Netherby Halls (23 page)

“Only that she allowed herself to be caught.”
Although Sassy had promised herself to be ready for his answer, she
had not expected this answer.

“What?” she exclaimed.

“I don’t have the right to tell you this, for it was
told to me in confidence. However, I believe I must in order to
dispel whatever wild notions are racing through your young head,”
said the doctor.

“What?” Sassy repeated.

“Mistress Sallstone is married,” he said softly.

Sassy was taken aback. “I thought she was a
widow?”

“
So did she
. She thought her husband was lost
at sea. He suddenly turned up here, and she discovered that he has
sunk beneath saving. He wants money from her. He threatens to
expose her and their marriage, and she pays him to be quiet. But
what you were doing up and about at such an hour,” he said, shaking
his head, “has me baffled.”

Sassy was surprised by his words. Everything still
felt wrong. He seemed to take this in stride, and she held herself
aloof as she answered, “
That
is what has you baffled? As it
happened, I awoke from a nightmare and thought I heard
intruders.”

“Ah, of course. Well, with any good luck he should be
putting out to sea, and Miss Sallstone will no longer be bothered
with him.”

Sassy gazed at him for a long moment. A drum was
pounding out a beat, and the word she heard over and over was
danger
.

He asked, “What else troubles you?”

“Naught.”

“Good, good,” he said. Sassy had the feeling he was
anxious to quit her company. He took her arm and led her back
towards the school, and she did not demur. She wanted to see for
herself if her suspicions were correct.

“Don’t go wandering about at night, Sassy. I
shouldn’t like you to run into him and his friends. They are, as
you saw, unsavory.”

“Hmm,” she said as a bell chimed in her head.
There is so much more to it than what he told you. Don’t trust
him,
that bell sound pounded out those words in her mind.

She was not totally surprised that he waited at the
bottom of the stairs while she ascended to the upper floor. He
wanted to make certain she was out of the way, she thought.
Well, well, what are you going to do, James Bankes
, she
wondered as she gave him a hurried smile and walked out of his
sight.

She pretended to go into her room and then, crouched
low, went to the railing just before the staircase. She watched as
he turned and went into the headmistress’s private
chambers—
without knocking.

* * *

“James, where have you been?” Bianca Sallstone
demanded as he walked into the room, dropped off his gloves on a
nearby settee, and removed his outer garment to throw it with some
annoyance there as well.

“We need to talk,” he said ominously.

“What? Whatever is wrong?” she asked, moving close
and putting her hands on his arms.

“You were seen with that ugly brute you have the
misfortune to be married to,” he snapped. The doctor shook his
head. “What it is you ever saw in the scoundrel is beyond me.”

“Seen? That is impossible. Who could have seen
us?”

“Sassy Winthrop.”

“That little bitch!” Bianca exclaimed.

“Temper now … temper. It was your own fault for
not taking more care,” he answered with what he hoped was a firm
warning in his voice. She could be extremely vicious when she lost
control of herself, and he didn’t need her indulging in a tantrum
now.

“What was the spiteful little wench doing up at such
an hour?”

“She awoke from a nightmare and heard intruders. She
was on her way to advise you of the problem when she saw them in
your company.”

“Damn her eyes!” Bianca snapped angrily. “I wrote to
Edna, saying we should dismiss her, but she hasn’t replied. She
probably doesn’t want to insult Lady Margate. But maybe I’ll
just—”

“Oh, do shut up. The fact is she was about to advise
you that the school was being invaded by strange-looking men when
she witnessed you welcoming the culprits inside your private
quarters.”

“What did you tell her?”

“The truth. I told her he was your husband, here to
plague you.”

“What?” screamed Bianca.

“Damnation, woman, should I allow her to imagine
something else was towards?” he said disgustedly. “Take care in the
future.”

“May she rot in hell. Just because she is the
daughter of a vicar, you think she is Little Miss Perfect!” Bianca
seethed.

“Never mind that—just take care in the future,”
Bankes warned her.

“Devil take you too, James,” she said angrily.

With a laugh he picked up his hat, gloves, and coat.
Then he strolled out of her chambers and out the front door.

* * *

From the window above in the long hall overlooking
the front courtyard, Sassy watched Dr. Bankes head for the carriage
house. She knew something from his story was missing, but what?

She hurried to her room, closed the door at her back,
and had started to rub her ring when she was interrupted by a knock
at her door. “Yes?” she called out.

Molly opened the door and stuck her head in. “Is now
a good time?” Her hands were laden with a tray of hot food.

“You wonderful girl! Here on the table, and sit, join
me,” Sassy said, realizing she was famished.

“I ate already.” Molly smiled broadly as she sat.
“But I did bring a few extra biscuits and butter to nibble on.”

They dove into the food, and when Sassy pushed it
away, satisfied, she said, “Now, where did we leave off?”

Molly pulled out the book, and they began her next
lesson.

~
Nineteen ~

MONDAY BROUGHT WITH it dismal skies of gray and the
threat of pouring rain. Lessons seemed drawn out and endless to
Sassy. Her mind was elsewhere, and she found she had to force
herself to stay focused.

During lunch she braced herself and went in search of
Mistress Sallstone, whom she found in the school library.

She read pure hatred in the woman’s eyes, and her
intuition told her that the doctor had definitely betrayed her
confidence. She was surprised and hurt, but she had to admit to
herself that a part of her had always held back her trust from
James Bankes. She had sensed that James Bankes was not what he
wanted her to think he was. She really needed to rely on her magic
more than she had in the past. She was alone now without parents to
shield her from the world, but she did have an ability to do so for
herself. She had to listen to her instincts more, much more.

“Mistress Sallstone, last week I put in an order for
paper and have not yet received it,” she said softly but without
smiling.

“That is because it has not yet arrived from London,”
Miss Sallstone replied coldly.

“From London,” Sassy repeated in surprise. “Why from
London when Bristol is so near?”

“Because, my dear, not that it is any of your nosey
business, this school is supported by Lady Devine, who presently
resides in London. She makes all such arrangements for supplies.
However, if you are in desperate need, we do have some credit with
a local tradesman in Bristol.”

“Desperate need? Ma’am, I have not enough paper with
which to continue tomorrow’s lessons,” Sassy returned, still not
smiling. She felt evil well up in the woman staring hard at her.
Something dark and twisted hovered in Bianca Sallstone’s inner
being. Why had she not allowed her magic to tell her that
before?

“Obtain what you can from the other teachers.” The
headmistress waved her off.

“I have tried, but they have not enough themselves,”
Sassy answered.

“Very well. Take the wagon and go get what you need.
Mind now, our credit at Jameson’s is limited. Get only enough for
the week. We should have all our supplies from London by that
time.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sassy said as she turned to leave.

“And, Miss Winthrop, don’t dally in town!”

“’Tis why I am skipping lunch, and I gave the girls a
reading session in case I am not back just on time,” Sassy answered
as she left Bianca Sallstone at her back.

She donned her cloak and chip hat, pulled on her kid
gloves, and hurried outdoors, towards the carriage house.

Gunther came out to meet her, and she told him she
would take the cob and wagon into town. He frowned as he looked up
at the sky and said, “Did she forbid ye the carriage?”

“No, but she mentioned only the wagon,” Sassy
answered, a smile curving her lips.

“Right then, I’ll take ye, and we’ll use the
carriage. It looks like the sky is about to open up, and there is
no need for ye or the supplies ye be procuring to get wet!”

Without another word, Molly’s father went and hitched
up the team to the carriage. Before long they were on their way
into town.

They arrived in Bristol without incident, and Gunther
drove them to Jameson’s Book Store, where she purchased her
supplies.

This done, she waited outside for the clerk to bring
out and load the supplies. The attractive little store was directly
opposite a busy dock, and she stared at the
Sea Winds
with a
sudden, sick feeling.

She watched the crates of merchandise being loaded
onto the large sailing vessel. Sailors shouted merrily to one
another, and on the surface nothing seemed amiss, but as Sassy gave
way to her instincts and allowed her magic voice to whisper in her
mind, she knew better.

“Where is she headed?” Sassy asked Gunther.

“North Africa.” He shook his head disparagingly.
“Bless me, but I’ve heard tales about that place, wild tales,
heathen life there.”

She smiled. “Have you never wanted to travel and see
what lies beyond our lovely Albion?”

“Lord bless ye, Miss, why would I ever be wanting to
do that?” he scoffed.

She laughed good-naturedly until the sound froze in
her throat. Her jaw dropped as she stared at the turbaned man—the
one and the same she had seen at Netherby with the men who had
visited the headmistress in the middle of the night.

She didn’t have to stare to know it was him. Her
magic clearly displayed in her mind his image together with the
bearded man, who she now knew was Bianca’s husband, and the other
brute.

She watched him take the gangplank onto the ship, and
without hesitation jumped down from her vehicle, calling to Gunther
that she would be right back. She dashed across the avenue, running
headlong into a sailor in her mad rush.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” The young sailor steadied her and
then immediately, shyly, dropped his hands.

“Sailor … please, just a moment,” Sassy said
breathlessly. “That man, the one with the turban and robe?”

“Whot? You mean Abdul?” the sailor asked in
surprise.

“Yes, I suppose that I do mean Abdul. Does he sail
with your ship?”

“Aye, he does. Queer one though—better give him a
wide berth, Miss,” answered the young sailor.

“Your meaning?” She gave him a winning smile.

He was not immune to her charms as he stuttered, “Ye
be the prettiest thing oi ’ave ever clapped eyes on, and that one,
well, has a hard way with the ladies. Oi’ve seen him, er, rough, oi
’ave.” He clucked his tongue. “Acts loike he be a bloomin’ king,
and he be naught but a servant. His master be a sheik, though.”

“Thank you,” Sassy said and turned to cross back to
the carriage.

Gunther stood looking at her with great disapproval.
“Miss, if you don’t mind my saying so, you shouldn’t be hobnobbing
with the likes of that sort.”

“Don’t worry, Gunther. Now I suppose we must hurry
back to school for the afternoon lessons.”

* * *

The marquis, his beaver top hat tilted low on his
head, his cane swinging from his gloved hand, had witnessed Miss
Winthrop’s mad run across the avenue and her subsequent
conversation with the young sailor.

He was both astonished and irritated. What was wrong
with her, chatting up that young sailor? The lad had not been able
to take his eyes off her. Damn, didn’t she know what effect she had
on men?

After moving to a better position behind a stack of
large wooden crates, he was able to hear bits and pieces of their
conversation. Something about the man with the turban. Why the
deuce was she interested in that blackguard, and why was she
involving herself in things better left to men?

In spite of himself, he felt a welling of pride. She
was indomitable. She was courageous. She was …
she was
his!
Bloody hell, but it came down to that. Sassy Winthrop was
his, and he meant to claim her soon.

He frowned darkly as he moved away from the large
crates he had used as cover and made his way onto the ship where he
had an appointment with the captain.

* * *

The clatter of thunder was shattering as lightning
sliced through the dark sky, and many of her young students huddled
together in fright.

Sassy put away the lessons and suggested they all
take a break and enjoy some hot chocolate. She steered them,
laughing and less nervous, towards the kitchen, where she sat them
at the large utility table, pulling chairs around from the nearby
dining area.

Molly’s mother smiled and did not seem put out at all
as Sassy helped her prepare the sweet drink and encouraged the
girls to chat and forget their fears.

Watching them sip their brew and lean into one
another to laugh and chat, Cook nudged Sassy’s shoulder and said,
“You be the best thing ever happened to this school … but stay
out of the headmistress’s way if ye can. She means ye ill. Gunther
heard her talking with one of the lads that helps him in the
stables, and he didn’t like the sound of it.”

“Thank you, Cook. I shall keep it in mind.” Sassy
smiled reassuringly at her but felt a moment’s uncertainty.