Little did they know that she was here because of Renée. Sort of. And also here, mostly, because it got her away from them in a way that wouldn’t sever her ties to them completely.
“Thank you for understanding, Mrs. Partridge,” she said now. “I’ll be more careful in the future.” Heart in her throat, she turned back to Renée, needing to be with her just a little longer. “May I help you with the books?”
Renée smiled; it didn’t look entirely genuine. “That would be great. Thank you.”
But as soon as the head archivist was gone, Renée said, sotto voce, “If you think that’s all it takes to get back in my good graces after ten years…” She shook her head. And then she hurried off.
Jenny winced. Then she escaped through the door she’d used to give the spider a second chance. She needed to think, she needed to nurse her heart, and she needed to get back to work. Groaning very softly, she made her way toward the medtech building.3