Translator: Nox

Chapter 115

<115> Working Women (1)

Part 3. Bath

"Then, goodbye."

The front desk employee, who had carried her trunk to the entrance, bowed politely to Laura.

Laura nodded and then turned her gaze to the street. The sidewalk was bustling with gentlemen and ladies in high-end bespoke clothing, and four-wheeled carriages emblazoned with family crests lined the carriage road, while the orange hues of twilight were already descending.

She sighed.

'Oh, what to do.'

She had arrived in Bath around noon. Thinking she should unpack first, Laura headed straight for the upscale inn that Mrs. Fairfax had told her about.

However, the inn had been transformed into a four-story bespoke clothing store. According to the owner, the building had been sold last spring, and the nature of the place had changed.

Perplexed, Laura hailed any available hackney carriage and asked to be dropped off at any reputable lodging nearby.

But Laura couldn't find a place to drop anchor. She knocked on the doors of about four or five lodgings, but all were fully booked.

Only then did Laura count the days since she had arrived in Bath. And she lamented her own foolishness. The London social season was long over.

It was the time of year when nobles flocked to resort cities.

Nobles who weren't interested in hunting generally preferred Bath. Balls and gambling dens were held every night, and they could happily squander pounds in high-end shops and restaurants. It was also the perfect place to find a spouse or a secret lover.

The nobles had already arrived in Bath a month or two ago and had long-term rentals on their accommodations. Laura was far too late.

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

'Is that the only way after all?'

Laura took out a paper envelope from her pocket. It was a letter Miss Hyde had sent her some time ago.

'Laurelia Hotel.'

She had been putting off visiting the hotel where Miss Hyde was staying. Even if she showed up suddenly, Miss Hyde would welcome her, but she was here on business after all. Her presence might interfere with Miss Hyde's work, and she might get on the wrong side of the person she was serving.

But now there was no other choice. Otherwise, she would have to unpack her bags in a third-rate inn where criminals on the run stayed.

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

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

Laura was led inside by a doorman. In contrast to the exterior, it was quite modern.

Laura went to the front desk and asked if there was a guest named 'Jane Hyde'. The front desk employee, whose face was so wrinkled that she suspected she had been working here for five hundred years, scanned the guest list and nodded.

"Yes, we do. Miss Jane Hyde. She's staying in a room with Miss Mary Rotis."

Laura felt dismayed. She had planned to stay in Miss Hyde's room until she found a new place to stay, but if she was staying with Miss Mary Rotis, it would be impossible.

Relying on the faint hope that she could get a recommendation for a decent place to stay 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, a familiar voice came from behind Laura, who was pacing anxiously in the lobby with its modern fountain.

"Miss Pendleton!"

Laura turned her head. Behind her stood Miss Hyde in a light blue silk suit. It wasn't flashy, but it was much more luxurious than the ordinary office attire she wore in London.

Miss Hyde strode up to Laura and hugged her tightly.

"To come so suddenly! It's like a surprise gift!"

Laura awkwardly received her embrace. Her heart was bubbling over with joy like a kettle that had been on the stove for a long time, but embarrassment blocked her intense emotions.

It was because of the lady standing behind Miss Hyde.

Long, flowing black hair, a fitted navy blue suit dress. A healthy, tanned brown face with goddess-like features clearly etched into it. A black cane in one hand.

She was a woman who exuded charisma that seemed to suck the air out of the room just by her presence.

The woman with an extraordinary presence opened her mouth.

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

It was a soft voice, contrary to her impression. Or rather, the tone was so gentle that even her voice felt soft.

Miss Hyde released her embrace.

"Miss Pendleton, this is Mary Rotis, a travel writer I'm assisting. Miss Rotis, this is Laura Pendleton, whom I mentioned."

Laura automatically bent her knees slightly in greeting. Miss Rotis laughed.

"Please excuse me for not being able to pay my respects in that classic way. My knees aren't good, so if I greet you like that, my pelvis will ache."

Instead, she abruptly extended her hand. It was a small hand wrapped in a black leather glove. Laura took her hand. She shook it lightly two or three times and then released it.

"I've heard about you from Jane. You taught her how to type, right? I call someone who opens the way for women to be independent a 'savior'. Miss Pendleton, Jane's savior, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Laura blushed slightly.

"I only gave Miss Hyde a very small amount of help. The rest was done by Miss Hyde alone."

"I've heard from Jane that you're extremely modest, so I won't believe that. Oh, and I've also heard that you graduated from Grant Ladies' Academy. I'm also from Grant Ladies' Academy."

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

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. The place that's being criticized all over England for unnecessarily teaching Latin and Greek to girls who can't go to university, wasting the time they should be spending learning sewing and flower arranging for domestic life."

"You're a senior. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Now you're saying it's a pleasure to meet me. I think we have a lot to talk about, shall we go up to the room together?"

She naturally led Laura to her room.

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 accentuated her presence was a crutch that compensated for her uncomfortable left leg.

Their room was a suite located on the top floor. When the door opened, a spacious living room decorated with wallpaper with a green background and gold leaf patterns and heavy mahogany furniture appeared. It was an elegant space.

They sat on the sofa, drank the black tea brought by the servant, and talked. Mary Rotis was thirty-two years old, three years senior to Miss Pendleton. They clearly attended the same school, although they didn't remember each other.

Through stories from their time at Grant Ladies' Academy, Laura and Miss Rotis quickly became close. They had learned to recite poetry in French from the same teacher, learned to play the piano while being hit with a cane by the same teacher, and were both favored by the headmistress and privately tutored in various classical humanities, including Aristotle and Thomas More.

After chatting for about an hour, Laura felt as familiar with Miss Rotis as if she had known her for a long time. And she felt that emotion in Miss Rotis's gaze towards her as well.

Meanwhile, Miss Hyde was listening to their conversation with a contented expression, like an owner watching their cat lick the fur of a newly brought puppy.

During a brief lull in the conversation, Miss Hyde opened her mouth.

"I'm so glad you two are getting along so well."

"Why, Miss Hyde?"

"Because you're both the people I love most in the world."

Laura felt very good about that story. It was clear that her boss, Miss Rotis, was treating Miss Hyde well.

Reading the letters Miss Hyde had sent her, Laura had guessed that Miss Rotis was quite outspoken. Kicking down the door of a publishing house and suddenly taking a typist from the publishing house as her secretary was enough to tell.

But she hadn't shown that personality at all in the past hour. She had treated Laura very politely, and she was even quite affectionate when she spoke to Miss Hyde from time to time.

Especially when she called Miss Hyde 'Jane'…

'There's a sweetness in her tone.'

Miss Pendleton guessed that the two had become like close sisters. She felt very reassured.

"Miss Pendleton, would you like to have lunch with us tomorrow if you're free? We're tired of room service and are exploring various restaurants."

"I'm happy to accept any lunch invitation, Miss Rotis."

Miss Hyde interjected.

"Tomorrow we're going to the French restaurant next to the hotel. We've reserved two seats, but it's easy to make room for one more. I'll send a hackney carriage around lunchtime. Where are you staying now?"

The time had come to bring up the difficult issue. Laura explained her situation, unable to find a place to stay, with an embarrassed face.

As soon as Laura finished speaking, Miss Rotis asked.

"Where is your luggage now?"

"Downstairs, I left it at the front desk."

Miss Rotis pressed the doorbell installed on the living room wall. Soon a servant came in and bowed. She instructed him to bring up Miss Pendleton's trunk from the front desk.

To the surprised Miss Pendleton, she explained calmly.

"Miss Pendleton, you absolutely can't find a place to stay in Bath right now. Especially a place where a refined lady like you can rest her head, I swear on my great-aunt's name, there's absolutely none. Stay here. There's one room left, so you can use that."

Laura's heart fluttered at the generous gesture.

"This is far beyond the help I was hoping for. Then, please allow me to pay 1/3 of the accommodation fee so that I can stay a little more comfortably."

Miss Rotis waved her hand.

"All expenses here are to be borne by the publishing house. Don't think about anything and make yourself at home."

Laura expressed her gratitude with a flushed face. Miss Hyde laughed and hooked her arm around Miss Rotis's, rubbing her cheek against her shoulder.

"See, Miss Pendleton! I told you she was a wonderful person, didn't I?"

Laura nodded with a smile.

She really was. Miss Rotis was a more wonderful person than she had imagined.

'An old friend and a good school senior. Maybe, if I spend time with these people, I can forget Mr. Dalton.'

Laura decided to firmly integrate into life here while she was in Bath. Half of the reason she had fled Yorkshire was to forget Mr. Dalton herself.