Murder Has No Class Read Online Free PDF Page B

soul.”
    “Of course. I promise.” Meredith settled herself in a more comfortable position. “Now tell me what happened.”
    For a long moment Felicity sat in silence, until Meredith began to fear she had changed her mind after all.
    The room grew quiet and still as they sat in the flickering shadows of the oil lamp, making Meredith nervous once more. She glanced over to the corner of the room, half expecting to see the red mist, but then Felicity stirred and sighed.
    “Remember I told you I was the only girl in the family, and that I had four older brothers?”
    “Yes.” There was something in the teacher’s voice that made Meredith begin to wish she hadn’t been so hasty in broaching the subject. Feeling guilty, she murmured, “You don’t have to tell me if it would upset you to do so.”
    “No, I want to.” Felicity puffed out a breath that seemed to shudder as it passed her lips. “It’s just that I have kept the memories shuttered for so long, I had forgotten how painful they could be.”
    “I’m sorry, I—”
    As if afraid she might falter, Felicity cut her off. “My father . . . was a despicable monster. He idolized the boys, but made use of me. He did some awful things to me that . . .”
    Her voice trailed off, and Meredith let out a cry of distress. “My dear, I’m so sorry. Let’s not talk of it anymore. I understand now. I should never—”
    “No, there’s more.” Felicity laid a hand briefly on her arm. “My brothers knew what was going on and never lifted a hand to help me. In fact, they treated it all as a joke, as if I were a toy to be played with and tossed aside.”
    Horrified and shaken to the core, Meredith fought back tears. With all her heart she wished she’d listened to her instincts and never asked her friend about her past. Before she could speak, however, Felicity spoke again.
    “You know I came to Bellehaven as a pupil years ago.”
    “Yes, I remember. You mentioned it when I hired you.”
    “I loved my time here as a student. It was the first time I felt safe, surrounded by females and not a male in sight. Well, except for the maintenance staff and I rarely saw them.”
    “You were a good student by all accounts.”
    Felicity’s smile was sad. “I devoured everything I was taught, but I loved literature and languages more than anything. The books allowed me to escape into another world, and the ability to speak in another language gave me a sense of power somehow. As if I could say what I wanted without fear of being punished for it.”
    “And then you had to leave.”
    “Yes.” Felicity’s face grew bitter once more. “When I returned to my home, there was someone waiting for me. My father had chosen who he considered to be a suitable husband for me.” She shuddered. “He was repulsive, Meredith. Older than my father, fat as a pig and he stank of sweat and cigars.”
    “Oh, my dear. How utterly awful.”
    “I simply refused to have anything to do with the man. My father told me if I didn’t marry the man he’d chosen for me, then I was to leave his house and never come back. He said I was a disgrace to the family and they wanted nothing more to do with me.”
    Meredith gasped. “How dreadful. What about your mother? Couldn’t she intervene?”
    Felicity made a sound of disgust. “She was terrified of my father. She stood by and never uttered a word. I swore from that day on that I would have nothing more to do with a man. Any man. I spent the next five years in service, and every miserable year of it strengthened my vow. I will never give a man power over me again.”
    “Not all men are that evil.”
    Felicity sighed. “They are all capable of evil. Look at your ghost. Obviously you sense evil surrounding him.”
    “I sensed anger. It’s not the same thing.”
    “Well, how fortunate was the day when I came back to visit my tutor and found you instead.”
    “I often wondered why you had wasted so many years in service when you were so well