“The carriage is outside,” Verity said impatiently.
“Right. Sorry to keep you waiting,” Tilly said, as if it were in fact her maid who was the one who frequented society, and not her.
She pulled on the coat Verity held and then stood for her to tie the silk ribbons of her bonnet, which she was more than capable of doing herself but apparently always got crooked. Lastly she took her gloves and jammed her fingers into them.
“Right, then. Let us leave for The Iris.”
They walked outside into yet another gloomy day. It seemed London was determined to match her mood lately.
“Tilly!”
She turned to find Violet stepping from a carriage and waving at her frantically.
“You two get settled in the carriage. I will not be long,” Tilly said before walking toward her friend.
“How are you?” Violet asked after a hug. “The club is fine. I have been there daily, and the others, too, have been ensuring things there are running smoothly.”
Her friend was pink-cheeked and radiated happiness. In that moment, Tilly loathed her for that, which was beneath her.
“Thank you, Vi. That was very kind of you.”
Her friend frowned at the stilted tone. “What’s wrong?”
Of course she could not tell her because Ambrose was her brother, and she would not put Vi in the middle of this. If he chose to tell her, then so be it, but she would not.
“I think the abduction has taken more out of me than I thought.”
Violet could see through a lie at ten paces, so Tilly kept her expression calm and hoped she bought the story she’d just told her.
“No, I think there is more to this than you are telling me, and we do not keep secrets from each other. What’s going on, Tilly?”
“Nothing,” she said. “I’ve told my parents I wish to leave London soon, Violet, and after I am sure The Iris is in good hands, I will do so.”
“For how long?” she demanded.
“I won’t be coming back.” The words were almost too hard to speak. Two of the people she loved were here in London. Her parents, of course, would join her, but Violet and Ambrose would not, and she would miss them with a deep ache of longing for the rest of her life.
“I understand the abduction was terrifying, Tilly, but to leave and not come back? I don’t understand why you would take such a drastic measure, especially now you have The Iris.”
“I have made my choice.”
“Has something else happened?”
Violet tried to grab her hand, but Tilly stepped back out of reach.
She could not break now, or she would expose the large crack down the center of her heart that she knew would never heal.
“What is going on?” Violet asked again, advancing on her. “Talk to me.”
“I must go, as I have an appointment. I will see you before I leave. Goodbye, Violet.”
“Tilly!”
She ran to the carriage then and climbed inside, closing the door behind her. Only when it was moving did she allow the tears to fall. Verity’s hand waved a handkerchief before her. She took it and sobbed all the way to The Iris.
CHAPTER 26
Ambrose heard the commotion outside his bedroom door but ignored it. Bertram would deal with whatever was going on.
