by Eric Flint
Frau Saling pulled a card out from the back of the index box. "The poor thing was orphaned last year and left with the care of her younger brother and sister. She's currently supporting her family on what she earns as a spinster."
"In other words, she's slowly starving to death?"
"She's certainly not plump, and as for intelligent, her brother hopes to attend the local Latin school on scholarship."
"Could I have a look at that card?" Katherine asked.
Frau Saling passed it over. "Would you like me to sort out some other candidates?"
Katherine was busy reading the scant details on the card and waved Frau Saling's question off. "It says here that there are two photographs. Could I see them?"
"Viewing a girl's photographs costs ten dollars."
"What? Ten dollars just to look!"
"I run a business here. A lot of my clients can't afford the services of a photographer, so I send out my own man and charge the men for photographs to cover my costs."
A nice little racket if ever there was one, Katherine thought as she rummaged in her handbag for her purse. The woman probably did way better than just cover her costs.
Frau Saling pulled a folder out of her filing cabinet and placed the two photographs on her desk.
Katherine looked at the girl in the photographs. She was perfect. Her story would appeal to Ronald's noble instincts, of which she felt he had way too many, and her looks would strike at the man in him. "Could I have a copy of the listing and the photographs, please?"
"Just the one girl? You shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. After all, the girl might not be interested in your friend."
"Just the one." Katherine was adamant.
"You'll have to wait a couple of days for my photographer to print off your copies."
Katherine looked down at the photographs. She wanted to strike while the iron was hot. "Why can't I have these photographs?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't allow that. What if someone else wanted to see them?"
Katherine hadn't risen to the position of executive assistant to the operations manager of Magdeburg Concrete by being stupid. She reached for her purse again. "How much?"
Frau Saling smiled. "For one hundred dollars you can have the photographs and as a special favor, I'll remove Christine's listing until I get replacement prints."
Katherine thought about it for a full thirty seconds. Even on her salary it was a lot of money, but the opportunity was too good to miss. She peeled off a hundred dollars and passed the fistful of notes over. "I'll take it. What's the deal if my friend wants to get in touch with the girl?"
"On payment of a small fee he gets a letter delivered to the girl and a guaranteed reply, even if it's just a 'thank you, but no thank you.'"
Katherine accepted the schedule of fees from Frau Saling, and nearly choked when she read the magnitude of Frau Saling's "small fee" to deliver a letter outside of Magdeburg. She stared down at Frau Saling and pointed mutely to the offending number.
"I have to make a profit, and it does cost a lot to have a courier deliver the letters and collect replies. Of course, if your friend puts his address in his letter to the girl there is nothing stopping her writing to him without going through my agency, using the regular mail."
Katherine could understand her point. The fee for delivering the introductory letters might be the last she received from a client, so she would have to charge as much as the market could bear to remain in business. "Do you have any recommendations as to what my friend should say in his letter?"
Frau Saling pulled a single printed sheet from a box by her desk and passed it over. "Just get him to follow these simple rules, and tell him he should include at least a full face photograph. It's only fair that the girl gets to see what the men who wish to correspond with her look like."
If the men were writing letters and adding photographs, how, Katherine wondered, did Frau Saling know the photographs were actually of the men writing the letters? Immediately following that thought Katherine started worrying about Christine's photographs. "How do I know these photographs are really of the girl in the listing, or even that she really exists?"
"My agency's continued existence depends on its good name. Every girl I list has been personally vetted by me or one of my assistants. I can assure you, Christine exists, and she is the young woman in the photographs. I know. I was the person who vetted her."
Satisfied, Katherine took her leave.
Now, how was she going to draw Ronald's attention to Christine? Katherine spent the walk back to the office mulling over the problem. Finally she decided she'd hit Ronald when he came into work the next day. Around the time he had his first caffeine hit of the day, when he was at his most relaxed and susceptible. Katherine smiled smugly to herself. A girl didn't rise to executive assistant without learning how to manage her boss.
Next day, Magdeburg
Katherine spied Ronald walking past the gatehouse. She put down her binoculars and went to start the coffee. Ronald was a creature of habit and she knew to within a couple of minutes how long he'd take to finish his breakfast at the staff cafeteria.
Then she went into Ronald's office to check that everything was ready. The folder with Christine's data sheet and photographs was sitting on top of his in-basket, ready to be the first thing Ronald reached for after she served him his coffee. Perfect. Now she just had to wait.
***
Ronald was greeted by the smell of freshly brewed coffee as he entered his office. He could see the mug sitting on his desk waiting for him. Grabbing it, he slumped into his chair and reached for the first folder in his in-basket. He dropped it onto his desk and flipped it open.
He stared. Who the hell was this girl? He laid the contents of the file out on his desk. There were two photographs, a typed description, and an information sheet from "Wives of Distinction" giving instructions on how to write an introduction letter. "Katherine Franzius, get in here right now!"
Katherine appeared. "You called?"
Ronald pointed. "What's the meaning of this?"
"It's the woman I think you should marry."
"Woman? She's just a kid." Ronald grabbed the data sheet and read it again before waving it under Katherine's nose. "Hell, she's the same age as Gerald's daughter."
"A little younger, actually, but if you read her description of herself you'll see that she's virtually raised her sister as her own child since their mother died five years ago. And more recently, since the death of their father last year left her and her brother and sister orphaned, she's been the sole source of support for her family. That kind of thing matures a person very quickly."
Ronald read further down the data sheet. Yes, it did tell about Christine's situation. "Why the hell would a seventeen-year-old girl want to marry an old guy like me?"
"Security. Maybe even affection. And if she's lucky… love."
Ronald looked up at her in surprise. That wasn't the kind of thing he expected to hear from his ever-so-elegant assistant. He pushed the photos to one side and reached for the next folder. Katherine was still standing beside him. "Don't just stand there. Get back to work."
He pretended interest in the new file until Katherine was back in her office, hammering away on her typewriter. Then he lowered the file and glanced over at the photographs. The full length one was a bit tacky, until you looked at the eyes. They seemed to be calling out "this isn't the real me." And then there was the portrait. There was something about the girl in the photograph that just reached out and grabbed him. He turned back to the file he was supposed to be reading.
***
At three o'clock Bill Roberts dropped by for a mug of coffee. He couldn't help but notice Ronald hastily covering something on his desk. So he deliberately lifted the files to reveal two photographs. He got a hand on them just before Ronald could grab them, then stepped back to examine them. She was a good looking girl, but he didn't recognize her. "Who is she?"
"She's the seventeen-year-
old girl currently at the top of Kathy's list to become Mrs. Ronald Chapman."
The statement was delivered so nonchalantly that at first Bill didn't take it all in. Then it struck. "Your secretary is trying to marry you off to this sweet young thing?"
"Yes, and I've told her the girl is way too young for me."
Bill reexamined the photographs. He had vague memories of some of Ronald's previous girlfriends. The memories were so vague that he started wondering just how long it'd been since Ronald had a girlfriend. His best guess was some time back up-time. This girl was attractive without being really beautiful. However, she had the kind of looks that promised to improve with maturity. And why, if she was way too young, did Ronald look as if he wanted to mug him to get the photographs back. "Be sure to invite me and Debbie to the wedding."
"I am not getting married, Bill, regardless of what Kathy thinks."
Bill waved the photographs, and Ronald snatched them from his hand. "Anything you say." Bill wanted to laugh. His friend was all tied up in knots over a seventeen-year-old girl he'd only seen in a pair of black and white photographs. He'd have to tell Debbie about this.
***
All through the afternoon Ronald found his eyes drifting to the photographs. There was something about the girl that got to him. It was more than just her story of sacrifice. There was also the way she looked. It wasn't any one feature-although her enormous eyes held Ronald every time he looked at her portrait-it was the whole package. Ronald felt more aroused than he'd been in years, and the photographs weren't even mildly pornographic.
He tried to decide why he was responding to the photographs. Maybe it was the promise he saw in those eyes. And maybe he was just fooling himself, seeing something that wasn't there. He pushed the photographs to one side and got back to reading files.
Finally, just after four-thirty, he gave in to the siren call. Maybe she wasn't what he imagined. Maybe she wouldn't want anything to do with a man more than twice her age. But it couldn't hurt to make contact. Ronald grabbed the folder and walked out to talk to Katherine. "Okay. What do I have to do?"
"Write to her telling her you would like to get to know her better, objective: marriage." She passed a couple of typed pages. "I've made a few suggestions. And you'd better put in some photographs so she knows what she's getting. I suggest you pick one or two of these." She handed him six photographs of himself. "I recommend these two."
Ronald scowled. He'd only just arrived at the idea of finding out if the girl he imagined really existed and here she was talking about marrying the girl already. Could he marry a girl half his age, one who was younger than his niece? Well, certainly not if she was anything like as immature as Elizabeth Ann. But maybe this girl was the girl he imagined her to be. He turned his attention to two photographs Katherine had recommended. One was a full face shot and the other a full length one. He could see why the full face had been included. It was a good honest photograph of his battered face, but… "Why that full length shot?"
"Because it shows you in the Magdeburg Concrete company coveralls. You want to provide evidence that you are gainfully employed."
"Surely the one in the suit would be better for that?"
Katherine shook her head. "It's obviously an up-time suit. You want to look as if you can afford to support Christine and her family without looking rich, and everyone knows all up-timers are rich."
Ronald collected Katherine's suggestions and the photographs and retreated back to his office. There he sat down over a blank piece of paper and wondered what the hell to write. "Kathy, any chance of coffee?"
"I'll put on a fresh pot."
"Thanks." While he waited for the essential thinking fluid, Ronald jotted down ideas of what he should say. He didn't like some of Katherine's suggestions, so he crossed those out. He had to think carefully about what to write if he wanted to discover if she was the girl he was imagining her to be.
A few minutes later. Katherine came in with a mug in each hand. Placing his in front of him she sat on the corner of his desk and sipped her own. "How's it going?"
Ronald grabbed his coffee and took a healthy swig. "How do I tell her where I live without giving away what I'm worth?"
"That's simple. Just tell her you live at the top of a seven-story apartment block. Her imagination will fill in the blanks."
"Pardon?"
"I doubt she's heard of elevators. She'll most likely associate living on the seventh floor with cheap accommodation."
"Okay, that solves that problem. What about the fact I don't have a down-time name?"
"You might not have a local name, Ronald, but it could be an English name. I wouldn't worry about it. Just don't tell any lies. Nothing gets a girl's back up like being lied to."
Ronald took Katherine's comments seriously. He also wondered who'd had the nerve to lie to her. "Right. Thanks for the coffee. You can go now. I've got a letter to write."
He waited until Katherine was back at her desk before he went back to his letter. He wanted to say something that would capture Christine's interest enough for her to want to respond without telling her too much, or making any commitment.
After dozens of screwed up attempts he finally put down his pen. While he stretched his fingers, he read the letter through. It wasn't perfect, but then, who could write a perfect letter to a stranger? However, it said what he wanted to say. He just hoped it was enough to get Christine to respond. Heck, could she afford to respond? Could she even afford paper and pen? He got to his feet and walked over to the stationery drawer in Katherine's office."
"May I help you?" an aggrieved voice asked.
With his hands buried in the drawer, pushing papers all over the place, Ronald realized Katherine didn't sound happy about something. "I'm after some reply-paid envelopes."
Katherine pushed Ronald aside, pulled out another drawer, and produced a reply-paid envelope.
"Could I have half a dozen, oh, and some writing paper and maybe a good pencil or two?"
Katherine dutifully produced the requested objects. "Are you thinking Christine might not be able to afford to correspond with you?"
"Yes."
"That's very good thinking, Ronald."
Ronald was back in his office and assembling the package for Christine when the similarity between Katherine's tone of voice and his mother's whenever he'd done what he was told as a child struck him. For a moment, he wondered what his mother would say about him marrying a seventeen-year-old. Then he laughed. She might call him a dirty old man because of the age difference, but she'd be happy to see the last of her six children finally married.
He was just about to take the letter to Katherine for delivery when he remembered just who'd be handling delivery of his letter. There were some things a man didn't want his executive assistant seeing, and he knew Katherine too well to expect her to deliver this letter without wanting to have a look at what he'd written. Pulling out his wallet, he found a stamp, which he stuck across the flap before signing his name across both it and the envelope. Now there was no way she could inspect the contents without leaving a clear sign the envelope had been interfered with. He walked out and dropped it on Katherine's desk. "What do I owe you?"
"Plenty." Katherine handed him the receipts from Wives of Distinction.
The total surprised Ronald but if Katherine was happy, who was he to complain. "Fill out a chit for me to sign and you can draw it from petty cash."
***
Katherine walked into Wives of Distinction just as Frau Saling was closing.
"Is it something quick, I'm just closing," Frau Saling said.
Katherine proffered the envelope and a bundle of notes. "My friend would like to have this sent to Christine as soon as possible."
Frau Saling carefully counted the money. "It'll take several days for delivery. Please tell your friend not to expect a reply for a couple of weeks."
"A couple of weeks? For the fee you're charging, I expect a little more urgency."
"Fr
aulein Franzius, Arendsee is four days away by horse."
"Oh! So Christine lives in Arendsee?"
Frau Saling shrugged. "You've paid for me to deliver a message. If she chooses to respond she will probably give you her full name and address anyway, so what have I lost? Just don't let your friend go looking for her without her permission."
"I'll tell him. Thank you, Frau Saling."
***
Sarah Saling shut and locked the door after Katherine left. Then, after pulling down the blinds, she sat down with the letter from Katherine's friend.
Rats! Someone had sealed it. Then she realized it had been sealed with a stamp. Who would waste a dollar stamp to seal a letter? She tried to decipher the signature. It looked like "R something man." She sat up. That messy connected writing was mostly only used by up-timers and she knew Fraulein Franzius was a secretary at Magdeburg Concrete. Maybe it was one of those up-timers. She reached for her copy of the Who's Who of Grantville Up-timers. William "Bill" Roberts was married, which left Ronald Chapman. That certainly fitted the signature across the stamp. She read further. Ronald Chapman was one of the few remaining single up-timers with real money and prospects. But what would a wealthy up-timer want with a young girl like Christine? Then she remembered what she knew of human nature. She frowned down at the letter in her hand. Should she, shouldn't she? The trouble was she'd accepted money to send the letter, and besides, what a feather in her cap it would be if one of her wives of distinction married Ronald Chapman of Magdeburg Concrete.
Arendsee
"Chrissy, there's another letter waiting for you at the town hall."
Christine jerked out of her working trance and looked up to see her brother. "Shouldn't you be in school?"
"Pastor Heyl sent me. Everyone wants to know if this one's any better than the last one."
