Chapter 17

On her second day as Miss de Wolfe's assistant, Nora went alone to the house on Irving Place. MissMarbury informed her that

the club had a spare office at the temporary building, and she and "dear Elsie" would be moving into it next week as soon

as it was equipped with whatever office fixtures they deemed necessary.

She asked Nora what supplies she would need; when Nora hesitated, she said, "Don't be shy; Elsie certainly won't be. Tell

me exactly what you'll need. Paper, paints, protractors, I'll have it fitted out completely. We don't want to scrimp; the

ladies will be meeting right across the hall and are bound to pop in to see how things are progressing. Things will go smoothly

if they are impressed. Make a list. I'll send it over to the supply store to be delivered. The office has a window, but not

the best light, so perhaps a lamp—or two. She's in the sunroom," MissMarbury said before turning away, and Nora made her

way down the hall, which seemed even more cluttered than the day before, to the back of the house.

Miss de Wolfe was standing by the wicker desk. "Oh, you're here, come in."

Nora stepped into the room, remembering to make a detailed note of the actress-turned-decorator's attire so she would have something to tell the girls when she returned to the architectural office. A frock in light pink and peach, made of soft material that hung in folds with a curlicue pattern outlined by little holes that looked like hundreds of minute oculus windows. A fascinating technique. Nora was tempted to touch it, just for its interesting texture.

Her short jacket was made of flounces of the same material and trimmed in lace. Nora couldn't help but wonder what a day full

of pencil-lead smudges would do to the front ruffles.

"I made some sketches," Miss de Wolfe said. And Nora realized she'd been staring.

Nora glanced at the desk where several sheets of scratchings awaited her. A vase? A potbellied stove? A tree, possibly?

"A fountain I saw in the back of Handy's Antique Statuary. It would be perfect for the veranda. I paid very careful attention

to it. Because I didn't want to buy it outright until we have a place to store it. But I drew what I could and wrote down

the rest of the details. There." She pointed to the top-right corner of her sketch. Nora took a moment to try to match the

scribbling to the oblong figure on the sketch.

She frowned at the paper. She could sort of see it. But a fountain inside the clubhouse? "A fountain?"

"Yes, the sound of the water will be relaxing to the ladies." She threw out her hands in a graceful gesture that Nora guessed

was meant to represent water.

"Water lines will have to be laid to supply and drain it," Nora said. "I'm not sure..."

"Put that on the list to tell Stanny."

Nora would ask Mr.Wojcik if it were possible or within budget.

"Maybe if you described it to me while I draft it..."

So with Miss de Wolfe leaning over her shoulder and Nora with her pencil at the ready, slowly a fountain began to take shape.

A bulbous base with flutes of diminishing widths as it reached the top, a frieze...

It took half an hour, but at last they had a recognizable rendering of Cupid.

"And how large is this fountain?" asked Nora.

"From the ground it comes to about here." Miss de Wolfe sliced the side of her hand across the top laces of her jacket. "But

I think it will need a plinth, and plants, water plants..." She was gazing in the air now and for a split second Nora thought

of Jimmy, his gaze focused somewhere far away, somewhere the others couldn't see.

"Miss de Wolfe?" she said, recalling the actress back to the here and now.

Her expression changed and she frowned at Nora. "Do you think you could call me Elsie? When no clients are around, at least."

She sat down on the chintz sedan and brought the knuckles of one hand to her forehead.

" Miss de Wolfe reminds me of my acting days." She smiled slightly, as if remembering. Then she sat up abruptly, her mood changing as swiftly

as her skirt's reaction to her change of position. "But that is all behind me now. Forgotten. This is my new life. And we

shall be Elsie and Nora in the art room and Misses around everyone else. Except Bessie, of course. Now this one..."

Elsie pulled the paper forward. Nora's first thought was a potato with ears.

"A club chair. They will be for the reading room. Just as comfortable as the men's version, and in leather, I think, but not

that hideous dark brown that says ancient history." She placed two delicate fingers to her lips. "Light, of course, but not

ecru? Green. But a light green. Le vert du printemps. Subtle and relaxing. We'll have to have them made exclusively. Joseph Meeks might do. We must call and get an estimate."

Nora jotted down everything in her little notebook, sounding out the words she didn't understand, even ob jay dar and vair duh pranton . She'd have to ask Fergus if he knew what they were when she got back to the drafting room. She wouldn't show her ignorance to Miss de Wolfe any more than absolutely necessary.

She began drawing the chair, with Elsie directing. "The back should be high enough to create a little privacy..." A light

trill of laughter. "But not so high as to make it impossible to overhear the latest on-dit ." Nora wrote down ondee with a question mark beside it.

They worked like this all morning with Elsie giving directions and Nora sketching and writing detailed instructions. She would

render them more neatly and in color when she was back at her drafting table.

They'd just finished up an idea for wall sconces when Elsie stood abruptly. "That will do for today. I wanted to see the construction

site, but I have an appointment with a client to redo her boudoir. She's leaning toward light blue, but I think periwinkle

would be perfect with her skin tone. I have to run over and get a swatch before our meeting." She shook her head in dismay

while Nora ran through her mental color wheel to land on periwinkle.

MissMarbury was waiting for them in the foyer. "Don't leave yet, my dears. If you want a working office, and a storage space

for the menagerie that is taking over our home, I must get a list of what you need."

"But Bessie, I made a list last night."

"Yes, dear, but MissBromley hasn't, and since you'll be traveling, she'll be responsible for most of the drafting as well

as the day-to-day business; she needs to be well stocked."

What other kind of business was there? Nora wondered, suddenly seeing months of deciphering Miss de Wolfe's scribbles and

never seeing a real architectural assignment ever again. Then the other part of the sentence dawned on her.

"Where are you going?" she blurted out.

"Well, I can't find furnishings sitting in an office on Madi son Avenue. I'll start in London first... I have a few ideas... Yes, London, and the countryside, then France; I can segue that into our vacance at Trianon." She nodded to Bessie. "I'm sure the countryside there will be littered with objets d'art."

Bessie chuckled. "I can see I'd better secure a large storage space. A warehouse, perhaps. Why don't we all have a cup of

coffee while you two discuss the various things you'll need."

Coffee—delicious, dark, and hot—was accompanied by sandwiches and pastries, and to her chagrin Nora's stomach growled just

looking at them.

"Just as I suspected," MissMarbury said. "They don't give you a minute to eat properly. You architects have one-track minds."

She said this gruffly, but affectionately. "Now eat. And when we're done, we'll discuss your per diem."

Now that was a phrase Nora understood. She was to get a per diem, and if she was very careful she would be able to add even

more to her savings. Nora gratefully and enthusiastically chose a sandwich that she ate while they discussed supply needs,

and a half hour later, her list was complete and her stomach replete.

"I think we've covered everything you might need, MissBromley," MissMarbury said as the maid took the dishes away. "And

if you should—"

"Bessie," Miss de Wolfe said. "We're calling Nora, Nora, and she's calling us Bessie and Elsie. We'll be like one big happy

family."

Bessie rumbled a resigned laugh.

Nora just sat there; it was as if she, like Alice, had unwittingly stumbled into Wonderland.

Nora returned to the Fifth Avenue office loaded down with notes and sketches and a parcel she suspected contained the leftover

sandwiches.

She spent the afternoon translating Elsie's scribbles into objects, moldings, and bits of detail work, first in pencil, then in watercolor. She made sure to add a spec box even when there had been no specs given. Somehow she would have to instill in Elsie the importance of accurate measuring.

She took a tea break, even though she wasn't hungry, but she knew the secretaries would be dying to hear about Elsie, and

for a change Nora had news—and sandwiches—to share.

"We were hoping you would show up," Higgie said, pouring Nora a cup of tea.

"And I brought sandwiches." Nora sat down. "They gave me lunch and sent me back with a care package."

"Ooh, yummy," said Sadie, looking inside the brown paper package. "With the crusts cut off, too."

Which was a big waste of food, if you asked Nora, but since no one did, she kept her opinion to herself. After the sandwiches

were passed around, they all gave Nora their full attention.

She described Elsie's dress and the way the holes made the pattern.

"Eyelets," Lavinia informed them. Then, seeing their expressions, she continued, "A kind of cutwork in lace and fabric."

Nora sighed. Her knowledge of fabrics was basic. It wasn't that she had neglected that part of her studies, it was just that

the actual building interested her more. Well, she would surely get an education working with Elsie. Maybe there was a silver

lining to being banished to the ladies' club.

Nora slumped onto her elbows. "There's so much I don't know."

"You're just starting out," Higgie reminded her.

"And they're always saying words I don't know or understand. Even when they're talking about architecture. Today, Elsie—"

This earned her an "Ooh" from Lavinia. And a "So you're on first names now" from Sadie.

Higgie brought the other two back to the topic at hand. "Tell us some of the things she said."

Nora opened her notebook where she had meticulously copied down everything the best she could.

"For one, she said that the club would be a ‘non-payroll' among other clubs."

"We know about payrolls, that's for sure," said Lavinia.

"I don't think she was talking about money. And she said it in a nasally voice."

Nora looked at the three frowning faces.

"Beats me," Sadie said.

"Me too," said Lavinia. "But it's probably French. 'Cause they all"—she held up a limp wrist and said in a stuck-up voice—"‘visit

the Continent' all the time after they get finished in Paris."

"Huh," said Sadie, "Paris would have finished me if I had to talk in French all day."

"Pay them no mind," said Higgie. "Say it again."

"Non-payroll," Nora repeated, stressing the last syllable the way Elsie had.

"Non-payroll." Higgie rolled the word around a couple of times. "Non-payroll among clubs," she mumbled to herself. "Payroll,

non-pay... nonpareil!" she exclaimed.

"That's it," said Nora. "Non-para... paray..."

"Nonpareil. It just means way better than everything else."

"Nonpareil," repeated Nora.

"You'll get the hang of it."

"It seems impossible."

"Look," Higgie said. "You just keep writing down the words and bring them here and we'll figure out what they mean and how

to pronounce them."

"Yeah," Sadie said. "Then you'll be just as good as them."

"I am just as good, just not in French."

Higgie nodded. "And we'll make sure you're good enough in French, too. We'll all help."

"Not me," said Sadie. "I can say pardon moi and merci , but that's about it."

"But Higgie knows French," Lavinia informed them.

"No kidding?" Sadie said. "Higgie, where did you learn French?"

Higgie shook her head. "I know a few words in a lot of languages, but I do know some working French, and I'm fluent in shorthand."

Nora didn't even know shorthand.

"And for what I don't know, I'll bring in my French dictionary."

That impressed them all.

"So you just bring us the word and we'll figure out the rest. Deal?"

"Deal," said Nora. "Thank you."

"It'll be fun," Sadie said. "We can all learn. It'll impress the fellas."

"One fella in particular?" Lavinia chided.

Sadie blushed. "Maybe."

The next few days of work fell into a pattern. Each morning Nora would take her sketches to Irving Place, where more things

appeared magically every day.

Every afternoon, Elsie would go off on her objay hunt and Nora would return to Fifth Avenue to translate her sketches into renderings, which she kept in a folder to be later

catalogued in an inventory book. Something she'd learned to do at the School of Design.

When she finished, she would go downstairs for tea with the secretaries.

Higgie made rectangles of paper with the French word on one side and the meaning on the other. They all dutifully recited the word and memorized the meaning just like they were in school again.

One night they left work together and stopped at a small café that catered to working girls and had a dinner of soup and bread.

Then, at the end of the week, a note was waiting for Nora to go directly to an address on Madison Avenue the following morning.

A look at the address meant it must be close to the construction site, and when she stepped off the trolley she realized it

was just two doors south of it. That would be convenient.

She was tempted to stop and say hello to Mr.Wojcik and the crew, but decided not to be late on her first day at the new office.

Besides, being so close would give her plenty of opportunity to see them—and George—more often.

She hadn't seen much of him since baring her soul in his workroom the day she'd been given this job. She couldn't help but

wonder what he thought of her. If he still thought she was stubborn, immature, and spineless. Why on earth had she broken

down that way? And in front of George, of all people.

She pushed the thought away and strode purposefully up the steps to the new office. She tried the knob. The door opened to

a man sitting just inside.

"Yes, ma'am?" He was kindly looking, with a curling mustache that made him look like he wore a permanent smile.

"I'm Nora Bromley?"

"Ah, yes, the lady architect. You go straight down the hall. It's the door on the right, across from the assembly room."

"Thank you."

She recognized some of the objects placed along the wall. Bessie had wasted no time moving out Elsie's purchases. Hopefully

not into Elsie and Nora's office.

The door was open. Elsie and Bessie were inside, deep in discussion.

Nora knocked lightly on the doorjamb. They both turned and beckoned her in.

She only managed a few steps before she stopped.

If a heavenly choir had burst into song, Nora wouldn't have been surprised. It was wonderful. A large rectangular room, painted

white, with a window on one side, large enough to let in the light, and a new drafting table beneath it.

"I had one of the men from Stanny's fit it out. It should have everything you need." Bessie pointed to a set of drawers, then

pulled one open. "Instruments here. Paper and notebooks. And so on. Anything else you need, just tell George Douglas at the

site.

"I had them put your drafting table by the window. We thought you should have the light since you'll be spending a lot of

your time here. Elsie's is over there." She pointed to a smaller desk across the room. "The two of you should be able to rub

along fairly well, I should think."

"Yes, absolutely," Nora managed, overcome with the largesse of it all. The need to say more was interrupted by a loud grumbling

and grunting coming from the hallway. A minute later, three men shuffled by carrying a huge object covered in a canvas tarp.

"My fountain," exclaimed Elsie, and rushed out to oversee.

Bessie looked toward heaven. "I've rented a storeroom down the hall while I look for a full-size warehouse nearby. You'll

need to sign for and catalogue each item as it comes in, and keep track of its location. Elsie is bound to hire a stable of

artists and craftsmen, so you'll need to coordinate those. When things get in full gear, we'll bring in a secretary to take

care of the paperwork. Can you manage until then?"

Nora didn't really have a choice. "Of course."

"Good. I have to run. A meeting with Charles Frohman in half an hour. The man never lets up. Toodles. Tell Elsie I'll see her this evening. We have the Bellingham dinner." And with that, she was gone.

The room suddenly seemed much bigger.

Nora began taking out her sketches, delegating one drawer for them and another for her own implements, even though there were

new ones already in a drawer. She ran her hands over the wood of the drafting table. Took a deep breath. This was hers for

the duration.

Nora couldn't believe it; no more Collin Nast making ugly jokes, no more disappearing protractors and straightedges. She sat

down on the stool in front of the drafting table. It was the perfect size, and it tilted at several different angles.

And maybe being close to the site, she would get some actual architectural hours in as well.

Elsie swooped in several minutes later. The one thing Nora had learned about Elsie was she never did things like other people—she

never just entered a room or asked a question. Every move was graceful, yet grand, every statement or question nuanced with

meaning.

And she was always on the go.

"I would like to see the room my fountain will go in. Shall we go?"

"Go where?"

"To the site, of course. I must breathe in the air. Get a sense of its personality."

She'd get plenty of air, Nora thought. The exterior walls were up and some of the load-bearing walls inside, but there was

no heating. It looked like Nora might need her long johns again.

"I'm not certain it's convenient for us to go. I haven't been there for a couple of weeks and I don't know what they're working

on today."

"It doesn't matter, we'll be as quiet as mice. Bessie said she first met you when you were up a scaffolding. How delicious."

Nora didn't know how the men would feel about Miss de Wolfe breezing through anytime she liked. Especially if she decided

to climb up the scaffolding.

She was beginning to like Elsie. Even though she acted like some fairy creature, she was really quite smart. And the things

that she said about decorating made sense. But it was different and bound to cause a stir, especially among the men working

on the site.

They would see right away that Elsie knew nothing about construction or actual building. Though they, in turn, probably never

had a thought about what happened to the interior once they finished their part of the building. Nora just hoped they didn't

dismiss her as a silly woman. Especially since Nora had worked so hard to win them over.

Mr.White had treated Elsie with respect, though he did flirt with her. Theirs was a different world Nora would never understand.

More likely the men would fall over themselves to be nice to Elsie. She was an actress, after all. And everyone knew how men

liked actresses.

Maybe even here Nora would be the odd man out. She gathered up papers and pencil and the one straightedge that had made its

way out of her pockets so far and followed Elsie out. She hadn't even had time to take off her coat.