Had she been thinking things through properly Henrietta would have understood immediately why he'd stepped away from her, but in the moment all she felt was a sense of betrayal; she'd been intending to hide herself away and here he had not only failed to shelter her, but turned to greet her mother. Had she not been so caught up in figuring out what her mother was going to do after finding her in this predicament Henri might have been a little awed by his casual tone. It was like watching the younger students at Hogwarts out on the lawn prodding dangerous creatures in one of their classes, unaware that these things they thought were harmless had the potential to maim them in an instant. She'd seen it happen once. She didn't know the name of the creature — of course as a proper young woman she had not taken that class — but the girl had spent three days recovering in the hospital wing, and a month afterwards walking with a slight limp. Someone had said she couldn't waltz to this day because her feet weren't dexterous enough to manage it.
Mama looked at the young man for a long moment before turning her withering gaze on Henri (did she use the same withering gaze on the gentleman? Henri would never know for sure; he certainly did not seem to have withered). All she said was "Henrietta," but Henri understood all of the subtext in that word.
"I came out here on my own," she blurted — usually with Mama it was safer to say nothing, but this was different. Whether he knew it or not, the man was in danger — not physical danger like the students at Hogwarts, but a certain kind of danger. Mrs. Cartwright could destroy someone socially if she had cause to, and Henri had no doubt she would if she felt her daughter's reputation — and therefore her own reputation — was threatened. "I wasn't here with him, Mama."
Mama looked at the young man for a long moment before turning her withering gaze on Henri (did she use the same withering gaze on the gentleman? Henri would never know for sure; he certainly did not seem to have withered). All she said was "Henrietta," but Henri understood all of the subtext in that word.
"I came out here on my own," she blurted — usually with Mama it was safer to say nothing, but this was different. Whether he knew it or not, the man was in danger — not physical danger like the students at Hogwarts, but a certain kind of danger. Mrs. Cartwright could destroy someone socially if she had cause to, and Henri had no doubt she would if she felt her daughter's reputation — and therefore her own reputation — was threatened. "I wasn't here with him, Mama."
