Page 117 of The Headmaster’s Rule

I take a long sip of whiskey, hoping that’s enough to protect her. I don’t want her to suffer the fallout from this. Not if I can shield her from it.

Sighing deeply, I keep reading.

I recognize the trust placed in me by the board, the faculty, and the families of Wetherly Cove. That trust matters deeply to me. This resignation is not a betrayal of that responsibility, but, in my view, an attempt to honor it.

Wetherly Prep has been a core part of my life since I was a boy, and my purpose for my entire professional life. I leave with deep gratitude, and the hope that the work we’ve done together will continue to flourish.

Thank you for the opportunity to lead.

Sincerely,

Theodore Wright

With a heavy heart, I press send. Then I sit back and down the rest of my drink.

I’ve let my father down. I’ve let the school down.

But I know, deep in my heart, that I haven’t let myself down.

CHAPTER 39

Eleanor

Iset my bag on my desk with a bone-weary sigh.

Today is the first day since starting at Wetherly that I didn’t want to come to work. I didn’t want to crawl out from under the cocoon of my comforter, didn’t want to face what happened last night.

We were caught.

Part of me is shocked it didn’t happen sooner, given how reckless we’ve been. But mostly, I’m devastated. Especially with the way Theo looked at me. The way he told me we had to be careful.

That we went home to separate beds.

I try to recall his words exactly, but it’s such a blur. The adrenaline that flooded my system when I saw Jake step out from the darkness made me shake so hard I could barely think. Theo said something about going to the board, but what was it?

I wander absently through my class, taking the chairs off the desks as if this were any other morning.

But it’s not.

Everything changed last night, and though I’d felt it in the air, known it was coming for weeks, I’m not ready. I’m not ready to face whatever is going to happen.

My morning ritual of writing the date and quote of the day on the board does nothing to soothe me. Thoughts swirl through my head about what’s going to come today, if the faculty will whisper, if Theo will avoid me, if I’ll be fired. If my students have heard about what happened, and what they’ll think of me. Worse, if their trust in me is broken, if they’ll feel unsafe in my class.

If I’ve ruined everything by falling in love.

When I can’t put it off any longer, I drag myself up to the morning faculty meeting, stomach in sick knots. The conference room is full as I slip inside, loitering near the door. I half expect everyone to gasp and look my way, to point and stare, but they don’t. Marlene passes me on her way in, smiling.

“Great work last night, Nora. You really impressed the board.”

“Thanks,” I mumble, knowing they won’t be nearly as impressed if Jake has spoken to them.

Despite myself, my gaze searches for Theo above the din of chatter and the scent of stale coffee. He’s at the far end as usual, hands clasped in front of him on the table, unsmiling, but he’s not tense, not scowling. In fact, he seems unusually calm.

Look at me, I plead silently, and his gaze flicks my way, almost as if he hears. His lips don’t move, but a tiny, tired smile creases his eyes, before he glances away. It should be reassuring, but it’s not.

“Morning,” Danny says as he enters the room. He approaches the head of the table, but his stride is missing its usual pep. In fact, he looks tired too. “Alright,” he murmurs as the faculty settles. “First up, last night was a huge success.”

There’s a smattering of applause and a few eyes swing my way. I tense, waiting for whispers, for the low hum of gossip and judgment, but everyone seems to be smiling and positive.