Page 81 of Enthralled in the Governess' Gaze
Victoria turned and found Emily holding out money to her.
Hesitantly, she took it with a nod and said, “Thank you.”
Emily looked away and choked out, “I hope you are happy…wherever you end up.”
Victoria wanted so badly to hug Emily and assure her that all would be well…but she did not dare. She thought that might just add insult to injury.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I hope you have safe travels to the Caribbean.”
Emily finally looked up at her, and the two gazed at each other for a long moment before Victoria finally turned and walked away without a backward glance.
“Goodbye,” she heard Emily say just as she reached the study’s door.
Pausing, Victoria took a breath and looked back at her friend.
“Goodbye,” she whispered. Forcing her gaze away, she turned and walked out of the room before she changed her mind and stayed. She would return to Henrietta’s for a few days, and then she would board a ship to France…never to return to England again.
***
Edward
“Victoria!” he shouted as he barreled into the house. “Victoria! Are you here?”
He ran for the staircase and began pounding his way up to the second floor when Emily’s voice reverberated through the air.
“Edward? What in the world is going on? Why are you making such a commotion?”
He stopped and looked back down to find his sister standing at the foot of the stairs, gazing up at him with her hands on her hips.
“Where is Victoria?” he demanded to know.
A flash of pain crossed her features before she answered, “Gone.”
Edward felt as though his heart had stopped.
“Gone? What do you mean, gone?”
Emily shrugged, though she appeared devastated. “She left, Edward. Took the last of her wages and left.”
“What?” he breathed, stunned. “When?”
“While you were out,” she explained.
Realization hit him, and he gritted his teeth against the pain that shot through him. She had tricked him. Lured him out of the house with that note to meet him in the park and then snuck back in while he was away.
He would be impressed by how clever she was if he was not so heartbroken.
“What did you do?” Emily suddenly snapped.
Taken aback, Edward blinked at her. “Me? Why are you asking me that?”
She appeared exasperated. “Because why else would she just leave, Edward? You did something. I know you did.”
Releasing a long sigh, he admitted, “All right, yes, I did do something. I was horribly vile to her last night.”
“What do you mean?” Emily gasped.
“She was at the ball last night,” Edward explained. “I do not know how or why, but she was there, and I was caught off guard seeing her. I thought she was being deceitful…I reacted badly. I lost my temper.”
