble with a delivery or something."
Beth recognized the distinct accent from the night before and cringed a little at the thought of being face to face with the man. It was pretty much the same feeling Methos had when he realized who was in the club.
His damp hair was a tell tale sign that he'd helped himself to Joe's shower. Beth noted he looked less tired than the night before, but upon seeing her . his demeanor had not improved. He quickly buttoned up his shirt and tugged on the oversized sweater he'd been carrying before acknowledging her any further.
Barkley moved to stand in front of her . staring at the stranger.
"You're not going to send him after me are you?" Adam asked with a wary eye on the large dog. But before Beth could reply, Barkley laid down on the ground with a loud groan and rolled on his side with complete disinterest.
"I guess not then." Adam walked past her and behind the bar for his first beer of the day. "Can I get you one? They are sealed . I haven't had the opportunity to tamper with them."
"No thanks." Beth replied, holding her hand up.
There was a long silence as he sipped his beer and she stood across the bar . both sizing the other up . both feeling very awkward.
"Do you know how long Joe will be?" Beth asked.
"About an hour . unless he stops off somewhere else. Was he expecting you?" he leaned against the back counter.
"No . Barkley and I were just out for a walk . and . I was actually stopping in so he could tell you the luggage had arrived and arrange for it to be picked up."
Adam raised an eyebrow and took another sip before putting the bottle down on the counter. "I appreciate the fact you didn't set fire to it."
"It was tempting." Beth replied with a little snap to her voice. "I thought you would want your things as soon as possible . the luggage . and the boxes you had stored at the house."
"You've got my boxes?" Adam wasn't expecting to ever see his research again.
"They were stored in one of the bedrooms when I moved in . the closet door was jammed . nailed shut actually . so I guess the movers missed it when they emptied the house." She replied. "When I found them, they looked important . I thought someone would come looking for them one day."
"They are very important . to me. I'm a researcher . a historian of sorts . and I had a great deal of time invested in that work." Adam didn't know how much she had seen and thought he should cover the fact that she had in her possession many manuscripts and diaries . his diaries.
"Like I said . it looked important. I thought you would want to know it wasn't lost." She said as she sat down on the barstool. Again there was a long silence.
"I guess that was why you were so upset last night." She mused. "Richie told me you flew in from Paris . so on top of being tired and inconvenienced by the change at the house . you thought your work was gone."
"Upset is one word you could use." Adam replied.
"I could think of a few others if you like." Beth let a hint of humor escape and Adam found himself struggling to swallow the last sip of his beer without choking.