Little Secrets (13 page)

Charley headed straight into work after seeing Eliza. He hated to think that she was being disciplined for speaking to him. There was not much he could do to alleviate her discomfort. Approaching his boss's office, he knocked forcefully on James Kinsley's door, waiting for him to tell him to enter.

"Come in," James called out.

Charley opened the door and entered the small space, closing the door for privacy.

"Look who it is, our budding journalist," James said, grinning as he gestured for him to sit. "Please, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable. What can I do for you? Are you working on a second article about the finishing school? Perhaps this time you will drop in a name. I am getting letters from as far away as Manchester. Our readership has never grown so exponentially overnight before."

Exhaling a heavy sigh, Charley sat down and clasped his hands together as he leaned forward on the oak desk of his supervisor. "The article was a disaster."

James laughed, his arms folded across his chest as he leaned back in his chair. "If by disaster, you mean that we sold out every paper and have people inquiring when we will run a follow-up story, then by all means, call it whatever the blazes you like." He did not seem to sense the urgency in Charley's tone.

Charley could not confess his desires for little Eliza and how the article had been greatly directed at her enrollment. "At the finishing school my sister attends, there were men breaking down the door. Her safety is in question because of my own foolishness in writing such a risqué piece."

"I told you it would have been beneficial to include the name of the institute," James said. He opened his desk drawer and began pulling out stacks of letters that had been torn open but the contents placed back inside their envelopes. "These are just the letters that arrived yesterday. I can only imagine there will be plenty more in the coming days."

Charley couldn't do what James suggested. Even if he wanted to, he had signed his sister into Ashby. The chance it might ruin her reputation was not worth it to him. "I would like to write a follow-up piece."

James shut the drawer and leaned forward, his arms on his desk. "Tell me you intend to address at which school this disreputable behavior was witnessed. My own daughter attends Prescott, and I cannot decide whether allowing her to finish her attendance or pulling her out is the better option at this point."

Charley exhaled a nervous breath. He had already assured Mr. Kinsley that Prescott was not under scrutiny and that he had nothing to worry himself about. "There is no question about whether Prescott is reputable." He had not so much as looked into sending his younger sister to that finishing school because it was further from his home than Ashby. He wanted to visit Leona, even while she lived among the young ladies, much like a boarding school. "My desire for a second article would be in order to address what was stated," Charley said. He did not wish to elaborate on the severity of the situation at Ashby. Were all the finishing schools under such threats?

"Was it not true?" James asked.

It did not matter what was or was not fact. Some secrets were meant to be kept silent, such as the littles' school. He realized that now, after the mistake he had made in divulging a desire that was not for everyone to know about. Charley was not one to lie, and though the thought had crossed his mind, the easiest way to undo the damage was to recant the story in its entirety. But he was not willing to lose his job for the truth, either. "I am afraid that I will cause a scandal that cannot be contained if I name the institute. What these men do is consensual for all parties involved." At least it had been in regards to his little Eliza. Charley assumed that was the case for all the littles at Ashby.

James stroked his stubbly jaw. The spectacles hinged at his nose as he stared at Mr. Lockwood. "You will follow up with the article stating that the school is located far outside of London. I do not care if you put it in an entirely different country, but you will not retract the story and say it is false. We are selling too many papers and have significantly grown our readership over the past few days. I do not intend to lose the momentum we have gained."

"Yes, of course." Charley could work with that. He was not pleased that he would be telling a lie, citing a place for a school that did not exist. Understanding what was right and doing so were not necessarily the same thing. He regretted his actions, the fact that he could not take back the story and call it a work of fiction. Worse, he did not wish to cause the same irreconcilable damage to another city. If he did choose another location, perhaps the fictitious name of a school would be his best choice, for anyone desiring to look further into the story would only do so for their own benefit. A father concerned about the finishing school his daughter was currently enrolled in would not think twice about the name of the institute, so long as it was not where she had been sent.

Standing up, Charley headed out of the office and to his desk, writing diligently to get the follow-up story published in tomorrow's newspaper. Until word had spread that no school in London was tarnished, he did not think Headmaster Philip would let him see his little Eliza.

Finishing his article, he turned in his draft and sat back down at his desk. Although he wanted to see Eliza, he could not visit her until the matter was cleared up. The headmaster had made that perfectly clear when he tried to see his little one.

Charley contemplated how best to get in touch with her. Writing her a note seemed the most direct approach without risking her getting another spanking. He had not been ignorant of the fact that her nanny had caught her speaking to him through the window. Why Nanny Agnes had had such a fit was beyond his grasp. Had little Eliza sneaked out and caused her to worry that something might have happened to her charge?

He reached for a blank sheet of paper, jotting down an apology. Charley felt he owed her that much.

My Eliza,

I am sorry that I have been unable to pay you a visit any sooner than when we last met. Diligently I work to fix the damage that I have created and to appease your headmaster so that I might return promptly. Promise me you are good and not causing too much of a quarrel with those who care about you. Stay strong and safe.

Love,

Charley

Although he wanted to address her as 'little', he was worried that the letter might fall into the wrong hands. What if the courier decided to read the note? It was best to keep the intimacy to a minimum, and the letter brief, so that it might look like a note from a betrothed and not from a papa who desired the submission of his little Eliza.

He sealed the envelope with wax and requested that a courier with the newspaper travel to Ashby, with strict instructions to be sure the letter was given directly to her. It was an uncommon request, but he paid the gentleman in cash as he handed over the parchment. What else could he do to rectify the situation?

Charley knew better than to assume the courier would actually be allowed to hand the letter to a little, but his presence would likely notify the headmaster, who in turn would open the sealed note. It would then be up to Mr. Philip Hartley to decide whether his little Eliza received his correspondence. At the very least he would know that Charley was trying to undo the mess he had created, with the intention of returning swiftly to visit his little one.

He tried not to let her fill his thoughts, but she was constantly on his mind. Over the past few days he had worried less about his sister, Leona, and more about his little one. In many ways it was as if he had not changed at all, except the feelings that stirred in his heart and his cock were different. He had always cared for his younger sister after their parents' death. He had continued the dominant role, caring for little Eliza, feeling content with the situation, up until he had made a mockery of everything with his article. Charley would do whatever it took to rectify the situation. He needed his sister to find herself a husband, and his Eliza to marry him. The thought had not left his mind in days.

"Headmaster Philip would like to speak with you in his office," Nanny Agnes said to her charge.

Eliza's stomach always knotted when she had to talk to the headmaster. It worried her that she was in trouble—and not the kind that resulted in firm discipline with her bottom being smacked. Her fears went back to Preston's abandonment and how she had worried that she would not be able to continue at Ashby. With the recent trouble Charley had brought upon the chateau, she wondered whether her days were numbered and she might be forced from the school. What would she tell her father if she returned home?

The young woman pushed herself up from the floor of the playroom and took her nanny's hand as she walked out into the hall. Pleased that there were no papas staking out the hallway, demanding to speak with the headmaster, she poised herself at the door, giving a firm knock.

"Come in," he called.

Eliza turned the handle and stepped into the office. "You asked to see me?" She picked at her fingernails anxiously as she dragged her feet across the floor, coming to stand in front of his desk.

"Please, have a seat."

Although she would have preferred to stand, so that she might be able to run if necessary, she sat upon the couch, trying to sit like a lady with her ankles crossed. "What is it that you would like to speak to me about?"

Headmaster Philip pushed an envelope across the wooden table. "Your papa sent you this message by courier two days ago. To be honest I thought it was another letter threatening our reputation, or asking how to gain access to a school of littles. Charley has made a mess of the chateau, but I imagine his troubles go well beyond our institution."

Eliza reached across the table, taking the letter, frowning when she found the seal torn. "You read my letter?"

"As with all littles, you are under our care. It is the responsibility of an adult to decide if the letter is appropriate for you to have. It would serve you well to thank your headmaster, unless you would prefer not to receive a letter in the future."

She bit down on her bottom lip, refraining from pointing out that the letter was addressed to her and that she should have been the only one opening it. Starting an argument with him would do not a bit of good. "Thank you." She opened the envelope, glancing over the few short sentences he had handwritten and signed to her. "May I keep this?" she asked, desiring to keep it in her room.

"Yes. The letter is merely a formality, little Eliza. It is not the reason why I called you into my office today."

"Oh," she said, surprised by the news. She had not expected a letter to be delivered from her papa, but there was more? Her knee bounced anxiously as she sat, trying to contain her thoughts and fears. "Will my papa be visiting me soon?"

Eliza had been anxious for him to visit with her again.

"Yes. He is in fact making arrangements for the two of you to be wed next week."

She gasped, stricken with the news. "Am I leaving Ashby?" Eliza did not wish to leave, but she understood that her papa had brought about quite a scandal and was probably no longer welcome at the chateau.

The headmaster's laughter was soft as he stood, coming around the desk to position himself in front of her. His hand came to rest on her shoulder. "Do not trouble yourself with the problems your papa has caused. While you are at Ashby you are to be little, and I do believe another year, perhaps even eighteen months, would be beneficial to allow you more of a carefree nature. I worry that the past week has regressed everything we have worked to achieve."

She did not quite know what he was saying, other than it sounded as if he was disappointed in her. "I promise to behave."

Headmaster Philip nodded, smiling as he leaned on the edge of his desk. "I have no concerns about your conduct, little Eliza. All little ones go through a rough patch. It is the fact that you harbored the knowledge that he intended to write the article that worries Nanny Agnes and myself. We have discussed at great length what we feel would be most beneficial to your education."

Were they not going to discipline her for knowing about the note? She had not known what her papa would write, and had begged him not to ruin Ashby. Eliza loved it at the chateau.

"Your papa Charley has asked both your father and myself for permission to marry you. It has been granted by both parties. You will marry Charley Lockwood, but that does not change your enrollment or involvement as a little at Ashby. You will be expected to live in your nursery, and Nanny Agnes will continue as your caretaker when your papa is not visiting."

"I do not understand." Nothing sounded as though it were changing, except for the fact that he would have her hand and she would wear a ring on her finger. "Why marry me now?" She could not fathom a reason for the wedding to happen with such haste. Her understanding when she had enrolled was that the weddings happened after graduation. What had changed?

"The specifics are not for you to worry yourself about," the headmaster said. "The arrangements are being made as we speak. I suggest you return to the playroom."

"Am I to be the only one wed?"

Philip sighed and folded his arms across his chest. "At the moment, yes, but we are expanding the littles' school to include unruly wives in desperate need of discipline. You will not be the only married woman in our care. You are just the first. Let me be clear, little will change, except perhaps the simple fact that your husband will be anxious to consummate the marriage, and our new rules will allow such to happen between husband and wife."

She did not dare ask whose idea it had been to have them wed in such haste. "Will the other littles be able to attend the wedding?"

"Assuming they are all on their best behavior, we will have your friends from both here and back home in attendance. The wedding will be in our ballroom around the back."

It seemed that the headmaster had everything all planned out for her marriage to Charley. "Will I be dressed as a bride or a little?" Eliza felt uncertain about what was expected, and did not wish to sully her reputation or Charley's.

"I can assure you, little Eliza, that on your wedding day, you and your friends at Ashby will be dressed as young ladies. I do not have the desire to see to it that the reputation of our school is ruined. Charley has done well to rectify the situation. I do not intend to undo the good work he has done." He pushed himself from the desk and walked toward the door, opening it for little Eliza.

Outside in the hallway stood Nanny Agnes, having waited for her charge.

Eliza stood without needing to be told, she knew her time with the headmaster was over. She folded the note her papa had sent, carrying it with her. "Did my papa inform you of his return?" The letter had not contained any specific information, and she wanted to spend the evening cuddled in his arms.

"At the latest it will be next week, but I gather that he will come to see you within the next day or two," Headmaster Philip said. "Do not worry so much about when he will return. I can assure you that he is excited to marry you."

She nodded, feeling quite excited too about the news of the upcoming wedding. "Thank you, sir." Eliza followed her nanny into the hall and back to the playroom. She had no pockets on the dress and there was nowhere to stash the note she would treasure until his return.

Clara glanced up as the door opened, her blonde hair flipping over her shoulder. She turned her head, jumped from her place beside the dollhouse, and rushed toward her friend. "Were you in trouble?" little Clara asked, wanting every detail of gossip.

Little Eliza shook her head and sauntered further into the room to speak with the other littles. "My papa, he is to marry me next week."

"Are you leaving Ashby?" Addie asked.

"No," Eliza said, grinning as she felt quite pleased that her time was not quite up with her friends or the establishment. "Headmaster Philip wants to expand Ashby to bring in married women in need of discipline, where they can learn to be little once again. He wants me to be the first married little enrolled."

She further explained how the wedding was to be next week, and that her friends were all invited to be in attendance as young ladies. There was a flurry of chatter all at once; Jane, Addie, and Clara asking Eliza question after question.

A soft knock rapped at the window. Eliza glanced behind her shoulder, her green eyes widening as she caught sight of her papa.