Gabriel froze. The last thing he’d expected when agreeing to tutor a boy in a new home was to discover that his sister was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes upon.
Her hair was nearly black and her eyes a hazel green. She had the sweetest, heart-shaped face and an elegant neck that she held with exquisite poise. Although she had a resemblance to her two brothers, Gabriel sensed her delicate femininity and also the way she seemed both independent and bashful, a lovely blend of the two.
He caught himself before her brother could notice his pause and the fact that he was staring at her with interest. The worst thing he could possibly do now was lose his new position because he was too obvious about his interest concerning the sister of his new employer.
As far as he was aware, she was the only female in the family. Everything he had learned had prepared him for two brothers and one sister, but no one had told him that she was undeniably lovely.
“Katherine, this is Mr Whitman. Mr Whitman, this is my sister, Lady Katherine Montague,” said Lord Richard Montague, the Earl of Courtshire.
Gabriel smiled at Lord Courtshire and then turned back to Lady Montague and gave another small bow of his head.
“It is very nice to meet you, Lady Montague,” he said, adding another bow simply because he forgot that he had already done so. When he remembered, his cheeks burned with embarrassment, but Lady Montague smiled at him and did not laugh or say anything to embarrass him.
“And you, Mr Whitman,” she replied. “I have heard great things about you, and I am certain that you will be very good for my brother.”
“Very well. Katherine, please leave us so that we may discuss Henry’s education,” Lord Courtshire said, ushering her out the door with a look and an impatient tone that would have told anyone they must leave before they were in trouble. She seemed to understand, and she made her way out the door quietly.
Gabriel saw that there was another young woman trying to sneak a glance in the room and the moment Lady Montague was out the door, the other whispered something and giggled. But Gabriel could not give them his attention for long. Although he had never anticipated that he might work in the home of such a beautiful young woman, he also realised it was pointless to notice her. He had too many other things to concentrate on now that he had been given this duty.
He returned his attention to Lord Courtshire, sitting across from him once more. Next to him, the younger Lord Montague, a boy of fourteen, shifted in his seat. He didn’t appear to be particularly pleased about this new situation and Gabriel couldn’t blame him. It was obvious that he didn’t enjoy schooling very much and Gabriel felt sorry for him that his older brother had such obviously high standards.
“Now, Mr Whitman, I am aware that you have a rather extensive reputation and I have heard that you are highly impressive for a man of your age, but I find that I am still surprised by your youth. Do you truly believe that you are equipped for handling my brother? He is fourteen years of age and you scarcely appear much older,” Lord Courtshire said, adding a laugh at the end.
Gabriel smiled, used to this question.
“Indeed, my lord, I am well equipped. I can also assure you that I am older than your brother by nearly a decade. Although many consider that young for teaching someone of your brother’s station. I am well-read and well-studied. I know a great deal about all of the important subjects, and I have been tutoring nobility for the past four years,” he said.
“That is very shocking, I must admit. Tell me, what do you enjoy teaching the most?” Lord Courtshire asked. It seemed to Gabriel that he had a long list of questions that he had memorised in order to try and trick Gabriel or otherwise get him to make a mistake. This was a clever means of weeding out any potentially diabolical tutors who would not do well for his brother or for the family as a whole.
“Latin is one of my favourite subjects. I also enjoy mathematics and history,” he said.
“Excellent. Henry is not overly fond of his studies. How do you handle children who may be somewhat resistant to learning?” Lord Courtshire asked.
Gabriel looked at Lord Montague for a moment and saw that he appeared rather embarrassed by this assessment from his brother. It was clear that he didn’t appreciate being considered lazy, which was the undertone of what Lord Courtshire had said. Nevertheless, Gabriel was determined to do his best and give the young Lord Montague more understanding than that.
“I believe that when a young man—for I would not necessarily consider him a child—is uninterested in a topic, there are ways of helping him to learn it regardless. Indeed, I understand that it is difficult to put forth the effort to engage in a subject which one finds tedious, but oftentimes what we must do is look away from the books and engage in a more practical application,” he said.
“How so?” Lord Courtshire asked, looking unconvinced.
Gabriel wanted this position. He needed it. He couldn’t risk coming across as unimpressive or wanting in any way. Whatever he said, it had to ensure that he could gain Lord Courtshire’s trust and be given the opportunity to work for the substantial fee he would be able to collect in order to provide for his family.
With that in mind, he straightened his back once more and continued.
“It is rather simple,” he said. “Instead of sitting him with paper and quill to figure out equations of spacing, we go into the garden take our paces so that he may visualize it. Likewise, rather than merely reading in Latin, we will first have a conversation and then read a section, then continue to discuss the passage once more in Latin. I find that when a student is able to articulate their own thoughts and opinions in another language, they are far more interested than when they are simply repeating the words of another.”
For a long moment, Lord Courtshire stared at him with a blank expression. Then, at last, he cracked a smile and gave his approval.
“Well, I suppose that is quite a strategy. I think even Henry might be willing to try that. And you do come with great recommendations from gentlemen I respect, so you have that in your favour. Tell me, are you willing to come five days each week? I was under the impression that you have just seen Lord Sellers’ son off to university and you are now completely available,” Lord Courtshire said.
“Indeed, my lord. I am available at the moment,” he replied.
“Excellent. In that case, I would like for you to begin right away,” he said.
“As you wish. And if there is anything you need aside from the references I have provided, I would be more than happy to procure them for you,” Gabriel said.
“The only other question I have is regarding your own education. How did you come by such vast knowledge at such a young age?” Lord Courtshire asked.
“My father was a professor at Oxford before he passed away. He began to instruct me when I was very young and I always enjoyed learning,” he explained.
“I see. So, you had an Oxford education without attending the university?” he asked.
“Precisely. Many of the professors are still mentors of mine. Through them, I learned every subject one might come across, from trade business to Greek,” he said.
“That is fascinating. It would seem that you know your craft well and I am encouraged by that. I would like to see you teaching my brother all of these things and I trust that, in due time, he shall be as clever as you are,” Lord Courtshire said.
“That is my goal with all the young men that I tutor,” Gabriel said.
“And that is all I needed to hear. Now, if you please, I believe that you and my brother ought to spend some time together,” he said.
Gabriel was relieved to finally do so, feeling eager to actually sit down and learn not what Lord Courtshire expected from him, but what Henry was hoping for. It was clear that the boy needed more than just the demands of his elder brother, but that he needed someone who might be willing to listen to him and learn what he actually enjoyed.
Regardless of what was expected of Gabriel, he was simply relieved to have this opportunity for work. He needed to be able to provide for his mother and sister and this was an ideal opportunity for that. Although he was concerned that he might not be able to keep a man such as Lord Courtshire satisfied with his work, Gabriel knew he had to try.
“Very well, Lord Montague. Now it is time for us to discuss what you wish to learn most and how we might be able to cover all the subjects in a way that you enjoy,” he said.
“You may call me Henry. And you say it as though I have a choice in the matter. Surely you could see that my brother is the one insistent upon my learning,” he said.
Gabriel smiled in understanding. It was clear that Henry really didn’t have much interest in any of this, but Gabriel knew his duties.
“Regardless of how you feel in the matter, I am going to teach you and I am going to do so in a way that you enjoy. It is not impossible to learn, Henry. You only need to take your time to understand,” he said.
“You should teach Kittie,” Henry muttered.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Kittie. My sister. She is the intelligent one. I promise I shall do my best to learn from you, but I am not the clever one. She is,” Henry said.
Gabriel tried not to show how intrigued he was by the idea. He didn’t wish to get into any trouble, but there was a part of him that could not help but wonder about Lady Katherine Montague.
Was she really as clever as Henry said? Would Gabriel have a chance to meet her again?