A Lesson in Secrets_ A Maisie Dobbs Novel - Jacqueline Winspear [14]
“Thank you, Sandra. My, this office is looking neater than it’s looked in a long chalk!”
Maisie went to her desk without taking off her jacket or hat and opened the letter from the college. Greville Liddicote informed her that he had been in receipt of her application for the position advertised in The Times Educational Supplement, and he was pleased to inform her that she had been selected for an interview, to take place at ten o’clock in the morning on September 1, 1932. He added that the appointment was a late one, in terms of the academic year, and was due to unforeseen circumstances. He hoped that, should she be the candidate selected for the position, she would subsequently be available to take up her post within one week. He added that if there was any doubt on her part regarding the proposed arrangements, perhaps she would be so kind as to let him know, as her candidacy for the job would be affected.
“Interesting,” said Maisie, as she reread the letter. She suspected he intended to make a decision on the day of the interview, which was not unusual in a school or college.
“Did Billy say anything else? He seems to be returning early from hop-picking.” Maisie looked up at Sandra as she brought in the tray with a mug of tea for Maisie and a cup for herself.
“He mentioned that he was a bit worried about Mrs. Beale down there, and that he thought they’d all be better at home.”
“Hmmm, I hope everything’s all right,” said Maisie.
“They’re probably just being on the safe side,” Sandra paused. “When will you be leaving?”
“I’ll go up to Cambridge next week, on the first, and if it all goes according to plan, I will be living in digs close to the college soon after—I will need to do a lot of preparation.”
“Funny that, wasn’t it? That Dr. Blanche wanted to see you in a college for a while, teaching.”
“Not so funny if you knew Maurice.” The lie had come easily when she had first explained her reasons for applying for a teaching job, though Maisie felt guilt at having to deflect the truth from an employee she trusted implicitly. “Maurice always set stock by the ability to teach, and I am glad the opportunity presented itself. In any case, Billy will be here, and I will be back on occasion to catch up with work—when I get into the swing of things, I expect to be able to drive down at the end of each week. We’re doing quite well at the moment, so you’ll both have your work cut out for you. In fact, as time goes on, I expect we’ll need you here full-time, Sandra, though I expect Mr. Partridge might have said the same thing—is everything going well there?”
“Very well, Miss Dobbs. In fact, you’re right, Mrs. Partridge says that they might like me to come full-time at some point—I’ve been doing some office work for her, too, you know.”
“Oh, I bet you have—social secretary?”
“Yes, sort of.”
Maisie laughed. “We’ll just have to fight over you, then.”
Sandra smiled and nodded, and went back to sorting through a series of files. She had already developed a new system of cross-referencing the card file and the larger client files, the manila folders filled with notes on each case, to which the case map was added when an assignment had been brought to a satisfactory conclusion. The new system delighted Maisie, though she thought that Billy might not care for the change—she suspected he had become used to “business as usual.”
Having arrived in the city with time to spare, Maisie used the opportunity to drive around and indulge her memory of her first days in Cambridge. Though the university students would not begin their Michaelmas term for another few weeks, it seemed that already young people were swarming around on bicycles, much to the consternation of those driving motor cars and omnibuses. She parked the MG and walked to the Clare Bridge; it had once been a favorite place to stroll on a Saturday morning in late autumn, when, with a low sun throwing light upon frost-bedecked willow trees, she would linger on the bridge and marvel at her fortune in coming to this place, how fate had stepped in