The Witching Hour (Wiggons School #3) (Wiggons' School for Elegant Young Ladies) (The Wiggons' School for Elegan Young Ladies)

by Jane Charles

  “And given your reputation, you fear they will not be well received.”

  “I am not well received now, and as my brother will not assist, it falls to me to see that they are granted entrance.”

  Claudia nodded. “So, if you marry a respectable woman, then the doors will open for you. And, as I am a teacher, I offer that.”

  “Well, um, yes.”

  She understood his plan and why he had made the decision he had. The one thing that had never been in doubt was Gabriel’s devotion to his sisters. Even when he couldn’t visit, letters were exchanged regularly between him and Mrs. Wiggons so that he could check on their progress. But, if he wished for Olivia and Victoria to enter Society without scandal attached to them, he needed someone besides her. “I am not the wife you need,” she finally said.

  Those simple words pained her. It was unexpected, but it did hurt to reject him. It didn’t matter that the offer was for all of the wrong reasons, she still had an affection for him.

  “I beg your pardon?” He frowned as if she’d spoken in an unfamiliar language. “You are exactly what I need.”

  “No, Gabe.” Claudia sighed. “I do not mean to be indelicate, but you have a much larger obstacle to overcome than your reputation.”

  He frowned, but he had to know what she meant. She’d never been in London, but the girls were already tarnished by printed gossip and they hadn’t even left the schoolroom. “There are rumors with regard to the legitimacy of their birth.” Claudia dearly hoped that he didn’t become angry with her, but she was simply stating facts.

  “We will deal with that.” Then he frowned. “Is that why you are rejecting me? Because the twins’ father is in question?”

  “Of course not,” Claudia assured him, and she was a bit irritated that he’d think that of her. “They are innocent young ladies, though Society will not see it that way, as you must be aware. One does not simply deal with that, especially when one wishes to find husbands for your sisters.” Claudia took his hand in hers, knowing it might very well be the last time she would ever touch him. “What you need to do is disassociate yourself from the gentlemen known as the Devils of Dalston. Your actions, words, and deeds in everything you do from now until your sisters arrive in London must be above reproach.” She emphasized. “It must begin now, before this season begins. There, you will find your wife.”

  “I don’t want a wife from London,” he argued.

  “You don’t want me either,” she said.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Stop!” Claudia insisted. “I believe you do for the moment. I may be an answer to what you need, but I’m not enough.”

  “Don’t you think I’m the best person to make that determination?”

  “Do you want what is best for your sisters?” she countered.

  “That is what we’ve been discussing.”

  “Then, what you need to do is marry the daughter of an English peer, as high in the rankings as you can obtain.”

  His frown deepened as his jaw set. He had to know she was correct.

  “When a lady accepts you and your sisters and she introduces them to Society, nobody will ever question their right to be amongst the ton.”

  With each word, her heart squeezed a little tighter with pain. She’d come to care for Gabe more than she realized--far more than she’d been aware. It would devastate her when he left, but it was necessary. Marriage was not for her. She’d already accepted her lot in life, and she was not what he needed. The two who mattered most were Olivia and Victoria. They needed a chance to be happy and make grand marriages. Those two girls who had already suffered so much. Their mother was an adulteress who didn’t even try to hide her infidelities. Their father killed her then himself, and then their oldest brother and heir tossed them from the estate as if they were no better than beggars.

  Claudia would give just about anything to be the wife Gabe needed, but she’d not be in a position to help the twins. Further, Gabe didn’t love her. If he were going to enter into a marriage with his sisters being his only concern, a lady raised to already expect a match made with so little emotion was who he needed.

  “What about how I feel in here?” he placed a hand over his heart.

  Gabe didn’t know her well enough to love her, and even if he did, it would never work.

  “Here,” she mimicked his actions, “will not protect your sisters from potential embarrassment or shame if old rumors about their birth come to the surface. I cannot protect them from that. Only a daughter of the peerage can.” Claudia rose up on her toes and gave him a light quick kiss. “I thank you for the offer, but I must decline.”

  Tears sprang to her eyes as she turned away and walked toward the doorway.

  “There is nothing I can say to change your mind?” His voice was raw as if she’d hurt him.

  Perhaps she had, but this was for the best, and they would both realize that in time. He probably already knew it but needed time to accept the truth.

  “No,” she finally answered.

  “What of Atwood and the others?”

  “I’ll deal with them.” That was a certainty. None of them had any right to interfere in her life, and she’d be very clear on that fact.

  Claudia moved through the belvedere, needing to be away from Gabe. Tears were building, and she could not allow him to see her cry.

  Why did this hurt so badly? It wasn’t as though she was in love. She cared, deeply, yes, but it was too soon for them--too new, and it would never be right.

  “Your father is bringing the spies or their contact the night after tomorrow,” he said from behind her.

  Claudia stopped and nodded her head. “I know.”

  “Will you be there?”

  “I’m not needed.” With that she was out the door and hurrying toward the school, intent on making it to her room before anyone saw her. There, she’d be able to cry in privacy.

  Chapter 12

  It is impossible to produce an effect without its cause; and the deeds of witches are such that they cannot be done without the help of devils…

  ~ Malleus Maleficarum by Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger

  Gabe stood at the window and watched Claudia and two teachers he’d only glimpsed before but hadn’t met lead a group of older girls down the drive from the school. His heart seized at the sight of her.

  Why had she rejected him? He knew many marriages that had been established on far less than what they shared. First and foremost, a mutual attraction existed. Second, they both cared about his sisters. So much so, that Claudia was willing to remain a teacher instead of becoming his wife.

  Yes, everything she’d said made sense, but that didn’t mean he wanted it that way. He wanted her. He needed Claudia as his wife. What he didn’t know for certain was when she’d snuck into his heart. That was the only thing that could explain why he was so adamant about marrying her and not some random lady with high connections once he returned to London.

  If that was what he wanted, he could manage to do so, even if it would be a difficult task since many considered him a reprobate of the first order. But Gabe was confident that if he showed his wish to reform and played by the rules, the tide would shift in his favor. His father had been an earl, his brother was an earl, and it didn’t matter that he and his brother never spoke. Gabe was attached to an old title and was the heir since his brother hadn’t married. Ladies on the hunt for a husband could do far worse than him.

  But he didn’t want a lady of Society, and he could care less about any connection. He wanted Claudia. If he could return to Society this spring with Claudia on his arm, the ton would see him differently, and it would pave the way for his sisters. He didn’t need a lady of rank to accomplish that.

  He wanted Claudia. He needed Claudia, and he would have her. Gabe just needed to convince her that she needed him as well.

  Gabe stiffened when the group reached the road. He expected them to walk toward Harrington as they always did when they walked in the aft
ernoon. Instead they turned in the opposite direction. Surely Claudia wasn’t taking them on the road toward Creighton Manor. That could be disastrous. Even though the crates were well hidden and he was not to meet with his contact until tomorrow night, there was no guarantee that strangers were not already in the area; dangerous men to be exact, and his sisters were with that group of students.

  Foolish woman. Was she so upset with him that she’d now avoid being near Harrington?

  Gabe grabbed his coat and hurried down the stairs. It wasn’t until he opened the front door that he remembered. They were going to Atwood Manor to skate. The road to Atwood branched off of the road to Creighton, but the girls were still near the ocean, and Gabe would feel better if someone else watched out for them. Three teachers weren’t nearly enough.

  As he stepped outside, Gabe was brought up short by the carriage in his drive and two of the Devils of Dalston alighting from the coach. Declan Keegan sported a devil-may-care smirk, and Julian Ashford nodded in greeting. What the blazes were they doing here? They should have their own missions.

  “Chasing after school girls, Gabe?” Declan asked as he glanced toward the group walking in the opposite direction. “Even that is a bit too much for one of us.”

  Julian chuckled. “Not if he is chasing after a teacher instead.”

  “Why are you here?” Gabe demanded. The two of them would not have traveled to Cornwall without a reason.

  “It’s a teacher,” the two said in unison. “We’ll join you.”

  Wilston stepped outside from the manor. “Keegan and Ashford.”

  They studied Wilston. While he wasn’t one of the Devils of Dalston, he was still one of them and had worked with the other two previously. “Valet?”

  “One does what one must for king and country.”

  The footman who’d ridden with his friends untied their mounts from behind the carriage. “Could you have my horse saddled?”

  “Of course,” Wilston answered.

  “He doesn’t even saddle his own horse these days,” Ashford said to Keegan.

  “Not when there are so many eyes watching,” Wilston reminded them and returned to the house.

  “Which teacher are you chasing?” Keegan asked.

  “I’m not chasing a teacher.” Gabe glared at his friend. “I’m watching over the entire group. They’ll be exposed at Atwood’s estate, out in the open, and we don’t yet know if my contact has already arrived in England. What if dangerous men are already roaming the area?”

  The humor dropped from their features.

  Ashford stretched. “It was a bloody long ride in the carriage. The fresh air would be beneficial.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” added Keegan.

  Of all the Devils, Keegan and Ashford were the closest. Not only did they begin school together, but their family estates were nearby. They’d known each other since they were in leading strings and were often together when they were shocking society.

  Joseph brought his horse around and Keegan raised an eyebrow in question when he recognized the man.

  “I like horses,” the man ground out, also familiar with the two gentleman. “It’s peaceful in the stables.

  “Then I assume Ruth is somewhere nearby?” Ashford asked. He rubbed his hands together and smiled. “Is she your cook because I haven’t enjoyed her biscuits in an age.”

  “Don’t forget the duck,” Keegan said. “My mouth is watering at the very idea of Ruth cooking for us.”

  Ruth and Joseph married a few years back and always worked together, usually as servants, gathering information from the households in which they were employed. This might be the first time they were servants for appearances only, waiting until tomorrow night before they acted, much like Gabe was doing.

  “I’ll convey your requests,” Joseph smirked with humor.

  Gabe mounted his horse as his friends did theirs. “Shall we, gentleman?” He turned the Arabian down the drive and toward the road. “And why don’t you tell me why the blazes you are here.”

  “Hopkins sent us to assist,” Keegan answered.

  Gabe frowned. He was fully capable of capturing a couple of French spies on his own. Especially since he had a houseful of servants to assist.

  “He mentioned there was a school nearby with a number of students whocould be more difficult to manage than Napoleon,” explained Ashford.

  Gabe snorted. “Three of them. I’ll point them out to you when we arrive.” He turned to look at his friends. “Did Hopkins mention that one of them was his daughter?”

  Ashford laughed. “Yes, he did.”

  “So, what is the plan?” Keegan asked. “Hopkins said you’d provide the details.”

  That was the very reason why the Devils of Dalston were so close. If one of them was needed, the others were there, whether they knew what they were getting into or not, despite the potential danger. It was the very reason Gabe valued them so much. He just wondered what they’d say when he told them of his future plans. The very ones Claudia had rejected.

  She may have turned him down last evening, but Gabe was not about to give up. He’d handled it poorly, and next time, he would not. Of that he was certain.

  “Well?” Keegan prompted.

  They rode slowly to their destination, keeping the group of students in their sight, but they were not so close that anyone could hear their conversation. “I’ll tell you the plans that have been made when we return to Harrington,” Gabe said as he watched the troublesome trio fall further behind the other students. “However, I will tell you a story of covens and virgin sacrifices.”

  Gabe couldn’t help but grin as the girls hurried to catch up to the other students and then proceeded to share with his friends the details of the night before and what those three girls believed. Then he advised them of his intentions toward Miss Morris, leaving out any details as to the time they’d spent in each other’s company.

  “Family first,” Keegan finally said. He had three younger sisters, and he’d drop everything if they were in need of him, but as a third son, it rarely fell to Keegan to do anything. Ashford, on the other hand, only had an older brother, who rarely spoke to him.

  “If I had younger sisters, I’d do the same,” said Ashford.

  The one matter none of the Devils ever discussed was a future or marriage. Until Gabe met Claudia, he’d never even given the possibility much consideration and assumed he’d never wed. It wasn’t until recently when he began to appreciate the precarious situation his sisters were in and then coming here and meeting Claudia that he had changed his thinking on the matter. He also assumed none of the other Devils planned to marry either. It was inconvenient to have a wife if one wished to be viewed as a reprobate so that they could serve king and country.

  Mistresses were a different matter, however. There were always plenty of women to fill that role, and none of the Devils had gone without female companionship for long. But Gabe no longer wanted a woman just to warm his bed. He wanted much, much more.

  Claudia glanced up at the sound of horses to find Gabe, along with two gentlemen she’d never seen, arrive near the pond. The three had followed them, but she assumed they’d continue on the road, not come here. She’d hoped they wouldn’t come here because she wasn’t ready to see Gabe again.

  Last night had been difficult. After she’d gained her room, she cried for nearly an hour. It didn’t matter how right she was in her decision because it didn’t help lessen the pain. Even though she’d been resigned to the fact that she’d never marry or bring children into the world, Claudia couldn’t help but wonder if she’d just rejected the one chance to change her fate.

  Could a marriage work between them? Could she be enough to bring respectability to Gabe and his sisters?

  But even as she asked the question, Claudia knew the answer. She’d been aristocracy, but now she was simply a French orphan who escaped from the Terror. She had no connections and taught at a school for young women of privilege. Gabe needed much m
ore than she could offer.

  “Is something wrong?” Tess asked as she and Natalie approached.

  Claudia shook her head. “Why?”

  She’d been friends with Tess and Natalie since they were students at Wiggons’ School for Elegant Young ladies, before they became teachers at the very same school. Until a tempest had destroyed a portion of the school a year and a half ago, the three of them assumed they’d live out their lives at the very school where they’d met. Because of the damage, they could not live at the school, and everyone had moved to Atwood Manor where Tess and Atwood fell in love. Then it was just Natalie and Claudia at the school until Natalie’s husband returned. The husband she believed was dead. Now they lived together at Creighton Manor. Even though there were other teachers at the school, Claudia was now very much alone without Tess and Natalie living in the same house.

  “We expected you’d be happier.” Natalie studied her. “Did I misunderstand?”

  Claudia looked between her friends. Of course they knew. Their husbands would have told them about their discussion with Gabe, and Tess had been in the carriage when Atwood mentioned the love bite on her neck.

  “If you’re wondering if I am betrothed, I am not.”

  They both gasped. Tess linked her arm with Claudia and led her away from the girls so they would not overhear while Natalie followed.

  “Why not?” she hissed.

  “We wouldn’t suit,” Claudia answered.

  Natalie leveled a look on her that demanded an explanation, so Claudia hastened to explain why she had rejected Gabe.

  “Are you sure that is the right decision?” Natalie asked.

  “Of course it is.”

  “It’s just that, it is a chance to marry,” Tess said hesitantly.

  “So, I am to take the first offer that comes along?” She couldn’t believe her friends were even suggesting she do so. “I understand it may also be the only offer I ever receive, but that is no reason to marry him.”

  “Don’t you enjoy his kisses?” Natalie asked with a smile.