Page 71 of The Best of Friends
“No. You are an inferior substitute for the good people who will always be both the heart and head of our family. Our parents cared about more than themselves. They were kind and selfless. And they would be ashamed of the person you have become.”
“How d—”
“I know. How dare I? Well, it is about time I dared quite a few things.”Exhausted but not defeated.“I have done everything possible to keep the peace since you dragged me here. I have made every sacrifice, all while you have declared it not enough. I am done expecting you to change, to choose to be reasonable, to choose to be the kind of brother you ought to be. I give up.”
The smallest bit of uncertainty pulled at Laurence’s angry features. “If you are considering making trouble, remember that I control your income and the roof over your head. Without me, you would be destitute.”
“You demand too steep a price.” An unexpected calm swept over Toss. He released the tension in his lungs without so much as a hint of a sigh. “I am no longer going to pay it. I’ll pack what belongings I have, and I will be gone by morning.” He began climbing the stairs.
“And where will you go?” Laurence asked.
Toss paused long enough to answer. “Wherever I want... within reason.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
Daria arose with a lighterheart than she’d had in weeks. The musicale had gone swimmingly. All her plans had proven a success. And Toss—dear, darling, Toss—had very nearly kissed her, she was certain of it.
Her heart had jumped about behind her ribs. If not for her brother hovering nearby, Toss might have actually kissed her. Perhaps the next time they were together, he would.
It was in this happy mood, having broken her fast and dressed for the day, that she unintentionally crossed paths with her parents. All the Huntresses were gathering at Miss Martinette’s dress shop in an hour, and she’d planned to simply go directly there without interruption.
Her parents waved her into the sitting room as she passed the door. Such encounters usually rendered her rather nervous. She felt more confident now. She’d done all they’d asked of her, all they’d required of her in regard to the musicale. She had shown herself useful and had given them reason to continue living among them.
“Your father has remembered a complication we hadn’t thought of,” Mother said without preamble. “As you are to be away from home this morning, it would make sense foryouto see to the matter.”
They were trusting her with an errand. A surge of pride swelled in her chest. She’d proven herself to them. More to the point, she had proven herselfto herself.
“What is needed?” she asked, holding herself with the poise she’d been attempting to show since her earliest days as a Huntress.
“You do not have a suitable coat for Anglesey,” Mother said. “The weather is wetter than in Yorkshire.”
Anglesey? Her lungs froze. “Why would I need a coat suitable for Anglesey?”
“If you would like to be cold whilst you are there, that is certainly your prerogative,” Father muttered. “And a fitting bit of inanity.”
“I was only to go to Anglesey if the musicale I planned and executed was a failure,” she said. “That was our agreement.”
“That was never agreed to.” Mother spoke firmly.
“It was though.”
“I told you I wouldconsiderit. Your little evening was pleasant enough but nothing I couldn’t manage without you.”
She shook her head. “It was declared a success by everyone present.” Panic began to fill the cracks quickly piercing her confidence.
“Your removal to Anglesey is a settled matter,” Father said. “Your great-aunt is expecting you, and we have delayed your departure longer than we ought.”
We cannot continue to delay.Father had said that in the moments before Daria had introduced Mr. Layton to her parents. Had he been speaking, not about leaving her in Yorkshire as she’d assumed at the time but about sending her to Anglesey?
“Where is Tobias?” Worry tightened her words. “He was present when we spoke of me planning events for years to come; he will corroborate what I’m saying.”
“You cannot be forever demanding Tobias’s time and attention,” Mother said. “He is making such inroads with the fashionable young gentlemen just now. His efforts must be focused there.”
“Iam the one who introduced him to those fashionable young gentlemen. Surely he would not begrudge me a moment of conversation.”
Father’s mouth pulled tight, and he shook his head in quick, jerking movements. “You are growing alarmingly high in the instep, girl. The young Mrs. Jonquil may have given you space in her circle, but that does not mean you claim her level of importance.”
“I have never said that I did.”
