Page 2 of A Scandalous Bargain
“Yes.”
The single word sent Deborah into a fit of rage. She launched herself at Selina, shoving her back onto the bed.
Selina grabbed the other girl’s arms and dragged her down too. In a quick motion, Selina rolled on top of Deborah and spit in her face. “Better than you in every way that counts. No one cares about your stupid earl father.”
“At least I have a father,” Deborah snarled as she tried to wrestle Selina off her.
“At least I have a brain,” Selina said. “Someday your father will die, and I’ll still be smarter than you.”
Deborah sucked in a breath. She brought her hand back and slapped Selina across the face.
Selina’s face darkened as her eyes narrowed. Her lip curled, and Beatrix actually felt a tremor of fear.
Grabbing the front of Deborah’s dress, Selina stood up and tugged Deborah with her. She pivoted, pulling Deborah toward her until their noses nearly met. “Touch me again and I’ll make you hurt in ways you’ve never imagined. You think I’m some sort of heathen. Don’t give me a reason to show you just how right you are.” Selina shoved her hard so that she fell to the floor.
“I found them!” Maria’s declaration trilled through the dormitory. She stood near Beatrix’s dresser.
Too focused on the quarrel between Selina and Deborah, Beatrix hadn’t noticed what Maria had been doing. Now, Beatrix saw Maria’s third-favorite gloves dangling from her fingertips over the open bottom drawer of Beatrix’s dresser.
Panic stole Beatrix’s breath. “I…I didn’t take them.” She didn’tremembertaking them.
“Then why are they in your dresser?” Maria demanded, her dark eyes flashing.
“Because she’s a thief,” Deborah said, pushing herself up from the floor. She eyed Selina warily as she walked to Maria. “Let’s go tell Miss Everly.”
“No!” Beatrix ran toward them but stopped short before she reached them. “I swear I didn’t take them!”
Maria bared her teeth. “They were inyourdrawer. You’re a liar as well as a thief.”
“Don’t forget bastard,” Deborah said with unabashed glee. “And daughter of a whore.”
Tears stung Beatrix’s eyes. “Take that back,” she whispered because it was all she could get past the knot in her throat.
“Why?” Deborah asked, her deep-set eyes blinking in mock-innocence. “It’s all true.”
“That doesn’t make it nice.” Selina had come to stand beside Beatrix.
Maria waved her gloves toward Beatrix. “When Miss Everly hears, you’ll be punished. You may even be sent away. Where will you go? It’s clear your father doesn’t want you, and your mother’s dead. Perhaps you can go to whatever orphanageshecame from.” Maria pointed at Selina.
“Oh, I didn’t come from an orphanage.” Selina’s lips spread into a slow, rather malevolent smile. “I came from the East End of London. Want to know what’s hidden in my bottom drawer?” She leaned toward them, her eyes gleaming with pride. “Aknife.”
Maria and Deborah gasped in unison.
“Miss Everly!” Maria yelled. “Miss Everly!”
“Bloody hell,” Selina swore. “I don’t actually have a knife, you dolts.”
Beatrix turned her head toward Selina. “Why did you say that?”
“Because for a moment, I was as stupid as them.” She clenched her jaw. “I took your ugly gloves,” Selina said loudly. “It was a joke.”
“A joke on the bastard?” Deborah asked. “Why else would you put them in her dresser?”
“Someone was coming, and I had to stash them somewhere.” Selina gave Beatrix an apologetic glance.
Beatrix wasn’t angry. How could she be when Selina was covering for her? While Beatrix didn’t recall stealing the gloves, she knew she had. It wasn’t the first time something had gone missing only for Beatrix to find the item in her dresser. However, Beatrix didn’t think anyone else had known.
“Deborah! Maria!” Miss Everly’s voice carried into the dormitory. “Your coach is here.”
