“It’s not just that I’m young, but about how my other sisters would respond to that. Some of them have been here for decades. Shouldn’t someone more senior take the position?” She thought about any possibility other than Agnes. “What about Sister Judith? She just oversaw our gym renovation, and⁠—”

“Sister Judith’s gifts lie elsewhere,” Gertrude interrupted. “As, I believe, do her interests. Trust me, I share some of your concerns. I’ve given this a lot of thought, and Sister Catherine and I have been in conversation for several weeks now.”

Becoming the Superior. That also meant becoming the principal. Madeleine wasn’t eager to step out of the classroom—few joys rivaled those of encouraging young minds to broaden. She also took shameful pride in being kinder than her own teachers had been in Catholic school decades ago. Unlike the nuns of her youth, she’d never once thrown an eraser, slapped a student’s palm with a ruler, or made anybody stand in a trash can for asking a silly question.

On the other hand, it was no secret that Sacred Heart was ready for a few changes. Madeleine had ideas, visions that could now become plans. And it would keep both the school and convent out of Agnes’s hands. The list of the convent’s banned books wouldn’t expand, and students wouldn’t need to worry about detention if their uniform skirts were a centimeter too short.

“She’s thinking about it, Catherine,” Mother Gertrude said cheerfully.

“So I see, Reverend Mother.”

Might as well put it on the table. “Does Sister Agnes know about this?”

Both Gertrude and Catherine shook their heads. Catherine asked, “Are you afraid of her?”

Madeleine sat up straight, her eyes widening. The idea! “Not even a little, but I don’t want to cause dissent in a community I⁠—”

Don’t belong in. The words popped into her mind so suddenly that she nearly gasped.

“L-love,” she stammered.

“Of course you don’t,” Gertrude said. “This isn’t a popularity contest, but a question of what we want the future of our order to look like. And your generation is the future. In this respect, your youth is an asset.”

Madeleine bowed her head in acknowledgment, even as her heart continued to race like a horse straining at the bit.

“And it’s not only about loving the community,” Catherine added. “Remember why we signed up for this life in the first place.” She pointed at the nearest crucifix. “Our love for him, so great we could never devote ourselves to anything or anyone else. Let your love for him guide all your decisions, and you can never go wrong.”

Madeleine started as a new light glowed in Catherine’s eyes—not something she was used to seeing from her serious Superior. Catherine’s voice was full of sincerity that might as well have been a punch to Madeleine’s gut.