Free Far From Home by Valerie Wood Page B

doubt about that. But what?’
    ‘Poor Mrs Newmarch,’ Kitty said, biting off a piece of thread. ‘It’s bad enough her husband going off and leaving her, without somebody else spending his money.’
    ‘He said he hasn’t,’ Georgiana murmured. ‘But I’m not sure that I believe him. I must write to May immediately.’ Having made the decision she rose quickly, going across to the table which also served as a writing desk. ‘He said, Allen, I mean, that he last saw Edward in New Orleans over a year ago. So—’ She tapped her finger on her lip. ‘Good heavens,’ she said. ‘He could be anywhere.’
    Kitty looked up. ‘Why – you wasn’t thinking of going to look for him, Miss Gregory? Was you?’
    ‘
Were you
, Kitty,’ she answered vaguely. ‘Not wasn’t. No, I wasn’t. Edward Newmarch means nothing to me, though I’d like to track him down for May’s sake and give him a piece of my mind.’
    Kitty looked confused over the corrected grammar but simply asked if it was far to New Orleans, because if it wasn’t, perhaps they could go and see if he was still there.
    ‘It would take weeks, Kitty, and I’ve other more important things to think of.’
    She thought of them all night long, tossing and turning in her bed as she deliberated whether or not to tell Wilhelm Dreumel about Robert Allen. Finally, as a rosy dawn was breaking, she decided what she must do and promptly fell into a deep sleep, not waking until nine o’clock when Kitty knocked on her door and asked if she wanted breakfast.
    She struggled to a sitting position. ‘Yes,’ she croaked, ‘but I’ll have it up here, Kitty. Would you go down and ask them to send up coffee and toast and marmalade?’
    Ten minutes later, Kitty returned carrying a tray laid for breakfast. ‘They were busy downstairs, miss, so I brought it up,’ she said. ‘Folk just arriving on ’morning coach and other folks leaving.’ She put down the tray and opened the curtains. ‘I’ve just seen that nice Mr Dreumel leaving with Robert Allen.’
    ‘What? Oh no!’ Georgiana had decided during the night that she would tell Wilhelm Dreumel about Allen after all. It wasn’t something that should be hidden. She got out of bed and rushed to the window, but the street was empty.
    ‘Did they get on the coach?’ she asked.
    ‘Yes, miss. That one that goes to catch the river boat.’
    Confound it! This is Allen’s doing, she thought. He’s persuaded Dreumel to go back to the mine before I get a chance to talk to him! She finished her breakfast, washed and dressed and went downstairs to the reception desk.
    ‘Could you tell me when Mr Dreumel will be returning?’ she asked. ‘Has he rebooked his room?’
    ‘Mr Dreumel has a permanent room, Miss Gregory,’ the clerk said. ‘He doesn’t need to book.’ He reached under the desk. ‘He asked if I would give you this letter.’
    She took it from him and went to sit by a window to read it. ‘Dear Miss Gregory,’ he wrote. ‘I’m sorry that I have had to rush away, but Newmarch brought news of importance and it is imperative that we leave immediately. I shall be away for several weeks, I fear, but trust that I shall still find you at the Marius on my return. You must ask the staff for anything that you require and they will do their best to oblige you. Should you have any difficulties or problems during your stay in New York, John Charlesworth would most certainly be able to help you for he knows many people.
    ‘I send you my very best regards,
    ‘Wilhelm Dreumel.’
    Bother. Bother. Bother! Now what do I do? I must do something! She sat fuming. I didn’t expect to have to deal with complications like this! I came to find a new life, for heaven’s sake! A life for myself, and here I am, running around after everyone else. She knew that she couldn’t let the matter drop. She owed it to May and also to May’s father, who had been responsible for her when she was a child. She could not just ignore the