Anonymous Amanuensis

B Glad Judith

Description

When Eve Dixon decides to make her own way in a man's world, she doesn't count on having to do it disguised as a young man. When James Quinton, misogynistic entrepreneur, hires a secretary, he doesn't expect to be attracted to hi... her. Once employed, Eve finds herself discovering that her taciturn, solemn employer is a charming, likable fellow, one she could easily fall in love with-if she were a woman. To further complicate her life, Quinton's younger sister develops a tendre for her brother's handsome secretary. Now Eve is caught in a tangle of her own devising. When her deception is revealed, Quinton is outraged-and intrigued. The outrage wins, and Eve's future extends barren before her, with only memories of love in her heart. Will Quinton, who sees her as one more treacherous woman in his life, find forgiveness possible?

Sujets

• Historical romance

Informations

• Publié par: Uncial Press
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 0001
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781601740427
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Anonymous Amanuensis
 
A Regency Romance
By
Judith B. Glad
 
 
Uncial Press       Aloha, Oregon 2007
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and eventsdescribed herein are products of the author's imagination or areused fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Anyresemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or persons,living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ISBN 13: 978-1-60174-042-7 ISBN 10:1-60174-042-5
Copyright © 2007 by Judith B. Glad
Cover art and design © 2007 by Judith B. Glad
Previously published by Awe-Struck E-Books, 2005
All rights reserved. Except for use in review, the reproductionor utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by anyelectronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafterinvented, is forbidden without the written permission of the authoror publisher.
Published by Uncial Press, an imprint ofGCT, Inc.
Visit us at http://www.uncialpress.com
 
For Kat and Star-- Simply the bestdaughters anyone could wish for.
And for Neil, always.
Prologue
Elmwood, Yorkshire. October
"Damn it, Eve, but you are stubborn!"
Evelyn Dixon smiled into her uncle's angry face. "I am notbeing stubborn, Chas, merely practical. After all, I said I amwilling to look for a position as an instructor of languages in someproper school for young ladies. I have not promised to findone."
"But you'll not try very hard, if I know you." The tall,weathered gentleman threw himself into a chair and glared at her."You've this wild idea of being a secretary and you'll spend allyour energies seeking a position with some rummy Cit, rather thanin a school where you will at least be among people of your ownsort."
"Well, and I tell you that I will not! Any Cit with whom Iaccept a position will be a model of sobriety. Rummy,indeed!"
"You know what I meant, Eve. I'd have thought yourexperience with Alfred, and my father before him, would haveshown you how grim a life you would have as a secretary."
"Oh, believe me, it has. But Grandfather and Uncle Alfredare, I sincerely hope, not typical employers. If they were, therewould be no secretaries, for who would accept employment withsuch curmudgeons?"
She smiled wryly. "Chas, I have not enjoyed working foreither of them, but it has shown me that I have a bent forperforming secretarial duties, where I know I do not for teaching. Ihave not yet succeeded in teaching Lisabet and young Wilfred asingle fact, try as I might." A heartfelt sigh escaped her.
"Ha! How anyone could teach those two wretched bratsanything is beyond me. Charlotte has them so spoiled that they payno mind to anything that does not give them pleasure." He rose andbegan pacing about the office where Eve sat behind a desk litteredwith papers and account books. The desk and chair covered mostof the floor, so his pacing was necessarily confined to a smallspace.
"Be that as it may," he said, leaning across the desk after afew moments, "you must know that acting as a secretary to somemerchant is not the sort of life for a gently bred youngwoman."
"But I am not a 'gently bred young woman.' As my uncleis so fond of reminding me, my mother was a peasant. And asCharlotte keeps me aware of, I am only here on sufferance, for myinheritance is barely enough to keep clothes on my back and foodin my mouth." She grimaced. "Oh, Chas, can you not see I must beaway from here? I cannot stand much more of Alfred's remindersof my father's improvidence, nor of Charlotte's whining that I donot earn my keep."
"Yes, yes. You are miserable here, I can see. But that is noexcuse for haring off to London to seek employment." Chas sat onthe corner of her desk and took her chin in his hand, forcing her tomeet his eyes. "Come, my dear, do not ask me to do this."
"I must. With a letter from you, telling how well I performmy duties, I have a much better chance of finding the sort ofemployment for which I am suited. Please, Chas. Write theletter."
"Damn your stubbornness! Very well, I will, but I hope wewill not both come to regret it. Give me paper."
Eve relinquished her place at the desk. As Chas bent overthe paper, thinking, brushing the tip of his nose with the quill, shewatched him. How much better her uncle looked than he had thosefive months ago when he was carried into Elmwood, covered withbandages, white of face, and looking near death. And now he wasabout to return to duty.
She prayed that he would come through the warunscathed. If he were to be killed, there would be no one left in theworld who loved her. But Chas could be of no more help to herthan her father, dead these five years. The youngest of four sons,he had no fortune of his own and certainly could not support anearly destitute female.
Eve enjoyed her secretarial duties. Some of the Hadleywealth came from investments in the West Indies, and she enjoyedthe correspondence with Sir Alfred's agents there. What sheminded was the lack of gratitude, Alfred's assumption that sheshould be grateful that he provided her with a way to earn herkeep.
Her keep, indeed! Her only new gowns in the past fiveyears had been purchased out of her own meager inheritance.Charlotte's frequent and snide comments about her healthy appetiteshowed that she was begrudged even the food she ate.
"There, for what it's worth," Chas said, pushing a sheet ofpaper across the desk to her. She picked it up and read the letterher uncle had written.
To Whom It May Concern:
May I introduce my niece, Evelyn Dixon, as anhonest and competent secretary. For the past fiveyears, Miss Dixon has acted as amanuensis to SirWilfred Hadley, my late father. Her duties includedcorrespondence with Sir Wilfred's agents in theWest Indies and in Scotland, maintenance of theestate accounts, and management of the householdbudget. She writes a legible hand, is knowledgeableabout estate management, and is capable oftranslating correspondence into Italian, French,German, and Dutch. I ask that you give herapplication for a position careful consideration.
Your servant,
Major Charles Hadley
Eve laid the letter back on the desk, uncertain what tosay.
"What's the matter, Eve? Don't you like it?"
"Yes and no, Chas. It is an excellent letter, but I am notsure you ought to claim me as your niece. You are bound to bethought prejudiced on my behalf. Perhaps you might rewrite it,make it more impersonal?"
Chas took the letter back and reread it. "I suppose you arein the right of it, Eve, though it galls me not to claim you as myrelation." He again bent over the desk, writing. Soon he pushed asecond sheet of paper across to her. This time Eve smiled as shefinished reading it. Impersonal it was. There was no mention of herrelationship to him or of her sex, just two short sentencesdescribing her duties and her experience, a third listing her unusuallinguistic skills.
"Very good, Chas. This should do the trick." She foldedthe letter and placed it in a portfolio. "Shall we ride before dinner,as usual?"
"Might as well. It'll be our last chance until I return fromthe Peninsula. I want to get an early start for London tomorrow so Ican see some friends before I head overseas."
Chapter One
London. December
"My dear young lady, no one would hire a female as asecretary. Why, the fairer sex is too emotional, too flighty for sucha position of responsibility. No mere woman possesses theintelligence for such demanding work. Is there nothing else youmight be suited for?"
"I could teach languages, sir, but I would prefer not tohave to do so," she replied, hoping she didn't sound as desperate asshe felt. This was the third registry office she had visited. Therewere only two more on her list.
"And why not?"
"I have little patience with children, particularly those whohave no interest in learning. On the other hand, I have five years'experience as a secretary to Sir Wilfred Hadley and he seemedpleased with my work. If you will only read this reference, youwill see."
The man grudgingly took Chas' letter and read it.Returning it to Eve, he said, "That's all very well, Miss Dixon, butit does not change the fact that no gentleman, no, nor anymerchant, would trust a woman with his business affairs. Youwould be much better off as a teacher. Or a governess orcompanion."
"Then you will not help me find employment, sir?"
"Not as a secretary. And I have no requests for teachers atpresent. You would do much better to consider going as agoverness. The school terms are barely half over, and few openingsfor teachers are likely just now." He frowned at Eve's moue ofdistaste. "Come back in two or three months."
Eve thanked him and left, disappointed but not entirelywithout hope. She was still determined to be a secretary. Shedecided to write letters of inquiry to all the merchants and traderswhose directions she could discover.
Two months later, Eve's funds and her patience were bothmuch reduced. Laughter, scorn, or improper advances had been theresponses at each of the interviews she had had with Citymerchants and traders. No requests for language teachers had beenreceived by any of the seven registry offices to which she hadapplied.
She had made some friends, but had little in common withmost of the young women at the ladies' boarding house where shehad a small room under the eaves. Only her friendship withThomas Patterson was really close, and Eve was not sure if it wastruly proper to be friends with a young man. But without Tom, herexistence in London would be so lonely that she would not be ableto stand it.
Eve met Tom Patterson at Marten's registry office duringthe second week of her stay in Town. The cheerful young man wasdelivering a request for a chambermaid to the agency where Evehad just concluded another fruitless interview. The two struck up aconversation as they walked down the stairs together anddiscovered a mutual liking.
Tom, a younger son with noble connections, had dreamsof someday standing for Parliament. In the meantime, he wasemployed by Lord Arduin, a prominent me