Nesah turned and looked at him suspiciously. Her life knew very little variety at the moment, and she had half a mind to let him walk with her, just to see where it would lead. But then she thought of how awkward it would be if she should run into one of her brothers. She could permit herself a little more freedom than a young Whitby lady of her social rank, given that she knew almost nobody in town, and more importantly, nobody knew her. But she would be mortified if Zech or Menachem or even renegade Uriel would see her with some obscure gentile painter.

She lifted her chin. "I am alone, sir," she pointed out the obvious. "Good day." And she walked away.