Page 22 of Love Lessons for a Lady

Balderbrook’s Institution for Genteel Ladies

Mrs. Crenshaw’s office

Monday - 17 August 1818

Precisely 8:00 in the morning

Feeling very much like an errant child about to be given a scolding, Chasity sat on the edge of the uncomfortable chair situated before Mrs. Crenshaw’s desk. She had no doubt the woman had picked the hard, straight-back chairs precisely because they were miserable to sit in and would discourage anyone from lingering overlong.

To the right of the blue and white porcelain inkwell and quill holder lay the stacked ledgers Chasity had finished updating late Thursday evening. She drew her eyebrows together into a minuscule frown.

Typically, the books were kept in Mrs. Crenshaw’s desk drawer.

Perhaps she’d been reviewing the notes Chasity had made, inquiring about a few discrepancies as well as errors in Mrs. Crenshaw’s computations before Chasity had arrived. That and the entries she simply could not read because they were so sloppily written.

She used as much tact as possible when bringing those issues to the headmistress’s attention. Nevertheless, she couldn’t prevent the tense knot that coiled in her stomach at this morning’s summons. No one in a position of authority liked their mistakes pointed out to them by a subordinate.

Her focus fell on a closed folder before the headmistress.

Mrs. Crenshaw slipped the folder beneath the bookkeeping ledgers.

“I’m sure you know why I’ve asked you here, Miss Noble.”

Chasity swallowed but held her chin high. Mrs. Crenshaw had asked her to take on the accounting. She could not fault her for being thorough and exact.

“I believe so.” Chasity’s focus drifted to the ledgers. “I meant no disrespect, but I cannot reconcile the ledgers until the discrepancies are rectified.”

The truth of the matter was that it had been an ongoing issue.

Mrs. Crenshaw’s acrid gaze shifted to the volumes. “We can address the accounts later. I referred to your conversation with Mr. Terramier last week. I haven’t received a letter of resignation from him as yet. I had anticipated a missive these past three days. Perhaps you weren’t as persuasive as you might’ve been.”

Her weak tea brown eyes burrowed into Chasity, and Chasity’s stomach toppled to her toes.

She should never have been put in this utterly untenable position. Just how persuasive did Mrs. Crenshaw expect her to be, and what did coaxing constitute? For pity’s sake, she’d blurted that her own employment was in peril if Aston didn’t resign. She felt utterly selfish and cowardly, and it was Mrs. Crenshaw’s fault.

No, it was Chasity’s fault for not standing up to the headmistress.

Garnering her self-control, Chasity schooled her features.

“As I told you Thursday, Mr. Terramier said he would consider my request.”

She took care to keep her tone even and calm. Honestly, he’d been remarkably civil and polite during the exchange. Much more so than she expected or deserved, in truth.

Her heart had skipped a beat when he’d said he would contemplate resigning. Part of her wanted Aston to refuse to be manipulated by Mrs. Crenshaw. Another part of Chasity genuinely feared for her position.

Mrs. Crenshaw hadn’t said whether she would write Chasity a recommendation. Without one, she would be hard put to find other employment. In point of fact, respectable service would be nearly impossible to acquire.

Mrs. Shepherd could be counted on to write another recommendation, of course. Perhaps Mrs. Merilee Hornbeck, Chasity’s prior headmistress, would as well. Although that would raise questions, and Mrs. Crenshaw had already proven she wasn’t honest.

Chasity had no doubt that the headmistress would cast her and Aston to the proverbial wolves to save her own hide. The injustice made Chasity’s blood simmer.

“I presume that means we can expect Mr. Terramier today for dance lessons?” Mrs. Crenshaw brushed a speck of dust from her glossy desktop, but she did not meet Chasity’s eyes.

Yes, and ten times ten equals one hundred.

Well, it should unless Mrs. Crenshaw did the adding. Her mathematical skills were sadly lacking. How she had managed to hide that deficit during her hiring process, Chasity could not conceive. Unless…unless they weren’t accidental but deliberate in an attempt to conceal fraud or malfeasance?

Heavens above.