Page 49 of Payback

“Look in the mirror, Charlotte,” said Blake. “You might see the real culprit within your blinkers.”

“Ten-fold!” she stormed out of the dining room with her ponytail flying.

I rested my chin in my hand and sighed. Would Charlotte’s brother change his mind about implicating Philippe or would the prison beating serve as ample warning not to involve Rudolph or his assistant?

Chapter 14

The next morning, as we walked through the dining room’s double doors, Rita sat straighter in her seat and raised her hand in a wave. Warmth spread through my chest. Ever since I had moved out of our shared room, we hadn’t had a chance to chat. She spent most of her time in Hawthorne House with her boyfriend, and I had my hands full with all the drama unfolding in my life. With a smile, I waved back and turned to Henry. “I think Rita wants to tell me something.”

“I’ll come with you,” he replied.

“No need,” I said, “Unless there’s another entrance to the dining hall I haven’t noticed.”

“The kitchens,” said Blake and Henry at the same time.

“Ah.” I looped my arm around Henry’s bicep. “Then we’ll go together.”

As Blake took his seat at the middle table set up with special china and silverware, Henry and I continued across the room. A few people, mostly those who had been at the gauntlet, raised their heads to stare but didn’t comment. I kept my gaze off them and continued toward the table Rita shared with the other scholarship students.

“Emilia?” Alice beckoned me over as I passed. She sat opposite Duncan, who had his usual pile of papers next to his plate. Excitement filled her face, and she bounced on her seat. Whatever she was about to share would be good.

As soon as I paused, Alice blurted out, “Did you hear? The Port of London Authority has shut down the boat company because of Charlotte’s booze cruise.”

I frowned. “Don’t tell me they’re getting the blame for the doctored cocktails?”

“A few of the parents have decided to go after the company since it had a duty of care to their passengers to provide potable drinks.”

“Oh, no.” I turned to Henry.

“Do the parents know what really happened?” he asked.

“It’s hearsay.” Duncan shrugged. “Charlotte’s denying everything, of course. No one actually saw her do it. Now, she’s telling everyone that someone else named Philippe organized the cruise and absconded with the money.”

Irritation flared through my insides. An entire company with boats and employees and other obligations would have to close down because Charlotte couldn’t admit the truth. She could even have blamed the poisoning on Philippe to protect the innocent company, but she chose to let an innocent party get the blame. Someone in a nearby table snorted with laughter, adding to my foul mood. It just reminded me of Charlotte not taking what she had done to the girls, and now the boat company, seriously.

Pursing my lips, I tamped down the anger simmering in my belly. It looked like Charlotte would get away with drugging all those girls the same way she got away with leading me into that trap.

“Thanks for letting me know.” My words came out strained. “I hope the doctored cocktail didn’t interfere with your course of antibiotics.”

Alice let out a weary sigh. “I’m fine. It’s just so unfair that the most she’s suffering is a mild snubbing. By next year, everyone but the affected girls would have forgotten about the booze cruise, and she’ll think of another way to regain her popularity.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I said before heading over to Rita’s table. There wasn’t much else to say with people at the surrounding tables eavesdropping. “See you later.”

Rita sat with the usual group of scholarship students. She stood and met me halfway. Her gaze darted to Henry, but the sight of him at my side didn’t change her pleasant expression. I suppose his easy-going personality made him the least threatening of the triumvirate.

I walked around and wrapped my arms around her narrow shoulders. “Hey, Rita. It’s been so long.”

Her hug was a tight squeeze of the arms and not the usual relaxed embrace. I drew back and stared into huge, deep brown eyes ringed with dark circles. Two lines appeared between her brows, and tension tightened her features.

“What’s wrong?” I whispered.

Rita gulped. “I heard some noises outside last night and looked out of the window. At first, I thought it might have been someone from Hawthorne House, but I saw a large man prowling around the building, trying to force his way in.”

My stomach dropped. “Do you think it might have been—”

“I don’t know,” she blurted as if the word Carbuncle was too horrific to hear. “But I called campus security, and four officers came right away. They stayed for ages with dogs and torches. Then the dogs led two of the handlers away toward the back of the building.”

“In the direction of his lodge,” said Henry.