Kira lingered at the threshold, motioning subtly. “Miss Holland, could you step outside for a moment? There’s something we need to discuss.”
“Of course.” Elissa smiled, giving Locke’s head a playful pat. “Keep at your homework, alright? I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay.” Locke chirped, his pencil still scribbling.
Elissa joined Kira at the door, her curiosity piqued. “What is going on?”
Kira let out a soft sigh, leading the way. “Miss Holland, Mrs. Flynn is downstairs and wishes to speak with you. Come along.”
“Oh?” Elissa’s brow furrowed, questions swirling in her mind. Nyla, back from the hospital so suddenly? And she was asking for her? Though her heart brimmed with uncertainty, Elissa followed Kira downstairs.
“Mrs. Flynn.” Elissa greeted, standing with poised respect, her smile warm yet measured.
Nyla’s gaze was piercing, studying Elissa’s face with an intensity that felt almost tangible.
Elissa had been hired to keep Locke company, and since Ernest adored her—and given Elissa’s friendship with Hadley—Nyla had warmed to her readily. But now, something had shifted.
“Humph.” A cold smile curled Nyla’s lips. “Miss Holland, do you know why Miss Schultz, the previous governess, was let go?”
Elissa froze, caught off guard. How could she possibly know?
Nyla’s voice hardened, each word deliberate. “Because she foolishly chased after something far beyond her reach. Ernest may be unwed, but that doesn’t mean just anyone can set their sights on him. Do you understand my meaning?”
Elissa’s breath caught, the weight of Nyla’s words sinking in. She wasn’t naive—she grasped the accusation veiled in that icy tone.
“Mrs. Flynn,” Elissa said, her voice steady despite the chill creeping through her. Her face paled, and her hands grew clammy. “I assure you, I harbor no improper intentions toward Mr. Flynn.”
“Is that so?” Nyla’s eyes narrowed, her skepticism palpable. “If you say so, I’ll trust you—but I still think it’s time you stopped coming back.”
Elissa’s voice faltered, “Mrs. Flynn…” Official source is Find~Novel.net
.com hosts great stories
“You’re unwilling to go?” Nyla’s piercing gaze seemed to unravel Elissa’s every thought. “How dare you set your sights on Ernest? Leaving aside the stature of the Flynn family, how could you, a married woman, have the gall to entertain such notions?”
Elissa’s heart lurched, her posture stiffening as though struck. The accusation landed like a blow.
“Good heavens!”
Nyla pressed a hand to her chest, her voice trembling with indignation. “I’m speaking courteously now, but you must leave at once!”
“Mrs. Flynn, I—” Elissa tried to protest, her words stumbling.
“Out!” Nyla’s command was sharp, unyielding.
Humiliation and fury churned within Elissa, her cheeks burning. Biting her lip, she swallowed any retort, turned on her heel, and hastened away, unwilling to linger in the face of such scorn.
As she reached the entrance, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, Ernest happened to step through the doorway.
His brow furrowed at the sight of her distress. “What has happened? Has Locke upset you?”
.
.
.