The door opened a crack and Jennie slipped in. She saw the valise. Her expression fell into one of dismay. “Oh,no.”
“Oh, yes. I will leave tomorrow.”
“Why?”
Padua realized Mrs. Ludlow had not shared the story given her by Mr. Peabody. Jennie did not know yet. “She received one too many complaints from a parent. She had no choice. I would have done the same.”
“Where will you go?”
“I will find a hotel or an inn.”
“You cannot live in one forever, and even a few nights will cost a lot of money.” She turned to the door. “I do not have much, but I will go and get it so you—”
Padua caught her arm. “I will not take it, so stay. I will never forget you offered, however.”
Jennie sat on the bed. “It will be lonely here now, with you gone. You must promise me that you will take care. You must let me know where you are and that you are safe.”
Padua closed the valise. She sat beside Jennie and embraced her. “I will miss you too. Perhaps you can come and see me. Mrs. Ludlow favors you, and if you ask, she will allow you to visit an old friend on occasion.”
“I will find a way to see you, as soon as you send me word. I will not sleep well until you do, I fear.”
“Do not worry for me. I have been on my own before. I am not afraid. I was not raised like you were.”
She lifted the valise and set it on the floor. “I suppose I should eat dinner.”
“Yes, come join us.”
Together they went to the dining room, and took their places at the high table. Padua was glad to have this meal before the girls knew she would leave. It offered a respite of normal emotions, even if Jennie and Mrs. Ludlow had long faces to the end. Tonight her special students would visit for the math lesson, too, unaware of it being the last one.
Then, tomorrow, she would be gone.
CHAPTER7
Ives hopped out of his carriage shortly after noon. He walked toward a figure in the portico of Mrs. Ludlow’s School for Girls. “It is a fair day, is it not, Miss Belvoir?”
She looked up from where she had been poking into her reticule. A valise rested beside her feet. “Oh. You. What are you doing here?”
“I received a letter this morning, from Mrs. Ludlow. It had been sent to my brother’s house, and a messenger brought it to me. She thinks I am a lawyer for your relatives, and wanted to ensure that you were not left to your own devices.” It had been a peculiar letter, full of misunderstandings about his role in Padua’s life. Half gossip imparting confidences, half guilt-ridden mother worried for her child, Mrs. Ludlow hadbeen most effective in leaving him no choice but to interfere.
“She feels guilty. She should not.”
“Perhaps she only felt responsible.” He pointed at the valise. “Is this about last night? Did she see me with you?”
“It is about my father.” She picked up her valise. “I was about to walk out to hire a carriage, but since you are here your man can take me and I can save the fee.”
He removed the valise from her grip. “In the least we will take you wherever you want to go. However, perhaps if I went and spoke to Mrs. Ludlow, I could convince her to let you stay.”
“Please do not. She is distraught enough that she might just agree, and the school would suffer for it. This is probably for the best. I have things to do that require me to be abroad in town now. I cannot keep slipping away. I will manage, and find other employment.”
He set the valise in the carriage and handed her up. “Where do you want to go now?”
She settled in. “My father has chambers that he is not using presently. I may as well make use of them instead. The rent is paid for a while. Tell your man to take me to Wigmore Street.”
He climbed in and sat across from her. “No.”
“It is the most logical solution to my current predicament.”
“I cannot allow it. If you take residence there, it will only continue the attention you have already drawn.”
