Part 3. Bath

“Goodbye, then.”

The front desk clerk, who had carried Laura’s trunk to the entrance, bowed politely toward her.

Laura nodded and turned her gaze to the street. The sidewalks bustled with gentlemen and ladies in fine tailored clothing, and four-wheeled carriages emblazoned with family crests raced along the road. The orange hue of twilight had already settled over the scene.

She let out a sigh.

Oh, what to do.

Laura had arrived in Bath around noon. Thinking to unpack first, she headed straight to the upscale inn recommended by Mrs. Fairfax.

But the inn had been transformed into a four-story tailor shop. Upon asking the owner, she learned that the building had been sold last spring, changing its purpose entirely.

Perplexed, Laura hailed a hired carriage and asked to be taken to any reputable lodging nearby.

Yet, Laura couldn’t find a place to anchor herself. She knocked on the doors of four or five establishments, but all were fully booked.

Only then did Laura count the days and realize the date of her arrival in Bath. She sighed at her own foolishness. The London social season had long ended.

It was the time when nobles flocked to resort towns.

Nobles uninterested in hunting generally preferred Bath. Every night, balls and gambling tables unfolded, and one could lavishly spend pounds in high-end shops and restaurants. It was also the perfect place to seek a spouse or discreetly find a lover.

The nobles had likely arrived in Bath a month or two ago, securing long-term lodging. Laura was, without a doubt, far too late.

At twenty-nine, Laura felt like a lost child, despite her age.

Is that the only option left?

Laura pulled a paper envelope from her pocket. It was a letter Jane Hyde had sent earlier.

The Laurelia Hotel.

Visiting the hotel where Jane Hyde was staying had been something Laura had put off. Even if she showed up unannounced, Jane would likely welcome her, but Jane was staying there on business. Laura’s presence might interfere with her work or cause trouble with the person Jane served.

But now, there were no other choices. At this rate, she’d end up unpacking in some third-rate inn fit for fugitive criminals.

She hailed another hired carriage and asked to be taken to the Laurelia Hotel. Half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the hotel, located in the heart of Bath.

The hotel, which looked at least five centuries old, had a mysterious exterior, like a remote castle from a Gothic novel.

Guided by the doorman, Laura stepped inside. In contrast to its exterior, the interior was strikingly modern.

At the front desk, Laura asked if there was a guest named Jane Hyde. A wrinkled clerk, who seemed to have worked there for five hundred years, scanned the guest list and nodded.

“Yes, there is. Miss Jane Hyde. She’s sharing a room with Miss Mary Rotis.”

Laura felt a pang of dismay. She had planned to stay in Jane’s room until she found new lodging, but if Jane was sharing it with Miss Rotis, that would be impossible.

Clinging to a sliver of hope that Jane might recommend a suitable place, Laura wrote a note and asked the clerk to deliver it to Miss Rotis’s room.

About five minutes after sending the note, as Laura paced anxiously in the lobby where a modern fountain stood, a familiar voice called from behind.

“Miss Pendleton!”

Laura turned around. Standing there was Jane Hyde, dressed in a pale blue silk suit. It wasn’t flashy, but it was far more refined than the standard clerk attire she wore in London.

Jane strode toward Laura and hugged her tightly.

“To come so suddenly! It’s like a surprise gift!”

Laura returned the embrace awkwardly. Her joy bubbled over like a kettle left too long on the fire, but embarrassment tempered her excitement.

It was because of the lady standing behind Jane.

Long, loose black hair, a fitted navy dress, a sun-kissed brown face with sharply defined, goddess-like features. A black cane in one hand.

The woman exuded a charisma that seemed to draw in the very air around her.

This striking figure spoke.

“Jane, won’t you introduce me to your friend?”

Her voice was soft, contrary to her imposing presence. Or perhaps her gentle tone made her voice seem softer.

Jane released the hug.

“Miss Pendleton, this is Miss Mary Rotis, the travel writer I’m assisting. Miss Rotis, this is Miss Laura Pendleton, whom I’ve mentioned.”

Laura instinctively curtsied slightly. Miss Rotis laughed.

“Please forgive me for not returning that classic courtesy. My knees aren’t what they used to be, and curtsying makes my hips ache.”

Instead, she thrust out her hand. It was a small hand encased in black leather gloves. Laura took it, and Miss Rotis shook it lightly two or three times before letting go.

“I heard about you from Jane. You taught her to type, didn’t you? I call someone who opens a path to independence for a woman a ‘lifesaver.’ Miss Pendleton, Jane’s lifesaver, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Laura’s cheeks flushed slightly.

“I only gave Miss Hyde a tiny bit of help. The rest, she accomplished on her own.”

“I’ve heard from Jane how stubbornly modest you are, so I won’t believe that. Oh, and I heard something else. You graduated from Grant Ladies’ Academy, didn’t you? I’m an alumna myself.”

Laura, who had been slightly tense with awkwardness, gasped in surprise.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. That place, criticized across England for teaching girls useless Latin and Greek instead of the sewing and flower arranging needed for domestic life.”

“You’re my senior, then. I’m truly delighted to meet you.”

“Finally, you say you’re delighted. I think we’ll have much to talk about. Shall we go up to our room?”

She naturally led Laura to her suite.

Following behind, Laura noticed Miss Rotis’s uneven gait. It wasn’t severe, but she limped on her left leg. The cane that enhanced her commanding presence doubled as a crutch to support her impaired leg.

Their room was a suite on the top floor. Opening the door revealed a spacious living room adorned with green wallpaper featuring golden leaf patterns and heavy mahogany furniture. It was an elegant space.

They sat on the sofa, sipping tea brought by a servant, and conversed. Miss Mary Rotis, at thirty-two, was three years Laura’s senior. Though they didn’t remember each other, they had surely attended the same school.

Through stories of their time at Grant Ladies’ Academy, Laura and Miss Rotis quickly bonded. They had learned to recite poetry in French from the same teacher, practiced piano under the same teacher’s switch, and were both favored by the headmistress, studying classics like Aristotle and Thomas More.

After an hour of lively conversation, Laura felt as though Miss Rotis were an old friend. She sensed the same familiarity in Miss Rotis’s gaze.

Meanwhile, Jane watched their exchange with a contented smile, like a pet owner watching their cat groom a newly adopted puppy.

During a pause in the conversation, Jane spoke up.

“It’s so wonderful to see you two get along like this.”

“Why’s that, Miss Hyde?”

“Because you’re both my favorite people in the world.”

Laura was heartened by this. It was clear that Jane’s employer, Miss Rotis, treated her well.

Reading Jane’s letter, Laura had assumed Miss Rotis was rather brash. Someone who could storm a publishing house and whisk away their typist as a personal secretary seemed formidable.

But in the past hour, she had shown no such traits. She was remarkably courteous to Laura and occasionally spoke to Jane with genuine warmth.

Especially when she called Jane by her first name, ‘Jane’…

There’s a sweetness in her tone.

Miss Pendleton guessed they had become like affectionate sisters. This thought reassured her deeply.

“Miss Pendleton, if it’s alright, would you join us for lunch tomorrow? We’re tired of room service and have been exploring various restaurants.”

“A lunch invitation? I’d be delighted, Miss Rotis.”

Jane chimed in.

“Tomorrow, we’re going to the French restaurant next to the hotel. We reserved two seats, but adding one more is no trouble. I’ll send a hired carriage around lunchtime. Where are you staying?”

The awkward topic had come up. With a sheepish expression, Laura explained she hadn’t found a place to stay.

As soon as she finished, Miss Rotis asked,

“Where’s your luggage?”

“Downstairs, at the front desk.”

Miss Rotis pressed a bell on the living room wall. A servant entered and bowed. She instructed them to bring up Miss Pendleton’s trunk from the lobby.

To a surprised Laura, she explained calmly:

“Miss Pendleton, you won’t find a room in Bath right now. Especially not one suitable for a refined lady like you—I’d wager my great-grandmother’s name on it. Stay here. We have a spare room you can use.”

Laura’s heart raced at this generous offer.

“This is far more help than I dared hope for. To ease my mind, please let me to pay one-third of the lodging costs.”

Miss Rotis waved her hand dismissively.

“All expenses here are covered by the publishing house. Don’t worry about a thing—just make yourself at home.”

Laura, her face glowing, expressed her gratitude. Jane laughed, linking arms with Miss Rotis and resting her cheek on her shoulder.

“See, Miss Pendleton? Didn’t I say she’s wonderful?”

Laura nodded, nodding with a smile.

Indeed, she was. Miss Rotis was even more wonderful—and human—than Laura had imagined.

An old friend and a fine school senior from school. Perhaps, spending time with these people, I might help me forget Mr. Ian. Dalton.

Laura resolved to fully embrace life here during her stay in Bath. Half the reason she had fled Yorkshire, after all, was to forget Mr. Ian Dalton herself.