Chapter 119
<119> Old Love (1)
Miss Rotis fidgeted with the handle of her cane.
"If you run into him while wandering alone, it could become a difficult situation. Let's try to use hired carriages as much as possible and not go out alone. Above all, we must not let them find out where we are staying. If they camp out in front of it and wait, we'll be helpless."
Miss Hyde and Laura nodded.
That night, Laura was sitting on her bed in her pajamas, reading the original text she would be translating. Then, there was a knock on the door, and Miss Rotis's voice came through.
"Are you asleep, Miss Pendleton?"
Laura got out of bed and replied.
"No, come in."
Miss Rotis, wearing a black gown, entered the room slowly, leaning on her cane.
"I'm glad you're not asleep."
"Yes. I can't seem to fall asleep early... But what's the matter?"
Miss Rotis put her hand in her gown pocket and stared at Laura. She looked very worried.
"I can't help but think that the gaze at the Mineral Water Hall was directed at Miss Pendleton."
"Why?"
"Men generally don't like me. They seem to know instinctively that they'll get hit with my cane if they approach. Jane isn't exactly a man-magnet either. She's an attractive girl, but, well, she's too striking and individualistic. But Miss Pendleton is different."
"You're both just as attractive as I am. And from what I've observed in life, gentlemen have diverse tastes."
"I'm talking about probabilities. Miss Pendleton, you have a delicate and gentle beauty. Men want a woman like you."
Laura, unsure how to respond, closed her mouth.
She often made Laura feel this way. It was because of her unreservedly honest and straightforward personality.
To Laura, who was used to refining her emotions and conveying her true feelings indirectly, Miss Rotis was a very disconcerting person. But she couldn't deny that Miss Rotis's personality was also attractive.
"Of course, I didn't come to you in the middle of the night to compliment your appearance. You've probably heard that enough in society, and I have unusual tastes, so I prefer women like Jane to you. I came to ask you a favor."
"A favor?"
"If you see any sign that the person who was staring at you is trying to harm you, tell me, and no one else."
"Not even the police?"
"That's right. The police don't believe women until something happens. And even after something happens, they blame the woman. But I'm entirely on your side."
"...I can't promise. I don't know how you'll react if something happens to me, Miss Rotis."
Then, Miss Rotis paused, then took her hand out of her pocket. In her hand, surprisingly, was a palm-sized pistol.
Laura covered her mouth with both hands.
"I would have given this to you if you knew how to shoot. But you're probably someone who's never even shot a slingshot made of wood. So I'll do it for you."
Laura knew that Miss Rotis always carried firearms while traveling, but she didn't think she would have one even in safe England.
Laura read Miss Rotis's distrust of the world in the gun in her hand. A person who couldn't entrust her life to the vague belief that the world was safe. That was Miss Rotis.
Laura shook her head.
"Miss Rotis, there are laws in England. Private revenge can never be tolerated in society."
"England is a country of swords and spears founded by warriors. Until my father's generation, duels of honor were a common culture among young people. I can't stand to see my people get hurt. Especially ladies."
Miss Rotis put the gun back in her pocket.
"My wish is for you to stay safely in Bath without me having to use this gun. Good night, Miss Pendleton."
She turned around and headed for the door. Laura stared at her slightly limping left leg. In that moment, her intuition brought a thought to mind.
"Miss Rotis."
Miss Rotis turned her head.
"Could it be that a man did that to your leg?"
Miss Rotis's expression seemed to stiffen for a moment, but then she smiled faintly. It was a smile that contained countless joys and sorrows, as if she had lived for 100 years.
"There was a gentleman who persistently asked me to marry him when I was seventeen. He knew that I was a likely heir to my great-aunt's fortune. I refused him several times. During my boarding school days, I realized that I could never be happy if I married a man. As soon as he found out that I was going to Africa with the money I inherited, he chased after me and shot me with a gun. If he hadn't been drunk, that bastard would have hit my pupil, which he usually praised to the skies, with a bullet."
"..."
"My left knee never worked properly again. But that's no problem for me. Good night, Miss Pendleton."
Miss Rotis left the room.
Autumn in Bath passed peacefully.
Laura was often left alone in the hotel. This was because Miss Rotis had a packed schedule for promoting her book and was always accompanied by Miss Hyde.
Laura focused on her translation work.
At first, she worked with a lot of tension. Reading and writing in a foreign language was familiar, but formal translation work was a first for her.
But the work she had chosen had simple sentences and vocabulary. After working on a few pages, Laura gained confidence and soon put down the burden and fell into the joy of the work.
Then one day, Laura suddenly felt stuffy. And she realized that she hadn't left the hotel for a week.
Laura put down her pen. And she put on her hat and coat and went outside.
The incident at the Mineral Water Hall had happened a week ago.
Laura didn't take the incident as seriously as Miss Rotis did. A gentleman looking at a lady was a familiar sight in society, and Bath was crowded with people everywhere. Laura believed that she wouldn't have a rough time unless she deliberately went to a remote place.
Laura left the hotel and slowly began to walk through downtown Bath.
The route in her head was as follows. Have a glass of mineral water at the Mineral Water Hall, browse books at the bookstore, and then buy a box of chocolates at the dessert shop.
Laura felt refreshed and happy to be out for a walk after a long time. She walked to the Mineral Water Hall with a light step.
However, from about halfway between the hotel and the Mineral Water Hall, she began to feel uneasy.
She felt a strange presence behind her.
Laura turned around. There was no one behind her. Laura thought she must have been mistaken and hurried on. But after going about 100 meters further, she felt that feeling again. She looked back. But there was no one there.
That happened about five times.
'Could it be the person who was watching us at the Mineral Water Hall?'
Laura looked around for a hired carriage to return to the hotel. But the hired carriages, which usually roamed around, were nowhere to be found today.
'I should have just stayed in the hotel room. No, there's no point in thinking about it now. Okay, let's go to the Mineral Water Hall first. There are always hired carriages waiting in front of it... Oh, but what if that person is following me in a carriage too? Then they'll find out where we're staying.'
Laura felt helpless.
'If they find out where we're staying, not only me but also Miss Hyde and Miss Rotis will be in danger. It's possible that I'm not the one that person is after. I have to shake them off on my own.'
Laura walked on as if she didn't know anything. Soon, a fork in the road appeared in front of her. The left was the road to the Mineral Water Hall.
Laura turned left as if she were going to the Mineral Water Hall. And as soon as she turned the corner, she went into the bakery that was right there. It was a regular store that she visited whenever she passed by the Mineral Water Hall.
Laura quickly explained the situation to the owner standing at the counter. The owner led Laura to the back door.
Laura burst out the back door. And she began to run through the alley shopping district where there were few people.
Laura could definitely feel it. The presence that had been silently following her was now running after her. The sound of footsteps running was definitely a man's.
It was not enough for a woman to shake him off. Her shoes were too uncomfortable, and the dress she was wearing did not have a wide skirt, which limited her stride.
Laura, looking around for a place to hide, found a narrow alleyway. Beyond the alleyway was the central fountain of Bath, where the opera house and museums were lined up, and the traffic was always heavy. So there were always police officers stationed there to direct traffic.
Laura slipped into the alley and began to run towards the central fountain. The footsteps behind her followed her into the alley.
Just as Laura was about to exit the alley, she collided head-on with a man.
"Eek!"
Laura bumped her face into the man's chest.
"Miss, are you alright?"
A gentleman's flustered voice was heard. Laura covered her face and nodded. But she was not alright at all. Her nose was stinging as if it had been sprinkled with spicy spices, and tears were about to come out.
Her ears turned red with half pain and half embarrassment.
"I'm sorry. I suddenly ran out..."
Laura muttered in an embarrassed voice and looked up at the gentleman's face.
At that moment, Laura froze. Her tongue, gestures, mind, and soul.
"Laura?"
The man who had left her life 12 years ago.
John Ashton was in front of her.
The two looked at each other in silence.
Red hair hanging down under his gentleman's hat, dark brown skin, strong features, purple eyes, broad shoulders and chest.
Laura felt the faint afterimage of her first love in her memory become clearer on John's face, which was still young and handsome as if he had avoided the passage of time.
'Oh my god, he hasn't changed at all.'
"Laura... What on earth... How on earth are you here? No, first of all, are you hurt anywhere?"
He put his hand on Laura's shoulder. She shook her head.
"I'm okay. I'm fine..."
Laura gently pushed away his hand on her shoulder. He readily withdrew his hand.
"Anyway, why did you jump out of such a remote alley?"
Only then did Laura come to her senses. That's right. She was being chased. Laura turned her head and looked at the alley. The man who had been following her was nowhere to be found.
Laura explained the whole story. The gaze she had felt at the Mineral Water Hall ten days ago and being followed while walking alone on the street. Even the heavy footsteps she had felt while running away.
John's face hardened as he listened to her story.
"...So I ran away this way. Because there are always police officers on the road."
"Good job. But they wouldn't have been able to do anything other than comfort you."
He stared intently at the alley.
"Should I beat that bastard up and kick him out of Bath?"
Laura shook her head.
"Solving problems with physical force is not like a lawyer."
"You knew I became a lawyer?"
"I didn't try to find out, but I couldn't help it. You're famous all over England for being talented."
He chuckled and offered his arm to Laura.
"Let's walk for now. Let's walk and think about how to shake off the man who was chasing you."
Laura readily took his arm. And they began to walk together.
She couldn't believe this situation of walking side by side with him. It was absurd and very awkward.
Laura had been trying to forgive him for 12 years. His betrayal was understandable. He had sick parents and eight young siblings. Choosing a woman who would guarantee success rather than a seventeen-year-old girl with no dowry was, in a way, a natural thing to do.
Even if he had made a fool of her. Even if she was the only one who had painted a picture of their future.
