She nodded and knocked at her friend’s home as she did nearly every morning.
Julia and this man shared a secret now, a dangerous secret. But even if the secret were not discovered, neither Julia’s nor Phoebe’s lives would ever be as they had hoped, because her uncle and guardian, and Phoebe’s father, was a traitor to England.
CHAPTER TWENTY
It was Tuesday. Julia sat writing another letter to Sarah. The risk of her aunt’s wrath was too great to try to sneak away to keep her regular visit to the Bartholdys. Sarah, in her last letter, had spoken of her fear as her small amount of money dwindled. Julia wrote to say she hoped and believed she would be able to find a safe place for her soon.
Once, during her first Season in society, Julia had hoped a certain gentleman was on the verge of proposing marriage to her. When she heard he had proposed to a widowed lady nine years his senior because of her fortune, Sarah had held Julia’s hand and cried with her. Phoebe had gone to bed, but Sarah had sat up with her, assuring her she was too lovely and sensible a girl to be passed over for very long. She was sure Julia would find a worthy match and would then be glad that this unworthy gentleman had thrown her over for someone else.
Julia couldn’t let someone as kind as Sarah down. She must try to sneak away tomorrow and make her way to the children’s mission to speak with Mr. Wilson.
A light knock sounded at her door, and Julia looked over her shoulder to see Phoebe clutching a letter.
“Julia, did you know about this? Can it be true?” She stared at Julia with a look of astonishment.
“What? Can what be true?”
“It’s about Sarah.” Phoebe came toward her, holding out the letter.
Her heart in her throat, Julia took the letter from Phoebe and saw that it was addressed to her aunt. “Do you have Aunt Wilhern’s permission to read her letter?”
“She gave it to me.”
Julia’s heart beat faster as she read aloud, “I am sorry to tell you—you probably have already heard it from someone else—but Robert Smitherman’s son has run away with their governess, who is none other than Miss Peck, whom you employed until recently, if I am not mistaken.”
Julia’s stomach felt sick. She glanced at Phoebe, whose lips formed a thin line. “Keep reading.”
Julia swallowed and then continued. “Miss Peck and their son, Mr. William Smitherman, went to London more than a fortnight ago. The governess took everything she owned without any explanation at all, and now poor Mrs. Smitherman is frantic to find a new governess. And as for the son, he still hasn’t come home but has been persuaded to leave the girl and go back to Eton and resume his studies. His mother is very put out with him, but boys will have their mischief. I do hope, for the sake of your precious daughter, Phoebe, and Miss Grey, that no one will think she had been a bad influence on your own young women. Phoebe and Julia are such good girls, to be sure, most proper and agreeable, and should weather this little squall with no lasting damage. We shall hope no one else hears of it.”
Julia skimmed the rest of the missive, which spoke no more of Sarah and what had become of her, as if she didn’t matter. It was signed Mrs. Brumley, whom Julia remembered as the doughy wife of a country gentleman in Derbyshire.
The fact that Mrs. Brumley knew of these events only proved to Julia that the news of it had no doubt reached enough people to prevent Sarah from being able to find another respectable post, either now or in the future.
“Julia, did you know about this?” Phoebe crossed her arms and stared at Julia.
“I am afraid I did.”
“Why did you not tell me? I am not a child, you know. I am only two years younger than you.”
Her words made Julia recall something Sarah had once said several years ago. Phoebe may be only two years younger, but you were born older than she will ever be.
“Sarah didn’t give me permission to share her situation.” Julia handed the letter back to Phoebe. “I am sorry. It is not a happy event, in any case, and I would have spared you if I could.”
“You needn’t have spared me. Besides, Mother is incensed. She says neither of us is ever to see Sarah again or even correspond with her.”
Julia lowered her voice to a whisper. “Did she have you tell me this?”
Phoebe nodded.
So Mrs. Wilhern was using Phoebe to tell her not to associate with Sarah. Did she think she could turn Phoebe against Julia too, to cause the two of them to disagree about Sarah? Would her aunt intercept Sarah’s letters? Would she discard them before Julia could read them?
Julia would have to use another way to communicate with Sarah. Her heart pounded at the thought of her aunt and uncle finding out that she was defying them, that she was sending Sarah letters against their direct wishes.