THE WAR BRIDE CLUB (18 page)

      “Thank you.”

      She smiled. “You’re welcome.”

      He laughed. He actually laughed at her. She could have died right there on the spot.
 

      “An English girl, huh? Well, fancy that. Your name?”

      Alice swallowed. “Alice Jones, sir.”

      “Mrs. Jones,” he said. He held up the glass and downed half of the water. “Thank you.”

      Then he continued on, like nothing had passed between them. Like it had been only the two of them in the room and now they were suddenly surrounded by others.
 

      She ignored her burning cheeks and took her place at the back of the room again, hoping it would be over fast. She didn’t miss the scowls directed her way.
 

      Alice didn’t look up again until the meeting was over. The women around her were already shuffling off, so she forced her feet to obey and followed them.
 

      Until she heard a clear, deep male voice ring out across the room. Addressing her personally.
 

      “Mrs Jones.”

      Oh, no. She froze.
Please don’t fire me today. Please
. He hadn’t mentioned anything about employee cuts, had he? Had she missed it while she’d been daydreaming about him? 
      Alice waited until the remaining employees had left, then walked toward him. Her body felt numb, feet heavy as she met his stare.
 

      “What can I do for you, sir?”

      “Please take a seat,” he beckoned for her to sit across from him with one hand. “And call me Matthew, at least when we’re alone.”

      He winked at her. Her boss actually winked at her.
 

      Alice just nodded. She couldn’t make her tongue form words. She’d forgotten what this felt like. Talking to a man like this, being in a man’s company, used to come so naturally to her.
 

      “Alice. May I call you Alice?”

      She nodded again.
 

      “Well, Alice, I’m in need of a personal assistant, and I think you’d be perfect.” 
      What? She shook her head. “What about Mrs. Perkins?”

      He laughed. Her boss actually laughed out loud again.
 

      “Mrs. Perkins is, well, not exactly what I’d hoped for. You’d do the job much better, I’m sure.”

      He was attracted to her. This man was actually attracted to her. Why else would he ask her when he could have had any of the ladies in the office assisting him?
He knew nothing about her.
       

      “So, will you accept my offer?”

      She took a deep breath and forced her eyes to meet his. It would make the others only hate her more, but what did she care?

      “I’d be honored, Mr. Roberts.”

      “Matthew,” he reminded her, before giving her another wink.
 

      Alice tried to keep the smile on her face, but inside she was in knots. The old her would have flirted and bantered with him, but it no longer came as second nature.

      “When do I start?” she asked, feigning confidence.
 

      He grinned, folding his arms over his chest as he appraised her.
 

      “Just let me offer Mrs. Perkins an early retirement package first, then you’ll be my right hand lady.”      

      Alice stood, standing straight, shoulders back, smile firmly in place still.
 

      “Until then,
Matthew
.”

      He stood too, eyes never leaving her face.
 

      “Until then.”

      Alice’s only regret was that he wore a wedding band.

      She ignored the niggle of guilt as it wound its way through her. She’d turned down a married man once before, and now she was married herself.
 

      But Matthew had only asked her to be his assistant.
 

      For now.
 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

MADELINE sat, back straight, on a small sofa outside a polished mahogany door. Her palms were damp, clammy, like she’d been out too long in the sun. But it wasn’t the heat. It was because this interview could change her life, could be end up being the one place whee she could seek refuge.
 

      
If they gave her the job.
 

      After what seemed an age, she heard the creak of the door and jumped to her feet. A man appeared. Older than her own father, with a thick bushy moustache and small spectacles, but he looked kind. Almost friendly. Not like the stern man she’d been expecting.
 

      “Mrs. Parker?”

      She nodded and braved a smile, holding out her hand just like she’d practiced in the mirror at home.
 

      “Yes. Pleased to meet you, sir.”

      He nodded and ushered her into his office.
 

      Madeline took a deep breath and walked forward. The office was neat. Orderly. A large desk, formidable chair seated behind it, sat in the center of the room. She waited until he was standing in front of it, and only sat when he beckoned for her to do so.
 

      Right now, her manners were the only thing she was sure of.
 

      “So, Mrs. Parker, you seem to have impressed my secretary.”

      Relief hit her, took away the burning flush of her cheeks. “Mrs. Ronson seems like a lovley woman. It would be a pleasure to work with her.”

      He smiled and rubbed one hand over his moustache. As if in contemplation.
 

      “We’ve had many applicants. However I like to keep my staff happy, and it’s Mrs. Ronson who you will be working alongside, after all.”

      Madeline just nodded and waited. She didn’t want to ruin her chances by saying anything foolish. It wasn’t like she’d ever applied for a job before – school and then her father’s butcher shop were all she’d ever known.
 

      “So tell me why should I hire you, Mrs. Parker. What makes you special?”      

      Madeline smiled and forced herself to unfold her hands. She placed them on her lap.
 

      “Mr. Curtis, I appreciate you have a tough decision to make here, however I know you’d be very happy with me. I managed my father’s shop alongside him for many years, and assisted with all the accounts. I like to get a job done well.”

      He laughed.
 

      Had she said something wrong? Something to make her appear foolish?

      “Ah, I have heard that you British girls have a good work ethic. I think the rumors might well be true.”

      “Yes, sir. I wouldn’t let you down. My father liked to say that if you can’t do a job well, you shouldn’t do it at all, and I believe that statement to be true.”

      He studied her. Looked over her, then down to his notes. She’d first been interviewed by his Mrs. Ronson, and she guessed he was studying the notes she’d made.
 

      “Well, I think I’ve had enough time to make my decision.”

      Madeline hung her head.
She wasn’t good enough
. He liked her, but there had been too many other candidates to select from. She should have known.
 

      It wasn’t as if she’d specifically trained for this type of role.
 

      “Thank you for your time, sir. I certainly appreciate it,” Madeline said.
 

      She stood, handbag clasped between her fingers.
 

      “Mrs Parker?”

      She turned. “Yes?”

      “Please don’t make me change my mind.”

      He was smiling again. Was this American humor that she didn’t understand?

      “I beg your pardon?” she asked.
 

      “What I was about to say, was that I’ve made my decision and you may have the job. That’s if you still want it?”

      He what?
 

      “Oh, my. Golly. You do?” she stuttered.
 

      He chuckled again. “We might need to get Mrs. Ronson to work on some of the words you use, but yes, you have the job. Congratulations.”

      If she were braver she would have run around the desk and kissed his cheek. But she didn’t. Instead Madeline just stood still, unable to wipe the smile from her face.
 

      “When shall I start?”

      “How about Monday? Report in at eight-thirty, and your duties will be assigned then,” he told her.
 

      Madeline left the office walking on air. She’d done it. She had actually secured a job, without anyone’s help. All on her own she’d impressed two people who wanted to hire her,
and she had gotten the position.
 

      The first face she saw at the end of the corridor was Mrs. Ronson.
 

      “Well?”

      The other woman had a worried look on her face.
 

      “I’m to be here Monday morning!” Madeline told her, hands shaking she was so excited.
 

      The smile she received in return seemed to mirror her own.
 

      “Well, you’d better start calling me Lauren then, if we’re going to be working together every day.”

      “Madeline,” she replied. “You may call me Madeline.”

      They shook hands. Or more just lightly squeezed one another’s.
 

      “I’ve waited a long time to have someone like you working here,” Lauren said.
 

      Madeline smiled so hard that her cheeks hurt. She had no one in her life here except for Roy and her in-laws, and Lauren was like a breath of fresh air. It seemed like forever since she’d just grinned from happiness. She should have tried to contact the girls from the boat, but she couldn’t. Couldn’t stand the thought of confessing how miserable she was, or of pretending that everything was fine when they were all probably so blissfully happy.

      And now she only had five days to get them moved into town so she could start work on Monday, and her husband didn’t even have a job yet.
 

      “I don’t care, Roy. I’ve already taken the position.”

      She’d never seen his face so red, so angry.
 

      “You should have asked me first!” He bellowed out his frustration.

      But Madeline wasn’t going to back down. Not now. She needed to get out of this house and earn some money of her own. Needed to do what she could before she found out for sure about the baby.
 

      Deep down, she knew. She’d missed her courses twice and she was feeling queasy in the mornings, but right now that wasn’t her focus. Moving out of here and forging a life, with her husband, was all she wanted to do. It was the only thing she could do. Because if that didn’t work, she was all out of options.
 

      “Madeline, I cannot do this to my family. You know that.”

      “Do what, Roy? Stand up to them? Be a man?” He glared at her, but it didn’t slow her words, didn’t stop her saying what she really thought about him. “You disgust me.”

      The words hissed from her mouth. She barely recognized her own voice.
 

      “I’ve done my time here. You hear me? I’m done,” she told him. “Now you either come with me this weekend and look at the houses I’ve inquired about, or I’ll go on my own.”

      She had no doubt his family was listening on the other side of the door. There was no privacy in this place. But she was beyond caring. She might dislike him, but he was a pushover. He’d do what she asked so long as she made enough of a fuss.
 

      “And what will I do? Huh? What work will I find in town?”

      “My wage will keep us going for a short while. You’ll find something, or else you can commute back and forth to the farm.”

      They stared at one another. Both angry. The only difference was that Madeline had made her mind up and she had no intention of changing it.
 

      “You said you’ve made appointments?”

      The slump of his shoulders and downturn of his mouth told her she’d won this first battle.
 

      “Yes. Saturday morning,” she told him.
 

      “And you won’t reconsider this job offer?”

      “It is not an offer, Roy. I’ve accepted the position, they’ll pay me fortnightly, and I start first thing next week.”

      He turned to leave the room. She stayed put.
 

      It didn’t matter what she heard once he walked out, how much of a fuss his family made, she was going to let him deal with it.