“Jewel’s napping and Torin’s staying as far from me as possible.”
He gently touched her shoulder. “Are you all right?”
The quiet concern in the question made her bite her lip to keep from spilling out hownotall right she was.I don’t know if I’ll ever be all right again.“I will be.” Ivy tried to sound more certain than she felt.
“Inga brought me your letter before school. Rushed into the newspaper office, handed the envelope over, and ran out again.”
“Oh, dear. I hope she wasn’t late for school.”
“Not with the way she was moving. I heard the bell ringing a few minutes after she left.”
“Is Cora…?”
“Just out for a few hours with Dr. Angus. A follow-up with a patient who’d severely cut himself. I gather they were to assess how the wound was healing and perhaps take out the stitches. Or maybe it was to tell his wife how to do so.” With a confiding look, he leaned closer. “Sometimes, when Cora talks medical details, I just listen on the surface, if you know what I mean.”
In spite of her sadness, Ivy chuckled, knowingexactlywhat he meant. “Cora has a much stronger stomach than I do. Sometimes, it’s best not to listen to her too closely.”
“I left a note and your letter for her at the doctor’s office. I think she’ll beat us back to the mansion and have time to ’fess up to the Bellaires and Nortons about your presence here.”
Ivy groaned. “I hope her aunt and Mr. Bellaire aren’t too upset with us. And the Nortons… Will they judge our secretiveness, do you think?”
“Naw, they adore Cora and will understand her reasoning.”
That doesn’t answer how they’ll feel about me. But Ivy didn’t ask, not really wanting to know.
“As Cora and I have talked about several times when we’ve felt guilty for keeping secrets from them, wearen’tlying. We’re just withholding information to protect Torin and Jewel.”
“Even ifwedon’t think they need protecting and will be fine,” she said sadly. “Torin doesn’t know I’m leaving. I thought you might not come for a day or two….”
He gave her a rueful smirk. “There’s no good way to go about this, Ives. Best to make it quick.”
Ivy liked the nickname he’d just bestowed on her, although not the advice to make it quick, even if she knew he was right.
Torin walked out of the house, saw Brian, and smiled, a mere turn up of his lips, but better than the frozen face he’d been wearing. He crossed the porch and walked down the steps. When he glanced at her, his expression darkened.
Her stomach knotting, Ivy nerved her trembling legs to move. She stopped in front of him, drew herself up, and lifted her chin. “After our discussion yesterday, I’ve decided I must leave. I’m hereby tendering my resignation. As much as I love Jewel, I fundamentally disagree with isolating her, and I can no longer be part of a policy that I believe is wrong.”
Ask me to stay, she silently pleaded.
Pain flashed in Torin’s eyes. His gaze touched hers, briefly revealing everything he couldn’t or wouldn’t say before his face turned chill.
She plowed on. “I sent a letter with Inga this morning. I didn’t realize Brian would be here so soon or I’d have said something earlier.”
Brian walked over, his mouth set in harsh lines. He looked every bit the curmudgeon she’d heard he could be, and she hoped he wasn’t angry with her. He nodded a greeting at Torin and waved in the direction of town. “You realize Ivy’s presence will have to be explained to the Nortons and Bellaires. I doubt Ivy’s willing to lie about having just arrived without any notice. Cora certainly won’t be. Nor will I. It’s a minister’s household; they won’t gossip. They’re used to keeping confidences. And their servants are entirely loyal to Andre Bellaire.”
Torin’s jaw clenched. He stiffly nodded.
“I’m all packed,” she told Brian, and then turned to Torin. “Jewel should be awake soon. I don’t want to leave without saying goodbye.”
He half turned away. “I think it’s best you go right now.”
Ivy fought to keep her voice steady. “But she won’t understand me disappearing.” In spite of her efforts, her tone ended on a pleading note.
“Jewel won’t understand youleaving.” For the first time, the heat of anger showed in his cool façade. “I’ll tell her you’ve gone to town to be with Cora. She’ll assume you’ll return. But hopefully, she’ll eventually forget you.” This time, he directly met her eyes. “With any luck, so will I.”
She gasped at the blow.
Torin’s gaze dropped briefly to her lips. But he neither reacted nor reached out. He simply nodded and disappeared inside.
