when the coach stopped to change horses, the scenery still swam before her eyes. The only comfort she could take from the experience was a mean one, for it was only her gratitude that she had the funds to sit within the coach, and not ride atop it as those less fortunate or more foolish, were doing. But yet, every jolting, bone-shaking mile brought her closer to London. So she sat back and closed her eyes, and felt the warm wind from the partially opened window upon her face, and tried to leave the coach, if not in her person, then at least in her mind.
Julia thought that despite her present discomfort, she had a great deal to be thankful for. She had not, after all, had to leave Mrs. Bryce before she had heard from her employment counselors in London. Two days after she had packed her bags, a letter had come summoning her to them. The letter had hinted of several suitable positions that had arisen, so Julia could at least save face when she presented it for her employer’s inspection. It was a very little thing, to be sure, but on such small details, much pride may be spared. For instead of seeming to be fleeing, she was able to depart in a very dignified manner.
It had been a wrench to leave young Toby, but both Julia and her employer were able to comfort themselves secretly with the thought that children forget quickly. It may well be so, but still, though Julia was never to know it, Master Toby eventually grew to be a devil with the ladies, a source of great embarrassment to his family, and only settled down to respectability when he found a golden-haired, ice-eyed lady of his own to wed.
Julia’s departure was also made more bearable by the fact that by the day she left, the mustard fields had left off their riotous celebration of spring and had gotten down to the serious business of growing. So she felt no tug at her heart when the coach trundled off out of the village, past now mundane acres of mere vegetable fields.
Still, she had been unable to leave without one last attempt at setting her record straight. After she had shaken hands with her former mistress, and Toby’s distressed sh r ieks at her departure had faded enough as his nurse bore him back shrieking to his nursery so that normal conversation could be heard, she had said, firmly facing the issue, “Ma’am, no word that the baron spoke of me was true. He was sadly deranged, you know.”
But Mrs. Bryce had only stared at her as though she were the one who were unbalanced. She mustered up enough countenance to say stiffly, “Good-bye, Miss Hastings, I wish you well. ” And then she left before Julia could utter another traitorous word. She made it clear she felt that even if such a thing as insanity among the upper classes were possible, it was only another prerogative of the nobility. So most people would think, Julia had mused sadly as she stared at Mrs. Bryce’s retreating back, and so she would be sure not to mention the incident to anyone else, lest by her own insistence on the matter she should convince her listeners that she were at fault.
Another jolt of the coach, this one accompanied by a rather piercing scream from one of the hapless topside passengers, interrupted Julia’s reveries. Since the coach continued on its way and nobody could be seen flying past the dusty windows, the general consensus of the inner passengers was that it had been caused by an understandable attack of nerves, and no great harm had been taken by anyone above. But now Julia could see that they had reached the outskirts of London itself, and now she firmly put aside her memories and concentrated on the future.
When the coach at last achieved the stage stop, Julia got down quickly and commandeered her luggage without a moment’s pause. She had traveled this way before, and by now she well knew that a young female obviously traveling alone, arriving from the countryside, and moreover, not being met upon her arrival, was often in danger of being considered fair
Julia thought that despite her present discomfort, she had a great deal to be thankful for. She had not, after all, had to leave Mrs. Bryce before she had heard from her employment counselors in London. Two days after she had packed her bags, a letter had come summoning her to them. The letter had hinted of several suitable positions that had arisen, so Julia could at least save face when she presented it for her employer’s inspection. It was a very little thing, to be sure, but on such small details, much pride may be spared. For instead of seeming to be fleeing, she was able to depart in a very dignified manner.
It had been a wrench to leave young Toby, but both Julia and her employer were able to comfort themselves secretly with the thought that children forget quickly. It may well be so, but still, though Julia was never to know it, Master Toby eventually grew to be a devil with the ladies, a source of great embarrassment to his family, and only settled down to respectability when he found a golden-haired, ice-eyed lady of his own to wed.
Julia’s departure was also made more bearable by the fact that by the day she left, the mustard fields had left off their riotous celebration of spring and had gotten down to the serious business of growing. So she felt no tug at her heart when the coach trundled off out of the village, past now mundane acres of mere vegetable fields.
Still, she had been unable to leave without one last attempt at setting her record straight. After she had shaken hands with her former mistress, and Toby’s distressed sh r ieks at her departure had faded enough as his nurse bore him back shrieking to his nursery so that normal conversation could be heard, she had said, firmly facing the issue, “Ma’am, no word that the baron spoke of me was true. He was sadly deranged, you know.”
But Mrs. Bryce had only stared at her as though she were the one who were unbalanced. She mustered up enough countenance to say stiffly, “Good-bye, Miss Hastings, I wish you well. ” And then she left before Julia could utter another traitorous word. She made it clear she felt that even if such a thing as insanity among the upper classes were possible, it was only another prerogative of the nobility. So most people would think, Julia had mused sadly as she stared at Mrs. Bryce’s retreating back, and so she would be sure not to mention the incident to anyone else, lest by her own insistence on the matter she should convince her listeners that she were at fault.
Another jolt of the coach, this one accompanied by a rather piercing scream from one of the hapless topside passengers, interrupted Julia’s reveries. Since the coach continued on its way and nobody could be seen flying past the dusty windows, the general consensus of the inner passengers was that it had been caused by an understandable attack of nerves, and no great harm had been taken by anyone above. But now Julia could see that they had reached the outskirts of London itself, and now she firmly put aside her memories and concentrated on the future.
When the coach at last achieved the stage stop, Julia got down quickly and commandeered her luggage without a moment’s pause. She had traveled this way before, and by now she well knew that a young female obviously traveling alone, arriving from the countryside, and moreover, not being met upon her arrival, was often in danger of being considered fair
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