Chapter Twenty Six

“Language!” Cecily chided him reflexively. “…but yes, they were always sniggering at me after something happened. It had to have been them, but father always favored them. He’d never let the school discipline them. I just wanted it all to go away, but Andrei wouldn’t let it and if I told him my real thoughts—you know how he’d react.”

Oh no, this was getting good. Mira crouched down so she’d be harder to spot, but could still watch through the railing.

“He always did get strange when his fiancee was around,” Randall sighed. He sounded like he was still on the fence, but starting to lean in Cecily’s direction. “You may have a point, but she was the only person on the stairs that day who had any reason to want to hurt you.”

“That we know of. I have my own reasons for why I don’t think that was her,” Cecily said and ducked her head. “I can’t get into it right now, but I’ll tell you as soon as I can. Won’t you trust in me for a little while longer?”

Randall stared at her, visibly torn, before the fight drained out of him all at once. “Alright,” he sighed. “We can do it your way for now. About Sir Rousseau, though…”

“Please don’t do anything rash,” Cecily said at once so maybe she understood Randall a little better than the game implied. “I don’t think he can touch my father or sisters, but he’s still Mama’s medical proxy.”

Randall leaned back on one heel with his arms crossed over his chest. “Cece, if he has your mother in his control then he’s going to start making demands. You have to be ready for it. If the Coventrys can’t or won’t help you then come to me before you do anything he tells you to. Promise.”

She wilted. “I promise, but I won’t need to. You’ll see.”

He reached out to ruffle her hair. “Look on the bright side, now you and Viola are real sisters!”

Cecily did seem to perk up a little bit. “Yes! Her mother is keeping her at home for now, but my father passed me a message from her saying she was glad that I was safe and not to worry about our missing letters. We’ll catch up properly at the beginning of term.”

“That’s good to hear,” Randall said, sounding reassured. “Don’t forget to check with the central postal office and make sure they know that Sir Rousseau isn’t your legal guardian anymore. Next time I send you a letter, I want a response. Understood?”

“Bossy!” Cecily huffed back, fists on her hips. “Fine. Write ahead next time you want to visit so I know to be home and I’ll do the same. Vesper told me that I’m allowed to go out as much as I like, so long as she or Mira know where I am.”

“Come for lunch tomorrow,” Randall said.

“He doesn’t waste time,” Colvin whispered in Mira’s ear, which was how she found out he’d come out onto the landing to spy with her. Only centuries of lived experience kept her from jumping and yelping, but only just.

“Mother wants to hear the story about your accident on the stairs and what happened at the Graduation Fete directly from you,” Randall continued. “The newspapers are starting to contradict each other and now my parents don’t know who to believe.”

“I’ll come explain myself,” Cecily promised. She sounded a bit subdued. “It’ll only be lunch with your family, right? If Sir Rousseau is invited then–then I won’t go. My sisters wouldn’t allow it and I really don’t want to see him, Fergie, or Archie ever again.”

“My father and mother stopped issuing personal invitations to them when he sent that letter implying that we were having an affair as eleven year olds,” Randall reassured her. “He won’t be there. Fergie and Archie both owe my brothers five hundred notes each from all the times they haven’t paid their share of the tab when the club was having a night out. Safe to say they haven’t been welcome at my house for a long time either.”

She nodded “Alright, then. Do you still eat at one?”

“Yes, I’ll see you there.” Randall paused then and brushed a stray pink curl away from Cecily’s face as the light from the glass panels in the front door illuminated him from behind. “I forgot to say, I like your new hair. You’re stunning.”

Cecily squeaked and Randall used the opportunity to let himself out.

Well, he certainly wasn’t wasting time in taking advantage of Cecily’s falling out with Andrei. Had he been that aggressive in the game or had Mira gotten lucky and changed something?

Generally, the cast of characters that she was incarnated as part of tended to follow similar patterns in terms of their relationships. Andrei’s archetype always fell hard for Cecily’s, but she didn’t always return his feelings. She usually did wind up with the ‘Andrei’ by default, but sometimes she ended up romantically entangled with one of the other boys instead.

Maybe Randall had a chance in this lifetime?

Mira’s thoughts were interrupted when Colvin jostled her elbow and she realized Cecily was staring at her from the bottom of the stairwell. Oops.

000

The thunderous sound of Cecily’s sensible boots echoed through the stairwell as Colvin tried to hustle Mira back into the study, but Cecily caught them still on the landing. Colvin put himself between Mira and Cecily.

This book’s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Mister Adelram, might I have a private word with my sister?” Cecily said through a gritted smile as she tried to duck around him.