Quite the guardian I am.
Finally, Sunday arrived, and they lingered over tea in the study.
“How have you been?” Althea ventured.
“Fabulous. I have a lead on placing two more students from the charity school, and I think one of them is an excellent candidate for the School of Enlightenment.”
“How exactly do you determine that?”
Beth gave a small shrug. “It really depends on the girl and the situation.”
“Fair enough. What caused you to consider this particular student?”
Beth slid a sidelong glance toward Althea and smirked. “I decided when she stayed after class and attempted to kiss me.”
Althea’s brows rose. “Attempted? You are usually quite open to that sort of thing.”
“Yes, well.” Beth glanced away, mumbling, “Robert made me promise not to anymore.”
“Hmm. We’ll get to that in a minute. I have a different question first. Why would a girl who likes girls qualify for the school? I’d think ’twould take a bit more than that.”
“The school is one of the safest paths to placement in a like-minded household, but you are right. The girl also has to want to learn independence and/or be open to a multitude of households. The fact that she is one of the brightest students in her class, and I’d seen her kissing a messenger—a cute boy a couple years younger than her—also contributed. But I could not resist getting a reaction from you, so I oversimplified a little.” She chuckled.
“Thank you for explaining. So back to your other statement. Robert has extracted a promise from you, eh? What did you get from him in return? I know you too well to believe you made any unilateral promises.”
“He may have had to promise to entertain me enough I wouldn’t get distracted.”
“Ah, that explains the late-night comings and goings I’ve heard.” Althea smiled as Beth blushed.
“My apologies for disturbing you, cuz. I shall try to be quieter.”
Althea laughed. Trust her cousin to offer to tiptoe rather than to stop. Incorrigible, but loveable. “Do you know what you want from him?”
Beth narrowed her eyes and shrugged. “Maybe? But what of you? What do you want from Cheltie?”
“Nothing. Damnable man.” She pressed her lips together in annoyance.
“Even with a baker’s dozen shops, the future sounds rather dim without someone with whom to share it.”
Althea fell back on her litany of old. “Sharing is overrated. Men share by taking control. I want none of that after working so hard to succeed.”
“Are you sure all men are like that? More specifically, that Evan is?”
Althea started to retort but snapped her lips shut. Was she? Was he? He’d wanted an equity share, yes. But he’d offered to be a silent partner then offered free advice with nothing in return. She snorted.Nothing other than sexual pleasure, that is.
Her cousin was watching her.
“’Tis too risky to test it.”
“Have you and Cheltie ever discussed the School of Enlightenment?” Beth asked, cocking her head.
“No, of course not. ’Tis not allowed.” Althea recalled she had thought he’d be supportive. She probably should have considered that more with his respect for her independence. Instead, she’d obsessed about society’s perceptions of a male investor.
“His servants at Greenborough Park include a number of students from the school. And he knows you sponsored me. I thought he might have raised it with you.”
“Why?”
Beth shrugged. “To prove his support of you remaining in control of the shop. He did help found the school, after all.”
