Page 22 of Lady Edith and the Registry Office
The servant nodded. “Very good, my lord.”
“Now, what is this all about?" Ashford asked Cecil once the footman had departed.
“One of your registered veterans never appeared for his new position.” Cecil was seated on a leather chair.
Ashford frowned, taking a seat behind his mahogany desk. “And how do you know this?”
“The position was with my neighbor, Sir Henry. The veteran was hired on as a second groomsman and was to report yesterday morning. Sir Henry knows I am associated with the registry office through you, Ashford, so he took it upon himself to visit my home last night and complain.”
Nathaniel didn’t take a seat but paced the perimeter of the room. “Our first week.” He groaned. “We don’t need the negative attention.”
“I’ve told Sir Henry he is probably mistaken about the date his new employee was to arrive and that I would look into it. I greased the palm of his housekeeper in an attempt to keep the incident out of the rumor mill.”
Ashford released a breath. “For now, let’s not inform our employees about the missing veteran. The registry office won’t be open again until Monday, and by then, we may have cleared up this whole business.”
“The RA could be involved.” Cecil crossed his arms across his chest.
“Why on earth would the RA be involved?” he asked the other man grumpily.
A soft knock heralded the arrival of two footmen with trays. One held food, the other a pot of coffee and assorted plates and cutlery. The servants set the trays on a low table in the middle of the room.
“Close the door behind you,” Ashford told the men.
When they were alone again, their host said, “Eat something, Nathaniel. You’re in a foul mood.”
He didn’t reply but merely walked to the table to study the abundance of food on the trays. He was greeted by a basket of warm rolls, a plate of fried eggs, and one of thick bacon. He picked up an empty plate on the tray and selected eggs, bacon, and two rolls. Famished, Nathaniel sat on a small sopha and started to eat.
“Why do you believe the RA is involved?” Ashford calmly asked Cecil.
“Mr. Bones tells me he knows the veteran who is missing. He said the man looked forward to steady employment and wouldn’t have just disappeared.” Cecil looked at Ashford pointedly. “You did tell me the former smuggler was a sound judge of character.”
Ashford nodded. “That he is.” He paused. “Nathaniel, we need to look into this. We can check the man’s home address in the ledger book at the registry office. His disappearance may be a simple misunderstanding.”
“All right,” he said around a mouth full of eggs. “Let me finish eating, and then we can be on our way.”
Chapter Ten
