on the second day, it was Ryder who unearthed a tool kit left by some of the workmen and descended into the basement.
"It's an electric furnace," he told Amanda and Penny in the kitchen as he was preparing to go down. "My business is electronics, after all."
Amanda, who had a strong feeling that electric furnaces were somewhat different from electronic games and computers, ventured to say, "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"It's just a piece of machinery," he said, and gave them both a step-to-one-side-you-peasants look as he picked up the toolbox and turned away.
They watched him disappear down the stairs to the basement. Amanda glanced at Penny. "What do you think?"
"I think we'd better bring in more wood and keep the fire going. Just in case. The wind's dropped for the moment, and Nemo needs to go out anyway."
Feeling slightly guilty at doubting Ryder's electronic expertise, Amanda nonetheless shrugged into her coat to go help bring in wood. She told herself firmly that it wasn't Ryder she was doubling, not really. It was just that the furnace had baffled men who specialized in furnaces.
So they brought in wood and added some to the fire in the den. All the rooms not in use had been closed off, the furnace vents shut so that all available heat would be concentrated in the occupied parts of the house. Ryder had repacked his things and moved to a second-floor bedroom near Amanda's so that they could close off the entire third floor.
"Now I've got a shower curtain," he had said gravely.
Amanda had managed not to look too guilty about the room she'd first assigned him, and had merely asked if there were enough blankets on his bed.
That had been the night before. Now, helping Penny fix supper in the big, warm kitchen, she listened to the increasing wail of the wind outside and, occasionally, a curse that floated up the steps from the depths of the basement. There were a good many bangs and thumps as well.
Amanda went down a half hour later to take Ryder a cup of hot coffee, but returned rather hastily, trying to smother giggles.
"Not just a piece of machinery after all?" Penny murmured with a smile.
"He says it's got gremlins in it," Amanda explained in a shaking voice. "At least I think that's what he said... with all the other descriptive words deleted."
Penny looked reflective. "I like a man who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty. Or is he?"
"Oh, definitely. And not just his hands. He had a smudge of oil or something across his nose." That sentence prompted another thought, and she added, "Is the hot water heater okay?"
"So far."
They worked together companionably for some time, both listening to the noises from the basement. Then there was a long silence. They looked at each other speculatively and waited. A couple of minutes later there was a final ringing thud—and the furnace started up.
Amanda looked at the basement door and waited. When Ryder came through it, she kept her face expressionless with an effort. He looked, she thought, like the survivor of a war fought against a very greasy army.
"I," he said with exquisite control, "want a shower."
Penny eyed him, then said mildly, "Supper's almost ready. Don't dawdle. "
When he was almost at the hall door, Amanda said gravely, "Ryder? How'd you fix it?"
He half turned to give her a goaded look. "I kicked it," he said bitterly.
He was in a better mood by the time he got cleaned up and ate. In fact, Amanda thought later, he was a very even-tempered man. She glanced up from the book in her lap, taking the opportunity to study him since he seemed engrossed in his own book.
They were both sitting on the couch in the den, Amanda curled up like a cat in one corner with her stocking feet half tucked under a faded old gingham pillow. It was becoming a habit to end up in the den and read in the hours before they turned in for the night.
Penny, whose rooms were on the ground floor near the kitchen, watched television in her sitting room each
"It's an electric furnace," he told Amanda and Penny in the kitchen as he was preparing to go down. "My business is electronics, after all."
Amanda, who had a strong feeling that electric furnaces were somewhat different from electronic games and computers, ventured to say, "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"It's just a piece of machinery," he said, and gave them both a step-to-one-side-you-peasants look as he picked up the toolbox and turned away.
They watched him disappear down the stairs to the basement. Amanda glanced at Penny. "What do you think?"
"I think we'd better bring in more wood and keep the fire going. Just in case. The wind's dropped for the moment, and Nemo needs to go out anyway."
Feeling slightly guilty at doubting Ryder's electronic expertise, Amanda nonetheless shrugged into her coat to go help bring in wood. She told herself firmly that it wasn't Ryder she was doubling, not really. It was just that the furnace had baffled men who specialized in furnaces.
So they brought in wood and added some to the fire in the den. All the rooms not in use had been closed off, the furnace vents shut so that all available heat would be concentrated in the occupied parts of the house. Ryder had repacked his things and moved to a second-floor bedroom near Amanda's so that they could close off the entire third floor.
"Now I've got a shower curtain," he had said gravely.
Amanda had managed not to look too guilty about the room she'd first assigned him, and had merely asked if there were enough blankets on his bed.
That had been the night before. Now, helping Penny fix supper in the big, warm kitchen, she listened to the increasing wail of the wind outside and, occasionally, a curse that floated up the steps from the depths of the basement. There were a good many bangs and thumps as well.
Amanda went down a half hour later to take Ryder a cup of hot coffee, but returned rather hastily, trying to smother giggles.
"Not just a piece of machinery after all?" Penny murmured with a smile.
"He says it's got gremlins in it," Amanda explained in a shaking voice. "At least I think that's what he said... with all the other descriptive words deleted."
Penny looked reflective. "I like a man who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty. Or is he?"
"Oh, definitely. And not just his hands. He had a smudge of oil or something across his nose." That sentence prompted another thought, and she added, "Is the hot water heater okay?"
"So far."
They worked together companionably for some time, both listening to the noises from the basement. Then there was a long silence. They looked at each other speculatively and waited. A couple of minutes later there was a final ringing thud—and the furnace started up.
Amanda looked at the basement door and waited. When Ryder came through it, she kept her face expressionless with an effort. He looked, she thought, like the survivor of a war fought against a very greasy army.
"I," he said with exquisite control, "want a shower."
Penny eyed him, then said mildly, "Supper's almost ready. Don't dawdle. "
When he was almost at the hall door, Amanda said gravely, "Ryder? How'd you fix it?"
He half turned to give her a goaded look. "I kicked it," he said bitterly.
He was in a better mood by the time he got cleaned up and ate. In fact, Amanda thought later, he was a very even-tempered man. She glanced up from the book in her lap, taking the opportunity to study him since he seemed engrossed in his own book.
They were both sitting on the couch in the den, Amanda curled up like a cat in one corner with her stocking feet half tucked under a faded old gingham pillow. It was becoming a habit to end up in the den and read in the hours before they turned in for the night.
Penny, whose rooms were on the ground floor near the kitchen, watched television in her sitting room each
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