AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 4
Lucy tried to control a new rush of tears at Edward’s words. She wondered if a person could really die of embarrassment. If so, she would soon be a corpse. Headmaster Thorne opened the door and stood back to usher them out of his office. As they walked down the corridor toward the front of the building, she was conscious of others in the hall and knew that everyone was aware of what had transpired in the headmaster’s office. She was ashamed of her behavior and absolutely humiliated that she had been so soundly caned that her cries must have echoed around the school. She was grateful to see several students looking at her in sympathy, and mortified to see professors simply nodding or smiling as if pleased that the she had been caught and received what she deserved. Dropping her eyes to the floor, Lucy wondered how she’d ever be able to sit in a class again.
Professor Lloyds stood from behind his desk when the group entered the room where mathematics was taught.
“Professor, I’ve offered your services as you suggested, and Lord Wintercrest has graciously agreed that Lucille should spend a few hours under your excellent guidance,” the headmaster spoke as he accepted the job of escorting Lucy to stand in front of her professor’s desk. He smiled and added cruelly, “Of course, she probably will need reminding to sit still as she does her lessons, and I hope you show a bit of mercy. After all, it is indeed difficult to sit on a well-caned bottom—especially since she misbehaved and earned extra strokes.” Turning his head toward her, Thorne continued. “As you stated you could be quite studious in your lessons, please provide the solution to this problem. If the sentence for your misbehavior was a dozen strokes, yet your continued disobedience earned you that red X beneath your drawers, how many lines are now branded across your derrière?”
Lucy heard her sister gasp and clenched her hands at her sides. The man was just plain hateful. Of course she knew everyone was aware of what had taken place, but to mention the count, the horrid X still burning on her flesh so blatantly was unnecessarily cruel.
“Your headmaster asked you a question, Lucille,” her guardian said sternly. “I highly suggest you give him an answer.”
Seeing Thorne’s smirk, Lucy lifted her chin, determined not to allow the man to think he’d gotten the best of her. “You placed fourteen strokes across my bottom.” She paused for a brief moment before adding, “Sir.”
Thankfully, Professor Lloyds put an end to the little show. “I’m sure Miss Furniss has learned her lesson. I have no doubt that she will attend her studies with the utmost concentration. Lord Wintercrest, she shall be ready to return home in time for dinner, if that meets with your approval.”
Lucy thought the professor quite brave to be so brazen in front of his employer and found her respect growing.
Before Thorne could open his mouth, Edward said, “I appreciate your help, Professor. I believe you will find Lucy far more attentive this afternoon. Dinner at the manor is promptly at seven o’clock. I realize that a few hours will not be enough time for Lucille to learn all she needs for her examination, but, as I’ve assured Headmaster Thorne, she will also spend her weekend with her head in her books or her bottom will pay an even higher price.”
Lucy could do nothing but stand there as her professor looked between her guardian and the headmaster before he glanced at her.
“I’m sure your ward will do her very best, Lord Wintercrest,” he said, turning to gather a stack of books from his large desk before gesturing toward a much smaller one. “Shall we begin, Miss Furniss?”
Lucy watched as Edward led her sister from the room, Thorne following them, offering to escort them to their carriage.
* * *
Henri,their driver, nodded to his employer and gave Louisa a very stern and disapproving look. She blushed hotly as he opened the door, lowering the step. Edward helped her into the carriage and she gingerly took her seat, biting back a small, barely audible gasp. The conveyance dipped again as Edward entered and sat across from his wife. She placed her hands in her lap, wishing she could clasp Lucy’s hand.
“I am so very sorry, sir,” she began, hoping to relieve the tension in the small confines of the carriage.
Edward lifted his hand. “Enough, Louisa. I don’t care to hear your apology again. What I wish to know is exactly how you managed to pull off this charade. How did you arrange to leave the house this morning?”
Louisa couldn’t bring herself to look at him. She gazed out the window and tried to gather her thoughts. Evidently she was taking entirely too long to answer her husband’s questions as he reached across the space between them and cupped her chin.
Applying a slight pressure, he had her head tilting back, her eyes locking onto his. “It isn’t a difficult question, young lady. There is no need for your hesitancy. I want to know the truth, and if I disbelieve a single word of your explanation, then you can rest assured you will pay for each one. Is that understood?”
Louisa couldn’t stop a small shiver from running through her body. He released her as she nodded. “Yes, sir.” Taking a breath, she made her confession. “I hid in the boot.”
Edward glanced past her, as if seeing through the back panel to consider the storage box hanging from the rear of the carriage. “You’d have to have hidden yourself very early this morning. How did you get away from Mrs. Bremmer, Louisa? We both know she keeps a close eye on you when I am not at home.”
Louisa nodded, a tear sliding down her cheek. She felt worse now than she had in Thorne’s office. She knew what she had done was wrong, but she also knew how much her husband detested deceit.
“I snuck out right after you left for town this morning. It was actually Lucy who pretended to be me and told Mrs. Bremmer that she… I mean I wasn’t feeling well and that I was going to lie down.” Edward didn’t respond, and the lack of even a nod told her he was not the least bit pleased with her explanation. Brushing a tear from her cheek, she continued. “Mrs. Bremmer goes to market on Friday, and I, I mean Lucy still pretending to be me, um told her that you had instructed me to stay in bed and rest until it was time to dress for tea.”
Who knew that silence could be so loud… that anticipation could hang so heavy in the confines of their carriage. She practically jumped out of her skin when the quiet was finally breeched.
“O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive,”Edward said quoting Walter Scott in a tone that had Louisa’s guilt growing. No other words could have been more appropriate either for she realized how ridiculous their plan had been as she’d stumbled over simply attempting to explain how they’d executed its first act.
“I am extremely disappointed in you, Louisa. It was very naughty of you to lie to Mrs. Bremmer. I’d believed you’d learned a lesson about being deceitful, but it is obvious that my little lady needs another lesson.”
Her head snapped up and her mouth opened. “No! I mean, I did. There is no need for… for that, Edward—”
“Hush! We will continue our discussion at home. When we arrive, you are to go immediately to your room and put your nose in your naughty-girl corner until I join you. I suggest you remain quiet and think only of what you need to do to assure me of your contrition.”
Louisa closed her eyes and stifled a small moan. She knew that her sister might be even now sitting on a hard chair with her bottom burning, but she also knew that her own bottom was evidently going to burn even hotter soon enough.
She opened her eyes and dared a glance at her husband. He was looking down at her, his eyes stern, and she gulped before she whispered, “Yes, sir.”
