Captain Jones's Temptation - Audrey Harrison Page 0,24

until the school closes for the summer. I shall send expresses to the families to say we have an outbreak of illness that necessitates our closing. I refuse to put the school and all my staff at risk.”

“There is merit to there being a lot of people around,” Matthew said gently.

“Perhaps. But I will not put innocents in the way of goodness knows who,” Esther said. “We cannot guarantee that another servant has not already been approached or will be targeted as Lizzy was. It is too much of a risk.”

“Esther, I will help with whatever you need me to do, but I shall not be returning in September.” Lydia’s cheeks flushed at the need to utter the words in front of an audience, but she had remained quiet until now and it was important that she said what was needed.

“Why ever not?” Esther asked, incredulous.

“I let you down today. Lizzy wasn’t the only one at fault. I should never have believed the tale she told. She was jittery – I only realised afterwards, but I should have been attuned to it. I knew there was a danger yet ignored something out of the ordinary,” Lydia said in a rush.

“If you are at fault, then so am I,” Matthew said. “I should have let Dawson deal with the commotion. It is a greenhorn who is fooled by a diversionary tactic like that.”

“Oh, for goodness sake!” Samuel exploded. “Miss Hardy, would you now like to lament about the blame you wish to lay at your own feet, now Matthew and Miss Bolton have had their turn? You all make me long to disown you. I have never heard such a set of moaning, guilt-ridden beings in my life!”

“Well, of all the unsympathetic, lacking-in-understanding, high-in-the-instep abuse I have ever heard!” Esther said.

Matthew smiled, knowing exactly what Samuel was doing. “Excuse my friend, Miss Hardy. It is his way of bringing us all back to the point. None of us are to blame for what has happened, but we do need a plan of how to move forward.”

“That’s what I said.” Samuel shrugged.

Esther flashed him a look but refused to give him the satisfaction of answering. Instead she turned to Lydia. “Captain Dunn is perfectly correct. This is not of our doing. Lydia, I want you to stay, even when the others have gone, if you will. I will understand if you do not wish to remain, for none of us can predict what will happen.”

“I want to stay,” Lydia said. It was not only for her friend that her desire to remain was strong. She wanted to support Matthew and did not wish him to face whatever danger he was going to without her support. What she could actually do, she did not know, but the blonde-haired captain was becoming more important to her as the days passed.

“Thank you, I appreciate that.” Esther walked over to the decanter and poured four glasses of port. “I hope you all are prepared to work hard over the coming days, for there are to be many changes at Miss Hardy’s School for Young Ladies.”

Chapter 7

Two days later, Esther was faced with the first impact of her decision to close the school early. She was sitting in her study, opposite two of her teachers, Miss Breacon and Miss Callaghan. She knew from the moment they had stepped into the room that this was not going to be a happy conversation.

“We are giving notice of our positions here. We shall not be returning to school in the autumn,” Miss Breacon said. She was the more vociferous of the pair, looking ready for battle, while Miss Callaghan could barely meet Esther’s gaze, looking at her hands clasped in her lap.

“I shall be sorry to lose you. Can I ask why the sudden decision, ladies? I thought you were happy here.”

“We want no part of whatever is afoot here, Miss Hardy. There is no illness, but there is talk,” Miss Breacon responded.

“About which you have not sought my counsel for clarification before making a decision,” Esther pointed out.

“If we did that, you would try to flimflam us with some feeble excuse. We accepted your word that Captain Dunn was your brother, even though you have differing names and look nothing alike, but I am afraid you can fool us no longer. There is something amiss here, and we want no part of it. People who leave knives as a warning are not the kind of persons we would wish