Willow Grove Abbey by Mary Christian Payne Page B

to think what my course of action should be. The logical thing would be to return to Drew and Annie’s, but I didn’t want to have to relive the whole nightmare again. In addition, by the time I arrived it would be late. They had no idea that I was coming. I wanted desperately to speak with Spence. But I knew that if I told him what had happened, he would insist upon talking to my parents. I did not want to subject him to the verbal abuse that was certain to accompany such a conversation. I also knew that he would tell me not to worry about Mummy threatening to sully his reputation. On the one hand, I wanted to run to him, let him hold me, and tell me that everything would be all right. I didn’t care about ever going back to Willow Grove Abbey. I did not care if my parents disowned me. I only wanted to be Spence’s wife. However, I also knew that it was unlikely that Spence would marry me under such circumstances. He was so honorable and decent. The idea of marrying someone whose parents thought him beneath their station would be anathema to him. Finally, I decided that I would take a room at the Royal Hotel, and contact Spence in Twigbury. I would ring him, tell him where I was, and ask him to come to me. Thankfully, and unbeknownst to Mummy and Papa, I did have a farthing. Much more than a farthing. My dear Grandpapa had set up a banking account for me before his death, and had warned me never to tell my parents. He ‘d said at the time that he wanted me to have something that was all mine, in case I ever needed it. I wondered if he didn’t suspect some of the turmoil that I lived with. It was not a fortune, but enough to see me through an emergency, and that moment certainly qualified as an emergency.

CHAPTER FIVE
November Ninth, 1935
A Last Visit to the Royal
    There was a s mall Queen Anne desk in the foyer of my room at the Royal with a telephone upon it. I sat there, and placed a call to Spence. His receptionist answered, and it was only a matter of moments before his voice was on the line.
    “ Sophia?” Is that you? Is everything all right?”
    “I needed to ring to tell you that I’ve left ‘ Willow Grove Abbey’ , and am at the Royal. ...have taken a room at the Royal, ” I stammered. “I need you to come here when you’re able.”
    “Whate ver are you doing at the Royal ?”
    I searched for the proper combination of words. “It’s much too long a story to go into on the telephone, Spence. I’ll explain everything when I see you.”
    “Is there anything wrong, Sophia? Your voice sounds strange?”
    “No, I’ m fine. A little tired, perhaps. When do you expect you could come to London?”
    “Darling, I have a full load of patients to morrow, but I’ll leave as soon as I’ve finished with the last. I shall come straight to the Royal. I should think it would be about seven. Why don’t you make reservations for dinner in the Thames Room , and as soon as I arrive we can dine?”
    “That sounds splendid ,” I agreed. The thought of a lovely dinner with Spence in the place where our romance had begun revived my spirits. He was all that mattered to me. We would talk, and make plans to be married very quickly. I was certain that I could convince him that there was no need to speak with my parents. That it would be fruitless. I knew that he loved me, and would agree to marry me in whatever manner I thought best.
    “All right then , Sophia, I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”
    “Yes, Spence. And darling . . .”
    “Yes, Sophia”.
    “I love you.”
    “Dearest, I love you too. Goodbye until tomorrow.”
    I placed the receiver back into its cradle, dropping my head into my hands. I had a ghastly headache. My entire life depended upon him. I’d made the decision to give everything in the world up for Spence. I didn’t care. He mattered more than anything else, but nothing had turned out the way I’d hoped. I readied myself for bed, and was so happy to be able to have a lie-down. The room was