Proper Princess

Chapter Four

By some stroke of luck, Michael had managed to finish all nine slices of cake and not be sick at the party. The next morning, however, he remained in bed. When Mother inquired as to why he had not come down to breakfast, I fought off a smirk, and simply told her that he had caught a stomach illness at the wedding the day prior. 

Father was the first to finish eating, and he glanced over at Elizabeth and I as he stood. "I will be going down to the school today. Would either of you like to come?"

Mother was quick to interject. "Elizabeth will not be going. She is having tea with myself and the Earl today."

Elizabeth looked up from her plate, startled. "I am?"

Lady Baldwin nodded, dabbing at her lips with her napkin. "Yes. He sounded rather eager when I invited him yesterday. I have asked Miss Lancing to help you prepare, as I know you have never dressed for a formal courtship before."

Father frowned, shaking his head slightly. "A courtship, is it? Is it not a bit early to call it such a thing? "

Elizabeth nodded, looking a bit pale. "Yes, Mother. I thought you said it was only tea."

Mother sighed. "Elizabeth, Darling, really. We cannot keep playing this game. Now, your younger sister is stepping out as a debutante, and do you know how humiliating it will be if she is wed before you? People will wonder why that is, and assume something is wrong with you. Then we may never find you a husband, and what shall become of you then?"

Elizabeth stayed quiet. We both knew what would happen. Eventually, Mother and Father would die. The boys would inherit the lands, and while I was sure they would allow us to remain in the house if needed, we would eventually run out of money if we remained unmarried and bringing in no income.

That meant an income would simply have to be brought in, one way or another. Elizabeth would end up a governess herself if she was unwed. While I rather liked the idea, I knew that Elizabeth despised the thought of becoming working-class. She had simply never been raised in a way that made that seem permittable, and it would be seen as a humiliation and failure.

"I can stay, too, if you like," I offered my sister. I was not sure if that would be what she wanted or not- would she prefer I stay for emotional support, or leave so there was one less witness to her embarrassment?

She considered for a moment. "No, you should go. The children love when you visit."

And so it was less than a quarter of an hour later that I was on the carriage with Father, and then another hour before we pulled up just outside of the school. It was a large building- father had built it with the intent of it being used to take orphans and runaways off of the streets and to educate them in order to steer them away from a life of crime.

London was a big city, with many peasant children constantly about, so the school had to be quite large to accommodate all of them. Father also had no credentials to run a school, so an Educator wing was also necessary to house the Headmaster and whatever staff he felt needed to be hired.

When we walked in, there were a few young girls on their hands and knees, scrubbing the floor. A boy was standing on a windowseat, washing a window with a cloth. The Headmaster, whom had been recommended by the Lord Mayor of London himself, was watching them work, and smiled at us as we entered. "Ah, Lord Baldwin, Lady Amelia. How lovely to see you again."

Father shook the Headmaster's hand. "You, as well, Lord Bently. How fare the children?"

Lord Bently nodded towards the children cleaning. "They finished up with their morning lessons and are doing their daily chores. They have their trade lessons this afternoon- the girls will have needlework, and the boys will be sent out to the blacksmith for a lesson."