“Aunt Elspeth.”
Ella’s voice cut cleanly through the room.
She stood in the doorway, very straight, her hands clenched at her sides, her expression rigid with a resolve that sat uneasily on so young a face.
“Ella, my dear.” Lady Crane turned, her tone smoothing at once. “I did not notice you.”
“I noticedyou.” Ella crossed the room and stopped beside Serena’s chair, close enough that her sleeve brushed Serena’s arm. “Miss Collard is the best governess we have ever had. She helped Samuel when he would not speak. She helps Rosie sleep when she wakes frightened. She helps all of us.”
“How devoted,” Lady Crane said coolly. “And what, pray, does she help your uncle with?”
“She helps him remember that we are here.” Ella lifted her chin. “That he is not alone. That he is not only our guardian, but our family.”
For a moment, Lady Crane looked genuinely taken aback. Then the expression hardened.
“You are very eager to defend her, Ella. One might suppose you had been encouraged in this display.”
“No one encourages me,” Ella said evenly. “I speak because I see. And what I see is that you are looking for fault because you wish to find it.”
The silence that followed was sharp and brittle.
“You forget yourself, young lady,” Lady Crane said at last.
“No, Aunt,” Ella replied, her voice shaking now, though she did not retreat. “I remember it. I remember that Papa chose Uncle Nate. I remember that you were angry about it. And Iremember that you said things about him that were not true.” She swallowed. “This is our home. And we are not leaving it.”
Lady Crane rose. The movement was precise, controlled—far more dangerous for its restraint.
“We shall see what judgment is made,” she said coolly, “when questions of influence, discipline, and propriety are properly examined.”
She left the room without another word.
For a moment, neither Serena nor Ella moved.
Then Ella’s composure slipped. Her breath caught; her eyes burned.
“I couldn’t let her say it,” she said, more child than strategist now. “I couldn’t.”
Serena drew her close, resting a hand between her shoulder blades. “I know, sweetheart. And you were very brave.”
“Promise me you won’t leave,” Ella said, the words hurried and urgent. “Promise you won’t let her break us apart.”
Serena closed her eyes.
“I promise you this,” she said carefully, truth shaping every word. “I will do everything within my power to protect this family.”
It was not everything Ella wanted to hear.
But it was everything Serena could honestly give.
***
Nathaniel found Elspeth in his study.
She had not been invited. She had simply appeared, settling herself into the chair across from his desk as though she had every right to be there, her expression composed despite the fury he could see simmering beneath the surface.
“Elspeth.” He kept his voice neutral, though his heart was pounding. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I have just had a most illuminating conversation with our niece.” Lady Crane’s voice was clipped, controlled. “She seems to have developed some rather... strong opinions about my visit.”
