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  She spoke with such prim authority that Douglas could already picture her as an aging auntie, living in a corner of some relative’s home and lecturing her little grandnieces and grandnephews about the proper way to behave. Or perhaps trying to relate some tale from her life that no one was interested in hearing.

  It was not a comfortable feeling, to picture this vibrant young woman as old and feeble. He shook his head, trying to clear the image from his brain. “Nevertheless, a person must plan for the future. If you don’t plan carefully, then your life will be decided for you, and not in a good way.”

  She frowned. “Are you speaking from personal experience?”

  “If you count my parents and how their lack of industry and foresight affected my life and my brother’s, then yes, I am.”

  “So you have just the one brother?”

  After sharing her family details, it was only natural that she should question him in return. Even so, Douglas felt his good humor slip, much as Alice’s expression had changed at the mention of her sister. “Yes.”

  Catching the troubled note in his voice, she raised her eyebrows.

  Before she could ask more questions, he said, “My brother is currently in India. We don’t hear from him much.” He didn’t add that Charlie had left under a cloud, having been estranged from the family for many years. That was a line of conversation he had no intention of embarking on. “Charlie’s making his way as best he can. He and I are very different.” With conscious effort, he changed his expression, trying to lighten it with a smile. “If you ask me . . .” He leaned in, as though to share something highly confidential.

  “Yes?” Her attention was fastened on him.

  “I’d say you and I got the best of the bargain, when the good Lord was handing out traits. But let’s not tell our siblings. We wouldn’t want to hurt their feelings.”

  As he had hoped, the remark brought a tiny smile to her lips. “A wise suggestion.”

  This moment of shared understanding seemed to be drawing them physically closer, too. There was less than a foot of space between them. Douglas loved the expression on her face just now. There was a light in her eyes and a playful quality in the way the corners of her mouth turned up.

  It was over too soon for his liking. Alice took a step back, and a more businesslike demeanor settled over her. She pointed at the file in his hand. “I believe Mr. Henley is anxious to see that.”

  She made a move for the door, looking ready to push him aside if necessary, but there was still a smile playing around her lips. The kind of smile that told him this woman didn’t mind sparring a little and wouldn’t take umbrage at comments meant as harmless fun.

  Douglas inched to the right just enough for her to get by. He couldn’t deny that he enjoyed the sensation as she skirted by him, so close that she passed literally under his nose. He took a moment to inhale. She didn’t smell of perfume, but he did catch a whiff of some mildly enticing scent. Perhaps she indulged in the finer floral soaps. It was a subtle feminine touch, like the scarf she’d had on the other day.

  He followed her out of the filing room—and all but ran into her a moment later when she stopped short after two steps. It wasn’t hard to guess what had surprised her.

  Archie Clapper was watching them from across the room.

  CHAPTER

  Seven

  You’re here early, Mr. Clapper,” Alice said. She sounded breathless and, Douglas thought, guilty. As though she’d been caught doing something wrong. But then, Clapper could bring out those feelings in anyone.

  “No laws against that, I believe.” Clapper took off his hat and hung it on the hat tree. “Where’s Miss Waller?”

  “She’s out sick.”

  He grunted. “It was bound to catch up with her sooner or later.”

  Alice had collected herself by now, and she walked toward him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Clapper shrugged. “She’s been stepping out with a fellow I suspect is . . . well, keeping her up too late.”

  He said this with a leer. His gaze traveled suggestively between Douglas and Alice, as though he suspected them of improprieties as well.

  “Perhaps you might keep your ugly notions to yourself,” Alice bit out.

  “Right you are.” But Clapper followed this statement with a deprecating look and added, “As we all know, interactions in the workplace should be for business purposes only.”

  Douglas could feel his anger rising, but he tamped it down. He was sure that jealousy motivated Clapper’s words. Alice was clearly better at her job than he was.

  Not that Clapper had anything to worry about. He was a cousin of Mrs. Henley. Douglas was pretty sure that was the reason he’d been hired and why he was likely never to lose his position. Even so, his actions often showed that he resented Douglas’s success, as though he considered Douglas somehow beneath him because of his humble origins.

  But none of those things had prevented Douglas’s rise in the company, and Douglas intended to make the most of that fact.

  He held up the file in his hand. “Thank you for your help in locating this, Miss McNeil. I’m very sure Mr. Henley will be grateful that you were able to successfully handle Miss Waller’s duties without advance notice. He always looks favorably on an employee who goes above and beyond what is required.”

  Alice lifted her head with pride. “You’re quite welcome, Mr. Shaw. If I may be of further assistance in this business matter, please let me know.”

  She and Archie exchanged mutually antagonistic glances as she passed him on her way to her desk. Douglas put this round at a draw.

  As he walked toward Henley’s office, he thought how much he’d like to tell Alice the truth about Archie’s status in this company. Unfortunately, Henley had sworn him to secrecy. This was primarily to appease Mrs. Henley, who wanted to keep up the pretense that Clapper was here solely on his own merit. Sometimes she even hinted that he should be given more to do. That idea was laughable. At least Henley had been able to hold the line on that front. Even so, Douglas was unwilling to do anything to rile the owner’s wife. She didn’t much like him as it was. She couldn’t deny how useful he was to the company, including the financial gains from which she benefitted. At the same time, she viewed him with a certain level of condescension, much as Archie did. They were peas in a pod in that regard. Douglas figured it was best to ignore them and focus on his work.

  Mostly, though, he was irritated that Clapper had ruined what had been a perfectly friendly and interesting interaction between him and Alice. He could already see that she was a great addition to the office staff. She was clever, hardworking, and pleasant to be around. Too bad Clapper couldn’t take a leaf from her book.

  That afternoon, Alice ended up using her “superior sleuthing skills” to locate several other important documents. An enjoyable benefit of this task was that she gained a more complete picture of the company than she’d gotten from the telegraph work.

  Everything was different today, and not just because of Mavis’s absence. Douglas Shaw had boundless energy and optimism. Something he’d picked up from the brash Americans, perhaps? Whatever it was, it had infected the whole office. By the end of the day—and after some fascinating negotiations conducted by way of the telegraph—they’d sorted out the problem with the cotton shipment to the satisfaction of all the stakeholders. It had been easy to see why Mr. Henley was putting more and more trust in Douglas’s abilities.

  Their conversation in the file room that morning kept returning to her thoughts, even while they’d been busy handling other issues. Did Douglas really think all women had marriage as their life’s goal? That was the only disappointing thing about him so far. She hoped that as they continued working together, she could enlighten his understanding on that subject.

  For the rest of the day, Archie managed to keep his unsavory opinions to himself. Verbally, at least. He was still telegraphing them with his attitude and certain undertones in his remarks on unrelated subje
cts. It was clear he didn’t like the idea of Alice and Douglas paired up to handle specific tasks. Why was it so hard for him to get along with anyone? Alice could not fathom why someone would deliberately try to poison their workplace environment.

  Thinking it over after work as she walked to the street corner to catch an omnibus, she reminded herself that Mr. Henley approved of the job she was doing, and that was all that mattered. “You’ve been invaluable today, Miss McNeil,” he’d told her before he’d left for the day. “You’ve done the work of two people, and I appreciate it.” Alice even had the impression his words were more than simply a compliment to her. Given that they’d been within earshot of Archie, it might have been a subtle rebuke to him as well. But perhaps that was wishful thinking.

  Clouds had rolled in with the afternoon. While waiting for the omnibus, Alice opened her umbrella as a light rain began to fall. She wished it had held off another hour. The omnibus, while never entirely pleasant, took on a distinctly sour odor when filled with damp people dripping on the straw-covered floor. She considered walking home. It would take about an hour and save her the threepence for the fare. It was a tempting idea, despite the misty rain.

  Making up her mind, she set off. She hadn’t gone fifty steps, though, before she was stopped by Douglas Shaw calling out to her. She turned to see him striding briskly toward her. He was carrying an umbrella, too, although it looked as though he’d opened it belatedly. His coat and hat were gleaming with fresh raindrops.

  He brushed water off his shoulders as he reached her. “Are you planning to take the omnibus home?” he asked.

  “No, I decided to walk.”

  “You’re going to walk all the way to Islington in the rain?”

  “It’s only about two and a half miles. I’ve done it before.” Alice had in fact often walked home while she worked at the Central Telegraph Office. The boardinghouse where she used to live was about the same distance away, and her saved pennies had added up and helped fund her move to her new place.

  Douglas was still frowning over this plan. “Walking may be good for a person’s constitution, but not when it’s raining. I believe I’ll take a cab home.”

  “What a fine idea,” she replied, unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice. A cab ride would cost at least four times as much as an omnibus. It might be easy for someone like Douglas to casually spend all that money, but it was never an option for Alice.

  He smiled at her caustic comment. “Yes, and I’d like to give you a lift.”

  Taken aback, she immediately shook her head. “I couldn’t put you through the trouble.”

  “It’s the least I could do after your heroic efforts today. Besides, it isn’t out of the way. After all, we live in practically the same neighborhood. To be honest, I generally alight at The Angel and walk the last quarter mile from there because beyond that point it costs extra.”

  “How very frugal of you.”

  He laughed. “There’s a cab rank on the next corner. Let’s see if we can get one before everyone else decides on the same plan.”

  Relenting, Alice went with him. The rain began falling heavier as they walked up the street, making her glad she’d accepted. It was only as Douglas was giving her a hand into the cab that she had a moment of worry. In general, she considered herself too independent to mind the tut-tuts of old-fashioned people who got the vapors over a single woman riding in a carriage with a man. However, she would be irritated if Archie Clapper found out. Given his propensity to find wrongdoing where none existed, he would gleefully begin dispensing rumors. But he would be at work for at least another half hour. Surely there was no way he could find out about it. She might as well enjoy the unexpected treat of being taken home in a cab after a long day at work.

  After giving directions to the driver, Douglas joined her in the carriage. An odd sensation ran through her as he settled into the seat beside her. It was uncomfortable and pleasant at the same time. She shivered a little, then stiffened in embarrassment, hoping he’d think it had been a reaction to the weather.

  He didn’t seem to notice. He leaned back in the seat and let out a sigh of satisfaction. “It was a good day today, wasn’t it? We saved Henley and Company at least two hundred pounds. Nothing to sneeze at, even with the volume of trade we do.”

  “Thank you for including me in your assessment, but I feel my contribution was minimal.”

  He gave her a critical look. “You shouldn’t indulge in false modesty, Miss McNeil. You’ve got a sharp mind and a willingness to think outside the normal channels. I believe you’ve got a real head for business.”

  “I should hope so, since I am employed at one,” she answered with a smile. It was her usual reaction, to fend off a compliment with some sort of pleasantry. She was, quite foolishly, blushing a little at his praise.

  Douglas shook his head. “I’m talking about a position beyond telegraphy. Beyond mere clerical work, too—even though you’d be a vast improvement over Miss Waller. In fact, I’ve been thinking over what you said this morning.”

  “Have you?” She was intrigued that their conversation had made an impression on him as well. He hadn’t mentioned it again all day, and she’d assumed he’d not given it another thought.

  “Yes. If you’re serious about wanting to remain on your own . . .”

  “I am.”

  “Then have you considered pursuing some type of managerial position? Something that actually involves you in the decision-making processes?”

  “Me?” Alice was genuinely surprised that he’d even suggest such a thing.

  “Are you averse to the idea?”

  “No, not precisely. It’s just that . . .” She wasn’t able to finish the sentence. She would have said it wasn’t a role typically open to women, but she could already hear Miss Templeton’s voice in her head telling her not to downplay a woman’s prospects.

  “Tell me, why did you leave your position at the Central Telegraph Office? Mr. Henley told me you came highly recommended and that they were sorry to lose you. Were you unhappy there?” He was looking at her with interest, as though he truly wanted to know.

  Alice tugged absently at her gloves, considering her reply. “The CTO is a good place to work. The hours are regulated, the pay is reasonable, and the working environment is comfortable, especially compared to other occupations.”

  “Hmm.” Douglas stroked his chin as though considering her words deeply, but a tiny smile lifted his lips. “That response does the exact opposite of answering my question.”

  She laughed. “True. Why did I want to leave if working there was so ideal? The truth is, I was tired of being one among eight hundred women.”

  “Eight hundred! I knew a lot of women worked there, but I didn’t realize it was that many.”

  “Not to mention an even greater number of men. It was a factory, really. A very large message factory.” She sighed. “I suppose by saying that, I’m dishonoring the unfortunate people who are forced to toil in the sweat and grime of actual manufacturing plants. I was thankful for my job—I just wanted to work someplace that was not so highly structured. With so many people, it was vital that everyone keep to a precise schedule, right down to the timing of breaks for luncheon and tea. There were detailed procedures for every aspect of the work, large and small. I chafed against the rigidness of it.”

  He gave an understanding nod. “You wanted to stand out.”

  “I suppose you could put it that way.”

  “Well, you have certainly managed to do that. I take it you enjoy working at Henley and Company?”

  “Oh yes!” She said it too breathlessly, looking into his eyes, which were a nice shade of brown. Warm and welcoming. She held his gaze for several very pleasant seconds. Then, chiding herself for acting like a schoolgirl, she looked away. She tried to think of anything that might cool the sudden warmth she was feeling. The answer to that was obvious. “The only drawback is that I hadn’t considered the possibility of working with someone like Mr. Cla
pper. He is a trial.”

  “Don’t worry about Clapper,” Douglas said. “He hates everyone, including me. Perhaps especially me. But ultimately, he can’t stop either of us from rising in the company, even if he does not.”

  “I don’t even think he wants to. I think he prefers just barely getting his work done and shirking anything that isn’t absolutely necessary. So why is he upset if we advance?”

  Douglas opened his mouth, then looked away and shrugged. “He has his reasons.” Alice waited to see if any other explanation was forthcoming, but he simply said, “Look, we’re nearly at The Angel already.”

  Sure enough, the carriage was on the main street leading to The Angel, one of the oldest public houses in Islington. Many omnibuses and other conveyances stopped here to drop off or pick up passengers. Alice could hardly believe the trip had passed so quickly.

  Happily, it was no longer raining. The clouds had moved off to the southeast.

  “Thank you so much for this bit of luxury,” she said as Douglas helped her down from the carriage.

  “It was my pleasure. Shall I accompany you the rest of the way home?”

  “No!” It came out so fast, she worried that it sounded rude. But, as much as she enjoyed his company, having him walk her home felt too personal somehow. It wasn’t as though she needed his help or protection. She took a breath. “That is, I’ll be perfectly fine. This is where I typically get down from the omnibus every day. Besides, I’ll be walking north up the high street, which is probably not the same direction as your home.”

  “You’re right, my lodgings are in the other direction.” He tipped his hat. “I look forward to further work adventures tomorrow—especially if Miss Waller is out again.”

  Relieved that he hadn’t taken offense at her refusal, Alice gave him a nod and a smile. “So do I.”

  “But do think about what I said regarding career aspirations.”

  She lifted a brow. “Aren’t you worried I might try to take your place?”

  There was a glint in his eye as he gave her another of his impossibly appealing smiles. “Not if we grow the company enough to need two senior directors.”