The Housemistress by Keira Michelle Telford

Author:Keira Michelle Telford
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Venatic Press
Published: 2014-03-07T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

Within the first five minutes of breakfast, one of the toasters catches fire, someone’s porridge explodes in a microwave, and there’s an uproar when it’s discovered that there’s no soy milk left in the refrigerator. In order words: typical morning chaos in Carriveau house.

Fifteen minutes later, however, one particular face still has yet to materialize.

“Where’s Harcourt?” Carriveau snags Gabby’s attention. “She’s usually ready by now.”

Gabby shrugs, chomping into a Pop-Tart. “Rylie said she wasn’t feeling well.” She talks with her mouth full of pastry, spitting crumbs. “I think she’s gone back to bed.”

“Want me to check on her?” Miss Ansell offers, privy to their conversation only on account of her proximity. “I can—”

“Non.” Carriveau is quick to quash the suggestion, but refrains from dashing upstairs. “This is my house, n’est-ce pas?” She heads calmly for the door, suppressing anything that could be interpreted as an undue amount of concern. “I’ll go.”

With forced nonchalance, she climbs the staircase and enters the Lower Sixth dormitory, finding Rylie groomed, but not dressed, lying face down on her bed, naked beneath her cotton pajamas, the cheeks of her bum outlined clearly behind the thin, pale fabric.

“Qu’est-ce que tu as?” Carriveau unbuttons her jacket, shrugs it off her shoulders, and drapes it over the cubicle wall. “What’s the matter with you? Are you feeling unwell?”

Rylie groans, but doesn’t move. “I’m sorry. I’ll be up in a minute.”

Hesitating at the thin yellow line, Carriveau takes one look out into the hall, makes certain that she can’t hear any footsteps, then breaches the cubicle boundary.

“Will you tell me what’s wrong?” She perches on the edge of Rylie’s bed.

Covering for the fact that her ribcage has her in such a state of agony that she can’t draw breath without causing herself excruciating pain, Rylie concocts a fib.

She rolls onto her back, wincing. “Girl stuff, that’s all.”

“Cramps? Es-tu sûre?” Carriveau leans over her. “May I fetch you something? Anything?”

Rylie shakes her head. “I took painkillers. Just waiting for them to kick in.”

“Is there nothing I can do for you?” Carriveau presses the back of her hand to Rylie’s forehead, then her cheeks, checking her temperature. “A hot water bottle, perhaps?” She transfers her hand to Rylie’s abdomen, applying only a slight pressure.

Rylie squeals, tensing and jerking, flinching from Carriveau’s touch. She tries to turn away, but Carriveau grips her shoulder and holds her to the bed, yanking up her pajama top, revealing the angry purple bruise on her lower ribs.

“Mon Dieu!” the Housemistress cries in horror. “What happened?!”

“It’s nothing.” Rylie grimaces, trying to get comfortable.

“Were you fighting?” Carriveau grazes Rylie’s injured torso with her fingertips. “Please tell me you haven’t been getting yourself involved in any nonsense?”

Rylie shakes her head. “There’s been no nonsense, I promise.”

“Is this the reason you’re lying here in bed?” Carriveau caresses the teen’s bare skin. “I have to make a note of this in the house accident and injury book.” Her mind whirs through protocol. “And I should inform your parents.”

“I wouldn’t,” Rylie cautions her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.