“M-Mr. Dalton. That’s three times the going rate for a governess. You should think carefully before offering. The one who’ll be paying my salary would be your sister…”

“The educational advisor we hired before the eldest Henry entered public school received that level of salary.”

“But I’m just a governess.”

“Your role is that of an educational advisor. It doesn’t make sense to differentiate salaries for the same subjects taught for different reasons.”

Laura could not say anything more. Honestly, she couldn’t argue about the position in the face of a salary of 150 pounds.

“There’s a deadline my sister set, so I can’t give you much time. You need to decide within three days.”

“…Alright. I’ll think about it, Mr. Dalton.”

Mr. Dalton nodded and then extended his hand to her. She, still out of habit, placed her hand on his. He kissed her hand, covered in a plain navy glove, and then disappeared.

Laura returned to her room as she was. In her mind, the 150-pound salary he had offered was swirling.

She was alone. She had to earn a living on her own and prepare for retirement by herself. No matter how hard she worked, going between her main job and side jobs, it was far from enough to save for retirement alone on the current governess’ wages.

The conditions Mr. Dalton offered were perfect in many ways for her. Two boys was just the right number of students. If it was five hours a day, she could find side jobs to do in her spare time. Moreover, there was a baby in that household. The late-born baby, Ian Fairfax.

By the time the two boys entered public school, that child would also need a governess. That would guarantee employment for more than 10 years.

She was surprised by the calculator rapidly spinning in her head. But what was even more surprising was this opportunity that came like a miracle in such difficult times. It was a job that she desperately needed, like a lifeline, no matter how she looked at it.

She paced back and forth in the room for a moment, lost in thought. Should she take this job? But that house was within reach of Mr. Dalton. He cared for his sister and nephews. He would surely frequent that place, but what if her heart wavered?

Between reality and emotion, she couldn’t make up her mind. There were worrying issues no matter what she chose.

Knock knock.

How much time had passed? A knock sounded in her ears as she was lost in thought. She was startled. Who could it be? A maid coming to collect laundry?

“Miss Pendleton!”

She jumped up at the familiar voice heard through the door. And immediately went to the entrance to unlock and open the door.

Miss Hyde was standing in front of the door.

“Miss Hyde! What brings you here…”

Miss Hyde looked at her with an expression of disbelief, then asked to be let in. Laura led Miss Hyde into the room. And they sat facing each other in front of the side table.

Miss Hyde looked around the room and then at the haggard Miss Pendleton in mourning clothes.

“What on earth are you doing in a place like this? You should have come to me if things got difficult!”

“The life here isn’t so bad.”

“But it’s dangerous. This is a place where all sorts of people come and go. What if there’s a bad person among the travelers? What if they find out Miss Pendleton is staying alone and break in with ill intentions?”

Laura silently smiled. Honestly, she had been careful with locking the door because of such possibilities.

Miss Hyde heaved a deep sigh.

“Come with me to my boarding house.”

“Boarding house?”

“If you pay about the same as you do for a day’s room here, they’ll let you stay as long as you want. People keep leaving these days, so the landlady is short on money too. Pack your things. Hurry.”

Miss Hyde stood up and urged Laura. In fact, Miss Hyde’s concerns were valid. This place was run-down and all kinds of people came and went. The location of men’s and women’s rooms was also close. It was natural that she, staying alone, was in danger.

Miss Pendleton thought that Miss Hyde’s boarding house would be just right for her current status. Laura soon got up and started packing. Miss Hyde helped pack from the side.

The two carried the large trunk together and came out of the inn. Miss Hyde quickly went out to the main road and stopped a passing hire carriage.

The two sat side by side in the moving carriage. Only then did Miss Pendleton have the leisure to ask how she had come to find her lodgings.

“Ian Dalton came to visit.”

Laura was surprised.

“Mr. Dalton? How did he know Miss Hyde’s workplace?”

“He said he heard from Mr. Fairfax. He told him that you were here. That you had nested in a place with unstable security. He asked if you could stay together at my safe boarding house.”

Laura was at a loss for words. It was unexpected kindness. To go as far as to visit Miss Hyde’s workplace to ask for her, worried about her situation.

He must have known too. That her lodgings were not safe. But instead of insisting she come to Mr. Fairfax’s house with him, he sent Miss Hyde. It was consideration not to disregard her decision.

She had known it before, but he was indeed a thoughtful man. He could seem rude at times due to his directness, but that was just the surface. She had known from before that he was a warm and considerate person. It was fortunate to have formed a friendship with him.

If only it weren’t for her own heart, she could have been grateful for this fortune without any pain.

The carriage ran through the bustling commercial district of Fleet Street, packed with large and small publishing houses and newspaper offices. Soon, scattered among the office-filled streets, residential homes began to appear, and the carriage stopped in front of a bed town densely populated with three-story houses.

Miss Hyde, despite Laura’s protests, paid the carriage fare herself and got off first to unload the luggage from the back.

She led Laura up the steps of one of the houses, a red-doored house. And she grabbed the metal ring on the door to knock.

Knock knock.

Soon, a middle-aged lady wearing a cute lady’s hat came out.

“Miss Hyde, you’re here. Oh, but who’s this beside you?”

“This is my friend, Mrs. Keron. Can we go in and explain first?”

Mrs. Keron let the two ladies in.

“This is my friend Miss Laura Pendleton. She’s a very proper and excellent person. She’s looking for a temporary place to stay before finding a governess position.”

Mrs. Keron looked Laura up and down. She had a noble air about her, but her attire was quite shabby.

“Miss Hyde. You know. According to our boarding house rules, guests staying is…”

“She’ll be staying with me in my room. If you just take care of meals and laundry without adding anything else, I’ll pay as much as my boarding fee.”

“We always welcome proper ladies at our house. Stay as long as you like, Miss Pendleton.”

The two went up to the second floor. Upon entering the room, Miss Hyde took Laura’s hat and cape and hung them on the coat rack, then went downstairs saying she would bring something to eat.

Left alone, Laura looked around the room.

The room was spacious and had everything needed. There was a small fireplace, a soft sofa and bed, and a bookshelf and desk were provided. She noticed that the books densely packed on the bookshelf were those same books that had been stacked in a corner of the narrow room in the Hyde household in the past.

Laura thought of the room where Miss Hyde used to live with her family. A narrow and bleak room. The current room was three times larger than then, and everything she needed was furnished. What pleased Laura the most was that Miss Hyde’s room had a proper desk.

She approached the desk. Papers and pens were scattered messily on the desk. Miss Pendleton noticed a stack of manuscripts piled on her desk. Laura picked up the stack of manuscripts to examine.

The manuscript stack was written by someone named Mary Lotis.

Mary Lotis. Laura had heard that name before. She was a travel writer who had visited the entire European continent, America, and Africa alone.

Out of curiosity, she looked at the manuscript. But no matter how much Miss Pendleton tried to read the letters, she couldn’t. It was messy with ink stains and the handwriting was terrible. The strange curly handwriting was full of letters where the pen seemed to have slipped, with upper and lower strokes overlapping.

Miss Hyde entered the room. In her hands was a tray with simple refreshments including cookies and tea.

“This is Mary Lotis’ manuscript, right?”

“Yes. Did you read it?”

“No. I can’t read it. Is it some kind of code?”

Miss Hyde laughed and put down the refreshment tray on the table. Laura put down the manuscript and went to the table. The two sat side by side and drank tea.

“There are writers with seriously bad handwriting. People who scribble the alphabet like some hieroglyphics, making editors’ heads explode. Among them, Mary Lotis is unrivaled. She originally had bad handwriting, but it got worse because she always writes on boats and in carriages.”

Miss Pendleton guessed why Miss Hyde could bring home the manuscript of the famous writer Mary Lotis.

“Miss Hyde, you can decipher it, can’t you?”

Miss Hyde chuckled.

“Strange, isn’t it? I’m not particularly good at recognizing letters, but when I look closely at Mary Lotis’ writing, I can understand all the meanings. Thanks to that, I’ve been put in charge of Mary Lotis’ writings. Since the writer is always traveling, editors can’t ask her about everything, so I guess they’re in a hurry. My work has increased, but I’m lucky to be able to read Mary Lotis’ writings first.”

“That’s amazing, Miss Hyde.”

“No. What’s amazing isn’t me, but Lotis. My daily routine is just putting proofreading marks on her writings at the office, but she goes everywhere, mountains and seas. Alone, as a woman. Isn’t that incredible courage? Plus, her writing is wonderful. These days, travel journals are pouring out like a trend, but Mary Lotis’ writing is solid, fluent, and beautiful. She’s a true master of sentences.”

When evening came, dinner was served. A hearty meal of veal stew, oatmeal, bread, and fruit jelly was laid out. It tasted excellent too. Laura, who had been eating strange food at the inn for the past few days, felt like she was having a proper meal for the first time in a long while.

After the meal, the two sat on the sofa and talked. The things that happened after leaving the Pendleton household. The difficulties experienced while looking for a job and life at the lodgings. The first few days of independence, which were shabby yet peaceful, anxious yet free.

Miss Hyde empathized with all of it. And she encouraged Laura, who had not yet found a suitable job. Laura gained confidence through Miss Hyde, who had become independent before her and established a stable life.

The seeds of kindness Laura had sown to Miss Hyde a few months ago had already grown tall and returned to Laura as a bountiful harvest.