Libby’s spine. Might these same girls read her words in the magazine in another two months?
She turned toward Miss Banks’s desk near the front doors and spotted Petey. His gaze met hers, but he didn’t move a muscle. The house matron’s stern glare had apparently pinned him in place. But how wonderful to see him!
Swallowing a delighted laugh, she forgot the rule to move sedately. She skipped to the desk, linked her hands behind her back, and smiled up into Petey’s dear, familiar face. “Good evening, Mr. Leidig. So good of you to come calling.” She glanced at the house matron. The woman’s sour expression didn’t soften one whit.
“Yes.” Petey cleared his throat. “I had a letter from Aaron and Isabelle today, and . . .” His brows high, he shifted his eyes briefly to indicate Miss Banks, then he tipped his head toward the door. “Could we go outside? It’s a pleasant evening with a nice breeze.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Libby caught his arm and aimed him toward the doors. “And maybe we could take a short stroll around the grounds?” Her heart felt lighter than it had for weeks, just walking by his side. “We can take the path past the old stone foundation at the far edge of campus—it always makes me feel a little glum, but I love to stand beside it and try to imagine the grand building it supported before fire brought it down.”
As soon as they stepped off the porch, Petey jiggled his elbow. Libby released him and stepped aside, looking at him in confusion. “Was I holding too tight?”
“No.” His focus darted to her left. “But you’re being watched by the house matron and several girls who are at the common room windows. I didn’t think you’d want to give them the idea that you and I are . . .”
Heat attacked Libby’s face. Why hadn’t she ever composed that letter? But at least now she had the chance to apologize. “Petey, about what I said—”
“You don’t need to explain yourself.” His gentle voice increased the ache in her heart. She could bear his anger; his kindness nearly killed her. “I understand.”
“Then you know it isn’t you who’s at fault? You know it . . . it’s me?” She held her breath. If he truly understood that she wasn’t the right match for him because of her inadequacies, then their friendship could resume unchanged.
“Yes.” He lowered his head and tapped the tip of the peg leg against the walkway, a habit left over from his childhood. “I understand completely.”
“Oh, Petey.” Libby nearly collapsed, the relief was so great. “Then we can still be friends? Just as we’ve always been?”
A lopsided, somehow sad smile creased his face. “Yes, Libby. As we’ve always been. Now—” He drew in a breath. “I came to tell you I have our train tickets to go home on the sixteenth. Bennett and I will come by for you in the morning. We’ll walk to town and hire a cab to take us to the station. Be sure you talk to all of your instructors so they know you’ll be gone that Friday.”
“I already have. I’m so eager to see Maelle and the Rowleys.”
“Me too.”
“And I can’t believe Matt’s getting married! He and Lorna are such a sweet couple.” The children at the orphans’ school had witnessed friendship blooming to love between the cook’s daughter and Mrs. Rowley and Maelle’s brother, Matt, who served as a part-time groundskeeper at the school. Although Libby held the impression Mrs. Rowley didn’t approve of the match, she thought Matt Tucker and Lorna Jensen were perfectly suited to one another.
She lightly swatted Petey’s arm, her lips twitching with a teasing grin. “And lucky you—getting to stand up with Matt. You’ll be very handsome in your suit, with a rosebud tucked in your lapel.”
Petey chuckled and scratched his head. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”
They stood in silence for several seconds. A comfortable, settling-in kind of silence that brought a hint of healing to Libby’s
She turned toward Miss Banks’s desk near the front doors and spotted Petey. His gaze met hers, but he didn’t move a muscle. The house matron’s stern glare had apparently pinned him in place. But how wonderful to see him!
Swallowing a delighted laugh, she forgot the rule to move sedately. She skipped to the desk, linked her hands behind her back, and smiled up into Petey’s dear, familiar face. “Good evening, Mr. Leidig. So good of you to come calling.” She glanced at the house matron. The woman’s sour expression didn’t soften one whit.
“Yes.” Petey cleared his throat. “I had a letter from Aaron and Isabelle today, and . . .” His brows high, he shifted his eyes briefly to indicate Miss Banks, then he tipped his head toward the door. “Could we go outside? It’s a pleasant evening with a nice breeze.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Libby caught his arm and aimed him toward the doors. “And maybe we could take a short stroll around the grounds?” Her heart felt lighter than it had for weeks, just walking by his side. “We can take the path past the old stone foundation at the far edge of campus—it always makes me feel a little glum, but I love to stand beside it and try to imagine the grand building it supported before fire brought it down.”
As soon as they stepped off the porch, Petey jiggled his elbow. Libby released him and stepped aside, looking at him in confusion. “Was I holding too tight?”
“No.” His focus darted to her left. “But you’re being watched by the house matron and several girls who are at the common room windows. I didn’t think you’d want to give them the idea that you and I are . . .”
Heat attacked Libby’s face. Why hadn’t she ever composed that letter? But at least now she had the chance to apologize. “Petey, about what I said—”
“You don’t need to explain yourself.” His gentle voice increased the ache in her heart. She could bear his anger; his kindness nearly killed her. “I understand.”
“Then you know it isn’t you who’s at fault? You know it . . . it’s me?” She held her breath. If he truly understood that she wasn’t the right match for him because of her inadequacies, then their friendship could resume unchanged.
“Yes.” He lowered his head and tapped the tip of the peg leg against the walkway, a habit left over from his childhood. “I understand completely.”
“Oh, Petey.” Libby nearly collapsed, the relief was so great. “Then we can still be friends? Just as we’ve always been?”
A lopsided, somehow sad smile creased his face. “Yes, Libby. As we’ve always been. Now—” He drew in a breath. “I came to tell you I have our train tickets to go home on the sixteenth. Bennett and I will come by for you in the morning. We’ll walk to town and hire a cab to take us to the station. Be sure you talk to all of your instructors so they know you’ll be gone that Friday.”
“I already have. I’m so eager to see Maelle and the Rowleys.”
“Me too.”
“And I can’t believe Matt’s getting married! He and Lorna are such a sweet couple.” The children at the orphans’ school had witnessed friendship blooming to love between the cook’s daughter and Mrs. Rowley and Maelle’s brother, Matt, who served as a part-time groundskeeper at the school. Although Libby held the impression Mrs. Rowley didn’t approve of the match, she thought Matt Tucker and Lorna Jensen were perfectly suited to one another.
She lightly swatted Petey’s arm, her lips twitching with a teasing grin. “And lucky you—getting to stand up with Matt. You’ll be very handsome in your suit, with a rosebud tucked in your lapel.”
Petey chuckled and scratched his head. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”
They stood in silence for several seconds. A comfortable, settling-in kind of silence that brought a hint of healing to Libby’s
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