Read Online Netherby Halls by Claudy Conn - Free Book Online

cold as she could be
without being rude.
    Breakfast was porridge, toast, and an apple. The
simple fare suited Sassy just fine, though the time seemed to drag
until she saw Miss Graves prepare to rise.
    “Ah,” Miss Graves said, looking at the Tyler sisters,
“we are off.” She turned to Sassy. “Come along, and you can follow
me to your classroom.”
    Thus, it was, a few moments later, Sassy stood behind
her desk looking out onto the faces of twelve girls. She could see
some of them sneak quick peeks at her, while others looked
downright fearful. One seemed to sneer at her. She went about the
business of changing the mood.
    Sassy had been holding a large, leather-bound book.
She allowed it to drop soundly on her desk, which got all their
attention for that moment. A moment was all she needed for her
first foray into their lives.
    These girls were orphans, from noble homes, but
orphans all the same. At this stage of their lives, she knew that
they lacked parental supervision. Did they also lack attention from
the relatives they did have? What she knew was that they were
orphans whose relatives had shipped them off to boarding school.
Her heart already ached for them.
    Her heart already belonged to them on that score. She
smiled warmly, and many of the younger ones responded in kind.
Sassy’s gaze found one young girl, and for a minute they connected
and the child smiled hopefully.
    “You have already been told that I am Miss Winthrop.
With that knowledge, you are now quite ahead of me, and we cannot
let such a situation continue. Therefore, if you will take out your
paper and pens, and each write down your full names, I shall make a
tour and gain an advantage. You see, I shall not only learn your
name, but your style of hand as well.” Sassy hoped her smile would
set them at ease.
    As she watched them, some hurriedly, write their
names, her heart went out to them. She believed that she had made
the right decision in coming to Netherby Halls. She also believed
what she had suspected the moment she had climbed the
stairs—something was off here, something dark and dangerous! Her
magical aura was usually passive and calm, but now, now it was on
edge.
     

 
     
    ~
Eight ~
     
    SASSY DRAPED HER dark blue redingote over her
shoulders and slipped her arms into the sleeves as she made her way
outdoors. She took a garden path, meandering slowly along the long
drive of Netherby towards the main gate.
    It had been another long, full day, and she needed to
collect her thoughts while she still had the late afternoon’s light
to walk by. Her day with her class had been productive, and she had
been thrilled to find most of the girls seemed to like her. In
fact, she was pleased to admit to herself, she had become quite
popular with them during her short time at Netherby.
    For the first time since she had left her home at the
parsonage, she felt somewhat satisfied with her new life. Only
somewhat though, because after a few days at Netherby she was very
nearly certain a mystery enshrouded the place, and that mystery
dealt in something wicked. She was beginning to think it was time
to call on her magic to show her what was wrong. However,
consequences, not always immediately apparent, were ever present
when one used magic. One could get addicted. She would have to be
careful not to turn to it every time she had a problem. In
addition, she had another worry: when she pushed at the dark pulse
with her white magic, it pushed back!
    The sound of a male voice broke into her musings and
caused her to jump and put a hand to her chest. She turned and
found an imposing figure of a tall young man clad in a dark frieze
coat.
    He tipped his silk top hat, exposing a thick crop of
sandy-colored hair. Even in the dwindling afternoon light, Sassy
could see his clear, gray eyes were smiling warmly at her.
    “I am sorry—did I startle you?” he inquired.
    “No need to apologize,” Sassy said with a smile. “I
wasn’t paying attention and