Page 73 of Reforming Lord Ragsdale
“You did not say that!” Tim declared. “Hush, lad!” Lord Ragsdale said with mock sobriety. “If you and I are to rub along together, you must realize I enjoy giving a tale a good squeeze.”
“Like Da,” Tim said.
“Why, yes,” Emma agreed, wondering why she had never noticed that tendency about Lord Ragsdale before.
In the book room, Lord Ragsdale ceremoniously seated himself at the desk and rummaged about in one of the drawers. “I know it’s here, unless you have organized the very marrow out of my bones,” he grumbled.
“I would never,” she protested as she possessed herself of Tim’s hand. “In fact, I think I will advise Clarissa to give you ample room to maneuver, my lord. You do your best work on a spontaneous basis, I believe.”
“So glad you finally recognized it,” he murmured as he pulled out a document. “Here we have your indenture paper. Tomorrow it goes to the bank to be signed down here and notarized, and then it goes to you, my dear.” He folded his hands on the desk. “I think you should frame it, so you can tell your children someday how you reformed a rather dingy member of the peerage because of a card-game wager.” He winked at Tim. “It’s a story worthy of the Irish, lad.”
She accepted the paper from him, looked at it, and returned it to the desk. “I would like to continue working for you for wages, until I earn enough for passage for two to Australia, my lord.”
“I fear that is quite impossible. Clarissa has told me on several occasions that she thinks I need a male secretary,” he replied.
Emma nodded, remembering her conversation with Clarissa only that morning. “Well, then, can you give me a character reference?”
He smiled at her. “Before I came looking for you, I wrotethis character. Perhaps it will suffice. Take it, Emma, and with my blessings.”
She held out her hand for the letter and held it so Tim could read it too.He can’t be serious, she thought. “My lord, this is addressed to Lachlan Macquarie”—she looked closer—“the governor of Australia. . .”
“. . . Who said he would be delighted to provide you with employment in the colony. When I went to the trouble of finding out who he was, I was only too delighted to discover that he is sailing on this next supply convoy. Apparently, the Colonial Office thinks Macquarie is just the man to take over from the unfortunate William Bligh,” he said. “It seems that Captain Bligh cannot weather mutiny on sea or land, and there has been trouble in Australia.”
“But”—she frowned—“that may be, my lord. Don’t think you will scare me off from making the journey.”
“I would never!” he exclaimed, his voice shocked. He winked at Tim and quite ruined the effect.
“Lord Ragsdale, do be serious!” she said. “This paper is well and good, but I need employment here to pay for passage there. It is quite simple. I cannot swim there!”
“You probably could,” he disagreed. “But to spare Tim any possible embarrassment, I intend to pay your passage and his, if I can’t talk him into coming with me to Norfolk.”
“You can’t, my lord,” Tim said.
“You sound just like your sister,” Lord Ragsdale said mildly. “I didn’t think I could.”
“I never asked you to pay our way,” she protested, all the while knowing that he was going to do what he wanted.
“I know you did not. I want to do it, and I don’t want a lot of argument, and please, no pouts. I am already steeling myself for a lifetime of those from Clarissa. Don’t you do it too,” he concluded with some finality.
He rose to his feet, as though signifying the end to his audience.Very well, my lord, she thought.Our relationship has changed yet again. Now you are formal and dignified and incontrol of things. I know this is what I worked for, but I miss the rascal a little.She held out her hand to him, and they shook hands.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing, Emma.” He looked at Tim. “Lad, go tell Lasker not to hold dinner any longer. I want the two of you at my table tonight.”
“Oh, that isn’t necessary,” she said as Tim grinned at Lord Ragsdale.
“I want to, so don’t argue. The convoy leaves in a matter of ten days or so. When I visited with the new governor. . .”
“You visited with him?” she interrupted.
“Of course!” he replied, sounding genuinely indignant this time. “You don’t seriously think I would just turn you over to the vagaries of life at sea without looking into the matter!”
“Such exertion,” she murmured, touched at his interest.
Lord Ragsdale appealed to Tim. “See how she baits me? Was she this way at home?”
“I can’t quite remember,” Tim said and then brightened. “But my brothers were.”
