Cruel Shame (Knights of Templar Academy #3) - Sofia Daniel Page 0,60

the shitty things I’ve done, but when I was growing up, I believed people's money or titles got their positions because they were better than others.”

“If all the old money types met the person up their family tree who built their fortunes, I’d bet they’d shit themselves out of shock.”

Orlando barked a laugh. “You’re right. Rechert Nevis smuggled whisky from Ireland before deciding to brew it himself from barley he won in a game of dice.”

We fell silent and sipped at our drinks, and a pang of guilt twanged at my heart for the mean comment. I’d never really thought of the knights as old money because they didn’t act like they were better than anyone around the academy. Nor did they try to claim a position of leadership, even though they were huge and handsome and stood out among the students.

“You’re the first scholarship student I’ve ever befriended,” Orlando murmured. “Everyone else I know comes from wealthy families and before that, I went to a prep school full of people just the same as me.”

I sipped my drink, listening to him reminisce about his parents’ social circles and how they never gave him the chance to mix with kids his age from other backgrounds. It was like being a step away from royalty and maybe if Scotland still had a separate monarchy from England, Orlando and the others would be friends with their crown prince.

My mind boggled at the high society parties and luncheons and charity events, and I couldn’t imagine living with such haughty expectations. Billy Hancock lived in one of the most expensive houses in Richley and always had lots of cash, but that didn’t buy him entry into any tier of society except for his own.

At school, I had friends from different backgrounds, and I knew how badly others struggled. Some of the foster homes I lived in were one step up from squalid, with parents accepting children for a juicy fostering allowance.

He sat back and offered me a crooked smile. “Do you still want to get involved with me?”

My gaze swept down his body and lingered on his crotch. “I can see one or two benefits to us getting much closer.”

Orlando exhaled a long breath. “On a serious note, I now see how easy it is for powerful people to crush lives and move on without a thought of the people they’ve ruined.”

I squeezed his hand. If only there was someone who could help Elizabeth see the same.

Several minutes later, the bell for lunch rang, and we made our way to the dining hall. Gideon was the first of our group to arrive, followed by Maxwell, and then Kendrick. As I told them everything I knew, I kept glancing at the head table for signs of Mrs. Campbell. Both her and Mr. Burgh’s seats remained empty throughout the first course. Just as the servers were taking away our minestrone soup, Mrs. Campbell stepped in with a glow to her cheeks.

I rose to my feet and darted across the room. “Is Mr. Burgh still at the hearing?”

Her lips twisted into a tight smile, and her eyes glowed with triumph. “The headmaster and his advocates are ironing out a few issues with the academy. I expect he’ll be busy for another few hours.”

As Mrs. Campbell made her way to the head table, I returned to Gideon and the knights to find a plate of sausages and mash at my place setting.

“What did she say?” Kendrick asked as I took my seat.

“He’s still in there with his lawyers,” I said.

Gideon steepled his fingers. “That sounds promising.”

“Or the archbishop brought his own lawyers, rendering the headmaster’s efforts null and void,” Kendrick drawled.

Orlando and Maxwell exchanged smirks and continued with their meals while Kendrick and Gideon speculated on opposing outcomes for Mr. Burgh. It wasn’t exactly a hostile conversation, and I could barely follow what they were saying, but my head spun with the testosterone-laden one-upmanship.

Gideon looked like he was enjoying the debate, so I cut a slice of sausage and popped it in my mouth. This had to be how introverts flexed their intellectual muscles.

After lunch, Maxwell and I followed another server with a trolley full of drinks to the boardroom. Since the meetings were still in progress, we made our way to Art and Design class.

Today’s lesson was portraiture, and the academy had hired a male model to pose in his underpants, while we sketched him with charcoal for the first hour, and then he changed position for