Page 12 of Lady Edith and the Registry Office
Diana mentioned that Ashford and the baron had discussed the registry with their colleagues, rarely mentioning that they owned the business. The registry was managed by Diana, with financial backing from her brother and Lord Harbury.
Edith was impressed by Diana’s management of the registry office. The lady was no mere figurehead.
Client ledgers rested on two tables in the lobby. A veteran searching for a position would tell Porter or Taylor their name, job skills, and the type of employment they were seeking. The men would record the veteran’s information in the ledgers, saving the veteran from embarrassment as many of the men could not read or write.
Two long benches were set against the front wall, one on each side of the front door. Both benches were soon filled with men seeking employment. A tall bookshelf rested against one wall, filled with several old copies of newspapers and periodicals for those veterans who could read.
From what Edith observed, Mrs. Stafford was in charge of the lobby. She directed veterans forward when it was their turn to register and assisted with questions or concerns. The woman had a no-nonsense attitude that the men appeared to respect.
After a few minutes of monitoring the registration process, Diana ushered Edith through the door to the back office, where two oak desks each held a ledger book and a stack of papers.
Diana took a seat on a hard-backed chair behind one of the desks and motioned for Edith to sit at the other desk.
“The ledgers in this room are to record employer information. One ledger is for employer surnames A-L, and the other is for M-Z. The papers on your desk are in alphabetical order. Employer names, addresses, and the position to be filled are to be transcribed into your ledger. And I will want to verify the information in the ledgers is correct before we start matching veterans to employment opportunities.”
She nodded in response. “I’ll get started.” Edith began making notations in her ledger. A few minutes later, she looked up from her work. “You have a lot of potential employers here.”
Diana grinned. “And all without advertising. I’ve put about that every household in London should have at least one war veteran as an employee.”
“Well done! My father has agreed to take on a man as a gardener.”
“I saw your father just last evening at a rout I attended. He spoke quite animatedly with Lady Sandhurst, who was widowed last year. It was lovely to see her laugh again.”
“My father was at a rout?” She frowned.
“Oh yes! We discussed a new first edition he recently acquired.” Diana lowered her head and went back to work.
Strange. She was sure her father told her he was at his literary club last night. No matter, she would ask him about it this evening.
Chapter Six
Despite what Dianamight have to say on the subject, Nathaniel suggested they look in at the registry office as he had a few minutes left before he was to collect Alicia at Thorne’s. He told himself it wasn’t merely because he wanted the opportunity to see Lady Edith.
Cecil was loitering across the street when they arrived and crossed the road to speak with his friends.
“Any trouble?” Nathaniel asked the other man warily.
