After wallowing in sympathetic embraces from her two other brothers, Gilbert and Nathaniel, followed by Olivia, Priscilla gathered a little of her lost dignity. And although her mother’s greeting lacked similar warmth, she did take Priscilla’s hand and squeeze it.
With the wind biting through their coats, Olivia suggested they go inside to the drawing room and sit by the fire while Priscilla’s personal belongings were delivered to her room.
“Who is this dear creature?” Olivia scooped Fiddlesticks into her arms. And Fiddlesticks, who knew a kindred human when he found one, went quite willingly. “My darling Thomas and Ophelia are going to love you,” Olivia cooed.
Priscilla wiped her eyes. If her five-year-old nephew and three-year-old niece couldn’t cheer her up, no one could.
She glanced around. “Are they in the nursery?”
“Napping.” Olivia glanced away from Fiddlesticks momentarily, one eye laughing as she caught Priscilla’s gaze, the other wandering on its own, as it did. The color of Olivia’s eyes was a startling violet, reminding her of Lord Bloodstone’s.
Which reminded her of Emerson.
Which, most inconveniently, had her on the verge of tears again.
Olivia handed Fiddlesticks back into Priscilla’s arms and stared at her meaningfully. Her sister-in-law would, of course, understand the turbulence of Priscilla’s emotions better than any of her brothers ever could.
“Let’s get you inside by the fire and a cup of tea. You must be exhausted.”
Priscilla nodded gratefully.
And although Priscilla knew this was to be the beginning of her exile, she felt as though she could breathe for the first time in days.
Since she’d first stepped into that horrible, horrible lie.
Because she belonged here. With nothing but time to think, she’d made some decisions. Perhaps she’d not have the family she’d always wanted, but she would seek out other opportunities.
She was finished pretending.
Holding a cup of tea, a warm blanket covering her lap, and Fiddlesticks curled up beside her, Priscilla met Gabriel’s stare and inhaled a fortifying breath.
“You saw the Gazette?” she asked.
“Not that I… Not that we—” Olivia moved her gaze around the room to land on Gabriel, Gilbert, and Priscilla’s mother, who were frowning now, and then Nathanial, who only seemed curious. “Not that any of us would ever judge you harshly, but why did you do it?”
Nodding, knowing her family could be trusted to keep all of it confidential, Priscilla ventured an explanation.
“You know I consented to chaperone Allison Meadowbrook, one of my older students, while she visited her home during the holidays.” They all nodded. “The visit was a catastrophe from the very beginning. Allison’s father announced right off that he’d signed a marriage contract, promising her to the Earl of Hardwood. Allison immediately went into hysterics. Because, she declared, she was in love with Mr. Meadowbrook’s head footman. That poor man was sacked, of course, and following that, Allison threatened to run away on her own if she and I didn’t return to the school immediately. She hated her father. She hated her mother. It was really all very upsetting.”
“It’s never comfortable to be involved in another person’s family squabbles,” Olivia pointed out.
“No, it isn’t,” Priscilla agreed. “Anyway. I had no choice but to take her back to the school. There, we discovered that some of the dorms had been vandalized, so…” She considered how much of the truth she should tell, and in the end, decided that all of it was pertinent. “With it being the morning of Christmas Eve, I decided that rather than ask our driver to return us to the village so we could take a room at the inn, we could lodge in Miss Primm’s residence instead. Three of us teachers have keys to use in case of an emergency. So, we went inside.” Priscilla felt herself flush. “Unfortunately, one of the bedchambers was occupied.”
“Miss Shipley?” Olivia looked as though she knew where this was going.
“And Lord Rosewood.”
Olivia was nodding now. “Gabriel and I were witnesses at their nuptials while we were in London. A love match.”
“Yes, but… I was not the only person to discover them.”
“Miss Meadowbrook was with you,” Nathanial concluded.
“Yes.”
“And Allison threatened to tell the world unless we, Miss Primm, Victoria, and a few other teachers, got her out of her betrothal.” Priscilla went on to tell them her first meeting with Emerson, and then the house party, and, avoiding anything about her feelings for the gentleman in question, provided them all with a vague telling of Mr. Meadowbrook’s catastrophic arrival.
“So, it worked out in the end—except for the story in the Gazette,” Olivia said, watching Priscilla suspiciously. “And now this spoiled student of yours is free to love her footman.”
