Chapter 115

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Working Women (1)
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Part 3. Bath

“Farewell, miss.”

The front desk clerk who had carried her trunk to the entrance gave Laura a polite bow.

Laura nodded and then turned her gaze to the street. The orange hues of twilight were already settling over the sidewalks crowded with ladies and gentlemen in fine bespoke attire, and over the road where a line of four-wheeled carriages, emblazoned with family crests, rushed by.

She let out a sigh.

‘Oh, what should I do?’

She had arrived in Bath around noon. Thinking she should unpack first, Laura went straight to the fine inn Mrs. Fairfax had told her about.

However, the inn had been replaced by a four-story bespoke clothing shop. Upon asking the owner, she learned the building had been sold last spring, changing the nature of the establishment.

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

But Laura could not seem to find a place to drop anchor. She knocked on the doors of four or five establishments, but they were all full.

Only then did Laura consider the date of her arrival in Bath. And she lamented her own foolishness. The London social season had been over for some time.

It was the time of year when the nobility flocked to resort towns.

Nobles with no interest in hunting generally preferred Bath. Balls and gambling tables were held every night, and one could satisfyingly squander pounds in the fine shops and restaurants. It was also the perfect place to find a spouse or a secret lover.

The nobility would have arrived in Bath a month or two ago and secured long-term leases on their accommodations. Laura was very, very late.

Despite her twenty-nine years, Laura felt like a lost child.

‘Is this the only way, then?’

Laura took a paper envelope from her pocket. It was the letter Miss Hyde had sent her before.

‘The Loreleia Hotel.’

She had been putting off visiting Miss Hyde at her hotel. Although Miss Hyde would welcome her even if she appeared unannounced, she was, after all, staying here on business. Her presence could interfere with Miss Hyde's work, and she might even cause her to fall into disfavor with the person she served.

But now, she had no other choice. At this rate, she would have to unpack her bags in a third-rate inn fit for fugitive criminals.

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

The hotel, looking as if it had been built at least five centuries ago, had a mysterious facade like a remote castle from a Gothic novel.

Guided by a doorman, Laura entered. In contrast to its exterior, it was quite modern.

Laura went to the front desk and asked if a ‘Jane Hyde’ was among the guests. A wrinkled front desk clerk, who looked as though he might have been working there for five hundred years, scanned the guest list and nodded.

“She is here. Miss Jane Hyde. She is sharing a room with a Miss Mary Rotis.”

Laura felt a sense of dismay. She had planned to impose upon Miss Hyde in her room until she found new lodging, but if she was staying with Miss Mary Rotis, that would be impossible.

Clinging to a sliver of hope that she might get a recommendation for a decent inn through Miss Hyde, Laura wrote a note and asked for it to be delivered to Miss Rotis's room.

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

“Miss Pendleton!”

Laura turned her head. Standing behind her was Miss Hyde, dressed in a pale blue silk suit. It was not extravagant, but it was far more luxurious than the ordinary office attire she had worn in London.

Miss Hyde strode over to Laura and embraced her tightly.

“To see you so suddenly! It's like a surprise gift!”

Laura awkwardly accepted her hug. Her delight bubbled over like a kettle left too long on the hearth, but a sense of bewilderment tempered her strong emotions.

It was because of the lady standing behind Miss Hyde.

Long, flowing black hair, a perfectly fitted dark blue suit dress. A healthy, tanned, brown face with features as clearly defined as a goddess's. A black cane held in one hand.

She was a woman who exuded a charisma that seemed to draw in the very air around her.

The woman with the extraordinary presence opened her mouth.

“Jane, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?”

Contrary to her appearance, her voice was gentle. No, it seemed her voice felt gentle because her tone was gentle.

Miss Hyde released her from the hug.

“Miss Pendleton, this is Miss Mary Rotis, the travel writer I'm assisting. Miss Rotis, this is the Miss Laura Pendleton I told you about.”

Laura automatically bent her knees slightly in a curtsey. Miss Rotis laughed, “Haha.”

“Please forgive me for not being able to return the courtesy in that classic fashion. My knees aren't what they used to be, and curtsying like that sends a pang all the way to my hip.”

Instead, she abruptly held out her hand. It was a small hand, encased in a black leather glove. Laura took her hand. She shook it lightly two or three times and then let go.

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

Laura's cheeks flushed slightly.

“I merely gave Miss Hyde a very small bit of help. The rest, she accomplished all on her own.”

“Jane told me you're terribly modest, so I won't believe that. Ah, and I heard something else as well. That you graduated from Grant Girls' School. I'm a Grant alumna myself.”

Laura, who had been slightly tense with awkwardness, was startled.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. The very one that's criticized all over England for wasting the time girls should be spending on sewing and flower arranging—skills necessary for domestic life—by uselessly teaching them Latin and Greek when they can't even go to university.”

“You're my senior, then. It's truly a pleasure to meet you.”

“Now you say you're pleased to meet me. It seems we have much to talk about. Shall we go up to the room together?”

She naturally guided Laura to her suite.

Following behind her, Laura noticed that Miss Rotis's gait was unnatural. It wasn't severe, but she was limping on her left leg. The cane that enhanced her presence was, in fact, a crutch to compensate for her uncomfortable left leg.

Their room was a suite located on the top floor. Opening the door revealed a spacious living room decorated with wallpaper featuring a pattern of golden leaves on a green background and heavy mahogany furniture. It was an elegant space.

They sat on the sofa, drinking the tea a servant brought, and talked. Miss Mary Rotis was thirty-two, three years Miss Pendleton's senior. Though neither remembered the other, it was clear they had attended the school at the same time.

Through stories of their time at Grant Girls' School, Laura and Miss Rotis quickly grew close. They had learned to recite poetry in French from the same teacher, learned piano from the same teacher who wielded a switch, and had both caught the headmistress's eye to be privately tutored in various classics, including Aristotle and Thomas More.

After about an hour of lively conversation, Laura felt as if she had known Miss Rotis for a long time. And she sensed the same feeling in the way Miss Rotis looked at her.

Meanwhile, Miss Hyde listened to their conversation with a pleased expression, like an owner watching their cat groom a newly brought home puppy.

During a brief pause in the conversation, Miss Hyde spoke up.

“It's so wonderful to see you two getting along so well.”

“Why is that, Miss Hyde?”

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

Laura was quite pleased to hear that. It was clear that her employer, Miss Rotis, was treating Miss Hyde well.

Reading the letter Miss Hyde had sent, Laura had guessed Miss Rotis to be quite a formidable person. Anyone who would break down a publisher's door and suddenly snatch away one of their typists to be her secretary had to be.

But she had shown no sign of such a personality in the past hour. She treated Laura with great civility, and when she occasionally spoke to Miss Hyde, she was even quite affectionate.

Especially when she called Miss Hyde ‘Jane’…

‘There's a sweetness in her tone.’

Miss Pendleton guessed that the two had formed a relationship like that of close sisters. At that, she felt very reassured.

“Miss Pendleton, if you're free, would you care to join us for luncheon tomorrow? We've grown tired of room service and are exploring various restaurants.”

“I would welcome an invitation to dine anytime, Miss Rotis.”

Miss Hyde chimed in.

“Tomorrow we're going to the French restaurant next to the hotel. We've reserved a table for two, but adding another place is no trouble at all. We'll send a carriage for you around lunchtime. Where are you staying now?”

The moment had come to bring up the difficult matter. With an embarrassed expression, Laura explained her failure to find lodging.

As soon as Laura finished speaking, Miss Rotis asked.

“Where are your things now?”

“Downstairs, I left them with the front desk.”

Miss Rotis pressed a call bell installed on the living room wall. A servant soon entered and bowed his head. She instructed him to bring up Miss Pendleton's trunk from the front desk.

To the surprised Miss Pendleton, she calmly explained.

“Miss Pendleton, you will absolutely not find lodging in Bath right now. Especially a place for a refined lady such as yourself to lay her head—I'd stake my great-aunt's honor on it, there is simply none to be found. You must stay here. There's a spare room you can use.”

At this generous offer, Laura's heart pounded.

“This is far more help than I could have hoped for. Then, to put my mind at ease, please allow me to pay a third of the lodging costs.”

Miss Rotis waved her hand dismissively.

“All expenses here are covered by the publisher. Don't give it a second thought and make yourself at home.”

Laura, her face flushing, expressed her gratitude. Miss Hyde laughed, “Haha,” and linked arms with Miss Rotis, rubbing her cheek against her shoulder.

“See, Miss Pendleton! Didn't I tell you she was wonderful?”

Laura smiled and nodded.

It was true. Miss Rotis was an even more wonderful person than she had imagined.

‘An old friend and a good school senior. Perhaps, by staying with them, I might be able to forget Mr. Dalton.’

Laura resolved to immerse herself completely in her life here while in Bath. After all, half the reason she had fled Yorkshire was for the sake of forgetting Mr. Dalton herself.