And that is what hurt the most. She’d lost her brother and left the gentleman who had stolen her heart and now she needed to find a way to continue on with her life, and find a way to support herself. Even though she would receive her dowry in two years, it would be set aside for her future. In the meantime, she needed to find a position so that she could support herself. Eve prayed that one could be found in Cornwall so that she wouldn’t need to be separated from her sister again.
Chapter 20
“How is your story coming along?” Sophia asked as they walked along the lane.
“I’d rather be doing that than walking.”
“What are you writing?” Victoria Westbrook asked.
Mrs. Wiggons had sent the girls from the school to get some fresh air because of late, when not in class, they were either sitting and reading or in Eliza’s case, writing.There was a time I couldn’t keep the three of you in the school and was always searching for you as you got up to mischief. Now you don’t leave, she’d grumbled and sent them outside.
“A horrid novel,” Rosemary answered for her friend. “It’s going to be better than anything we’ve ever read before, or at least as good as anything published by Mrs. Radcliffe.”
Sophia raised an eyebrow and hoped that her friend hadn’t set an impossible task for herself. Writing a horrid novel was a wonderful aspiration, but writing one as good as Mrs. Radcliffe was an entirely different ambition.
“That sounds very exciting,” Olivia, who was also Victoria’s twin, exclaimed.
“A mummy and its curse.” Eliza grinned. “Which is why we must hurry so that I can return to my story.” She stopped for a moment and turned around.
“What are you doing?” Sophia asked.
“Looking to see if we are being followed.”
Sophia looked behind them as well but couldn’t see anyone.
“Who would be following?” Olivia asked.
“The new students.” Eliza rolled her eyes. “They always want to know what we are up to.”
“It didn’t help that you regaled them with stories of vampires, ghosts and witches,” Rosemary reminded her.
Sophia had to giggle, even though it wasn’t kind of her. But the three newest students, barely thirteen, had arrived just a few days ago. When they heard the gossip of Sophia, Rosemary and Eliza’s past, they came to inquire. Eliza happily told them the stories but wouldn’t confess whether the vampires, ghosts and witches were real, just that the girls needed to be careful. Sophia was fairly certain the newest arrivals hadn’t slept very well that night.
Really, it wasn’t well-done of Eliza but it did prove that she should be writing horror novels.
“If you are talking about Ruth, Abigail and Mary, I believe they are meeting with Miss Hamilton to get caught up on what they’d missed.
It was odd that the three had shown up at the end of the year when new students usually arrived in the fall.
“Is your brother expecting visitors?” Rosemary asked as two carriages, followed by a large wagon, turned up the drive of Harrington Manor.
“He hadn’t mentioned it to me,” Olivia answered and she turned to her sister for confirmation. Victoria simply shrugged.
Despite her complaints that she wanted to return to her story, Eliza started in the direction of Harrington Manor, the others following out of curiosity. However, they remained at a distance as Lord Norbright was quite clear that he didn’t want the students on his property, with the exception of his younger sisters, of course.
“Who do you think it is?” Rosemary asked.
Oliva shrugged.
“Maybe it’s the woman Lady Norbright was having tea with yesterday,” Eliza offered.
“What lady?” Victoria asked.
“I’ve never seen her before,” Sophia answered. “But they were taking tea together in the village and the woman looked as if she’d been crying.
Victoria frowned. “I wonder if she has anything to do with why Miss Doyle left yesterday and didn’t return until this morning, only to change her clothing and leave again.”
Eliza pinned Victoria with a look. “Miss Doyle was gone all night?”
