“I am sorry, Imogene.”
“No need, Mr. Utterback.” She laid her hand on his arm.
“I think thee might call me William.”
She laughed. “My tongue would cleave to the roof of my mouth.”
“Thou art the best teacher I have ever known,” he said simply. “I shall miss thee.”
Imogene’s narrow lower lip trembled; she pressed her fingers against it and coughed.
“Well.” He cleared his throat and looked away. He cleared it again. “Does thee have the letter?” She patted the leather duffel bag she had put on top of her suitcase. “Thee can read it. Joseph was a student of mine. I’ve told him of thy merit as a teacher and made no mention of the other.”
“Thank you.”
“Go on teaching, that is thanks enough.” He dug into the folds of his gray coat until his arm disappeared to the elbow, and pulled out a sheet of paper. “This came. I thought thee might like to read it. Isabelle Ann was a friend of thine.”
“Isabelle Ann Close?” Imogene came to his side to look over his arm.
“It’s Englewood now. She married a boy from Virginia and went west. This is all the way from Nevada Territory.” He shook out the letter and held it away from him in the manner of farsighted people. “She writes there are no qualified teachers there, and she asks after thee.” He handed Imogene the letter.
Imogene folded it up and put it into the pocket of her skirt. “I’ll read it on the train.” She looked at the little silver watch pinned to her coat. “I’d best be going.”
“Did thee leave the key for Mr. and Mrs. Neff?”
“I threw it away. It was Mother’s. There’s another on a nail just inside the back-porch door.”
“I wish he had offered a fair price, but he knew thee had to sell.” He smiled. “Thee really threw it away?” She nodded. “I’ll walk with thee to the train station.”
Imogene took up her suitcases abruptly. “No, please. I appreciate the offer, Mr. Utterback, but I’d rather go the last by myself. I have so much to look at on the way, I’m afraid I shouldn’t be very good company.” She set the suitcases down again and extended her hand. “Thank you again. I’ll write often.”