Charm School by Cate Martin

Author:Cate Martin [Martin, Cate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781946552846
Publisher: Ratatoskr Press

Chapter 16

Brianna was looking over her notes, tapping next to each item with the tip of her pencil and frowning. Sophie was watching Coco disappear down the sidewalk. Then she turned to say something to me, and we both noticed the young man was still there, leaning against the oak tree.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"I was wondering if I could help you," he said. "The name's Edward Scott."

"Amanda Clarke," I said. "This is Brianna Collins and Sophie DuBois."

He touched the brim of his hat at each of us. "Given where we're standing, I'm guessing you're new students at Miss Zenobia's school?"

"We are," I said. "Everyone seems to assume that about us. I would have thought most of her students were local."

"Most are," he said. "You're definitely not. All three of you have a bit of a glow like you're from somewhere absolutely fabulous." He raised his eyebrows inquiringly.

"New Orleans," Sophie said, extending her hand to him. Just two words, but I could hear how she kicked her accent up to maximum power. And from the way he kissed her hand and murmured he was charmed to meet her, I could see it had had its effect.

"We're looking for someone," I said. "I don't suppose you could tell us the way to the house of Mrs. Cynthia Thomas? I'm afraid we don't know her husband's first name."

"I can do you one better," he said with the barest hint of a wink. "I can show you. It's not far."

He held out his arm to me, and I took it. With Sophie still holding his other arm we started down the wide sidewalk, Brianna with her nose deep in the pages of her book trailing along behind.

"Scott, not McTavet?" I said to him as we walked. "So you're not Coco's brother."

"No, I was there to call on her older sister Ivy, but she isn't entertaining visitors yet," he said.

"It is awfully early," I said.

"I suppose," he said wistfully. "But when we met at the Hills' do last night, I thought we'd really made an impression on each other. I woke up at dawn itching to see her again."

"Maybe she just doesn't want to seem too eager," I said. Edward certainly wasn't having that problem.

"I reckon you're right," he said with that little flutter of his eye that was almost but not quite a wink.

We took a turn off of Summit Avenue, heading north away from the ridge and the river. The houses here were a bit smaller, a bit less swank, but still far beyond anything I'd ever seen back home.

"Here we are," Edward said, drawing to a halt where the front walk of a Tudor-style house met the sidewalk. "Mr. Frank Thomas, husband of Cynthia Thomas. I believe her maiden sister Helen lives with them as well."

"Thank you so much," I said. "This has been very helpful."

"Think nothing of it," he said with another touch of his hat.

We climbed the steps of the front porch, Brianna finally extricating herself from her book and putting it away in her pocket.

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