I smiled.
Julianna took a sip of tea.
And spat into her handkerchief with an ear-splitting scream. Specks of dirt marked her teeth.
“Tessa! Your brothers willpayfor this!”
Lydia came over with Fred in tow. He was covered in marigold petals and dirt but looked immensely pleased with himself. I gave him a wink.
“Mr. Donahue, apologize to Miss Julianna at once,” my stepmother said.
Fred merely smiled.
“You destroyed my hat and put dirt in my tea, you awful boy!” Julianna said, sobbing hysterically. “You will pay for this!”
Lydia’s frown deepened as she looked at Fred. “You putdirtin her tea?”
“I didn’t. Ted did.” The boy jutted his chin to his brother.
“Your parents will be hearing about this,” Lydia said, glowering at each boy. “Both of you will be punished severely.”
I almost felt bad for the brothers, but only for a second.
Ted pointed at me. “She told us to do it.”
2
“You have ruined thisfamily, Amarante!” Lydia said for the third time that evening. She blew her nose into her handkerchief as Genevieve gently patted her back. I continued working on my embroidery.
It had been two days since the Great Tea Scandal. My stepmother was still livid though I had personally apologized to the Donahues and Alderidges per her orders.
Fred and Ted were punished to spend twice as much time on their studies, but I still wanted to give the little scoundrels a good shake for exposing me. Tessa merely stuck her nose in the air and harrumphed, as if she had been the one to drink fertilized dirt.
Julianna and Dame Patricia Alderidge, of course, were both furious. That was no loss to me. I was never on good terms with either of them. But Lydia fell into hysterics when Dame Alderidge declared the end of their friendship.
“Mama, please,” Genevieve said. “It was those boys who stirred up all this trouble.”
