Roman turned his gaze to her to see what was drawing their attention. Oh no.
The beard on one side of her face, from the top of the sideburn down to her jaw, had fallen away. Did she not notice? She was busy writing notes.
At last, she raised her head, and her eyes met Roman’s. He lifted his hand and touched the side of his face, his eyes rounding slightly before he allowed a faint grimace.
Her brow furrowed as she lifted her hand. Her eyes widened. She went pale.
Roman heard Margot gasp.
“I see your beard isn’t real,” Josiah said, studying her intently. “Why is that?”
Roman wiped his hand across his brow as his heart pounded.
Ellis clutched her pencil and notebook. Her face was a mask of fear and anxiety. Roman worried she might flee.
Josiah nodded as if he’d answered his own question. “I see it now.” Roman held his breath, waiting for the man’s outrage. “You seem very young. You must wear the beard so that you’ll be taken more seriously, so people won’t think you’re too inexperienced.”
Roman exhaled as relief poured through him. But it was exceedingly short-lived.
“No, no, that’s not it.” Harriet shook her head and then leaned forward, her gaze narrowed on Ellis. “Young, yes, but that’s not the reason for the beard.” She paused, and Roman once again couldn’t breathe. “He’s a…woman.”
There was no mistaking the horror that captured Ellis’s features. And there was no denying that Harriet was correct.
Chapter 12
Ellis was shaking as she tried to press the beard back to her face. It wouldn’t stick. She was nearly out of the adhesive and hadn’t used as much today in order to preserve what she had left.
Roman had probably dislodged it when he’d kissed her. She cursed her stupidity and weakness for allowing him to do so.
It took every fiber of her being not to jump up and flee the library—or perhaps the house. She was going to have to do that anyway. She could not continue in Roman’s employ.
Mr. Lacey eyed Roman. “Did you know your secretary was a woman? Forgive me, but you don’t seem surprised.”
Roman sent Ellis a look of apology and sympathy. “I did know, and I acknowledge a female secretary is unacceptable to most people. However, she’s extremely qualified, and I’m incredibly satisfied with her work. In fact, I would ask that you don’t discount her because of her sex.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t,” Mr. Lacey said, sounding slightly insulted, which surprised Ellis. His brow creased as he regarded Roman. “Surely you know me well enough to realize I wouldn’t object to your hiring whoever you think is best for the position.”
Roman blinked, appearing bewildered. “I do know that you are more forward-thinking than most gentlemen, however the topic of women working in clerical or secretarial positions hasn’t ever come up in our conversation before. I suppose I didn’t even think to talk to you about it.”
“All you need do is see how much I’ve encouraged Margot to participate with Lacey and Company, and even Harriet.” Mr. Lacey smiled at both his daughter and wife.
Now that Josiah pointed that out, Ellis could see how he would not be bothered by Ellis’s position. She felt a great relief.
“I say she should just be herself.” Mr. Lacey turned his gaze on Ellis. “And who is that exactly?”
Ellis’s relief was short-lived as panic overcame that emotion. She wasn’t going to tell them who she really was, of course. She glanced toward Roman, who also appeared tense. He watched her expectantly, clearly waiting for her to answer as she wished.
“I am Mrs. Daniel Ellis, a widow,” she said far more calmly than she felt. “My husband left me without funds, and I don’t have any family, so I needed to find employment. As you know, that’s difficult for a woman unless she wants to go into domestic service, which I did not. I’m afraid my skills do not lie in that domain.” She summoned a self-deprecating smirk to sell the lie, though in truth, she would not make a very good housemaid. “My husband was a clerk to a barrister. I learned many skills from him, and I had hoped to find that sort of work. However, I was unable to do so as myself, and so I disguised myself as a man, and Lord Keele was kind enough to hire me and allow me to prove myself.”
“Which she has done beyond my expectations,” Roman said firmly.
Ellis was incredibly grateful for his support. He continued to surprise her with how vehemently he supported her, even championed her. She’d had allies before—Min, Sheff, the duke, her friends—but she hadn’t had a partner who not only saw her value but made sure others saw and appreciated it too. All of this kept her from completely losing control.
“Did you know she was a woman disguised as a man when you hired her?” Mrs. Lacey asked. Ellis couldn’t tell how the woman felt, but she seemed less enthusiastically supportive than her husband. Then again, Ellis had observed that she was overall more reserved.
“I confess I did not at first,” Roman replied. “However, I saw through her disguise relatively quickly. By then, I’d already decided she was too valuable to let go.”
Ellis slid her attention to Margot, who’d been quiet through the entire exchange. She met Ellis’s gaze and brightened.
