Read Online Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Suzanne Lazear
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amulet to protect me against aether. I’m afraid of it, you see.” She kept her voice soft, and eyes downcast as she told the headmistress about her father. “They say the aether did it. Dr. Martin said I could keep the amulet for now.”
“Did he now?” Miss Gregory blinked in surprise. Her chin jutted out. “If you’re lying, it’s the water room for you.”
“Rosemarie, please fetch Dr. Martin,” Miss Gregory ordered.
“Yes, Miss Gregory.” In a flurry of pale blue skirts, she got up from the table and left.
While they waited, Noli stood while everyone else ate; enduring hard looks and smirks, especially from Margaret. She got a compassionate look from Claire. Claire never made any outright overtures of friendship, but she’d never been mean and occasionally passed on small bits of advice or warning.
Dr. Martin finally entered the room. He inclined his head. “You called, Miss Gregory.”
“Indeed.” Standing, she handed him the broken pendant. “Magnolia Braddock had this. She claims it’s a medal to protect her against aether and you permitted her to keep it.”
Noli prayed with all her might that he told the truth.
“Why, yes, Miss Gregory. I did permit Magnolia to keep her amulet.” His unnerving, beady eyes looked Noli up and down in a way that seemed highly inappropriate. A knowing smile played on this thin mouth. He turned the gold sunburst over in his sweaty, meaty hands.
“You did?” Miss Gregory’s thin lips pursed together.
“Indeed. She has a deep fear of aether—and this city. I didn’t wish her fear to impede her initial treatment. I decided it would be better for her overall adjustment for her to keep it until we are ready to deal with her deep-set fear.” He smiled at Miss Gregory. “But what god-fearing woman isn’t a little afraid of aether? Plenty of ladies wear protective amulets.”
By the look on Miss Gregory’s face, she wasn’t one of them. Her lips formed a hard line. “I see, Doctor. I know you wouldn’t allow such a breach of rules unless you found it absolutely necessary to aid her course of treatment. Next time, please inform me.”
“Why yes, Miss Gregory. It must have slipped my mind.” He handed Noli the broken necklace. “There you are. Will that be all?”
“Yes, that will be all.” Miss Gregory’s lips puckered as if the words tasted bad.
He left the room. Charlotte shot Margaret a triumphant look. Noli tried to keep her expression bland as she made her way back to the table, belly unknotting. She’d won, but she knew there’d be a price to pay for her small triumph.
As soon as Noli sat, Miss Gregory clapped. “Lunch is over, ladies.”
Her belly rumbled in protest as she looked forlornly at her half-filled bowl. With a sigh, she followed the girls out of the room, still hungry. She’d be punished if caught eating anything out of the vegetable garden.
“Good job,” Charlotte mouthed.
Carefully, Noli knotted the broken ends of the chain together; it now barely fit over her head. She tucked it back under her dress.
Claire stopped her on the way to the garden shed. She probably wanted her to tend to the vegetable garden or pick something for the cook.
“Watch out for Margaret.” Claire’s blue eyes darted around nervously. “She didn’t get in trouble, but she didn’t get a reward either. She might try something.”
She hoped Claire’s warning proved incorrect. But she had a suspicion it wouldn’t.
“Quinn, I need a new sigil.” Steven sat hunched over the desk in the library working on his lessons. Quinn was many things to his family. Right now he played tutor. Hopefully, he wouldn’t ask many questions.
Tall and pale with naturally silver hair, Quinn had an air of dignity about him, though he didn’t look older than twenty. His eyebrows arched. “How exactly did you manage to lose it?”
It wasn’t that he regretted giving it to Noli, but he didn’t look forward to explaining, either. They weren’t exactly
“Did he now?” Miss Gregory blinked in surprise. Her chin jutted out. “If you’re lying, it’s the water room for you.”
“Rosemarie, please fetch Dr. Martin,” Miss Gregory ordered.
“Yes, Miss Gregory.” In a flurry of pale blue skirts, she got up from the table and left.
While they waited, Noli stood while everyone else ate; enduring hard looks and smirks, especially from Margaret. She got a compassionate look from Claire. Claire never made any outright overtures of friendship, but she’d never been mean and occasionally passed on small bits of advice or warning.
Dr. Martin finally entered the room. He inclined his head. “You called, Miss Gregory.”
“Indeed.” Standing, she handed him the broken pendant. “Magnolia Braddock had this. She claims it’s a medal to protect her against aether and you permitted her to keep it.”
Noli prayed with all her might that he told the truth.
“Why, yes, Miss Gregory. I did permit Magnolia to keep her amulet.” His unnerving, beady eyes looked Noli up and down in a way that seemed highly inappropriate. A knowing smile played on this thin mouth. He turned the gold sunburst over in his sweaty, meaty hands.
“You did?” Miss Gregory’s thin lips pursed together.
“Indeed. She has a deep fear of aether—and this city. I didn’t wish her fear to impede her initial treatment. I decided it would be better for her overall adjustment for her to keep it until we are ready to deal with her deep-set fear.” He smiled at Miss Gregory. “But what god-fearing woman isn’t a little afraid of aether? Plenty of ladies wear protective amulets.”
By the look on Miss Gregory’s face, she wasn’t one of them. Her lips formed a hard line. “I see, Doctor. I know you wouldn’t allow such a breach of rules unless you found it absolutely necessary to aid her course of treatment. Next time, please inform me.”
“Why yes, Miss Gregory. It must have slipped my mind.” He handed Noli the broken necklace. “There you are. Will that be all?”
“Yes, that will be all.” Miss Gregory’s lips puckered as if the words tasted bad.
He left the room. Charlotte shot Margaret a triumphant look. Noli tried to keep her expression bland as she made her way back to the table, belly unknotting. She’d won, but she knew there’d be a price to pay for her small triumph.
As soon as Noli sat, Miss Gregory clapped. “Lunch is over, ladies.”
Her belly rumbled in protest as she looked forlornly at her half-filled bowl. With a sigh, she followed the girls out of the room, still hungry. She’d be punished if caught eating anything out of the vegetable garden.
“Good job,” Charlotte mouthed.
Carefully, Noli knotted the broken ends of the chain together; it now barely fit over her head. She tucked it back under her dress.
Claire stopped her on the way to the garden shed. She probably wanted her to tend to the vegetable garden or pick something for the cook.
“Watch out for Margaret.” Claire’s blue eyes darted around nervously. “She didn’t get in trouble, but she didn’t get a reward either. She might try something.”
She hoped Claire’s warning proved incorrect. But she had a suspicion it wouldn’t.
“Quinn, I need a new sigil.” Steven sat hunched over the desk in the library working on his lessons. Quinn was many things to his family. Right now he played tutor. Hopefully, he wouldn’t ask many questions.
Tall and pale with naturally silver hair, Quinn had an air of dignity about him, though he didn’t look older than twenty. His eyebrows arched. “How exactly did you manage to lose it?”
It wasn’t that he regretted giving it to Noli, but he didn’t look forward to explaining, either. They weren’t exactly
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