Forbes Has Nothing on Evangelina

Madam Sawyer's outburst echoed in the drawing room as she hastily exited, her departure as dramatic as her proclamation. "Be that as it may, Miss Forbes, but hurling such blasphemous accusations like a vengeful child will only lead you to the gallows!" she had cried in a final farewell, her plump figure disappearing through the door as if fleeing from imminent danger.

Left alone, Evangelina Forbes watched the door swing shut, her expression a mix of resignation and subtle pride. Another governess had departed in fear, a reaction Evangelina was becoming all too familiar with. Despite understanding the consequences, she couldn't suppress a sense of satisfaction. The widespread belief in what she saw as a fairy tale - a divine entity ruling and judging at whim - was something Evangelina couldn't fathom. Why more people didn't question this narrative was beyond her.

She reflected on this, her hands clasped in her lap, while wrestling with a tinge of guilt. Perhaps Madam Sawyer, with her fragile faith, had relied on these beliefs more than Evangelina had realized.

Being born at the dawn of a new century was a significant legacy, and Evangelina had embraced it with a sense of duty and pride. She acknowledged, however, that her staunch disbelief in God, while firm, could be conveyed with more tact and empathy.

The door to the drawing room creaked open, pulling her from her thoughts. Evangelina instinctively straightened, preparing to face another potential confrontation. A middle-aged man entered, his composed demeanour and stiff upper lip immediately signalling his resolve.

"Evangelina, we discussed this... I thought we had reached an understanding?" The words of her father were tinged with a mix of desperation and exasperation, as Evangelina averted her gaze from his disappointed eyes.

"I'm sorry, Father..." she murmured, her heart heavy with regret. She despised seeing him distressed; he was a gentle soul, easily wounded by the harshness of the world. While she remembered well their agreement, Madam Sawyer's absurd proclamations had momentarily clouded her judgment.

"The social season begins in less than two weeks, my dear; how am I to find you a new governess in such short notice?" Her father's voice broke through her thoughts as he settled into the chair recently vacated by the madame. Unlike his predecessor, he seemed almost weightless, the chair emitting barely a whisper under his frail form.

Evangelina's gaze lingered on her father, Viscount Auberon Ulysses Forbes, now a shadow of the man he once was. Her heart ached with pity for him. He had been nothing but kind and supportive, never overbearing or demanding, always offering her love and the freedoms she cherished. In return, he asked for so little - only that she recognize the privilege of her position and the responsibilities that came with it. This was a weight she bore with dignity, perhaps explaining her disdain for those like Madam Sawyer, who placed undue importance on societal status.

Suppressing the surge of anger within her, Evangelina focused on how she might repay her father's unwavering affection. He appeared so small and defeated in the oversized chair.

"Papa," she began softly, but her words seemed to drift past him, lost in his own thoughts. Rising from her seat, she approached him carefully. He was so deep in contemplation that he scarcely noticed her presence, even as she stood right before him. Gently, she knelt, taking his hands in hers, seeking to bridge the distance that his preoccupation had created.

"Papa, I want to express my gratitude for the eighteen years of care and love you've provided. Your affection will not go unnoticed. I promise to make you proud at my debut before the king," Evangelina declared, capturing her father's gaze with a resolve that masked her inner turmoil. She could no longer allow her actions to weigh upon him, vowing to shoulder the responsibility herself if he, or any governess, would not.