A dozen curses ran through his mind and he had to grind his teeth together to keep them from coming out in front of his sister.
He shook his head. ‘How could it be your fault, Becca? You weren’t there.’
She sniffed and her chin quivered. ‘I told Frederica the name of the girl who had bullied me at school and called me stupid...and Frederica cut off all her hair while she was sleeping. So the headmistress sent her home.’
Wick was torn between pride and disapproval. He’d been more angry than fire when Becca had written to him asking to come home because of a girl who had mercilessly teased and excluded her. He had removed Becca from Bath, but there hadn’t been much else he could do to make it better. Now, he couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit satisfied that the nasty girl had got her due.
‘And what did Helen do to get sent home from school?’
‘Nothing much.’
‘Becca...’ He said her name this time without the usual added endearment. His left eye was twitching again.
His little sister grabbed the end of her plait again—a nervous habit. ‘Helen put a snake in the bed of every girl my age who had not befriended me. They weren’t poisonous, though! Just simple grass snakes.’
Wick could only close his eyes and moan. How long had his sisters planned their revenge that they’d been able to find enough snakes?
‘So now I have all three of you home and no governess?’
Becca nodded and his two other sisters popped out from behind the main double doors of the castle. Frederica looked smug, but Helen gave him a tremulous smile.
Frederica, his second to eldest sister, could usually slither her way out of trouble—but not this time. She had been blessed with the same brown hair and buxom figure as their mother; at nearly seventeen, she should have known better than to participate in schoolgirl pranks.
Helen was younger by two years and did not look like either sister. She was small and slight, almost waif-like. Her hair was flaxen-yellow and her blue eyes seemed to take up most of her face. Helen was a naturalist, like their father, with an unfortunate affinity to snakes.
Taking off his hat, Wick raked one hand through his hair. He could have used an entire dictionary of curses. Twice. ‘I cannot believe you two! This is beyond anything you’ve ever done before.’
‘We are really sorry to have upset you, Wick,’ Helen said, holding her clasped hands together beseechingly. ‘Truly.’
‘But you aren’t sorry for what you’ve done?’
Frederica snorted, folding her arms across her chest. ‘Of course not. Those little beasts deserved everything that they got and more.’
Wick swallowed; his throat felt dry and scratchy. ‘Mama will be furious. You two are supposed to be at school, preparing for your debuts, not behaving like hoydens. This little stunt might have ruined your chances of ever finding a suitable match and harmed Becca’s.’
Becca was practically chewing off her lower lip. Helen sniffed, and one theatrical tear fell from her eye and slid down her cheek. She could cry on command—a useful talent that she’d used to weasel her way out of trouble more than once. Frederica merely snorted again, and gave him a glare very similar to their mother’s stare.
‘We’reStringhams, Wick,’ Frederica said, unimpressed by his threats. ‘We could parade down the street in our small clothes and every blasted peer would still beg to marry us.’
‘We might get evenmoreoffers!’ Helen said with a high giggle.
Before he knew it, all three of his little sisters were laughing. Wick experienced a full-body shiver. His sisters were wild and stubborn enough to do anything. And he’d learned from the last time he’d been in charge that he could not do it alone.
He had to get that governess backnow.
He wouldn’t fail his family this time.
Chapter Three
Louisa sewed through the night to finish the dress. It was a simple high-necked gown with a small puff at the top of long sleeves that tightened at her wrists. Miss Talley, her aunt’s lady’s maid, had pilfered not only a pair of white gloves, but stockings without holes. They felt amazingly soft on Louisa’s feet.
Mrs Hatch put the new bonnet on Louisa’s head and tied the ribbons. The cook must have spent hours adding the artificial flowers and ribbons, but instead of keeping it for herself, she was giving it to Louisa. A few tears escaped Louisa’s eyes as she hugged Mrs Hatch and thanked her. Mrs Hatch squeezed her back tightly. She had always given the best embraces. Ever since Louisa was little the cook had chased her around the kitchen and when she’d caught her kissed the top of Louisa’s head.
Mrs Hatch had always made her feel safe and loved. Unlike her aunt, who had continually reminded her niece that she was an unwanted encumbrance.
Lily brought her the old boots, which fitted much better than Louisa’s own and were much nicer and newly polished. The only thing that Louisa was missing was a spencer or a shawl, but that did not matter. She was in a new dress, hat, gloves, stockings, and even boots. The leftover housekeeping coins jiggled against each other in her pocket.
Then Mrs Barker came up behind her and wrapped a beautiful lace shawl around her shoulders. ‘I tatted it myself. I always planned to give it to you on your wedding day, but needs must.’