'Uh - morning?' I greeted with uncertainty.

'Why aren't you in class, young lady?' the man asked.

'I was just on my way -'

'May I have a moment with this girl?' Madame Courtenay asked him sweetly. 'I would like very much to have the opinion of a student regarding our plans.'

'Of course. This classroom looks to be free...' He motioned to a nearby door.

'Ten minutes should do,' she told him.

As soon as I was inside the room, she shut him out, and motioned through the glass that he ought to find some other employment for his time. I had a funny feeling that she wasn't pleased to see me. I'd not exactly left her house on good terms at Christmas. I thought if my mother had been with us, then she could smooth things over or endure whatever punishment I was about to receive. I had slapped Will, after all. I couldn't imagine that his great-aunt was too thrilled about that.

She also took a disturbing amount of interest in his life, what he was doing, and with whom he was doing it.

'It's nice to see you again,' I lied.

'You must know why I'm here,' she said.

'Acoustics?'

Madame Courtenay bristled. 'No. That is just an excuse to come here with Mrs Darcy.'

'Well, I haven't seen Wyatt in weeks, so -'

'Do not speak to me of that boy,' she snapped. 'I can do well without his simpering today. No, it is you that I came here to see.'

I blinked. 'What?'

'It is pardon, you ignorant child. Oh, when I think that I allowed a creature such as you into my house - anyway - that is not the reason I have come here. I need you to confirm or deny some terrible news that has reached me.'

'Is it that I snogged Freddie?' I asked. I knew it would annoy her. I wanted it to annoy her. She was wasting my time and the sooner I chased her off, the better.

'I shall be blunt,' she said, her eye twitching at the effort it took to maintain a mildly civil tone. Emphasis on the mildly. I wasn't sure that Madame Courtenay had attempted anything close to civility with anyone she deemed inferior to her in her entire life. 'I heard a rumour that, while in Italy, you came to an understanding with my dear William.'

'A what?'

'That you are dating him, you foolish girl! I couldn't believe that he would throw himself away on an impoverished girl like you. I had to come immediately to this place to make sure it was a lie.'

'If you couldn't believe it, then it makes me wonder what the point was in you coming here,' I said.

'I wanted to look into your eyes as you denied it. There's no way it could be true!'

'Even if the rumour existed in the first place, which I don't believe,' I added, 'then by coming here, doesn't it make it look like you think it's true?'

'Even if it existed?!' she bellowed. 'It's clearly something that you started! No doubt you are trying to make it appear as if you have enough standing in society to catch his eye. Make no mistake, you are so insignificant to that boy, that he would never look your way!'

'Okay. If that's how you feel,' I said with an off-handed shrug.

'Then deny it!'

'Why?' I almost laughed. 'This is so stupid. You just said he wouldn't even look at me, so that should be enough for you.'

'You might have seduced him with your flirtations. Oh, yes, I know what you common girls are capable of. Dressing and acting in a way unsuitable to the fairer sex. Just as you led Freddie into throwing his time and money away on you, you must have done the same to William!'

It was my turn to get annoyed. Okay, so I had flirted with Freddie, but it was all in good fun. He knew that. It wasn't like we were in love or about to go skipping through meadows holding hands or anything. That was just a brief holiday fling. It was over the minute Will punched him in the face in the club. And I hadn't acted like a complete tart to win him over. Besides, that kind of thing wouldn't work on Will, even if I had wanted to seduce him.

Which I hadn't.

Not at the time, anyway.

'Even if any of that was true, what makes you think I'd tell you?'

'Do you know who I am?!'

I didn't think people actually used that line in real life.

'Yes. And even if you think you have a right to know Will's business, you don't have a right to know mine.'

'Understand this,' she said haughtily and jabbed her finger into my chest, 'whatever you might want with William can never come to pass. He is going to be with Cosette. There! What can you say to that?'

'Then, if he feels the same, you have nothing to worry about.'

She hesitated and admitted, 'He hasn't agreed to the match, yet. But it can only be a matter of time. It would have happened much faster, I am sure, if you hadn't put yourself before him.'

'You can't hold me accountable for his choices. He has a brain, you know?'

'Should he choose you, of all the girls available to him, then you would both be despised by all of us. Yes, even his mother, I am sure! You have no status, no money, and don't think news of your exploits in Rome hasn't reached me. I know it all! Your friend running off with that disgraceful teacher, and the spectacle you made of yourself trying to find her. Not to mention, the shame of forcing poor Amanda to reveal the scandals he brought upon their family. Do you know how much time and effort we put into protecting her, only for you to come in and ruin her reputation!'

I didn't for one moment think Amanda blamed me for her reputation. She'd made her choices when she'd been with Gideon, and again when she'd decided to come clean about his conduct in the name of seeing him punished. I thought better of her than to believe she'd tell anyone that it had all been my fault. I squared up to Madame Courtenay and asked, 'Do you really think that telling me you'd hate me would change anything at all? Your opinion means nothing to me.'

'I will not be spoken to in such a manner!' she declared. 'And I will have what I want! You are never to make a match with him. I will not leave here disappointed! Do you hear me?'

'I hear you, but I don't care. If Will did decide that he wanted to be with me, then I wouldn't do anything to stop him. I trust him to do whatever makes him happy, and that's all anyone should want for him. His happiness.'

'Don't interrupt! I will not have our families ruined because of a money grabbing little girl! If you had any sense at all, you wouldn't want to climb out of the gutter of society. You should stay where you were brought up, as should we!'

'I am your equal!' I shouted at her. 'Just because you have money and a big house, it doesn't make you better than me. As far as basic human decency goes, you're the one in the gutter!'

'Say it!' she demanded. 'Are you in a relationship with him?!'

'No!'

She seemed somewhat pleased by my declaration. Madame Courtenay smoothed down her coat and raised her head with pride. She asked, 'And will you agree to never be with him in such a way?'

'No,' I repeated in a snarl. 'And I think you should leave. I'm late for class and I have nothing else to say to you.'

'It is not for you to dismiss me!'

The door opened to reveal another familiar face. Mrs Darcy smiled in mock politeness at Madame Courtenay and suggested, 'Perhaps I ought to be the one to do that?'

'Ah, my dear Harriet,' Madame Courtenay greeted her in such a simpering tone that it would have put Wyatt to shame. 'I was wondering where you were.'

'I doubt that.'

'Are we due in a meeting? I was just asking this girl what she thought about -'

'I heard what you were saying,' Mrs Darcy told her. 'And I think you've done enough talking for one day. Go to the office. I'll be with you shortly.'

Madame Courtenay spared me a scowl before she left. She was like a yapping dog. All aggression in the face of someone she thought too small to defend themselves, only to turn into a cowering wreck in the face of her master. I'd shared dinner with Mrs Darcy, and I hadn't thought she was as up her own arse as some people with her station. It was difficult to get a measure of a person in just one night, but I trusted my gut instinct. If I had been dating her son, then she wouldn't have had the same issues with the match as Madame Courtenay.

'Are you here for the acoustics, too?' I asked.

'I have to say, they're impressive in this room. That was some beautiful shouting. It carried all the way down the corridor.'

'Well, she deserved it,' I retorted.

'I'm in complete agreement. Amanda told me to pass on her best wishes for you, should I see you while I was here. I'm glad I got the chance to bump into you.'

'How is she?' I asked.

'It's difficult to bring up the past, but she knows it's for the best. I think it's a weight off her shoulders, to tell the truth. Charlie's parents are still in Switzerland. They asked me to escort their children back to school,' Mrs Darcy explained. 'Things will be busy for a while with court dates and other legal proceedings. I'm not sure when I'll be able to pop by again.'

'Can you thank Amanda for us?' I asked. 'I know Lisa will sleep better knowing that Gideon's getting what's due to him. And thanks for bringing Charlie back. I know Jenny appreciates it. If that's okay with you, I mean. And his parents.'

'It's not for us to decide what makes our children happy.' She winked conspiratorially. 'Any of them.'

I got the message from her, even if I wasn't getting it from him.

Will wasn't back, and he hadn't asked me out again. After the way I'd rebuffed him before, I didn't expect that he ever would take the risk of announcing any feelings he may or may not have. If nothing else, I hoped that we might be friends after everything that we'd been through. It wasn't what I genuinely wanted, but it was better than not having in my life at all.

Still, it was a relief to know that no matter came of our acquaintance, his mother wouldn't get in the way.

'Can you tell Will something for me?' I asked.

'Anything.'

I weighed my words carefully. If I said too little, then he'd think that I was indifferent to him. Too much, and he might reject me and break my heart. 'Tell him - uh - tell him that he's a good friend. For Italy, and everything.'

'Is that all?'

I nodded. 'It's all he needs to hear.'

'Are you sure?'

No.

'Yes,' I lied. 'I'm sure.'