Once Anthony had dismissed both Fletcher and Miss Meyer, Kenneth put down the book he was reading and asked, “Poor Miss Meyer. Are you really going to sit in for Lady Cecilia’s lessons? I thought you were always busy.”
“What else can I do?” Anthony shrugged, “Engaging a new governess apparently isn’t an option at this point. So I shall have to make do with the hand that Providence has dealt me.”
“Oh, speaking of hands, since we still have a few hours until luncheon, how about some cards?” smirked Colin. “I wonder if either of you will finally be able to best me in a round of Commerce.”
* * *
“And so Athens emerged as a dominant world power.”
It was taking all of Meredith’s strength to conduct the lesson. Not only was she suffering from a lack of sleep, but also from a lack of preparation.
Of course, the one day that I haven’t prepared a lesson in advance is the one day that His Grace decides to sit in.
After the meeting in the Duke’s office, Meredith had grabbed as many books on Greek history as she could and hurried into her room. She had read the books and planned the lesson even while chewing her luncheon. And now she had to prove herself.
Presently, His Grace was sitting at the other end of the library, quietly observing everything. Meredith had unintentionally made eye contact with him several times already, and it only served to make her more nervous.
I must focus! Yes, I must focus on Lady Cecilia. I shall pretend as though he is not here!
“As you probably know, Athens was named after the Goddess Athena. Would you care to guess what she was the goddess of, Lady Cecilia?”
“Was she the goddess of beauty, Miss Meyer?”
“No, but that is a good guess, Lady Cecilia. She was the goddess of wisdom, war, and civilization.”
She paused to allow Lady Cecilia to write this information down in her notebook. The rest of the lesson proceeded uneventfully and quite well in spite of the less than favorable circumstances.
“That brings an end to our lesson for today. Do you have any questions or points that require further clarification, Lady Cecilia?”
“No, Miss Meyer.”
Both His Grace and Lady Cecilia rose from their seats.
With a courteous smile, His Grace said, “Thank you, Miss Meyer, it was an enjoyable lesson.”
Before Meredith could respond Lady Cecilia excitedly interjected, “Brother, may I now go into the garden with Miss Meyer?”
“Er, of course, Cecilia. Yes, make the most of this splendid whether April weather.”
* * *
“Oh, you’re back! How was the lesson?”
With a shrug, Anthony replied, “It was adequate. Miss Meyer seems familiar enough with the material. However, I still cannot see what Fletcher saw in her.”
“Right. Well, maybe Fletcher saw that,” said Colin, as he gestured towards the study window. Looking through it, Anthony was greeted with a warm scene.
Cecilia seemed to be giggling at whatever it was that Miss Meyer was saying, whilst Philippa poured orange juice from a pitcher—even she seemed unable to restrain herself from laughing.
Grimly, Anthony commented, “I don’t think Cecilia has ever smiled like that around me. Do you think I frighten her?”
Hearing this, Kenneth and Colin exchanged glances before joining him by the window. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Kenneth reassured him, “Not at all, Tony. Perhaps she is merely shy. Might I point out that you, yourself, also struggle to smile around her. But don’t fret! With some effort, all of that can change.”
“Why don’t we join them?” suggested Colin. “Let’s find out what it is that Miss Meyer is saying to make Lady Cecilia giggle so.”
With that, the three men made their way towards the garden. As they rounded the corner and approached the table, Anthony noticed that the laughter died down almost immediately.
Maybe we shouldn’t have interrupted them.
