AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But a few minutes later Teresa heard a chorus of voices approaching, and in the next instant three young ladies burst into the drawing room. Chirt followed on their heels with an outraged expression.
“I cannot believe you would deny us,” said Miss Charlotte Deeping.
“You left us out of everything,” complained Miss Sarah Moran. “It’s not fair.”
“Tom told us what you’ve been up to,” said Miss Harriet Finch, in response to Teresa’s startled expression. “Part of it, at any rate. I suspect he left out a good deal. No, I’m certain he must have.”
“And so we have come to hear.” Miss Deeping plopped down on the sofa next to Teresa. She looked as if it would take several strong footmen to remove her. “And if you think you can fob us off, you will find you are mistaken,” she said, confirming this impression.
Miss Moran and Miss Finch also sat. They looked like fashionable debutantes, decked out in gowns and bonnets for morning calls, but the stares they fixed on Teresa were worthy of a wolf pack.
“It’s all right, Chirt,” said Teresa. “Thank you.”
The butler turned away, clearly incensed. He walked out, somehow managing to express profound disapproval with his back.
“He thinks we’re dreadfully rackety,” said Miss Moran.
Miss Deeping made a dismissive gesture. “Tell,” she said to Teresa.
She didn’t care to be commanded. But more than that, she wasn’t sure how much the young ladies should be told about the sinister house in the country.
A movement at the door caught her eye. The earl looked in and then ducked back out of sight. “Lord Macklin!” called Teresa.
After a moment he reappeared. His expression made it obvious that he had intended to escape. Teresa laughed at him. He smiled ruefully when he saw it.
A clamor rose from the three visitors, accusing the earl also of leaving them out of the adventure. They began to sound like children deprived of a promised treat.
“Enough!” said Teresa. She looked at Lord Macklin and pointed to an armchair. He sat down. She stood up. “You have no actual right to information, you know,” she said to the young ladies. “You are notowedan explanation.”
They looked surprised, hurt, offended, according to their various personalities. Teresa felt a mixture of weariness and compassion.
“We helped investigate,” said Miss Deeping.
“We asked all sorts of questions,” said Miss Moran. “How can you say that we…”
“We are not speaking of a pet raven stealing trinkets here,” interrupted Teresa.
Now she had provoked them all. A row of frowns confronted her.
Teresa suddenly felt far older than these young ladies. “Evil exists in the world, you know.”
“We are well aware…” began Miss Deeping.
“You don’t know what real evil is, and perhaps you shouldn’t have to,” Teresa interrupted.
“We may be ignorant,” replied Miss Finch. “It does not follow that weshouldbe.”
“You could consider it good luck,” said Teresa. Much of a person’s destiny seemed to come down to luck.
“I do not,” said Miss Moran quietly.
Teresa was surprised that it should be this girl who objected.
“Knowing is always best, I think,” the girl added. “One should never refuse to learn.”
“But once you learn a…dreadful thing, you cannot erase it from your memory.”
“Talk, talk, talk,” said Miss Deeping. “The truth is you have gone off on adventures without us, and you have no intention of explaining.” She looked from Teresa to the earl and back again.
