Amelia winced because that was precisely what she intended to do. “Fair point,” she admitted.
Valerie sighed heavily and gestured for her to continue.
Amelia hesitated briefly. “I saw David’s scar.”
The effect was immediate. Valerie’s expression hardened at once. The humour vanished from her face. Even the air in the room seemed to change. Amelia’s pulse quickened.
For several seconds, Valerie said nothing. Then she lowered her gaze to the papers before her. “You should not ask questions about things that do not concern you,” she said quietly.
Amelia leaned forward slightly. “It concerns David, and I am his governess.”
Valerie’s lip pouted slightly. “The person who should have cared for him failed him.”
The words struck Amelia like a blow. She immediately thought of Gabriel.
Valerie had never hidden her resentment towards her uncle. She spoke politely in front of him, but her true feelings were obvious whenever he left the room.
Amelia’s stomach twisted. “What do you mean?” she asked carefully.
Valerie looked up sharply. For a moment, Amelia thought she might answer.
Instead, Valerie stood abruptly. “I mean exactly what I said,” she replied, gathering her papers. “Nothing more.”
Amelia rose as well. “Valerie…” she began.
Valerie cut her off with a raised hand. “Please stop trying to solve everyone’s problems,” she said tiredly. “You have been here long enough.”
Before Amelia could respond, Valerie walked from the library. The door closed softly behind her. Amelia remained standing beside the table, staring after her. Confusion churned inside her.
Valerie had not denied it. Worse, she had not confirmed it either.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Amelia attempted lessons with David, but her concentration wandered repeatedly. Every time she looked at the little boy, she remembered the scar. Every time she thought of the scar, she thought of Valerie’s words. And every time she thought of Valerie’s words, Gabriel’s face appeared in her mind.
By evening, she was no closer to understanding the truth. One moment, she felt certain Gabriel could never hurt a child. The next, she remembered how fiercely protective he was and wondered whether guilt played a role. Nothing made sense. She disliked uncertainty more than almost anything. It made her feel trapped.
As darkness settled over Anderton Manor, Amelia stood beside her bedroom window and stared out at the moonlit grounds. Somewhere below, Gabriel was likely still working in his study. The thought made her stomach flutter for reasons she preferred not to examine. Whatever feelings existed between them, theywould not prevent her from seeking answers. David deserved that much.
Amelia folded her arms and looked out into the darkness.
I will speak directly to him and not back down until I know the truth.
Gabriel had noticed that for the past several days, Amelia and Valerie had slowly been making progress with one another, much to his surprise. The two young women had been speaking more often, and Valerie had even laughed in Amelia’s presence on more than one occasion.
Until this day.
What has occurred?
This thought echoed through his mind the entire day as he realized that something had shifted. During luncheon, Valerie barely looked at Amelia, and during lessons, the governess seemed distracted and frustrated. Gabriel observed it all from a distance while pretending complete indifference. Unfortunately, pretending indifference had become increasingly difficult whenever Amelia Shirley was involved, particularly after they had spoken in the kitchen when he had stared at her pink lips.
The thought lingered longer than it should have as Gabriel sat in his study later that evening and found himself recalling the troubled expression he had seen on Amelia’s face. She had looked hurt. Frustrated. Confused. The sensible part of him reminded him that none of that was his concern. Amelia Shirley would most likely leave before the month was over, either because she chose to or because circumstances forced her to. Another governess would eventually take her place, and life at Anderton Manor would continue.
The idea should have reassured him. Instead, it left him unexpectedly irritated.
Gabriel scowled at a stack of estate reports and dipped his pen into the ink pot. The accounts from several tenant farms required attention. Repairs to a bridge needed approval. Three letters demanded replies before morning. Normally, such matters occupied his thoughts entirely.
Tonight, they did not.
More than once, he caught himself staring absently at the same page without reading a single word.
