Sari Robins - [Andersen Hall Orphanage] Read Online Free
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Author: More Than a Scandal
rascal.
The sandy-haired lad stopped midstep, hunched his shoulders and turned. “Ah, good evening, miss.”
His voice was so “I’m innocent” as to assure her that hewas up to no good. Moreover, where Kirby Jones was, so were his puckish cronies, all aged around thirteen or fourteen, and all as mischievous as two-month puppies.
“Come out, boys,” she demanded. “This instant.”
Slowly, forms emerged from the shrubs. First fourteen-year-old Jack O’Malley with his shocking red hair, freckled face and truculent scowl. Next, raven-haired, tea-skinned, sheepish twelve-year-old Benjamin Bourke. He was always hanging about the older boys. Followed by…
“Jared Miller!” She wagged her finger at her brother. “I thought I told you to stay away from these boys!”
“Bloody hell, Catherine…” Jared mumbled, his pink cheeks obvious even in the descending darkness.
“Don’t you curse at me, young man. You know better than this…” She glared at the lads, young men, really, and crossed her arms. “Why aren’t you at dinner?”
“We were done—” Jack began.
“Then you should have been helping clean up,” Catherine interjected.
“Yes, miss,” Benjamin replied, shooting his comrades a telling glance. “We can go right now if you wish…”
“Yes,” Jared added, shuffling toward the main house. “We’ll be on our way back to the kitchens…”
The lads seemed so intent on leaving the area. What had they been up to? They were about fifteen paces from the chapel, but did not seem focused on the building. They appeared more interested in getting away from the hedge…Or in getting her away from the hedge.
“Stop right there.” Slowly, Catherine skirted around the bushes and looked around. There, in the twilight, a pear-shaped gray jug sat shoved under a shrub.
“She’s as bad as bloody Mrs. Nagel,” Benjamin muttered sourly.
“No, she’s worse,” Jack retorted. “She’s smarter.”
“And she’s my sister,” Jared finished with a slight groan.
Circling back to the lads, she uncorked the jug and sniffed. It felt as if a thousand bee stings were piercing her eyes and nose, it was so wretchedly potent. “What is this?” she cried, slamming the stopper back in and blinking back harsh tears.
The lads shrugged, almost in unison.
“Better yet,” she grimaced, “where did you get it?”
Silence. Apparently, only the crickets were chirping willingly this evening.
Shaking her head, she sighed. “You might as well tell me now, for I will only make it worse for you if I discover the truth on my own.”
Kirby stared off into the distance, feigning innocence. Jack and Ben looked to Jared. Jared was busy looking down at his scuffed boots.
Jack whispered to Jared, “It can’t be worse than the last punishment.”
“Oh, cleaning the chapel’s eaves of bats and droppings is nothing compared to what you will have to endure next,” Catherine assured them.
A scoffing noise emanated from Jared’s glowering lips. She might have considered boxing his ears if he wouldn’t have hated her forever for embarrassing him in front of his friends.
Well,” she stated slowly, “if I do not see the appropriate level of cooperation, I might be forced to ask Headmaster Dunn to reassess your training duties.”
“No!” Kirby shrieked. He took great pleasure in working as a soap maker in Mr. Shafer’s shop. Who would have known that the lad was a born salesman for perfumed wares? Headmaster Dunn, of course.
“You can’t do that!” Jared cried. “It’s not fair!” Although Jared was not well pleased with his role assisting the Latin tutor, he clearly knew his friends’ positions meant the world to them.
She shook her head. “You all are well aware that Headmaster Dunn does not allow spirits of any kind on the grounds. He will be most disappointed in your actions, should he learn of them …”
The boys exchanged a look. They worshiped Dunn, as wolves did a pack leader.
“It was
The sandy-haired lad stopped midstep, hunched his shoulders and turned. “Ah, good evening, miss.”
His voice was so “I’m innocent” as to assure her that hewas up to no good. Moreover, where Kirby Jones was, so were his puckish cronies, all aged around thirteen or fourteen, and all as mischievous as two-month puppies.
“Come out, boys,” she demanded. “This instant.”
Slowly, forms emerged from the shrubs. First fourteen-year-old Jack O’Malley with his shocking red hair, freckled face and truculent scowl. Next, raven-haired, tea-skinned, sheepish twelve-year-old Benjamin Bourke. He was always hanging about the older boys. Followed by…
“Jared Miller!” She wagged her finger at her brother. “I thought I told you to stay away from these boys!”
“Bloody hell, Catherine…” Jared mumbled, his pink cheeks obvious even in the descending darkness.
“Don’t you curse at me, young man. You know better than this…” She glared at the lads, young men, really, and crossed her arms. “Why aren’t you at dinner?”
“We were done—” Jack began.
“Then you should have been helping clean up,” Catherine interjected.
“Yes, miss,” Benjamin replied, shooting his comrades a telling glance. “We can go right now if you wish…”
“Yes,” Jared added, shuffling toward the main house. “We’ll be on our way back to the kitchens…”
The lads seemed so intent on leaving the area. What had they been up to? They were about fifteen paces from the chapel, but did not seem focused on the building. They appeared more interested in getting away from the hedge…Or in getting her away from the hedge.
“Stop right there.” Slowly, Catherine skirted around the bushes and looked around. There, in the twilight, a pear-shaped gray jug sat shoved under a shrub.
“She’s as bad as bloody Mrs. Nagel,” Benjamin muttered sourly.
“No, she’s worse,” Jack retorted. “She’s smarter.”
“And she’s my sister,” Jared finished with a slight groan.
Circling back to the lads, she uncorked the jug and sniffed. It felt as if a thousand bee stings were piercing her eyes and nose, it was so wretchedly potent. “What is this?” she cried, slamming the stopper back in and blinking back harsh tears.
The lads shrugged, almost in unison.
“Better yet,” she grimaced, “where did you get it?”
Silence. Apparently, only the crickets were chirping willingly this evening.
Shaking her head, she sighed. “You might as well tell me now, for I will only make it worse for you if I discover the truth on my own.”
Kirby stared off into the distance, feigning innocence. Jack and Ben looked to Jared. Jared was busy looking down at his scuffed boots.
Jack whispered to Jared, “It can’t be worse than the last punishment.”
“Oh, cleaning the chapel’s eaves of bats and droppings is nothing compared to what you will have to endure next,” Catherine assured them.
A scoffing noise emanated from Jared’s glowering lips. She might have considered boxing his ears if he wouldn’t have hated her forever for embarrassing him in front of his friends.
Well,” she stated slowly, “if I do not see the appropriate level of cooperation, I might be forced to ask Headmaster Dunn to reassess your training duties.”
“No!” Kirby shrieked. He took great pleasure in working as a soap maker in Mr. Shafer’s shop. Who would have known that the lad was a born salesman for perfumed wares? Headmaster Dunn, of course.
“You can’t do that!” Jared cried. “It’s not fair!” Although Jared was not well pleased with his role assisting the Latin tutor, he clearly knew his friends’ positions meant the world to them.
She shook her head. “You all are well aware that Headmaster Dunn does not allow spirits of any kind on the grounds. He will be most disappointed in your actions, should he learn of them …”
The boys exchanged a look. They worshiped Dunn, as wolves did a pack leader.
“It was