>>>"That's not necessary," I said, clutching the handle of the case tighter. Then I saw that short vertical line appearing between her brows again and realized it might be suspicious, and let her take my suitcase.
"Nonsense, no trouble at all,"
This sequence doesn't quite follow. "That's not necessary' isn't usually answered by 'no trouble'. If I were the emplolyee I would have read 'that's not necessary' and the tightening as 'this is important and I wish to cary it myself'.... which would make the response inappropriate. Perhaps, "Don't worry, we have very little crime here, I'm sure it will be safe."
Or, if she wishes to disguise how important it is, then she could have said, "I wouldn't want to put you to the trouble...' which would fit perfectly with the response.
>You came to the wrong door.
More polite and helpful to the story might be, "I was expecting you to come in the office door."
But this exchange means that the heroine had actually made a mistake in protocol, which she should recognize and curse herself for. She must have walked past the 'right' door, or had herself dropped off in the wrong place.
>>Oh, Ms. Hoi!
I still find this anachronistic. This usage is dying out (according to Google Ngram) and is much more typical in big cities... 'progressive' big cities. It's use doesn't seem to fit here. To avoid you could say, "Oh, the archivist! I was excpecting you to come by the office door. Of course, we hide it pretty well. Let me..."
I would like to see more ambiance... description of the outside and inside of the restaraunt. Maybe some smells, an idea of what they cook, what kind of clientelle.
I'm not sure what you mean. Wrong door means the wrong door.
Instead of taking the door which would have led directly to the elevator to the offices on the second floor, (and suites on the third) Glorina took the door that went into the pub/restaurant. Belinda would not have seen her until later if she had taken the correct door on the street. She may not have remembered that Glorina was due that day, though she knew she was coming.
The building grew like Topsy, it takes a little time to get used to how it is laid out.
- If I was a customer and walked in the front door of a hardware store, and the lady said, "Oh, you came in the wrong door" I would be like... what? And then she might explain, "None of our customers use the front door, they all park around back. I haven't seen someone come in that front door in ten years."
-If I was applying for a job at a hardware store, and came in the front, and the lady frowned and said, "You came in the wrong door", then I would expect there to have been an 'employee' door that I should have used... and I would expect her to add, "Employees, and potentional employees, use the side door. It's very clearly marked." And I would be embarassed.
-If I was a contractor, and came in the front door, and the lady frowned and said, "You came in the wrong door" I would be like, what door did you expect me to come in, lady? Is there a door somewhere marked 'Contractors come in here'?
'Wrong', to me, means 'you made a mistake, you should have looked harder, been smarter, etc.' For this character I would expect her to be upset that she hadn't done her homework. So I was surprised when no explanation or castigation happened.
But if you were coming into the hardware store, when you were intending to enter the wine shop that shared its building, what would you expect them to say?
>>>"That's not necessary," I said, clutching the handle of the case tighter. Then I saw that short vertical line appearing between her brows again and realized it might be suspicious, and let her take my suitcase.
"Nonsense, no trouble at all,"
This sequence doesn't quite follow. "That's not necessary' isn't usually answered by 'no trouble'. If I were the emplolyee I would have read 'that's not necessary' and the tightening as 'this is important and I wish to cary it myself'.... which would make the response inappropriate. Perhaps, "Don't worry, we have very little crime here, I'm sure it will be safe."
Or, if she wishes to disguise how important it is, then she could have said, "I wouldn't want to put you to the trouble...' which would fit perfectly with the response.
>You came to the wrong door.
More polite and helpful to the story might be, "I was expecting you to come in the office door."
But this exchange means that the heroine had actually made a mistake in protocol, which she should recognize and curse herself for. She must have walked past the 'right' door, or had herself dropped off in the wrong place.
>>Oh, Ms. Hoi!
I still find this anachronistic. This usage is dying out (according to Google Ngram) and is much more typical in big cities... 'progressive' big cities. It's use doesn't seem to fit here. To avoid you could say, "Oh, the archivist! I was excpecting you to come by the office door. Of course, we hide it pretty well. Let me..."
I would like to see more ambiance... description of the outside and inside of the restaraunt. Maybe some smells, an idea of what they cook, what kind of clientelle.
2. She wasn't expecting to see her at all yet.
3. Your concern is noted. But it is Useless, that is her name, and she is loath to change it.
2. So 'wrong door' means...? I'm really confused now. Was she covering up her 'I didn't expect to see you yet' with 'wrong door'?
I'm not sure what you mean. Wrong door means the wrong door.
Instead of taking the door which would have led directly to the elevator to the offices on the second floor, (and suites on the third) Glorina took the door that went into the pub/restaurant. Belinda would not have seen her until later if she had taken the correct door on the street. She may not have remembered that Glorina was due that day, though she knew she was coming.
The building grew like Topsy, it takes a little time to get used to how it is laid out.
I will explain :)
- If I was a customer and walked in the front door of a hardware store, and the lady said, "Oh, you came in the wrong door" I would be like... what? And then she might explain, "None of our customers use the front door, they all park around back. I haven't seen someone come in that front door in ten years."
-If I was applying for a job at a hardware store, and came in the front, and the lady frowned and said, "You came in the wrong door", then I would expect there to have been an 'employee' door that I should have used... and I would expect her to add, "Employees, and potentional employees, use the side door. It's very clearly marked." And I would be embarassed.
-If I was a contractor, and came in the front door, and the lady frowned and said, "You came in the wrong door" I would be like, what door did you expect me to come in, lady? Is there a door somewhere marked 'Contractors come in here'?
'Wrong', to me, means 'you made a mistake, you should have looked harder, been smarter, etc.' For this character I would expect her to be upset that she hadn't done her homework. So I was surprised when no explanation or castigation happened.
But if you were coming into the hardware store, when you were intending to enter the wine shop that shared its building, what would you expect them to say?
I would expect them to say oh, you were looking for the wine shop it’s next-door.