Chapter 31
Wherein a Number of Disclosures Are Made and Truths Are Revealed; And There Is a Surprising Reflection …
As Mina made her way to the library with Lord Kinsale, she rather thought that she knew what it might feel like if one were being led to the gallows.
Phinn’s hand might be at her back, and he might have offered her a reassuring smile when she looked up into his eyes, but that didn’t stop her being assailed by a sudden attack of nerves.
Her heart was thudding erratically against her ribs, her knees had jellified, and the pit of her stomach was filled with stone-cold dread.
It didn’t matter that she would voluntarily surrender her license to practice as a Parasol Academy governess.
What mattered was that she was about to expose her duplicity to a woman she greatly admired and respected.
A woman who would decide whether Mina would be forgiven for breaking a countless number of Academy rules and putting both the Fae and earthly Royal Charters at risk, or whether she would be held to account in some way.
Emmeline Chase might have been forgiven for her rule breaking, but she hadn’t technically committed any crimes in the eyes of Scotland Yard. Whereas Mina technically had.
The law was not on Mina’s side.
Mrs. Temple was waiting for Mina by the library fire.
She wasn’t seated—an ominous sign to Mina’s way of thinking—but stood on the hearthrug, gloved hands folded primly in front of her neat waist, ostensibly studying the gilt-edged mirror above the mantelpiece.
The tea tray Mrs. Aldershot had provided, sat upon a low table, completely untouched—clearly also not a good sign.
When Mina and Phinn entered, the headmistress turned, and her fair eyebrows climbed toward her hairline.
“Lord Kinsale.” As she curtsied, her pale gray crinoline skirts, as lustrous as pearls, gently shimmered.
“I was not expecting you to join Miss Davenport and me for our meeting. But”—her ever-perceptive gaze transferred to Mina—“considering the unfortunate incident that transpired in Hyde Park earlier this afternoon involved both of you—yes, I’ve heard about it already, Miss Davenport—I suppose it’s best if we kill two birds with one stone, as the expression goes. ”
“I think that ‘unfortunate incident’ might be a wee bit o’ an understatement, Mrs. Temple,” said Phinn with a wry smile.
“More like an epic disaster. And it was all me own fault. I was the one who er … fell on top o’ Miss Davenport.
It was an accident, pure an’ simple o’ course.
And she was only doin’ her duty, makin’ sure that me …
me blighter of a dog didn’t ruin wee Christopher’s purple rab—” He broke off and a bright red flush spread across his face.
“Mina, I’m sorry, lass,” he murmured. “Me mouth ran away with me and—”
Mina placed a hand on his arm. “It’s all right, Phinn,” she said softly. “Mrs. Temple is going to find out that Lord Fitzwilliam—”
It was Mrs. Temple who interrupted this time.
“That Christopher, Lord Fitzwilliam, has been with you, Miss Davenport, ever since Sir Bedivere Ponsonby attempted to take his ward to the Arctic a month ago? That you stole aboard his ship, the Valiant, and then rescued the poor child from a terrible fate?” She arched a brow.
“Yes, I know about everything—well, just about everything—in regard to the young viscount’s whereabouts and what’s been happening.
And what a terrible business it is. In fact, I would go so far as to call it a crisis. ”
If Mrs. Temple had suddenly sprouted a fish tail and turned into a mermaid, Mina would have been less surprised.
When she managed to make her jaw work again—it had become unhinged and fallen open during Mrs. Temple’s last series of pronouncements—she asked, “But how? How could you know about any of that? And if you did know I’d removed Lord Fitzwilliam from Sir Bedivere’s care, why didn’t you say anything?
Especially when Lord Kinsale hired me as a governess?
” She suddenly grew indignant. “I’ve been fretting for weeks about what to do.
I do rather think it’s unfair of you, Mrs. Temple, with all due respect, to waltz in here and tell me you’ve known all along about Lord Fitzwilliam and the danger he’s been in but then you’ve never offered me your support.
” She shook her head as a sense of betrayal crept through her chest, tightening her lungs.
“Of all the things that have happened lately, I find this so very hard to reconcile.”
“I agree,” said Phinn gruffly. “As you English would say, it’s just not cricket.”
The headmistress’s expression softened. “I understand, Miss Davenport. And I’m so, so sorry that everything has been handled in such a ‘hands-off’ fashion by me and the Academy.
But rest assured, I’ve been monitoring the situation very closely and know how difficult it’s been for you.
Right from the very beginning, in fact, when Lady Grenfell tasked you with caring for her godson just before she passed away.
And I know about her”—she glanced at Lord Kinsale before returning her attention to Mina—“her dream, shall we say?”
Mina frowned in confusion. “But how? Lady Grenfell never left Highwood Hall in Hertfordshire when she fell ill. She was very weak and confined to her bed.”
“She wrote to me,” said Mrs. Temple. “In her letter, which arrived by special courier, she told me that she was gravely ill and that she feared for her godson’s safety because of a dream she’d had, warning her that her godson would be taken to a …
a frozen realm. And that Sir Bedivere, who was suddenly acting out of character, would be the one to take him there.
It was only a brief missive, but she said that if she took a turn for the worse, she would ask you, Miss Davenport, to care for Lord Fitzwilliam to protect him from such a fate.
Indeed, when Sir Bedivere came to the Academy demanding to know who your new employer was after he’d sacked you, Miss Davenport, I refused to say a word because I knew that Lord Fitzwilliam was actually residing at Kinsale House too.
“I also suspected that Sir Bedivere wouldn’t give up trying to locate his godson.
When the baronet’s private detective, Cheavers, had men try to break into the Academy to discover where you now worked, Miss Davenport, I had already put extra protections in place to prevent that.
You’ve always had the Academy’s tacit support, even though I couldn’t in any way acknowledge what was going on. ”
“But why?” asked Mina, thoroughly confused. “You could at least have hinted that you knew what I’d done and that I had the Academy’s approval.”
“If Scotland Yard learned that I was a party to your actions—which were, and still are, technically illegal—I would have been held accountable too,” said Mrs. Temple.
“As headmistress of the Parasol Academy, I’m duty bound to protect its interests, and it cannot fall foul of the law.
At the very least, we’d lose Queen Victoria’s support.
At worst, such a monumental scandal would result in the Academy being shut down completely.
And as you well know, that would put children everywhere in danger. ”
Mina nodded. She did understand in a way. After all, it was the reason she’d delayed talking to Emmeline about her “pickly” problem for so long. She hadn’t wanted to drag her friend into anything illegal either.
“Truth to tell,” Mrs. Temple continued, “there’s great concern in other quarters that—” Breaking off, the headmistress gave a small huff of annoyance.
“I feel as though we’re beating about the bush and not addressing the main issue.
Which we must. Because after your very public and very scandalous display in Hyde Park today, I suspect it won’t be long before Sir Bedivere comes looking for you here, Miss Davenport.
Things seem to be coming to a definite head.
” She eyed Phinn. “Lord Kinsale, you seem to be aware of young Christopher’s true identity, so I’m assuming Miss Davenport has shared with you the reason why she took her former charge away from his guardian? ”
Phinn nodded. “Aye. I do. My fiancée has told me everything about the lad and Lady Grenfell and Sir Bedivere. I know about his ensorcelled ring and the Parasol Academy’s ties with the Fae.
” He cocked a brow as though in challenge.
“If-if that’s what you were alluding to when you mentioned there was ‘concern in other quarters.’”
“I see,” said Mrs. Temple, and Mina held her breath as she studied the headmistress’s expression. It shifted from the realm of grave to puzzled then outright surprised. “Fiancée?” she repeated, her gaze darting to Mina. “Pray tell, when did this happen, Miss Davenport?”
Mina’s face heated. “Just before you arrived, Mrs. Temple, Lord Kinsale proposed to me. And I”—she lifted her chin proudly—“I have accepted.”
“Not just to save Miss Davenport from having her reputation ruined—because of the Hyde Park mishap—but because I love her,” added Phinn.
He caught Mina’s eye and smiled. “With me whole heart. And yes, Mrs. Temple, during the course o’ our discussion about getting married, she felt compelled to disclose everything about Lord Fitzwilliam.
And the fact that she can perform magic and that the Parasol Academy is affiliated with the faery folk.
” He shrugged a wide shoulder. “As I told Mina, I’d already guessed that somethin’ quite out o’ the ordinary was goin’ on with her when she and wee Christopher mysteriously appeared aboard me ship, the Kinsale Cloud, a month ago.
You … you cannot blame her for confirmin’ me suspicions that magic was involved. ”