“Little slut,” she said under her breath.
She looked down at the anonymous letter in her hand. Not
hing could save the girl now. The writer claimed she had knowledge of the sexual promiscuity of Audrey and that Audrey Wakefield had been inside the Maids Head Hotel yesterday afternoon. She had been seen with a man. The letter had been hand-delivered, but the author of the note remained unknown.
Audrey’s days were numbered.
The Master would not tolerate such behavior and neither would the board. The Matron must place it before them and have her dismissed. She had thought the girl unsuitable and now she knew with certainty that she was a woman with loose morals and must be given the sack. She would not let this new information go by.
She had watched her flirt with Levi and Joseph, and now she had been out all night. It was the final straw.
Henry entered the large house and went upstairs to his room. Shrugging out of his jacket, shirt, and trousers, he went into the bathroom, which had been tailor-made to his specifications and included a bathtub, a sink, and a toilet with indoor plumbing. It had been a luxury but also a necessity.
He splashed water on his face and ran the water for the tub. When finished bathing, he wrapped himself inside his dressing gown and went to watch the sunrise over the river. It was his favorite thing to do in the morning.
He thought once more of the day before and how it had started so simply and ended so oddly. He had never thought that a day filled with law books and ledgers would end with him looking at the moon and falling asleep next to a beautiful woman with the grass beneath them.
He sighed. Seeing Della had been inevitable. Norwich had over eighty thousand people, and a great many of them were known to him through his work and his mother’s charities. But what he had not counted on was an afternoon and night spent with Audrey Wakefield and the feelings he had felt watching her. That had been most unexpected.
He had not thought to find another woman so alluring after Della’s betrayal, but Audrey was so intriguing, he found himself wanting to be near her. He hadn’t realized it before, but when she’d spoken at the club he had attended for her sake and then when he had visited the workhouse, he had sought her out. He was smitten. He must control himself and act the part of the dutiful guardian so he would not trouble her. He knew enough to know that.
He dressed for the day and, with light steps, went downstairs. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at the table with the newspaper.
“Henry,” his mother said, sounding surprised.
He glanced up. “Mother.”
“I didn’t hear you come in last night.” She lingered in the doorway, staring at him.
“Well, I did. I’m here,” he said.
She gave him an odd look. “I must go into town today. Do you need anything?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I must get a start then.”
“So, must I. Goodbye, Mother.”
Theodocia watched as her son practically skipped into the foyer. She took a last sip of coffee and followed him minus the skip.
Audrey had barely enough time to change her undergarments before class began. She raced down the hallway, breathing heavily as she entered the room. The day went by uneventfully, and she greeted Levi and Joseph at mealtime and then again at tea.
She saw Matron at her high table, and when they made eye contact, she thought she saw the old woman scowl. She sighed heavily. There was no pleasing the woman. As the end of the day rolled to a close, she received a note. The Master wanted to speak to her before supper.
She was excited. She thought it might be the news that she was being brought on full-time. When she entered the meeting room, he was waiting in his usual place behind his desk.
“Take a seat, Ms. Wakefield,” he commanded, and Audrey did as she was bid. “You’ve been with us less than a month.”
She clasped her hands in her lap, suddenly nervous. “That’s right.”
He studied her closely, and she fought the urge to squirm. “This was to be a temporary assignment. A sort of trial basis, correct?”
“Yes.”
“And in the event we found it didn’t suit, then that would be that.”
She met his cold gaze. “Yes.”