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Instead I said: ‘I am three hours early, Mr Ambrose.’
He nodded.
‘Yes, I noticed. Now stop dawdling and take care of those files. Return to me when you are done. Since you are here, I have something else for you to do.’
I went and got the files, praying vehemently that the ‘something’ he wanted me to do involved a sharp sword and the severing of his head from his body. In no time at all I was back in front of his desk, and I still had not exploded or run to get sharp weapons. I was rather impressed with myself.
‘The files are stored as ordered, Mr Ambrose, Sir,’ I said in as sweet a tone as I could manage.
‘I see.’
No ‘Well done’ or ‘Thank you’. He didn’t even raise his head from his papers.
‘Sir? What is it you wished me to do?’
‘To wait until I have finished reading. Then I will give your instructions.’
I closed my eyes and slowly counted to ten to calm myself. Unfortunately, it didn’t work, so I continued to fifteen and then to twenty. But when I reached fifty, I was still just as infuriated as I had been at one. Did he have to be so… cool? So distant?
51, 52, 53…
Well, he was Mr Ambrose, so he was naturally about as warm and welcoming as a freshly calved iceberg, but still. It aggravated me more now than it had before, having seen, in contrast, his infatuated behaviour towards that bloody female the other night at the ball.
64, 65, 66, 67…
And of course he
had to have horrible taste in ladies! I wouldn’t have minded if she had been a halfway decent creature, but this Hamilton person was a femme fatale and would leach all the life and money he had out of him.
‘Mr Linton?’
79, 80, 81…
I was incredulous that he couldn’t see it or that he couldn’t find a better woman.
‘Mr Linton!’
He should be able to find another. After all, he was, I had to admit, abominably handsome. Very, very handsome…
97, 98, 99…
‘Mr Linton? Mr Linton, I am talking to you!’
‘What?’ My eyes flew open and I blinked at Mr Ambrose, who was staring at me coolly over the top of his business papers.
‘Mr Linton, I have called your name about five times now and you have been just standing there with your eyes closed. If you are not fully awake yet, I had rather you return home and waste your own time sleeping there than waste my time here. There is work to do.’
I raised my chin and met his gaze unflinchingly.
‘I am completely awake, Sir.’
‘Indeed? Then go and fetch a small leather-bound volume out of the left part of the lowest drawer of your desk. And keep your eyes open while you are walking, will you? I would hate for you to walk against a wall by accident.’
I managed a smile, though I doubt it was very polite.
‘Thank you for the concern for my welfare, Sir.’
He had put his papers aside now, but still he hadn’t looked up. Instead, he was methodically arranging them into several small piles.
