Forever My Love (Historical Romance) (7 page)

She explained to the sisters about her encounter with Lady Alissa's brother and then about Kathleen Griffin's visit to her room. "I'm not sorry I didn't go with her. I just wish they would leave me alone."

Fiona's face whitened. "I fear they will not leave you alone now. They will take your refusal as a challenge."

Meg put her arms around Royal. "We have sad news to tell you that can only add to your troubles. Who will be your friends when we are gone?"

Royal looked up at Meg. "You are going home for a visit?"

"No," Fiona answered for her sister. "We are returning home to Scotland. Our grandfather is ill and our father wants us home."

"Oh, I am so sorry," Royal said, feeling sick inside. She glanced around the room and noticed that the girls were packing their trunks. "I do hope your grandfather will recover."

Fiona nodded sadly. "He will, I'm sure, but I do hate leaving you. What will you do?"

Royal came to her feet. "I have had worse things happen to me. I shall manage."

Her words were brave, but her eyes showed her distress. "When do you leave?" she asked at last.

Meg folded a lace shawl and placed it in the trunk, then slammed the lid shut with finality. "In the morning." She glanced at the mantel clock. "Run along and make yourself ready so we can go down to supper together. At least you will not be singled out tonight with my sister and me beside you."

"Yes," Royal agreed. "At least the two of you will be with me tonight."

As she moved down the hallway, Royal saw Kathleen Griffin hurrying in the opposite direction. Had Kathleen just come from her room? she wondered. Surely not.

When she reached her room, she found the door was not closed tightly. Anger tugged at her mind. What had Kathleen been doing here? Perhaps she had only come with another summons from Lady Alissa.

With a firm set to her chin, she vowed never to kowtow to Lady Alissa!

7

Dearest Papa,

Supper last night was amazingly without incident. I kept waiting for something to happen, but I was gratefully ignored by Lady Alissa and her friends. This morning the MacGregor sisters left, and, oh, I do miss them so. It is lonely being without friends, but I have decided to devote myself to my studies and be the best student I can be.

Royal closed her diary and set it aside. It was almost time for her singing lesson. She moved to the mirror and adjusted the black velvet bow in her hair. Mrs. Hargrove, the music teacher, had told Royal that she had a pleasing voice, and she did enjoy the lessons.

When she reached the music class, Kathleen Griffin stood before the door, barring Royal's way. "Mrs. Fortescue wants to see you," she said smoothly. "If I were you, I'd get there as quickly as possible."

Royal turned away, trying to ignore her irritation. That girl did test her sorely.

When she reached Mrs. Fortescue's office, she realized Kathleen was right behind her. "This is one summons you won't ignore, Royal Bradford." The hateful girl leaned closer. "After today, we will have seen the last of you," she taunted.

Royal quickly entered the office, hoping to escape Kathleen, but the girl followed her inside. Not only was Mrs. Fortescue waiting for her, but Mrs. Hargrove was there as well. Royal sat down on the chair Mrs. Fortescue indicated and waited to hear what the headmistress had to say.

Mrs. Fortescue leaned back in her chair and glanced at Royal. "Mrs. Hargrove informed me that a valuable broach is missing from her room. Now it grieves me to think that you might be responsible, but Kathleen Griffin has accused you. If you took the broach, it would be wise for you to speak up at this time."

Royal whirled around to face her accuser, who stood near the door, a slight smile on her lips. Slowly Kathleen raised her hand and pointed an accusing finger at Royal. "She did it, Mrs. Fortescue! At the time, I thought it strange to see her coming out of Mrs. Hargrove's room, but now I know why."

"I was never in Mrs. Hargrove's room!" Royal turned beseeching eyes on the music teacher. "I have never stolen anything in my life. I could never steal! Besides, why would I want to hurt you by taking something that belonged to you?"

Mrs. Fortescue stared long and hard at Royal. "If that is so, then you won't mind if Mrs. Hargrove searches your room, will you?"

Pride battled with indignation. "I have nothing to hide." Her angry gaze settled on Kathleen. "I will expect an apology when nothing is found in the search."

Kathleen merely smiled, which gave Royal a moment of uncertainty. Mrs. Hargrove left the room, while Mrs. Fortescue busied herself with straightening the already orderly stack of papers on her desk.

Royal could hear the clock ticking away the minutes, and she began to suspect she had been caught in a trap. Kathleen was far too smug in her accusations. Something was afoot that made Royal apprehensive. She had the strongest urge to run from this place— to run and never look back!

After what seemed like long, painful hours, the door opened and a dejected Mrs. Hargrove entered, a sad set to her mouth. "I have found it," she declared, looking regretfully at Royal. "It was hidden beneath your mattress."

Royal came to her feet, shaking her head as a feeling of helplessness wound through her mind. She tried to speak, but her voice seemed trapped in her dry throat. Could this really be happening to her?

"You will no longer be needed, Kathleen," Mrs. Fortescue announced stiffly. "Go to your room, and say nothing about this incident."

Kathleen brushed against Royal with a shove that sent her stumbling against the desk. "Out of my way, thief," she said acidly.

"That's quite enough, Kathleen," Mrs. Fortescue cut in. "I like an informer little better than I like a thief."

Royal was too stunned to heed the exchange between the headmistress and her accuser. She had never encountered anyone so brazenly vicious and wicked as Kathleen. Why had the girl deliberately set out to hurt her?

Mrs. Fortescue's voice brought Royal back to reality. She was surprised to find that Mrs. Hargrove had gone, too, and she was alone with the formidable headmistress.

"Be seated, Royal. I want to look into this matter further."

With resigned hopelessness, Royal sat down. "I didn't take the broach, Mrs. Fortescue. But I don't expect you to believe me."

The woman's face was stoic, giving away nothing of what she was feeling. "The broach was found in your room," she reminded Royal. "How could it have gotten there but by your hand?"

Royal shrugged her thin shoulders, her answer sounding unconvincing even to her own ears. "I don't know, Mrs. Fortescue."

"I know you haven't been happy here, Royal. I also know you are here against your will. Could you have committed this transgression in order to be sent home?"

A look of horror etched its way across Royal's face) "No matter if I am not happy here, I am not a thief, and I would never resolve my problems at the expense of Mrs. Hargrove. I like and admire her."

Royal could not have known how indignant she looked. When she raised her chin proudly, her eyes blazed. She repeated, "I am not a thief!"

Mrs. Fortescue sighed. "What am I to do with you? Should I send you back home in disgrace?"

Suddenly Royal considered how this would look to Damon Routhland. "Oh, please, do not do that. I want to go home, but do not send me like this." Tears stung her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. "I am innocent, please believe that!"

Mrs. Fortescue pushed a wisp of hair beneath her cap and looked thoughtful. "I am not going to do anything at this time. But I must insist that you confine yourself to your room and have no contact with the other students. You will even take your meals in your room, is that understood?"

"Yes, Mrs. Fortescue." Her eyes never wavered as she looked at the headmistress. "Must you inform my guardian about... about—"

Mrs. Fortescue shook her head slowly. "Not until I have all the particulars. This all seems a bit too contrived for me to—well, never mind." She stood up and bestowed a tight smile on Royal. "You may go to your room now. See that you talk to no one."

Mrs. Fortescue need not have worried about Royal talking to anyone; she wanted only to seek the safety of her room and avoid the other girls. She felt like a wounded animal, needing to hide and heal.

As she moved up the stairs and through the corridor, she thought she heard the sound of giggling, but she did not look back. There was no one she could turn to in this, her darkest hour—no one to believe in her innocence.

Royal stayed in her room all day, and when Hannah brought the evening meal to her, she pushed it away, too miserable to eat. Her sleep that night was dreamless; she tossed restlessly on the bed.

Two days passed with Royal confined to her room; her only contact with anyone else during this time was with Hannah. Royal lay upon her bed languishing, her tears now dry, her anger spent. She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the voices that drifted up to her from the open window. Apparently the other girls were playing croquet, and the sounds of their joyous camaraderie only reminded her how alone she was.

Royal heard footsteps outside, and Hannah burst into the room. "Miss Royal, you will never believe what's happened!"

Royal had discovered that little went on at Fulham School that the servants did not know about. But she was in no mood to listen to gossip—she was too miserable to think past her own unhappy state. "I'm not interested, Hannah. I only want to be left alone."

"You'll want to know this, Miss Royal. The whole school's in a state over Miss Griffin's departure!"

Royal sprang off the bed and took Hannah by the shoulders. "What about Kathleen?"

"Well, the way I understood it, she left," Hannah said smugly. "Yessir, she just up and left."

"Do you mean for good?"

"That's what they say."

Royal saw that Hannah was determined to drag out the suspense. "I'm going to shake you if you don't tell me all you know—now!"

"She took trunks and every possession she owned. I was told she was in a rage and was saying horrid things about Mrs. Fortescue."

Royal dropped down on the bed. "I wonder what happened?"

"I don't know. But as I told the cook, it isn't my mistress that's going away with her head down," Hannah said loyally. "It's not you, but your accuser that was sent home."

"I wonder...?" Royal's eyes brightened and then dulled. "I doubt that I have been cleared of Kathleen's accusations. If I had, Mrs. Fortescue would surely have sent for me."

Both Royal and Hannah jumped when a heavy rap fell on the door. Hannah rushed forward to admit Mrs. Hargrove. The teacher's smile was apologetic. "Mrs. Fortescue has asked to see you right away, Royal."

Royal gave Hannah a hopeful glance as she swept out the door after Mrs. Hargrove.

It had been a long, painful two days for Royal. She had been accused of being a thief and treated as a criminal. She was not so ready to accept anyone's apology—after all, she had been wronged.

By the time she was shown into Mrs. Fortescue's office, she had decided to be forgiving.

The headmistress merely nodded to Royal. "It has been proven that you are innocent. I hope you will allow this incident to pass. The guilty one has been punished. Just be grateful it was not you."

Royal blinked her eyes. She had just spent lengthy hours in solitude, pondering the unfairness of her situation. She had cringed inside, fearing the other students believed her to be a thief. But most of all, she had agonized over how the master of Swanhouse Plantation would react to the news that his ward had been accused of thievery. Now, Mrs. Fortescue merely dismissed the incident as if it had been of no import.

"Am I not allowed to face my accuser?" she asked with a proud tilt to her chin.

Mrs. Fortescue moved around the desk to stand over Royal. "Isn't it enough for you to know that you have been cleared of any wrongdoing?"

"It's not easy to forget when I have been branded a thief."

Mrs. Fortescue moved back to her desk and sat down. "I would advise you to forget about it. You were sent here to receive an education. So far I have been able to send your guardian fair reports about your progress. I would like to continue to do so."

Royal felt somehow unsatisfied. "You didn't inform Mr. Routhland that I was accused of being a thief, did you?"

"No."

Reluctantly she nodded. "Then it will suffice."

The headmistress fumbled through several letters, found one with Royal's name on it, and handed it to her. "This came for you yesterday. I believe, Miss Bradford, it will be ample reward for the indignation you have been forced to endure."

Royal glanced at the letter that had been posted from Savannah. "Go ahead," the headmistress urged. "Read your letter."

Royal needed no more urging. She broke the seal and began to read:

Dear Miss Bradford,

I have been instructed to inform you that my employer, Mr. Routhland, has had delivered to you at Fulham School a filly that was born and raised on Swanhouse Plantation. Her name is Enchantress. Knowing you are so far from home, Mr. Routhland hopes Enchantress will make you less lonely. I am instructed to tell you the filly is your birthday gift.

Royal stared in stunned silence at the signature of John Bartholomew. Damon had promised he would send her a horse, and he had not forgotten.

Mrs. Fortescue looked pleased. "I, too, received a letter from your guardian's secretary. You are a most fortunate girl to have a guardian who looks to your well-being."

"I wish... I had hoped the letter would be from Mr. Routhland."

"Go along, Royal," she said gently. "You will find your horse in the stable. It is hoped you will be dutiful in tending to the animal's needs."

Suddenly joy burst from Royal's heart. A horse of her very own! She moved quickly to the door and fumbled with the knob. "I'll take very good care of her," she said, smiling. "You have my word on that."

Mrs. Fortescue said so quietly that the girl who dashed out the door did not hear, "I have believed in you from the first day, Royal Bradford."

***

Enchantress was a glorious animal and certainly lived up to her name. At fifteen hands high, her coat was as glossy and shimmery as black satin. She was gentle and affectionate, but spirited nonetheless, and Royal loved her. At last she had a friend at Fulham School, but even so she wanted to go home.

She rode the animal around in a wide circle before leading her back to the stable and rubbing her down. After offering Enchantress a carrot, which the mare greedily accepted, Royal rushed to her room, her spirits high. A man who was kind enough to provide her with such a magnificent animal would surely understand her need to return to Savannah.

Dear Mr. Routhland,

Thank you, kind guardian, for the wonderful Enchantress. It was most generous of you to acknowledge my birthday, which is next Friday. Because you are so generous and understanding, I know you will realize it is impossible for me to remain here at Fulham. I am most unhappy and have no friends. Please! I beseech you, bring me and Enchantress home.