“Are you very far yet?” Dora asked him.
“Only a few pages in,” Albert said, stifling a yawn. “I haven’t been up long. Elias said you had volunteered to handle the rest, but I thought it best to start the matter, at least.”
Dora searched for any hint of acrimony in Albert’s voice or features as he spoke, but she could not find any. She smiled, feeling vaguely relieved. Since Miss Jennings was present, she phrased her next question as generally as possible. “He did apologise properly, then?”
Albert chuckled on his next yawn, which made it stutter. “Profusely,” he managed. “Poor man. What did you say to him, Miss Ettings?”
Dora looked down at her plate, as though she were very interested in the food there. “He would have apologised either way,” she replied, rather than answer the question. “Eventually.”
“Oh, I trust that,” Albert said. “If nothing else, Elias would have eventually remembered how awful his French is, and how little he wishes to learn it better.” He shot Dora an interested look. “I was planning on continuing to the workhouses today. I don’t normally go so often, but with all circumstances considered...” Albert trailed off, far too polite to mention their deadline. He shook his head. “Will you still be joining me, or will you be staying in to finish with the treatise?”
Dora frowned. “I will come with you,” she said. “I expect I will cry off sick from the ball this evening, and finish the treatise then.”
“Oh, please don’t do so,” Miss Jennings said. “I should be fine to ask a few questions without you, Miss Ettings.”
Albert shot the chaperone a bewildered look. “If you have no one to chaperone, Miss Jennings,” he said, “I must assume that you will not be paid for your time.”
Miss Jennings shot him an offended look. “If Miss Ettings intends to spend the day indoors,” she replied, “then I shall not be otherwise occupied today. I do not think it so outrageous that I should wish to see this matter through to the end, given the circumstances.”
Dora straightened in her chair. “Miss Jennings?” she asked. “Did you happen to speak with Lady Carroway this morning, by any chance?”
Miss Jennings flushed at that. “Yes, I did,” she said. “I walked over from Hayworth House when I was told you could be found here, since I thought it likely you would be out again today with Mr Lowe. Lady Carroway was kind enough to invite me to breakfast. She really ought not have, but it was very gracious of her.”
Dora suspected that Lady Carroway had not communicated anything of her intentions to sponsor another orphanage, given the shyness with which Miss Jennings spoke of her. Still, Dora expected that the ex-governess must have impressed, given what she had seen of her for the last few days.
“Well, I will be glad for the help,” Albert admitted. “I am not as accomplished at getting the children to speak to me. I expect the copious number of needles and recommendations for terrible-tasting medicine do not help my case.”
“I will go as well,” Vanessa said, from Dora’s other side. The three already at the table turned to blink at her—for she had snuck up on them most effectively, though probably not on purpose. “Dora has told me the sort of questions she has been asking with Miss Jennings. I believe I can stand in for her.” Dora’s cousin paused, with an uncertain look towards Albert. “If you are all right with having me along, that is.”
Dora stared at Vanessa. Edward is showing interest, she thought. Auntie Frances will not like Vanessa running off with Albert like this. It’s sure to start a row with her.
Vanessa flushed beneath Dora’s gaze and looked towards the floor.
“I have ceased to question the fortitude of the young ladies in Miss Ettings’ company,” Albert told Vanessa ruefully. “If you are certain that you can handle it, I will bring you along, and Miss Jennings will have someone to chaperone after all.”
“I am not certain,” Vanessa admitted. “But it is important to Dora, and so I will do my very best.”
Albert smiled at that. “Well, one cannot fault your reasons,” he said. “I will finish my coffee, and then we may leave.”
Auntie Frances was not well-pleased with this situation. Not long after, Dora saw as Vanessa’s mother dragged her out into the hallway with an angry, pinched expression on her face which she normally reserved for Dora. Vanessa came back in a few minutes later, looking flushed and upset. Still, she made her way over to Albert with determination and took Miss Jennings by the arm.
Dora felt a hint of guilt at this—but it was mostly overshadowed with an odd sort of relief. Just the thought that Vanessa might see and understand the same awful things that Dora had seen offered her comfort.
“It’s past time we were leaving, Dora,” Auntie Frances snapped, as she marched back inside, herself. The dark expression on her face promised that her argument with Vanessa was far from settled. “We wouldn’t wish to overstay our welcome.”
Dora quickly snatched up the treatise on the table, along with its partial translation. “And what is that?” Auntie Frances asked her suspiciously.
“Just a bit of French poetry,” Dora lied. “Lady Carroway loaned it to me from her library.”
Thankfully, Auntie Frances did not look nearly close enough at the small book to catch any discrepancies in Dora’s story. She grabbed Dora by her other arm, pulling her towards the door. They paused only to thank Lady Carroway for her hospitality before Auntie Frances had Dora in the carriage and on the way back to Hayworth House.
“You have had something to do with this silly behaviour from Vanessa,” Auntie Frances said, as soon as they were in the carriage. “I know that you have.”
Dora gave her aunt a blank look in return. She did, of course, have everything to do with Vanessa’s behaviour this morning—but there
