Chapter 118

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: A New Path
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“...”

“Did you sign a contract or something?”

“Excuse me, but if I may ask, why would you say such a thing...?”

Mrs. Rotis smoked her cheroot in silence, seemingly lost in thought.

There was something captivating about the way she leaned back on the sofa, exhaling smoke. Laura found herself wondering, quite out of the blue, if she had a lover. She was a considerable beauty, wealthy, and not too old for romance. Surely, discerning gentlemen wouldn't leave her be.

Presently, Mrs. Rotis stubbed out her cheroot.

“I heard you began preparing for independence around the time you passed the marriageable age. You are a strong woman, Miss Pendleton. If I were in your shoes at twenty-five, with no dowry, I would have shot myself. As I've said, I'm the type to become a robber before a governess, but I can't very well be a robber with this leg, can I?”

Laura was once again at a loss, unsure whether to take the ambiguous words as a compliment or an insult.

Mrs. Rotis continued.

“But reality is cruel. Whether you graduated top of your class from Grant Girls' School or speak five languages, you're worth fifty pounds a year. Can you truly build a future as a governess?”

Laura shook her head. It was a reality she had come to know all too well, to her very bones, while drifting from one employment agency to another before arriving at Dunville Park.

Still, Laura wanted to defend her position.

“I know. Becoming a governess isn't a way to use my abilities; it's more like burying them in the ground. So many employers have their governesses cook, fold laundry, and run errands to the laundress. But this was the only choice I had. And I have been faithful to my choice.”

“So, if you had another option, things would have been different?”

“Pardon?”

“If there were a job where you could earn more than two hundred pounds a year, would you have taken it?”

“...As long as it wasn't illegal, didn't go against my conscience, and wasn't life-threatening... yes, I would have.”

Mrs. Rotis stared intently at Laura, her dark eyes glittering.

“Then, let me offer you another choice now. How about becoming a translator?”

Laura's eyes widened.

“If you were to translate that book you're reading, how long would it take?”

“...Perhaps six to eight months...”

“The fee for translating a book of that length is one hundred and fifty pounds. You have a talent for languages, and you're diligent. Jane said as much, and I can see it for myself. You can be a translator.”

Laura trembled. She placed a bookmark in the page she was reading, closed the book, set it aside, and rested her tingling hands on her knees.

“Would a publishing house accept someone like me?”

“And what kind of person is that?”

“A woman... with no translation experience...”

“If you have the skill, an editor would give you work even if you were an octopus, let alone a woman. The lack of experience doesn't matter either. I know many publishers, and I will introduce you to the right people.”

Laura's face turned beet red. Overwhelmed with surprise and gratitude, she lost her usual composure. A new possibility in life was slowly unfolding before her, presented by the most unexpected person.

She stammered her thanks. Then Mrs. Rotis said,

“I have a duty to help you. As a student of Headmistress Grant, you must carry out her vision. And also,”

Mrs. Rotis smiled sweetly.

“You helped Jane get a job at the publishing house. If it weren't for you, I would never have met her.”

Just then, with a soft click, Miss Hyde's door opened. Miss Hyde emerged from her room, her hair a bird's nest and a robe thrown carelessly over her shoulders. She rubbed her eyes and approached the sofa.

“I must have slept in too late. My head hurts.”

“It must be the rum you drank last night.”

“I didn't drink that much.”

As Miss Hyde approached, Mrs. Rotis moved the cane that had been resting beside her. Jane sat down beside her naturally.

“Jane, I just suggested to Miss Pendleton that she try her hand at translation.”

Miss Hyde stopped rubbing her eyes and looked at Miss Pendleton.

“A translator? Wow, that's perfect for you, Miss Pendleton. You accepted, didn't you? You did, right?”

Miss Pendleton beamed.

“Of course. I stand to earn three times what a governess makes.”

Miss Hyde clapped her hands, her face alight with joy. Mrs. Rotis said,

“From now on, I'll be introducing Miss Pendleton to the editors I know. We'll be dining with them often, so make sure to reserve an extra seat.”

“Yes, Mrs. Rotis.”

Miss Hyde was all smiles, then suddenly threw her arms around Mrs. Rotis's neck.

“Thank you. Thank you so much, Mrs. Rotis.”

A faint blush spread across Mrs. Rotis's face.

Laura watched her for a moment before looking away. Somehow, she felt as if the blush were contagious.

* * *

After that, Laura accompanied Mrs. Rotis along with Miss Hyde. At lectures, book signings, and readings, Laura was introduced to many publishers and dined with them.

Mrs. Rotis introduced Laura as 'a prodigy fluent in five languages' and 'a talent possessing scholarly insight comparable to an Oxbridge graduate'.

Reading Mrs. Rotis's intention to launch her as a translator, publishers vied to sign a manuscript contract with Laura. This was because rumors were circulating that Mrs. Rotis had parted ways with her longtime publisher and was looking for a new one.

Laura carefully chose the work with which to begin her career.

Soon, the right manuscript appeared before her. It was a collection of essays by a German priest.

The publisher offered a fee of one hundred pounds for the translation of this single volume.

Laura took the original manuscript and flipped through it, thinking.

'I could finish this in two months.'

Laura's heart swelled with confidence. She felt an unshakable sense of self-reliance. Now, she could escape poverty through her own efforts. She could live comfortably without relying on luck or fortune.

Laura signed the official contract with Mrs. Rotis and Miss Hyde looking on.

“Hooray!”

The moment they stepped out onto the street, Miss Hyde threw her arms in the air and shouted boisterously. Passersby glanced at her.

Laura, holding the contract, blushed. Not from embarrassment, but from joy. Had she been less proper, she would have shouted 'Hooray!' even louder than Miss Hyde.

“Our Miss Pendleton is going to be rich! She'll live in a big house, drive a four-wheeled carriage, and employ several servants!”

“We don't know that yet. I've only just signed my first book.”

Mrs. Rotis shook her head.

“If you work steadily for ten years, it will be just as Jane says. Translation is a highly valued talent in the publishing world.”

Laura's heart pounded. Though she told herself not to be overly optimistic about a future that had not yet arrived, her heart fluttered with endless excitement and joy. With her expected income rising, the anxiety about the future that had always lingered in a corner of her mind melted away like snow.

The three of them walked slowly along the orange-tinted pavement as the sun began to set.

Mrs. Rotis suggested,

“It seems a shame to just go home on a day like today. Shall we stop somewhere for dinner before we head back?”

Laura replied in a much more cheerful voice than usual.

“Let's go to 'Beatrice'. It's my treat today.”

The three headed to a renowned Italian restaurant called 'Beatrice'. But even at half-past five, the tables were already full. The manager apologized, saying it would be an hour before a table became free.

They considered other options. But they all agreed that they didn't want to dine at a mediocre restaurant on such a memorable day.

They put their names on the waiting list and then headed to the Pump Room near the restaurant.

The Pump Room was a famous attraction in Bath where one could drink the mineral water for free. The building itself was spacious and beautiful, making it a fitting social venue for meeting people or arranging appointments.

Upon arriving, they each took a glass of mineral water served in a pretty cocktail glass and began to walk through the main hall. The hall was bustling with people, as usual.

Tired of being jostled by the crowd, they found a spot by a window in a corner. And they made light conversation while sipping their mineral water.

Laura spoke of the future. She wanted to translate at least three books a year. If she combined that income with the inheritance from her father, she could live without want.

“Perhaps in ten years, I could even build a small school in the countryside. Teaching children during the day and translating in the evening would be a very rewarding life.”

Miss Hyde responded enthusiastically.

“With you as their teacher, Miss Pendleton, even farmers' children would all get into Oxbridge, and then some. You're a natural-born teacher.”

While the two of them chattered on excitedly, Mrs. Rotis remained silent. After about thirty minutes had passed, Mrs. Rotis called to them in a low voice.

“Someone is watching us.”

The other two stared at Mrs. Rotis, their eyes wide.

“Who?”

Miss Hyde asked.

“I don't know. But I can feel someone's gaze. They've been staring at us for thirty minutes without looking away.”

“Could it be one of your fans, Mrs. Rotis? Perhaps they want to approach you but can't because you're with company...”

Laura offered cautiously. Mrs. Rotis shook her head.

“A fan would have asked for an autograph by now. I'd wager it's a man.”

Displeasure was plain on Mrs. Rotis's face.

“It seems a gentleman has taken a fancy to one of us. It's probably Mrs. Rotis, the most beautiful among us.”

Laura tried to lighten the mood with her gentle words, but Mrs. Rotis's expression did not soften.

Miss Hyde spoke up.

“Let's just go back to the hotel. If we hail a hired carriage as soon as we leave, they won't be able to follow us.”

They quickly exited the Pump Room. Then they hurriedly hailed a passing hired carriage and headed for the Laurelia Hotel.

Back in their suite, they gathered in the sitting room to ponder. Who could the observer have been, and why had they stared so persistently?

There was no way of knowing who it was. Bath was teeming with people, half of whom were men.

But as for why, Mrs. Rotis asserted that there was surely some sordid intention behind it.

“If a man is interested in a lady, the normal thing to do is approach her directly. To stare from one spot for over thirty minutes... it's obvious his motives are impure, or he's mad.”

Laura didn't think of it in such extreme terms, but she could understand her anxiety. For a woman, a man's gaze could sometimes be a harbinger of danger.

Miss Hyde stroked her chin thoughtfully.

“Who among us do you think was the target? Miss Pendleton? Me? Or Mrs. Rotis?”

“Perhaps all three of us.”

Laura shivered at Mrs. Rotis's words.

“If it was all three, then he must be truly mad.”