“Is something amiss?”
Casting a wary glance at the footmen, Lily hesitantly responded, “I don’t rightly fit in here, and I find myself in a delicate situation. I overheard a few of the maids implying that it wasn’t right for me to be spending so much time with you.”
Emilia reached for her friend’s hand. “You and I have been friends since we first started at the boarding school. I will not abandon you now.”
“I’m not asking you to, but perhaps I don’t dine with you, at least for every meal,” Lily suggested.
Making a face, Emilia replied, “I don’t like that option. There is nothing less enjoyable than dining alone.”
Lily withdrew her hand. “You are an heiress and need to keep up appearances.”
“But in my own home?”
“I think it is for the best,” Lily replied.
Dalby entered the room and announced, “Mr. Rymer has come to call, Miss. I have shown him into the drawing room.”
“Thank you,” Emilia acknowledged before she shifted her gaze back to Lily. “You should come since Mr. Rymer wishes to speak about the boarding school.”
“Very well,” Lily said.
Emilia rose gracefully and made her way towards the drawing room. She didn’t quite like the idea of not spending as much time with Lily. She understood the difficult position that Lily was in but she didn’t know of a way that she could fix it. She had no desire to go about her day on her own.
As she stepped into the drawing room, Mr. Rymer bowed and greeted her. “Good morning, Miss Sutherland.”
“Good morning,” she replied.
Mr. Rymer’s gaze traveled over her shoulder and acknowledged Lily. “It is good to see you looking so well, Miss Lily.”
Lily came to stand next to Emilia. “Are you here about the boarding school?”
The solicitor grinned. “Yes, I am and I have brilliant news,” he said. “Please take a seat and we can discuss the particulars.”
Walking over to the settee, Emilia sat down on it and Lily chose an upholstered armchair. “Please proceed, Mr. Rymer,” Emilia encouraged.
Mr. Rymer sat across from them and reached for his satchel. “The building has been furnished and Mrs. Anderson has moved in, alongside one teacher and a cook. I took it upon myself to hire a laborer who will be responsible for the care of the building.”
“I think that is a brilliant idea,” Emilia praised.
Mr. Rymer leaned forward, his eyes dancing with enthusiasm as he said, “I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet.” He paused for a moment, savoring the anticipation. “If all goes well, the boarding school should be ready to open by the end of the week.”
Emilia’s eyes widened in surprise. “That is just three days away.”
Mr. Rymer nodded. “Indeed, but we’ve already started gathering the girls, and as long as there are no unexpected setbacks, the actual instruction will begin the following week.”
Clasping her hands together, Emilia responded, “This is wonderful news!”
“I was hoping you would say that,” Mr. Rymer stated. “This is also under the assumption that you both will be teaching for the foreseeable future. Mrs. Anderson does not anticipate having too much trouble finding teachers, but these things do take time.”
Lily spoke up. “May I teach philosophy and geography?” she asked. “That is what I taught at my previous school.”
“I do not think that will be an issue,” Mr. Rymer replied.
“And I shall teach needlework,” Emilia said.
Mr. Rymer removed some papers from his satchel. “Mrs. Anderson wanted me to give you the budget that she came up with. Once you sign off on the amount, I can release the funds to her.”
Emilia accepted the papers and glanced over the minimal amounts. “I do not see an issue with any of these numbers.”