How to Turn a Frog into a Prince - Bree Wolf Page 0,11
to the upper floor and proceeded down the corridor to see the girls. She found them sitting over their letters, their little heads bent and deep frowns on their faces as Miss Glass showed them how to hold the quill and move it across the parchment.
“Is this right?” Daphne asked, holding up her rendition of a P.
Miss Glass smiled. “Very good, Daphne. You’re halfway to writing your name.”
Daphne beamed, then glanced over at Susan. “It’s not fair that your name only has five letters.” She shook her head, looking appalled. “And two are even the same.”
Susan grinned mischievously.
“Challenges are good,” Charlaine remarked as she stepped into the room. “For otherwise, we would never know what we’re truly capable of.”
Thinking about that for a moment, Daphne then sat back down and returned her concentration to the parchment before her.
“Well said,” Miss Glass replied as she came to join Charlaine by the window. “Are you all right? You look thoughtful?” Her voice dropped to a whisper as she cast a careful glance over the two girls, lost in their task.
Miss Glass—or Emma as Charlaine had come to call her—was a slender, delicate-looking, young woman with pale blond hair, but brilliantly blue eyes that shone like sapphires when she laughed. She was rather shy, her voice seldom louder than that of a small bird. Still, her dedication to the girls spoke volumes about her character, even if her voice did not. Charlaine adored her. “Pierce and I saw someone at the park,” she whispered to Emma. “I suspect the woman was Caroline.”
Emma nodded, knowingly.
“And the man was Lord Coleridge.”
All color drained from Emma’s face.
“He is the one people have been whispering about, is he not?” Charlaine asked, remembering the calculated coldness in the man’s gaze.
Again, Emma nodded. Then her eyes moved to Daphne, who was still working on writing her name, her little tongue stuck out in concentration. “He came to the house the other night.”
Charlaine’s hand grasped Emma’s without thought. “He did?”
Emma swallowed hard. “It was not long before you arrived.” A shiver gripped her. “I didn’t see him, but I heard his voice.” She shook herself. “There’s something truly evil about him. It was the night Daphne ran away. She had to have heard him as well and recognized his voice.”
Charlaine stared at the other woman.
“Fortunately, she didn’t get far,” Emma continued in a hushed voice, remembered horror clinging to every word she spoke. “She ran into Miss Hawkins—Caroline—just outside the door.”
A small smile curled up Charlaine’s lips despite herself. “Miss Hawkins was outside the door? At night?”
Emma blushed. “I cannot say why she was there, but…”
“But?” Charlaine pressed, curious to learn more about Pierce and Caroline.
“Lord Markham and Miss Hawkins seem to know each other well,” Emma continued, a hint of reluctance on her face, “even though they never seem to socialize.”
Charlaine chuckled. “How do they know each other?”
Emma shrugged.
“Pierce is very tight-lipped about her,” Charlaine mused, “which usually means there’s an interesting story there.” She met Emma’s gaze. “He clearly cares about her.” Emma nodded. “I wonder why he does not court her. Ask for her hand. He seems head over heels in love with her.”
“That, I cannot say.”
Charlaine sighed, remembering the way Caroline had been unable to meet Pierce’s gaze when they had come upon her and Lord Coleridge in the park. “Pierce told me of a friend’s wedding celebration we are to attend,” she told Emma. “I wonder if Miss Hawkins will be in attendance as well. I admit I’m curious to see the two of them interact.”
Perhaps all Pierce needed in order to reach for what he wanted was a little encouragement, and who better to provide it than an old friend, who knew only too well what lived in his heart.
Perhaps there was a way for her to repay the kindness he had bestowed upon her.
Perhaps his friend’s wedding celebration was the perfect opportunity.
Chapter Five
Alone Among Many
Pembroke Hall was swarming with people and, aside from his brother and sister-in-law, Nathanial did not know a single one. Many eyed him with interest, however, it was Zach and Becca who drew most people’s attention. Their unconventional elopement to Gretna Green had had the gossips of London whispering for weeks.
At least, that was what Nathanial had heard.
The sun shone warmly upon the garden festivities, and Nathanial wondered at the almost idyllic scene before his eyes. With his wife on his arm, Zach moved through the crowd, accepting well-wishes here and there. The smile upon his face was genuine,