The sad day finally arrived when Grayson left for Oxford. His trunk sat in the grand hall, waiting to load onto the carriage, and we all stood around him, waiting to say goodbye. Tears welled in my eyes. I clasped my lace handkerchief in a ball in my palm. My tears soaked it.

Papa cleared his throat noisily, and we turned our attention toward him. Stepping up to Grayson, he clutched his arm and pulled him into a manful embrace. My brother would not return home until the Christmas holidays.

"You are about to take one of the greatest steps of your life, my boy," Papa stated gruffly. "Concentrate fully upon your studies and bring pride to your family. We are depending upon you."

Joel shifted uneasily and, reaching out, grasped Charlotte's hand. He realized Papa's advice to Grayson was an admonition against him. The abruptness of his expulsion from the university rankled our father. Often, Papa covertly mentioned his disappointment that Joel let him down. He expected a better result from Grayson.

The coachman came in for the trunk and carried it away. Mr. Blanchard lifted his valise and followed. Grayson's face turned ashen, and, for a moment, I thought he would flee back upstairs. An uncontrollable sob escaped my lips, causing me to break down completely.

"We had better make a break for it, Gray," Mr. Blanchard stated encouragingly. He stood shadowed in the doorframe. "The longer we delay, the harder the departure."

"Yes, I suppose," my middle brother responded, tentatively. Stepping in front of me, he hugged me tightly and kissed my cheek. "I'll write to you every day, Prissy, I promise. I'll tell you everything that happens so you will think you are right there with me."

"Thank you, Gray," I muttered, drawing back my tears. A slight smile crept across my face. "I'll write back and tell you all the happenings at Everstow."

"Come along, Grayson," Mr. Blanchard prompted impatiently.

Hurrying after his tutor, my brother turned at the door for one last wave, and then he disappeared. I felt my heartbreak at that final moment and burst into tears.

"I can hardly see what the fuss is about," Lottie's penetrating voice echoed throughout the great hall. "It's not like he's sailing for China. He's only going as far as Oxford. It's not the end of the world."

Silence invaded the ample space. All eyes turned toward Joel's wife. Despite our sudden animosity toward her, Lottie berated me for acting foolishly over Grayson's departure.

"It's about time you two broke the invisible strings between you," Charlotte continued without heeding Papa's glare. "You don't see me wailing over my family. I'm glad to get away from them, quite honestly. I've stepped up in my life, leaving them behind."

Silently, I turned away and headed toward the stairs. Papa strode toward his office, leaving Joel and his wife in the hall.

"What?" Lottie's voice followed me. "I didn't say anything wrong, did I? What's wrong with the truth?"

I paused at the top of the stairs and looked down upon my sister-in-law. She turned her face up to me and stared blankly. Her lips compressed into a thin line of contempt.

"You have no heart," I shouted down at her. "No compassion. You are cruel and thoughtless."

Suddenly, Charlotte lifted her skirt and ran toward the stairs. Like a cyclone, she rushed toward me, her yellow curls bobbing against her shoulder. I drew back from the banister, frightened by the menace in her eyes.

Joel followed his wife quickly and, grabbing her arm, halted her. Lottie turned on him and tried to push him away. Overpowering her, he forced her to face him.

"Don't!" my brother barked harshly.

"Your sister insulted me for the last time," Charlotte stated, straining for release. "I will teach her a lesson she won't soon forget."

"You've insulted us since you arrived," I countered hotly. "I don't know who you think you are, and I've had enough of you. You're not taking over my life or my home. Got it?"

Charlotte continued to strain beneath Joel's firm grip. He spoke to her soothingly and finally drew her back down the stairs. I relaxed my stance and watched my brother escort his wife into the gardens. After an intermittent time, I turned toward the nursery and sat in the window seat.

Below, I could see Joel and Charlotte sitting on a stone bench. He held her hand tightly and whispered into her ear. Bending her head, she listened and nodded. They kissed, and I turned my head away. Looking back, I found Lottie glaring malevolently up at me over Joel's shoulder.

"Did Grayson get away all right?" Claudia Young asked. I hadn't noticed her standing in front of the bookshelves.

"Oh...yes," I answered absently. "Mr. Blanchard has him well in hand."

"I expect you'll miss him for a day or so," the governess sighed, "but things will fall back into their old routine."

"I guess so," I stated glumly. When I turned back to the window, Joel and Charlotte were gone.

"Miss Young?" I asked tentatively. When she acknowledged me, I continued, "How do you get along with someone who refuses to get along with you?"

"You don't," Claudia answered abruptly. She considered her response for a moment, then sat next to me. Grasping my hands, she looked deeply into my eyes. "It's difficult, child. Maybe you can break through. You can try, at least, but don't expect miracles."

"Oh." I sat back, deflated.

We sat together in companionable silence. Miss Young clasped my hand, and I focused on the garden below. A tear crept into my eye, and I dashed it away. Grayson's absence weighed heavily upon me. I did not know how I could face Joel and Charlotte without him.

I longed for a friendly relationship with my elder brother and his wife. However, Lottie repulsed me. Regardless of the situation or conversation, she always had a sharp rebuff for me. She wanted a superior position in the household and pushed me into the background.

"I understand you are concerned about Charlotte, Priscilla," Miss Young finally stated. "Perhaps she will settle down in time. Coming here is awkward for her. It's a new experience; perhaps she doesn't know how to handle it. Things will change after the baby arrives, I'm sure."

Patting my hand, the governess rose. She returned to the bookshelves and started stacking volumes in their proper places. I watched her and considered what she said. What was it like to enter a new household without knowing anyone? Soon, I would journey to Yorkshire to meet Spencer's family. Would they accept me or reject me?

Indeed, I wouldn't behave in the same way as Charlotte. I intended to enter the Wilkes-Porter family and act like I belonged with them. I wanted them to accept me and not create an instant disturbance.

"I sincerely hope so, Miss Young," I stated enthusiastically. "It's a long way to Yorkshire." I changed the subject quickly—pushing aside thoughts of Lottie's obnoxious behavior.

"Yes, it's quite a way away," Claudia answered, smiling in my direction. "It's a bit wild, as I recall. Remember 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte?"

"Oh, yes, indeed," I responded, pulling the novel from the shelves. "I read it to Mama a few months back. Surely Yorkshire isn't as bad as all that, is it?"

"Any place is what you make of it," Miss Young sighed. "Happiness will surround you wherever you go as long as you make it a happy place."

"I'm going to make Spencer a pleased man." I hugged the book against my chest and smiled in warm anticipation. "I wish he would come back, in any case. It feels as though he left ages ago."

"I am sure he will arrive any day now," Claudia assured me. "In the meantime, you have a wedding to prepare and that journey to meet his family. Perhaps he will send for you instead of coming back here."

"Yes, perhaps," I sighed, smiling to myself. I did not cherish the thought of introducing Spencer to Charlotte. If she spoke to him rudely, I would feel instantly embarrassed. I wished to avoid a potentially awkward scene.

Charlotte and Spencer would not mix well together, I decided. They were complete opposites from entirely different backgrounds. Returning to the window seat with my novel, I considered the gentle Viscount and the crude woman of the streets. The thought of their meeting put a great weight on my shoulders. I did not wish to get stuck in the middle in an attempt to accommodate both of them.

Replacing 'Wuthering Heights' on the bookshelf, I sat at the desk and took out a sheet of stationery embossed with the Everstow crest.

"My dearest Spencer," I wrote.

"I hope my letter finds you in good health. Please give my best regards to Benedick. Has his leg begun to heal properly? I include him in my nighttime prayers and consider him my new brother.

"Grayson departed for Oxford this morning. It was a sad farewell. I cannot think of a time in our lives when we have parted from each other. Even from my earliest days, I recall him close to my side. Indeed, as brother and sister, we are very close. I am not quite so close to my eldest brother, Joel, although we were all born relatively near to each other.

"Oh dear, I hate to say it, but there is a mix-up over the wedding plans. Mama is under the impression that I asked Charlotte to take the role of Matron of Honor. Although I assure her I did not intend her for the position, she is convinced I did. She does not understand that I asked my cousin, Dinah. It is quite a conundrum. I feel inadequate to the problem. Do you have any suggestions, my dearest? I do not wish to create a problem within the family, indeed.

"Charlotte is becoming more and more challenging to deal with. She is loud, rude, and pushes herself into my affairs constantly. Nevertheless, the other day, she joined me in the gardens, and we talked nicely about baby names. She asked me what I would name my first son; I told her Merriweather Spencer, naturally. Then she pressed for the name of my second son. I chose Jesse. I do hope you like the name Jesse. I do.

"Her niceness lasted only a short time. When Grayson departed this morning, she cut me down because I showed emotion. I challenged her, and she nearly attacked me. Joel prevented her at the last moment. I came upstairs and had a long talk with Miss Young. She spoke encouragingly, and I feel much better now. I was reasonably upset, in all honesty.

"I did wonder when you intended to return to Everstow. Miss Young suggested that instead of you traveling here, perhaps we should come up to you. It would save you the journey back and forth. If you tell us the nearest station, we will travel by rail.

I am looking forward to meeting your family and Benedick particularly. I wanted to get to know your sisters also. I am sure we will all get along famously.

"Please let me know, and Miss Young will make the arrangements. I miss you and long to spend lots of time in your company.

"Consider yourself kissed,

"Priscilla Everstow"

Folding the letter, I sealed it in an envelope and handed it to my governess. Miss Young assured me it would go in the next post.

"I'll take 'Wuthering Heights' along to Mama. Perhaps she'll want me to read it to her again," I stated, retrieving the novel. "She'll want me with her now that Grayson is gone. I know she'll miss him, and it's always lonely for her in her rooms. I'm sure she will look forward to my company."

I found Mama's door locked again when I arrived in the East Wing. Vigorously, I shook the handle. Jane appeared in the corridor with a grim expression etched across her face.

"Mrs. Charlotte is in there again," my mother's maid stated, wringing her hands in her apron.

"Oh dear," I responded, chest-fallen. I eyed the door suspiciously. "I thought I would read to her this afternoon."

"Would you come into my room, Miss Priscilla?" Jane asked tentatively. She had never requested my presence in her personal sanctum previously. I nodded and followed her into her apartment. Indicating a floral armchair, she invited me to sit down. "I'll make a pot of tea if you'd like."

When I nodded my acceptance, Miss Jane scuttled away and returned with a tea trolley. Sitting across from me on a sofa, she poured out and handed me a plate of shortbreads. We sipped our refreshments in silence.

"I am gravely concerned about your mother, Miss Priscilla," the maid finally confided. "Mrs. Charlotte is spending a great deal of time with her. When she eventually leaves, Lady Everstow is fatigued and irritated. It's all I can do to calm her.

"I believe she—Mrs. Charlotte, I mean—is heavily involved in your wedding plans," Jane continued briskly. "Lady Everstow awaits her arrival each day impatiently and hangs on to her every word. I'm afraid she—Mrs. Charlotte—is manipulating her mind in some way. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I'm suspicious nonetheless."

"I understand," I answered, reaching to press her hand beneath mine. "Miss Young and I are traveling to Yorkshire shortly. We are going to stay in Barnchester with the Viscount's family. I hope to solidify our plans with Spencer while I am there. Once they become a reality, Lottie cannot interfere, I'm sure."

The bell rang in Mama's room as I spoke. A look of relief crossed Jane's face, and she rushed to the door. Finding it unlocked, she entered and approached my mother quickly. Mama lay sprawled across her divan, her arm pressed over her eyes.

"Are you all right, Mama?" I asked, kneeling at her side and taking her hand. I kissed it lovingly.

"Yes, my little lamb, I'm all right," my mother responded, her pale lips lifting in a half-smile. "There is much to do and little time. I wish I were well enough to help more. However, I feel assured that the wedding plans are well in hand. I am very proud of you, Priscilla."

"Thank you, Mama," I answered demurely. A million sharp remarks flooded my mind, but I considered her frail health and restrained myself. I offered instead to read Emily Bronte's novel.