AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“A body in that ditch would be seen quite clearly by any passerby.”
“You almost ran me over!”
“It may have seemed so to you, but I can assure you, I didn’t come near you. The moment I saw you, I veered to the left. Are you hurt?”
“No!” She made a show of dusting road splatter from the front of her gown. “But I am covered in mud from all your veering to the left.”
“Again, I apologize.” He pointed a gloved finger at her, making a circular motion. “You’ve something on your cheek.”
Amelia reached up to brush mud off her cheek.
“Other one.”
She brushed angrily at that cheek. “You should have more care.”
“I agree, I should have more care about a great many things. And you should not stand on the road.”
He said it as if the fault was entirely hers. “I was not standing in the road, I was walking. I hadpaused.”
“Which would be the standing part of it.”
She couldn’t believe him. “You may trust, sir, that had I known the Grim Reaper was right around the corner, I wouldn’t have paused.”
“The Grim Reaper.” He snorted. He pulled a watch from his pocket and glanced at it, then slipped it back into his cloak. “Again, I apologize for having startled you. If you are unhurt, madam, I shall leave you to your walking and pausing.” And with that, he touched the brim of his hat and spurred his horse on, the two of them chewing up the road and kicking up a spray of mud and water as they banged on down the road.
Amelia was in complete disbelief. She looked down at the mud on her gown. And then, adding insult to considerable injury, it began to rain.
She was much closer to the school than Iddesleigh House, so she turned back toward the school.
A few minutes later she slipped into the foyer and immediately removed her dripping bonnet and coat. Mr. Roberts appeared from the classroom and gaped at her.
“Don’t mind me, Mr. Roberts. I was very nearly run over by a rider on the road.”
“What?Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Just a bit muddy and wet. May I sit in your office until the rain clears?”
“Yes, of course. You should have some tea to warm you. Come, come,” he said, gesturing her to follow him into the office.
He went to the small hearth in the room and removed a pot from it.
“Please don’t bother, Mr. Roberts. You have your students.”
“The girls are working on their slates. I’ll just heat some water for tea.”
“It’s not necessary. As soon as the rain lets up, I’ll be on my way.”
He put the pot aside. He hurried to the only chair in the room and cleared it for her. “My apologies for the untidy state of this room. I’m a bit overwhelmed with the number of students. We’ve six more than we thought we’d have, and I’m afraid I’ve gotten a bit behind in the necessary paperwork.”
They heard giggling from the classroom.
“There is quite a lot of paper,” Amelia observed.
He sighed. “Letters of interest, mostly, parents wanting their daughters to attend. I mean to write them all down and take them to his lordship for disposition. But we can’t possibly accommodate them without more space and more teachers. There are so many girls already.”
“You’re not allowed to do that, Tilly!” an unfamiliar voice shouted.
Mr. Roberts stuck his head out the office door. “Eyes on your slates, young ladies! I can see you all very clearly!” He turned back to Amelia. “I beg your pardon, but—”
