Netherby Halls (17 page)

She placed Beth’s note on the table, lit a candle,
and rubbed her ring as she whispered the words of the incantation,
amazed at how much more she had stored in her mind than she
realized. Not all of it had been taught to her by her mother—some
had come with her transition into a full white witch.

The candle flickered, went out, and relit itself as a
vision formed in a transparent and yet three-dimensional form.

She saw a young woman she presumed to be Beth running
away from the school, looking behind herself as though she were
being chased. She heard the thuds of heavy footsteps on the lawn
behind the girl. She saw a man’s hands—tattooed hands—reach out,
and then it all went blank.

What should she make of this? Had the girl been
abducted? Was there a reasonable explanation? She didn’t think so.
The girl had appeared terrified, and the man’s purpose was shrouded
in darkness. She was going to have to find a way of speaking to
Delia privately without drawing attention to herself.

Friday arrived with Sassy’s class all a-thither
because of their expected treat of the theatre expedition. An
incident occurred to mar the outing slightly: the older girls
complained to Miss Sallstone regarding what they saw as ‘favored’
treatment of Miss Winthrop’s class.

In the end, it was decided that the older girls,
accompanied by the Tyler sisters and Miss Graves, would go into
Bristol for the Saturday matinee at the school’s expense. With
peace restored and her colleagues quite pleased about their
unexpected outing on the following day, Sassy withdrew to her
room.

She spent some time over her toilet and emerged from
her handiwork to look at herself in the mirror. She had piled her
hair into a semblance of curls at the top of her head, and they
cascaded down her neck to her back.

She wore a dark green velvet gown that, though old,
was still in very good shape. Her mother’s pearls dangled from her
ears and around her bare neck. The thought came to her unbidden
that she wished the marquis could see her. She blushed and
immediately chided herself as she picked up her serviceable black
wool cloak, draped it around her shoulders, and slipped on her lacy
black gloves.

She rounded up her charges, who were all talking at
the same time, giggling and in high fettle. When they reached the
main entrance they found Dr. Bankes, hat in hand.

He took a moment to stare at Sassy before he managed
to murmur, “Exquisite.” He then waved his hat at all the assembled
young girls. “All of you are so very lovely.”

He certainly was adroit, thought Sassy as he led them
outdoors, where he said, “Your coach awaits.”

One of the girls giggled convulsively and remarked
that the ‘school wagon” was hardly a coach.

“Ah, true, my poor ungrateful brats, but don’t let
Gunther hear you speak so. After all, he went to the trouble of
constructing a neat ‘surrey’, and there are plenty of blankets for
the short trip to town.” Sassy laughed with them and helped see
them situated as they scrambled into the wagon, before the doctor
saw her deposited in his small but comfortable barouche.

The doctor’s driver clucked to his team, and the
group was off.

Grateful
, Sassy thought,
I feel grateful,
but what is it that makes me feel
uncomfortable in his
company?
“This is just so kind of you.” She smiled and tried to
make herself feel at ease. “Indeed, this wonderful idea of yours
has given the older girls the courage to talk Miss Sallstone and
actually got her to arrange for them to see tomorrow’s
matinee.”

“Excellent. I have always thought that the theater
should be introduced into the girls’ studies.” Dr. Bankes smiled at
her through the darkness.

“Yes, I quite agree,” she said, looking away from his
intent gaze.

“May I say, Miss Winthrop, in your drab grays I found
you exceptional, but now, with your hair, your gown, you are
absolutely ravishing.”

Sassy laughed amiably and told herself he was a nice
man, a good man and that she should feel honored to have his
attention. “You are certainly very sweet to say so.”

Suddenly he put a white-gloved finger to her chin.
“Lord, woman—do you think I am sweet? That much advantage I shall
not take of you. I believe in playing fair. Do you not realize that
I have not done this out of the kindness of my heart? I have done
this for one reason only—
to one end
.”

Oh, thought Sassy, suddenly wary. What was he saying?
Was he about to make her an indecent proposal—for it had that
sound. “To what end is that, Dr. Bankes?”

“To put you at ease with me and perhaps hear you call
my name, James, which would then allow me the use of your
delightful name, Sassandra—or if your prefer, Sassy.”

Relief flooded her, and she laughed merrily. “Oh yes,
I do feel you are entitled to call me by my given name, …
James.”

“Well then, Sassy, tell me, from where did your
parents derive such a lovely name?”

“Oh, I am named after a great-great-grandmother.” She
hesitated. “On my mother’s side, and I understood the name was
taken from the Sassanian Empire.” She smiled warmly at him and
tried hard not to think of the marquis, whose voice had been
whispering her name distractingly in her ears for the last two
minutes. The closer they drew to town, the more insistent became
his voice. She was strong-willed, but it was difficult to ignore
the hypnotic call, and her lashes fluttered as she tried to ignore
the voice in her head. She tried speaking over it and added, “But
as far back as I can remember everyone, even Mama, always just
called me Sassy.”

“And are you?” the doctor sallied.

“When I have a mind to be,” she replied saucily and
once again was swept into her mind where she felt the marquis’s
presence break down her wall of defense and begin to take over.

She saw him standing in a black velvet cutaway, his
black hair billowing around his handsome face, his blue eyes
penetratingly and mesmerizingly looking right at her. What was
this?

This was not her magic
. She knew this was not
her magic? What then?

The magic of her mother’s coven, trying to force her
to accept what she was and what? Why would the coven now enter her
life? Her mother’s family had cut them off, cut off the power of
their numbers. Why now would the coven do this? No. She could not
believe this was the work of the coven.

This was something else, but what?

A moment later, James gave her his hand and helped
her alight to the curbing in front of the bright torch lights on
either side of the Bristol Theater. The place was Tudor in design,
giving one the entire Shakespearean experience as one entered
through its wide doors.

The girls were in high spirits as they gathered
around Sassy and Dr. Bankes and were herded into the busy crowd,
where their seats were allocated.

A thrill rushed through Sassy. Her parents had often
taken her to the theatre, and she had always loved the experience
from beginning to end. She watched the fashionables of Bristol
sashay and mingle, strut and quiz, all vivacious and ready to enjoy
themselves. She smiled brightly as she gazed into the gallery and
at the laughing menagerie of merchants, ladies of the night,
commissioned seamen, and even some of the more genteel patrons
hobnobbing and flitting about.

Air
. The air from her lungs was suddenly
usurped, and she stood a moment nearly gasping to regain it. Blue
eyes stared across at her, and she saw that
he
was wearing
exactly what she had seen him wearing in her mind only moments
before.

The silver buttons on his black velvet glinted, as
did the gold of his ring, which she had never noticed before, a
most unusual ring; its design made her think she had seen its
insignia before. He inclined his head to her in greeting as he
slipped on his gloves and turned away.

She was suddenly and absurdly deflated that he had
turned away from her. A moment later when she glanced towards his
box he was conversing animatedly with a tall blonde beauty.

Sassy looked away. Something constricted in her
throat, and she blinked hard as she tried to shake off the awful
feeling. Honest with herself, or trying to be, Sassy looked
squarely into her mind and saw the jealousy blazing there like a
hoary, separate entity.

Enough
, she told herself. The curtain was
rising …

Shakespeare’s memorable characters Kate and Petruchio
took over the stage, and Sassy was able to put aside all other
thoughts as she sat forward, intensely enjoying the
performance.

During intermission the girls were allowed to go in
search of lemonade, and the doctor turned his attention upon Sassy,
giving her a sweeping smile. She could not help but notice that his
gaze lingered at her breasts before he looked into her eyes and
said lightly, “Enjoying yourself?”

“Immensely, James. How can I ever thank you for this
lovely evening?”

“Shall I be gallant and say you have already done so
by simply being here, or shall I instead, dally with you
outrageously and tell you that I will think of a way?” He spoke so
softly that Sassy had to lean into him to hear what he was saying,
and as she came closer, he covered her gloved hand with his
own.

She felt herself blush, for she sensed something in
his words. Was he testing her? Also, how could she withdraw her
hand without appearing rude? What was he doing? Was he trying to
see how far he could go? However, she didn’t have the time to
respond to this, for at that moment a masculine voice spoke, one
that went into her nervous system and made her body tingle as she
jumped guiltily away from Dr. Bankes.

The marquis’s voice was dry as he said, “I am sorry
to intrude. However, Miss Delleson would not give either Mr.
Lutterel or me any peace until I carried out her wishes to escort
her friend, Miss Winthrop, to her box.”

Heat flooded Sassy’s cheeks, and for a moment she
wished she had a fan, she was so warm. She and Dr. Bankes must have
appeared to be—oh, what would the marquis think? Did he think she
and the doctor had been caught in an intimate moment? No, oh no.
She did not want him to think so, and why she didn’t want him to
think so eluded her at that moment.

The marquis bent his arm towards her, and she turned
to Dr. Bankes and said, “I am sorry. I shan’t be long.” She put her
gloved fingers on the marquis’s forearm, and the strength beneath
her touch made her heart flutter.

What, oh what was she going to do? She couldn’t go on
pretending that this big, handsome, mysterious man wasn’t forever
in her thoughts. But if she wasn’t going to find herself hurt, that
was precisely what she was going to have to do. She was working as
a tutor—he was a marquis. This could only end badly.

Miss Delleson, dressed in what seemed a mist of
champagne bubbles, burst on the scene at that moment, saying she
could no longer wait for Sassy to make her way to her box. She and
Percy, following at her back, were introduced to Dr. Bankes, and
then Sophy drew Sassy aside.

Sassy could not help but notice that Sophy was barely
civil to Dr. Bankes and frowned over the matter, but Sophy was
chattering away so glibly that she could not ask about it.

“I sent you a note round earlier this afternoon. Did
you not get it, for I told that dratted boy Papa is grooming to be
oh, I don’t know what, but I told him to put it expressly in your
hands and have not seen him since.” Sophy waved this off with an
impatient expression and whispered, “Sassy, I need you. I have got
myself into an awful tangle. I can’t explain it all to you here and
now, but I am desperate. Promise me you will fall in with my
plans—promise?”

Sassy arched a look at her. “What plans, Sophy, for I
can not promise you anything unless I know what it is.”

“My rout! Oh, Sassy, I know it is short notice, but
that is not my fault. It came about so suddenly, so I can’t be
blamed for that, now can I?”

“Sophia …” Sassy said, eyeing her intently.

“Do but listen,” Sophy demanded petulantly. “You see,
I am to have Cecy’s rout because she has the measles!”

Sassy was all at sea. Seeing her expression, Sophy
gave over to the giggles but managed to clear her throat and
squeeze Sassy’s hand. “Oh, I do like you. Sassy, of all my friends,
you are so … so … real.” This said, she waved it off and
dove right in once more. “Cecy is just an acquaintance so don’t
think me hard-hearted that I don’t seem to care that she has
contracted the measles, but whatever is she doing with them now?
Should have had them when she was younger. At any rate, I was
monstrous put out when I first heard the rout was to be cancelled,
but then Mama said I may have it instead.”

“Ah,” Sassy said, “Sophy while it is very sweet of
you to invite me—”

“Precisely so, I can be sweet when I choose, and I do
choose to be sweet to you, for I don’t know what it is, Sassy, but
I find I like you above all my other friends who I have known
forever. At any rate, I must tell you, that is not the only reason
why you must come to my rout.”

“Ah,” Sassy said, again much amused.

“You see, the invitation to Percy will only go out if
he can get the marquis to accept to come, and the marquis has been
very disobliging. He says he will only attend if I can convince you
to do so.”

“What?” Sassy returned, inwardly flattered. “You
cannot mean it?”

“I know the marquis now well enough to know that he
means it. Say you will come.”

Sassy turned and at that moment found the marquis
bowing his head to yet another attractive woman and blowing that
woman a kiss. Her hands almost went to her hips, her foot nearly
stomped the floor, and she said, “Oh! This … this is
outrageous.”

“Sassy, set my mind at ease. Do say you will come?”
Sophy pleaded.