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Authors: Juliet Moore
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anything wrong."
He shrugged. "Proof is not as important as evidence. Just as I have, Mrs. Templeton will assume the pin belongs to her and dismiss you without a second thought."
Isabel rubbed her aching wrists and glanced at the door. "If I leave, won't you be disappointed that you no longer have anyone to torment?"
"Don't tempt me, Miss Balfour. I could do far worse than fire you."
She frowned. "When I leave, I'll be sure to tell your wife how I felit proper to decline your suggestion of how I might keep my post."
He leapt across the tiny room and grabbed her shoulders. His thick fingers dug into her skin. "You'll do no such thing!"
Though he had no way of knowing it, his hands probed her bullet wound. Her eyes burned with tears. "I won't say anything."
"Why should I believe you?"
"I swear!" she sobbed. "Please, let me go."
Edward complied, looking at her as though she were a disgusting sight. "Good-bye, Miss Balfour. Find some other rich man to manipulate. Mr. Templeton is out of your league."
Tears ran down Isabel's face. It wasn't right that such a man should get his way. If only she had the power to refute him . . .
It was pointless. She was powerless. She might never see Marshall again, all to save a career that his brother thought was his responsibility to protect.
Edward snorted with disgust then stomped out of the room.
Isabel slammed the door behind him, shaking with rage. She wiped her tears with her sleeve and wondered how much Paige might have heard. She stared at the connecting door, not wanting to witness her student's smug satisfaction in seeing things get worse for her governess.
Paige came into the room without being called. "He's gone?"
Isabel nodded but didn't meet her gaze. "I am going to cut our lessons short today."
"I didn't realize it was a holiday," Paige replied.
"Thank you, Paige, for making this easier for me," Isabel replied.
She opened the door to the hallway and stood there for a moment, looking up and down the hall, frozen. She didn't even know where Marshall's bedroom was located, though it was doubtful he'd be there at that hour. He was the only one who could help her and she didn't know where to find him.
"Miss Balfour?"
Isabel looked over her shoulder, surprised at the meekness in Paige's tone. "Yes?"
"I don't know what my father said to you, but--"
"But what?"
Paige shuffled her feet, staring down at the floor. "I'm sorry if you thought he was in love with you. My last governess was heartbroken when Papa rejected her."
Isabel took a deep breath. "I know you mean well, Paige, but you assume too much. As I told you before, I am not having an affair with your father."
Paige shrugged, the familiar indifference returning to her expression. "I was only trying to help."
Isabel sighed and wished she would have been able to stay long enough to help the confused girl.
* * *
"Look, here he is now. We're down here, Mr. Templeton," Jane said as she walked into the hall. "You're right on time."
Marshall stared down at his brother's wife in bewilderment. "What?"
"Come say hello, Miss Norcross." Jane winked at him. "I was just entertaining her until you got here, Mr. Templeton. Don't look so alarmed, I haven't stolen her from you!"
He descended, rapidly moving past Jane to take Sarah's hand. Jane pinched him, hard, as he passed. "Ah, Miss Norcross. How could I possibly be late to greet such an angel?"
Sarah leaned forward and whispered, "Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Templeton."
He forced a smile to cover his distaste.
Jane stepped forward. "Miss Norcross was telling me how excited she is about your day together."
"Stop that, you'll make me blush," Sarah tittered.
"Yes, our day together. Of course," Marshall stammered, unable to think of a graceful exit.
Jane nodded. "Lady Norcross was thrilled you sent the invitation."
"Will she be accompanying us?"
Sarah twirled her parasol like a weapon. "Mama had planned to come, but she unexpectedly came ill.
He shrugged. "Proof is not as important as evidence. Just as I have, Mrs. Templeton will assume the pin belongs to her and dismiss you without a second thought."
Isabel rubbed her aching wrists and glanced at the door. "If I leave, won't you be disappointed that you no longer have anyone to torment?"
"Don't tempt me, Miss Balfour. I could do far worse than fire you."
She frowned. "When I leave, I'll be sure to tell your wife how I felit proper to decline your suggestion of how I might keep my post."
He leapt across the tiny room and grabbed her shoulders. His thick fingers dug into her skin. "You'll do no such thing!"
Though he had no way of knowing it, his hands probed her bullet wound. Her eyes burned with tears. "I won't say anything."
"Why should I believe you?"
"I swear!" she sobbed. "Please, let me go."
Edward complied, looking at her as though she were a disgusting sight. "Good-bye, Miss Balfour. Find some other rich man to manipulate. Mr. Templeton is out of your league."
Tears ran down Isabel's face. It wasn't right that such a man should get his way. If only she had the power to refute him . . .
It was pointless. She was powerless. She might never see Marshall again, all to save a career that his brother thought was his responsibility to protect.
Edward snorted with disgust then stomped out of the room.
Isabel slammed the door behind him, shaking with rage. She wiped her tears with her sleeve and wondered how much Paige might have heard. She stared at the connecting door, not wanting to witness her student's smug satisfaction in seeing things get worse for her governess.
Paige came into the room without being called. "He's gone?"
Isabel nodded but didn't meet her gaze. "I am going to cut our lessons short today."
"I didn't realize it was a holiday," Paige replied.
"Thank you, Paige, for making this easier for me," Isabel replied.
She opened the door to the hallway and stood there for a moment, looking up and down the hall, frozen. She didn't even know where Marshall's bedroom was located, though it was doubtful he'd be there at that hour. He was the only one who could help her and she didn't know where to find him.
"Miss Balfour?"
Isabel looked over her shoulder, surprised at the meekness in Paige's tone. "Yes?"
"I don't know what my father said to you, but--"
"But what?"
Paige shuffled her feet, staring down at the floor. "I'm sorry if you thought he was in love with you. My last governess was heartbroken when Papa rejected her."
Isabel took a deep breath. "I know you mean well, Paige, but you assume too much. As I told you before, I am not having an affair with your father."
Paige shrugged, the familiar indifference returning to her expression. "I was only trying to help."
Isabel sighed and wished she would have been able to stay long enough to help the confused girl.
* * *
"Look, here he is now. We're down here, Mr. Templeton," Jane said as she walked into the hall. "You're right on time."
Marshall stared down at his brother's wife in bewilderment. "What?"
"Come say hello, Miss Norcross." Jane winked at him. "I was just entertaining her until you got here, Mr. Templeton. Don't look so alarmed, I haven't stolen her from you!"
He descended, rapidly moving past Jane to take Sarah's hand. Jane pinched him, hard, as he passed. "Ah, Miss Norcross. How could I possibly be late to greet such an angel?"
Sarah leaned forward and whispered, "Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Templeton."
He forced a smile to cover his distaste.
Jane stepped forward. "Miss Norcross was telling me how excited she is about your day together."
"Stop that, you'll make me blush," Sarah tittered.
"Yes, our day together. Of course," Marshall stammered, unable to think of a graceful exit.
Jane nodded. "Lady Norcross was thrilled you sent the invitation."
"Will she be accompanying us?"
Sarah twirled her parasol like a weapon. "Mama had planned to come, but she unexpectedly came ill.
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