Anthony had quite enough of this man. He cast a quick look heavenwards and silently asked,
Why? Why is this happening? And today of all days…?
He mocked his cursed luck… All he had wanted was a fun day outside with Meredith.
And when heaven did not reply with any visible or obvious answers, Anthony changed his silent questions to,
Would it be possible for a stone to fall from the sky and strike Mr. Lockhart? Not to kill him, of course, but just enough to knock him unconscious for a little while.
It turned out that this question received an obvious answer, which was: “No.” So Anthony found it necessary to take care of the situation himself. He led Meredith and Mrs. Oakley to the end of the street, turned right, right once more, practically flew down the street and then took a left, another left, and finally a right.
They stopped for a few minutes to allow each lady to catch her breath. Anthony turned to Meredith.
“Do you have any guesses as to why he would be following us?”
“I honestly don’t know, Anthony. Perhaps he wasn’t following us at all.”
Anthony shook his head.
“No, no, I always looked behind us as we made each turn and he was definitely following us from a distance. At any rate, we seem to have shaken him and this seems like a nice street to explore. It’s not quite so busy and has a number of shops. Which one would you like to see first, Meredith?”
“Might I suggest the Lockhart Crystal Emporium?” said a voice behind them.
Anthony dreaded turning around. So instead, he gazed heavenwards once more and silently asked,Just one stone, or perhaps a pebble. That’s all we require.
Mr. Lockhart joined the group and asked with a big smile, “How on earth did you know that our newest shop would be on this street?” He pointed towards a hanging sign about four doors down. “Would you like to come in?”
Through clenched teeth, Anthony replied, “Why yes, we would be delighted to, Mr. Lockhart.”
* * *
Begrudgingly, Anthony admitted that their stock of glassware was elegant, stylish, and of high quality. If it wasn’t for the shop’s owner, he would have actually considered purchasing a couple dozen new glasses.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen this style before. Do you have a large number of this style of wine glass?” inquired Anthony.
“Not at the moment, but as soon as we have completed setting up our factory, we can produce as many glasses as our clients require.”
Anthony made a silent note to send Fletcher here to purchase a number of these glasses. They would certainly make an impression at any future dinner parties at Ambrose Estate.
Apparently noticing Anthony’s interest in the glassware, Mr. Lockhart generously offered, “Would you care to see the factory?”
This time Anthony did not need to pretend, he was genuinely curious to see how these glasses were made.
“Yes, Mr. Lockhart. That is a kind offer indeed!”
So they ventured another two streets over to learn more about the art of glass-making.
Throughout the tour, Mr. Lockhart greeted the apprentices by the furnaces, the workers by the annealing kilns, and the two expert foremen who were in charge of putting the finishing touches and elegant twists on the glasses. Anthony was impressed by Mr. Lockhart’s comprehensive understanding of the entire process.
Anthony now had a much deeper understanding for all glassware, including the pieces that he already owned back on the estate. He never realized that the process was quite so complicated. Now every time he sipped a sweet cordial or passed by the window of a store, he would think of young apprentices sweating profusely by a furnace.
“I must congratulate you on your business, Mr. Lockhart. You are clearly familiar with all of the ins and outs of glassmaking.”
They had returned to Mr. Lockhart’s shop at this point, so he replied as he unlocked the front door.
“Thank you, Mr. Guy. My adoptive father taught me everything he knew. He built this business with nothing but his own hands and sweat. I would readily lay down my life for everything he earned.”
“This right here is our fourth shop; the latest addition but hopefully not the last, to our stores. In a matter of weeks, we shall also begin expanding our products to include jewelry and gemstone cutting.”
