Chapter 15 #2
He frowned. “Why would you say that? The duke has been clear that he wants you here.”
She shrugged. “His future wife might have an objection to him employing a female secretary.”
“No one changes the duke’s mind once he’s made a decision,” Sims warned her.
But Maggie could, and had many times in the past. Eventually, she would leave the duke’s employ, whether he liked it or not.
Sims returned the papers he’d been leafing through back to her bed. “What will you do with it all?”
Maggie shook her head. “I haven’t the faintest idea.”
“You could teach,” Sims suggested. “Not that I want you to leave, of course,” he added quickly.
“I haven’t the patience for my father’s calling,” Maggie admitted.
“Perhaps another teacher would be interested in the material,” he proposed.
Maggie shook her head immediately, though, disliking the idea. “My father was very protective of his methods, and would not have shared any of it with a rival tutor and have them take credit for his hard work. I would not like that, either.”
“Seems a shame to have it all go to waste, though.” Sims glanced her way suddenly. “Would your father have let others see his work if his ownership was clear?”
“I suppose he might have. It was not something we ever discussed.” She tilted her head to one side, studying his excited expression. “What did you have in mind?”
“Publish,” he said firmly.
“Publish?”
Sims nodded. “I have two older married siblings. Both have children of classroom age. They could never afford a private tutor. But books with lessons suited to each age would be of infinite value to them, and many other families, I’m sure.”
Maggie mulled over the idea. “I don’t know the first thing about publishing. I read books, not write them.”
“You’re smart and you learn quickly, from what I can tell,” Sims noted.
“Your father has done a lot of the groundwork, grading lessons by age, you said. But there is more work to do before it is suitable for widespread sharing, surely, and perhaps that would help you reconcile your loss. I’m sure the duke would undoubtedly help you if he’s asked. ”
“I can’t ask him for more help,” she warned. “I owe him so much already.”
“I think you could ask anything of His Grace,” Sims murmured. “It is worth considering, and there could be money to be made from the enterprise, I’m sure.”
“Oh,” Maggie said, eyes widening in surprise that she had not thought of the benefits she might reap.
If she could earn a modest living from instructing the young with a few books, then she would not need to rely on Algernon’s charity much longer, or anyone else later, either.
She looked down at her bed and blanched at the task ahead of her.
“Where would I even start? I’m going to need your help, since this was your idea. ”
“What’s all this then?” Algernon asked suddenly, startling her enough to yelp out loud.
“I was just helping her sort through her father’s trunks,” Sims assured him, springing away from her.
“Sims is brilliant,” she enthused, once she’d calmed herself enough to speak. “He has come up with a way for me to support myself.”
The duke glared at Sims as if he disapproved, and the valet started edging toward the door. “Explain, sir.”
Maggie stepped between the two men. “I will publish my father’s classwork as books and earn a living from the profits.”
The duke entered the room fully, looking around first, and then at the overflowing bed. He picked up a lesson book and glanced at a few pages within. “I remember these. Your father guarded them like they were gold…but some of this is in your handwriting, Maggie.”
“Not gold, but a tradable commodity for sure,” she argued, ignoring his mention of her classwork. “Unfortunately, I don’t know any publishers or how to go about finding one. Do you know of any?”
“No. Not yet. I have not had occasion to need a printer or met one socially. But it will not be difficult to find someone and make any arrangements for distribution.”
“Distribution?”
He aimed a dry smile her way. “Well, yes. What did you think you were going to do after the books were printed? Stand on the pavement outside my town house and sell them like a poor flower girl must?”
“Well, I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” Maggie answered, disliking the idea of hawking the books one at a time. But she might have to do that in the end if she were to make any money.
“Clearly, there is much to consider and discuss about your project,” he said, dropping the book back in its place and scowling. “That’s why you need me to save you from the mistake and indignity of going into trade directly.”
“I can’t impose upon your time, Your Grace,” she promised. “Perhaps Sims could help me a little?”
Algernon held her gaze longer than necessary in answer to her comment. The look said she would come to him first, Sims second.
Sims was sent from the room with a flick of the duke’s head.
“This will take all of your time,” he said, prowling the small room. Glancing into her father’s empty trunks.
“It won’t affect the performance of my duties, Your Grace,” she promised.
Algernon stopped behind her. “I think it should.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “Why?”
His hands settled on her shoulders and squeezed. “Because this is the challenge you need in your life. A secretary is subservient to me. I’m not comfortable with that.”
“It was your suggestion,” she reminded him.
“To keep your brilliant mind from sadness over your father’s demise and from making a rash decision. There’s not enough of a challenge in my affairs to keep you happy for long. You need your own project to pursue.”
“What about your need for a secretary? You do need one.”
“Sims,” the duke bellowed.
The fellow appeared startled by his abrupt summons when he appeared. “Yes, Your Grace?”
“Tomorrow, you will assume the duties of my permanent secretary, while you advertise for a new valet to take your place by the end of the week.”
Sims glanced at her sharply, and Maggie grinned back, nodding, encouraging him to agree, not that she thought he’d refuse.
“What of Miss Black?”
“Maggie will need our help getting this lot downstairs to the morning room, which will now be for her exclusive use as she prepares her subject matter,” Algernon announced. “You can claim full credit for the inspired idea. Well done, Sims.”
The valet grinned but looked slightly embarrassed to be singled out for praise, and rushed back into the room to collect the papers from Maggie’s bed. She helped him return them to one of the empty traveling trunks and stood back.
When the bed was clear again, Algernon hefted the trunk alone and carried it from the room, complaining about the unexpected weight.
Sims glanced at the other trunk of her father’s. “Should that one be taken, too?”
“Oh, no. It’s just some old letters in there. I will dispose of them another day.”
Sims rushed off after the duke, and Maggie followed them both at a slower pace, but her pulse raced with excitement and relief at having a purpose at last. Having a project like this could be just the thing she needed to fill her days in the long, empty years ahead.
Publishing Papa’s lessons would be no fast endeavor, but hopefully not a fruitless effort, either.
Algernon was still in the morning room when she arrived, watching Sims finish laying out her father’s papers again, precisely as they had been sorted on her bed upstairs.
When he was done, Algernon sent him off to fetch tea.
“I cannot thank you enough for promoting Sims. He so wanted the position.”
“It was the right thing to do. I’m only sorry I was not here to help you unpack your father’s trunks.” His hand rose to cup her face, and his fingers swept over her cheek. “You’ve been crying again.”
“The unpacking had to be done, and I was ready to face it finally,” Maggie told him with a shrug.
The duke set his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “I would have helped, had you asked me.”
“I know.” She nodded and looked around. “But at least I finally know how I can fill my days.”
“And mine, too. I will help you with this, Maggie.”
“You’ll be much too busy soon, I suspect.”
“You will need finance to get started with your publishing,” he warned
Maggie’s excitement plummeted, but not her commitment. She did need something to do with her life. “Well, it will just take me longer, that’s all.”
“No, it won’t take you longer than it needs to be. Not if we make this project a partnership.”
She looked at him with surprise. “Partnership?”
“Business partners. You know your father’s work better than anyone, since it looks like you wrote some of it, and can concentrate on making it suitable for publication,” he said, gesturing to the papers littered around the room.
“But I have the skills and contacts you need, and the money you’ll require to get published as soon as possible.
No half measures for this. The right word to the right people and the orders will come flooding in. ”
She gulped. “But you don’t have money to waste on me. That’s why you are marrying her, isn’t it?”
“There is a world of difference between settling large debts and having the funds for a small investment like this. I can easily afford this new project of yours. I want to invest in your future, Maggie, but I won’t dictate it.”
She gaped. “I don’t know what to say.”
He winked at her. “Yes, Algernon, is always the right answer.”
A servant arrived bearing a tea tray, and Algernon told them to set it down anywhere.
Maggie noticed there were two cups, which meant the duke wanted to stay.
Maggie’s excitement returned, just knowing she had his interest and complete attention again.
She had missed him greatly these past few days, and had feared that every conversation with him lately seemed like it could be their last. But now…
“Yes, Algernon. I would be very grateful for your help and a partnership to see this project through.”
He winked again and poured her a cup of tea, just as she liked it made.