it's the polite thing to ask. I do my best to fit into society's requirements for the owner of Frakingham."
Wade stood and squared his shoulders, making himself even taller, especially when Langley had to remain in his wheelchair. "You'll never be anything more than a scientist."
Langley laughed, but even I could tell it was hollow. Langley was a proud, intelligent man with grand aspirations. He would not like to be put in his place by anyone, let alone someone he must consider intellectually inferior.
Lord Wade strode out of the room. I followed him to the door where Tommy waited to see him out. "Will you tell Violet you saw me?" I asked.
He accepted his coat and gloves from Tommy. "I'll tell her you're safe. She'll want to know that much."
"Can she come here to see me? Or I her?"
He pointed his gloves at me and shook them. "Do not come anywhere near Windamere Manor, Hannah. I don't want you seeing Violet. Do you hear me? She has a new life and so do you. I can see that you belong here among these people. It would serve neither of you any good to meet now. Understand?"
Tears pricked my eyes, but I held them back. I walked to the door and opened it myself. The cool breeze was sheer relief on my hot skin and helped calm me a little. "Speaking of not being welcome," I said.
His moustache twitched with indignation.
Tommy offered him his hat, but as Lord Wade reached for it, he pulled it back. He strode to the door and threw it down the steps.
"Good day, milord." Tommy bowed as Lord Wade stormed past him. He slammed the door shut and winked at me. "You look like you could do with a cup of tea."
CHAPTER 4
Our efforts in the attic produced nothing but dust and cobwebs. We abandoned the search at lunchtime after which Jack and I retreated to our training room. It was a small room situated at the top of the southern wing. The walls were covered with woolen hangings, the floor with woolen rugs, and most of the furniture had been removed. It was sparse, grim, and well suited to be occupied by someone who couldn't control her fiery temper.
I hated it. It was horribly similar to the attic I'd lived in at Windamere Manor. The difference was, those rooms were my entire life. Aside from the brief walks we could take on occasion, Vi and I had not been allowed out of the stark parlor and bedroom. At least at Frakingham, I was only holed up for an afternoon here and there. Our training sessions had grown shorter each day. We seemed to be making no progress at all, something that frustrated not only Jack and myself, but August Langley too. I wasn't sure if that was because he wanted me to be in control of my fire, or because he wanted me to leave. Our agreement had been that I was free to go once I'd learned to control my affliction like Jack.
"You still seem a little rattled," Jack said when we were alone together.
"Seeing Lord Wade again was more disturbing than I'd expected it to be. I've never spoken to him like that before. Never dared confront him or question him." I tried hard to sort through my feelings where Wade was concerned. On the one hand, he was the austere head of a grand household, but on the other, he was the only father figure I'd ever had. He may have been a largely absent one, but he didn't need to be in the same room as me to have an influence over my life.
"He wasn't as intimidating as I thought he'd be," I said.
"Perhaps because you're harder to intimidate now."
"What do you mean?"
He sat on a footstool across from me and rested his elbows on his knees. His eyes turned soft and a smile hovered on his lips but didn't break free. "You're not a child anymore. You've seen and done things in the few short weeks of your freedom that most women haven't seen and done in a lifetime. You've changed, Hannah, and your perception of things and people has changed too."
"I suppose so." It wasn't only because of the new experiences I had every day, but also because of my fire. I wasn't a weakling who fell
Wade stood and squared his shoulders, making himself even taller, especially when Langley had to remain in his wheelchair. "You'll never be anything more than a scientist."
Langley laughed, but even I could tell it was hollow. Langley was a proud, intelligent man with grand aspirations. He would not like to be put in his place by anyone, let alone someone he must consider intellectually inferior.
Lord Wade strode out of the room. I followed him to the door where Tommy waited to see him out. "Will you tell Violet you saw me?" I asked.
He accepted his coat and gloves from Tommy. "I'll tell her you're safe. She'll want to know that much."
"Can she come here to see me? Or I her?"
He pointed his gloves at me and shook them. "Do not come anywhere near Windamere Manor, Hannah. I don't want you seeing Violet. Do you hear me? She has a new life and so do you. I can see that you belong here among these people. It would serve neither of you any good to meet now. Understand?"
Tears pricked my eyes, but I held them back. I walked to the door and opened it myself. The cool breeze was sheer relief on my hot skin and helped calm me a little. "Speaking of not being welcome," I said.
His moustache twitched with indignation.
Tommy offered him his hat, but as Lord Wade reached for it, he pulled it back. He strode to the door and threw it down the steps.
"Good day, milord." Tommy bowed as Lord Wade stormed past him. He slammed the door shut and winked at me. "You look like you could do with a cup of tea."
CHAPTER 4
Our efforts in the attic produced nothing but dust and cobwebs. We abandoned the search at lunchtime after which Jack and I retreated to our training room. It was a small room situated at the top of the southern wing. The walls were covered with woolen hangings, the floor with woolen rugs, and most of the furniture had been removed. It was sparse, grim, and well suited to be occupied by someone who couldn't control her fiery temper.
I hated it. It was horribly similar to the attic I'd lived in at Windamere Manor. The difference was, those rooms were my entire life. Aside from the brief walks we could take on occasion, Vi and I had not been allowed out of the stark parlor and bedroom. At least at Frakingham, I was only holed up for an afternoon here and there. Our training sessions had grown shorter each day. We seemed to be making no progress at all, something that frustrated not only Jack and myself, but August Langley too. I wasn't sure if that was because he wanted me to be in control of my fire, or because he wanted me to leave. Our agreement had been that I was free to go once I'd learned to control my affliction like Jack.
"You still seem a little rattled," Jack said when we were alone together.
"Seeing Lord Wade again was more disturbing than I'd expected it to be. I've never spoken to him like that before. Never dared confront him or question him." I tried hard to sort through my feelings where Wade was concerned. On the one hand, he was the austere head of a grand household, but on the other, he was the only father figure I'd ever had. He may have been a largely absent one, but he didn't need to be in the same room as me to have an influence over my life.
"He wasn't as intimidating as I thought he'd be," I said.
"Perhaps because you're harder to intimidate now."
"What do you mean?"
He sat on a footstool across from me and rested his elbows on his knees. His eyes turned soft and a smile hovered on his lips but didn't break free. "You're not a child anymore. You've seen and done things in the few short weeks of your freedom that most women haven't seen and done in a lifetime. You've changed, Hannah, and your perception of things and people has changed too."
"I suppose so." It wasn't only because of the new experiences I had every day, but also because of my fire. I wasn't a weakling who fell
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