The Bracelet: A Novel by Dorothy Love

Author:Dorothy Love
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2014-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

Celia exited the carriage and pushed through the gate of the Female Asylum. The lacy veil of last night’s frost still lay across the lawn, glittering in the pale sunlight. Smoke spiraled from the building’s twin chimneys, filling the air with the scent of burning oak. She rang the bell and was soon admitted to Mrs. Clayton’s cheerful parlor.

“Miss Browning.” The older woman rose to greet her. “I’m delighted to see you. It has been a while since you were here.”

“Yes. I’m glad Ivy was able to come in my stead. From what she tells me, Louisa seems to prefer her company to mine anyway.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. Do come in and warm yourself. I’ve tea if you like.”

“Yes, please.” Celia took a seat near the fire and removed her gloves.

Mrs. Clayton poured and passed her a steaming cup. Celia added milk from the blue pitcher and took a sip of the bergamot-infused brew.

“Caroline Manigault was here yesterday.” Mrs. Clayton stirred sugar into her tea. “She tells me you and Mr. Mackay are to marry early next year.”

“Yes. We decided it only last Saturday.” Celia smiled. “News travels fast.”

“In Savannah? It surely does. Especially bad news, I’m sorry to say.”

“I hope you’ve had none here, Mrs. Clayton.”

“Unfortunately, we have. And Louisa is a part of it, I’m afraid.”

“What happened?”

“Friday night week before last, when news of that riot got out, some of the girls slipped out and went downtown to witness the disturbance for themselves. Louisa among them.”

“But how did they know? The situation seemed to develop spontaneously.”

“Far from it. That Irish drayman, Mr. Gleason, was one of the ones behind it. The girls are forbidden to socialize with the deliverymen, but that one has a bit of a silver tongue. I’m not surprised he turned their heads with all his noble-sounding talk.”

“I’m sure it was disconcerting to find some of your charges missing, but I suppose we can’t really blame them. The same kind of thing happened when I was away at school.” Celia smiled. “For young, impressionable girls who find themselves far away from all that is familiar, such adventures are simply too tempting to resist.”

“Yes, well. The real difficulty is that one of the girls didn’t come back.”

“Louisa is gone?”

“Louisa came back. It’s Sylvie Kelly that’s gone for good. She ran off with that no-good Gleason.” The director shook her head. “Not a brain in her head, that one. And this could not have come at a worse time.”

Celia raised her brows. “The board of managers?”

Mrs. Clayton sighed. “Two of the members were here yesterday. And of course they insisted Sylvie’s behavior is further proof that training for anything other than domestic service is a waste of time and money.”

The clock chimed, and Mrs. Clayton rose. “I must speak to Miss Ransom before the next class commences. You will find Louisa in her room—confined there until the end of this week for breaking house rules.”

Celia finished her tea and headed up the stairs.

Louisa lay curled beneath a blue wool blanket, fists tucked beneath her chin, eyes closed.

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