Pauper Princess

Chapter Twenty-Six

Too soon, Michael and Thomas were sent back off to school. Thomas seemed very accepting of this part of his life, meant to teach boys independence by being sent away from the protective and feminine nature of their mothers.

Michael and Lady Baldwin were not as willing. Michael grumbled and pouted as he boarded the carriage that would take him to the train, and his Mother cried and embraced him over and over.

"Is it very hard to go away?" I asked Michael, hugging him in the brief time his Mother released him and stepped away to give directions to Thomas, handing off both lunches to the older boy.

Michael made a face. "No- it is not going away that bothers me. I like the other boys at school, and the school offers lots of sports. I do enjoy wresting and cricket. But I just- ugh, I detest school! It is so boring!"

But, there was no avoiding it- Lord Baldwin assured his wife that he had confirmed the school had a firm plan in place in the case of an illness outbreak, Michael and Thomas promised to write, and then the carriage carried them off.

And Lady Baldwin had not since stopped lamenting the absence of her sons.

I could see both Elizabeth and her father growing tired of all the discussion of Thomas and Michael- while Elizabeth continued to send her mother patronizing smiles and nods, Lord Baldwin was a bit sharp with her, insisting that she was being too dramatic over it all, and that she needed to simply allow her boys to be boys.

At least we all got a bit of a break from it when we attended church that next Sunday- Lady Baldwin joined a circle of women, many of which also had sons whom had just been sent away as the schoolyear began, and they all gossiped and mourned over it like they had lost their children rather than just sent them off to school.

My eyes instinctively made their way over to the breadline, looking among the poorer people who had gathered near the side of the church to await a crust of bread, and if they were lucky, a ladle of lukewarm soup. There were many faces I recognized- some children, some adults. Most of the adults I did not know the names of, but I had seen them about, either begging on corners or standing in groups as they planned their next heist.

Many of the adults were full-fledged criminals. But I did not hold it against them- I may very well meet a similar fate one day.

A few people, though, I had never seen anywhere but the breadline, and did not know from where they hailed. A woman in a patched dress, just barely long enough to be decent. A man in a faded coat, unpatched, despite how badly it needed mending. And another man, whom seemed to have patched his pants himself, with random pieces of fabrics in different colors. Though I knew the multi-colored trousers were not a fashion statement, I decided that I rather liked them. I had noticed him at a few church gatherings, but had never truly examined his clothing.

Lord Baldwin led Elizabeth and I into the church, and I noticed the absence of most boys over the age of about eight. There were a few stragglers, whom must have been kept home an extra few years by their overattached parents, but the crowd of children Elizabeth pulled me over to join were almost all girls- some of whom had been handed their very young brothers to care for while the Mothers spoke just outside.

One such boy was standing beside Charlotte, talking her ear off as Cordelia stood on the opposite side of the little girl, begrudgingly holding her young sister's hand and keeping watch over her, as their Mother had no doubt commanded her to do.

I could see the excitement on the little girl's face when she caught sight of me. I had been expecting to see her at the dinner before the ball two nights before, but Charlotte had just that day ripped her party dress when she had put it on in the short time her governess was relieving herself. I had overheard her mother talking to Lady Baldwin about it, explaining that Charlotte had been held back from the ball as part of her punishment.