“They’re for Cecilia, you say? May I see?”
His Grace took the drawings from Miss Meyer and closely examined them.
Hugh gulped.
At last, His Grace asked the dreaded question, “Yes, they’re quite nice, Miss Meyer. But what on earth were you doing at an orphanage?”
Chapter 9
Cecilia looked over her shoulder to make sure she had remembered to close the library door behind her. She did. And so, she inched herself forward, closer and closer to Anthony’s study door. She strained with all her might but was still having trouble making out what was being said.
It was long past her bedtime by now. But since Cecilia knew that Miss Meyer would be visiting the orphanage today, she had trouble falling asleep. Earlier this evening, as she tossed and turned in bed, Jenny quietly opened her bedroom door and placed some papers on her writing desk. As soon as Jenny had left the room, Cecilia tiptoed out of bed and inspected the stack of papers.
How delighted she was to find that they were all children’s drawings.
These must be from Miss Meyer’s orphanage!
She was gleeful with excitement. But that joy quickly disappeared as she listened to Jenny and Philippa gossiping right outside her bedroom door.
Cecilia listened in shock and horror as she learned that both Mr. Fletcher and Miss Meyer were at risk of being let go.
As soon as she was sure the maids had gone, Cecilia snuck out of her bedroom and made her way downstairs. And now pressing her ear up against Anthony’s study door, she heard Anthony’s muffled voice.
* * *
“…for all these years and— I just— it’s baffling to me. Well, allow me to be more specific,” said the Duke.
Meredith and Mr. Fletcher were both standing before his desk, but the Duke was not sitting at it. No, in fact, he had not sat down for the entirety of this unplanned meeting. Instead, he was pacing around the eastern side of the room.
Meredith stared at the floor, while Mr. Fletcher looked straight ahead at the wall. Out of the corner of Meredith’s right eye, she could see the Duke taking deliberate, quick steps in a large circular pattern.
He stopped and turned to face them, “Yes, Fletcher, allow me to be more specific. Allow me to ask you this—why did you feel the need to deceive me?”
Still looking straight ahead, Fletcher replied, “I was worried, Your Grace, that you would not have considered Miss Meyer at all. I know you sent me to recruit an older governess from a well-established family, Your Grace. But with all due respect, Your Grace, I believe that Miss Meyer is closer to what Lady Cecilia may need at the moment.”
“Oh, and I suppose that you believe thatyouknow what’s best formysister?”
“Once again with all due deference and respect, Your Grace, I believe I know both you and Lady Cecilia very well. I watched you both grow up. And when you were away at Harrowston Academy and the University of Arleghton, Your Grace, I aided the late Duchess in raising her. Like you, Your Grace, I would do anything for Lady Cecilia.”
Hearing this answer, the Duke resumed his pacing, “Well, what is so special about Miss Meyer? Is she perhaps your niece, or a distant relative of yours, so that you would risk your neck and post as faithful butler for her?”
“Not at all, Your Grace. I have no previous connection to Miss Meyer whatsoever. I simply chanced to see how much joy she brought to the children in the orphanage. So I surmised that if she could bring such happiness and laughter into the lives of those in such dire circumstances, she could most likely succeed in bringing back Lady Cecilia’s joy.”
When the Duke made no reply, Fletcher continued, “If I may be so bold as to restate my previous sentiment, all of my actions were for the sake of Lady Cecilia, not for Miss Meyer. In fact, Miss Meyer was not even aware of my deceitful conduct, hence why—”
The Duke completed Fletcher’s sentence, “—why she did not hide from me the fact that she visited the orphanage today. Yes, that much is clear, Fletcher.”
The next few minutes were spent in silence. The only noise that could be heard was the Duke’s steady footsteps as he paced endlessly around his office.
To Meredith, this silence was even more unbearable than the interrogation because the silence made it difficult to discern what His Grace was thinking. And on top of that, Meredith was struggling to organize her own thoughts.
Were His Grace and his friends only being kind to me because they thought that I was from an upper class family? Does he despise me now that he knows the truth? I know I did not do anything wrong, but I still feel ashamed somehow.
At length, the Duke sighed. “Given our history and your decades of faithful service, Fletcher, I would naturally be inclined to forgive you.” Stepping closer to them, His Grace continued, “Frankly, I am sure that our family would not have been the same without your constant stabilizing presence.”
“But as the head of this family, this estate, I cannot allow sentiment alone to guide me. If I go easy on you, then who knows what impression that will give the other members of staff? It would encourage them to also be untruthful. For this reason, as much as it pains me, I am afraid I will have to dismiss you both imme—”
The study door flew open and Lady Cecilia burst in, “No! Absolutely not, Brother! How could you even say something like that?”
