Lory flinched at Rose’s words.

“You know Elijah will just let him out again as soon as eyes are off the both of them.”

She smiled, strained, putting her hands at Alice and Anne’s arms to try and urge them forward.

“Thank you so much, Miss. You’ve been nothing but kind and gracious.”

At the door of the cab, she bit her lip and threw her chin up. She couldn’t hide the fear in her eyes.

“I should get back to work, girls,” she said, as though she were the matron there and these her wayward ducklings.