PBUY Chapter 04

04

The hastily written address was for Angelwood Street.

A place where a new star is born every day, where parties bustle every night, and where the voices of singers that stir the soul are part of daily life.

It was a letter from that dreamlike land, a place Nellie had never once visited.

She carefully brushed the dust off the envelope and placed it back on the display shelf. Who knew how many months it had been sitting there, gathering so much dust?

If they live in Angelwood, could they be a movie star? 

Or maybe someone in the film industry?

What kind of connection would someone like that have with Mr. Coleman?

Nellie let her imagination run wild.

She was curious, but she had to stop herself. This was Mr. Coleman's private matter, after all.

Aside from the ones from Barbara Rogers, there wasn't a single personal letter addressed to him.

Nellie found Chester's narrow circle of acquaintances pitiful. He wasn't even on close terms with George.

Poor man… not even friends with a dog, the friend of all mankind…

Alright. I'll just have to work harder, she resolved. So that Mr. Coleman can at least live like a proper person.

She had once cared for an elderly lady with dementia, so taking care of a sensitive, late-blooming adolescent of a retired soldier should be as easy as eating a slice of cake.

And if she pleased Mrs. James, she might even get a raise in her weekly pay!

Determined, Nellie looked around. She'd already finished cleaning.

When she was done, it felt like the place was sparkling.

She headed toward the window to close it. The sunset had already settled over the horizon.

"The sunset looks the same here as it does back home."

she murmured, then straightened up in surprise.

She hadn't realized how much time had passed while moving furniture and cleaning the living room. A sudden wave of hunger struck, and she clutched her stomach.

"I'd better hurry back to the boarding house,"

Otherwise, she'd miss dinner.

She took off her apron and stuffed it into her bag, feeling as though she were covered in dust from head to toe.

Chester hadn't come out of his room even once while she was cleaning.

"I'll be going now, Mr. Coleman."

No reply came, he must have been sleeping.

Nellie quietly closed the door behind her.

***

The next morning, when Nellie opened the door and stepped inside, an unexpected sight greeted her.

Chester was sitting on the sofa, without even turning on the light.

"Miss McKay."

"Ah! You startled me, sir, huh?"

Catching her breath from the surprise, Nellie looked at Chester.

"Did you touch my belongings?"

"Which…?"

Nellie quietly retraced her memory. Yesterday, she had moved things around while cleaning here and there.

Pointing with his finger, Chester spoke in a sharp voice.

"This pile of letters."

"Ah… I'm sorry."

"Did I ever tell you it was alright to touch them?"

"…No. But all I did was brush off the dust and put them back."

Nellie tried to explain carefully, but Chester's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"So in your mind, that means you didn't touch them? Your way of thinking is certainly convenient, Miss McKay."

"…"

"I suppose, since your intentions were good, touching my belongings no longer counts as touching them."

Chester's voice remained calm, but it was as sharp as a blade.

"Or perhaps you thought there was room for excuses? From what I've heard just now, it's a pitiful one."

"I only dusted them, Mr. Coleman! I truly am sorry for handling your private things without permission. But I didn't even look at the contents, so is it really necessary to get this angry?"

"Ah, so the one who should be angry is me… yet you've decided to turn the tables and raise your voice instead. Clever, Miss McKay."

Despite her words, Chester continued to mock her.

"Stop being sarcastic. You've never once told me what I should or shouldn't do… and you wouldn't even answer my questions. How was I supposed to know? If it was that important, you could have told me beforehand."

"Oh, so this is my fault?"

"I'm not saying that, but-"

As Nellie faltered, Chester spoke in a firm tone.

"Thank you for your work thus far, Miss McKay. Goodbye. I'll pay you for today. The remaining three days' wages will be transferred to your account."

"What? Wait, Mr. Coleman-"

Chester stood, limping, and for the first time moved toward her with surprising speed. Then he shoved her out the door.

Nellie was literally thrown out. She stood there, stunned by how quickly it had happened.

She knocked on the door again.

Bang, bang, bang!

"Mr. Coleman! Are you firing me right now?"

From inside, George's barking could be heard.

"You're really saying I'm fired?"

Nellie pounded on the door and raised her voice, drawing curious glances from the neighbor next door.

She was furious.

Who fires someone just like that, without warning?

She couldn't understand it, especially when the reason wasn't theft or some major offense, but simply brushing dust off an envelope.

"Who fires someone like that? You lunatic! I knew it from the start! Damn it! What a load of crap!"

Nellie spat out the kind of curses her late grandmother would only use when she was truly furious.

But the door at 331 Fitz Street remained firmly shut, and all she could do was trudge back home.

The boarding house was quiet, everyone else had gone off to work. She collapsed face-down onto her bed.

"I should've known from day one."

She muttered, recalling her first meeting with Chester, those cold eyes telling her to get lost because he didn't need her.

How foolish she must have looked, so excited about getting high pay without even knowing the kind of man she'd be working for.

"What do I do now…?"

Though she'd stormed out swearing, the truth was, Nellie felt lost.

"What else? I'll just have to call Mrs. James."

She sprang up and went outside to make the call.

"Please connect me to Dale & James Trading Office."

A young woman answered.

"Hello, may I speak to Mrs. James? She'll know me if you say it's Nellie McKay."

[Miss McKay? What's going on?]

"Ah, Mrs. James. The thing is… I've been fired."

[What? What do you mean?]

Nellie calmly explained everything that had happened that morning. Mrs. James let out a sigh.

[It's best not to touch his belongings if you can avoid it. He's sensitive about things like that. I doubt he really means to fire you.]

"Yes…"

[And go back there tomorrow. We'll count today as a workday for you.]

"Alright. Thank you, ma'am."

How generous, both Chester and Mrs. James still intended to pay her.

In the end…

"So, basically, I get the day off."

And still get paid for it. Not bad at all.

With nothing to do, Nellie thought for a while. She had come to a big city, yet hadn't even had the chance to look around. All she'd done since arriving was attend job interviews.

Now that she had a free day, she decided she could afford a little leisure.

"Should I go to a department store? Or maybe the cinema…?"

She strolled along at a leisurely pace, like she had all the time in the world. Only then did she really take in her surroundings.

Women with bobbed hair and short skirts hurrying past; men in suits heading into tall buildings, probably on their way to work.

On one street corner, vagrants smoked cigarettes; across from them, glamorous flappers sipped coffee in a lavish café.

This was Newdane, a place where everything was mixed together.

Frenetic and bustling, extravagantly luxurious, filthy enough to take your breath away, dangerous enough that someone could die overnight without anyone knowing, and yet dazzlingly beautiful. A city that was all the more alluring for it.

"I'm finally a proper member of Newdane."

Nellie declared with pride, walking confidently into a department store, only to gape at the price tags.

"Why is everything so expensive? Is it plated in gold or something?"

The shop assistant smiled at her remark.

"You have a sharp eye! Not only is it gold-plated, but as you can see here, this part is set with diamonds…"

Nellie immediately backed away and slipped out of the store.

"I'll come back later!"

…Someday.

She didn't bother adding that last part aloud. She'd thought she'd saved up quite a bit of money, but in Newdane, it was little more than pocket change.

All the able-bodied men had long since gone to the city in search of work. Those left in her hometown were only the elderly and the farm owners.

In the end, it was Mrs. Hudson's death that had all but pushed her to the city.

Tomorrow, she would have to face Chester again.

"When I see him tomorrow, the first thing I'll do is apologize."

Nellie promised herself.