Gabriel smiled brightly as he knocked at the door of the Earl’s house. He was glad to be back again, ready for another lesson and another chance to show Henry that education did not have to be boring, that there were aspects that constituted an adventure. Certainly, it would take time before Henry would come around completely, but Gabriel was glad to see that he had already begun to do so in the past four days of lessons.
When the door opened, the maid was in a better mood than usual and she welcomed him inside without trying to hush her voice. The entire feeling in the home was different from when he had been here before. Something had changed.
“You may go to the study. I shall bring the tea at once,” she said, walking away from him on lighter feet.
Gabriel was confused, but he went on ahead and made his way to the study where Henry was already waiting for him. When he entered, he saw Henry looking brighter than before.
“Henry, good to see you,” he said.
“And you,” Henry replied.
“Something seems different today. Am I correct?” Gabriel asked.
Henry laughed.
“I take it that you have noticed we are all in a far better mood?” Henry asked.
“Well…yes, actually,” he said.
“Indeed, we are. As it happens, my brother is away for the time being and that means we have a bit more freedom. Do not misunderstand me. Richard is a good man, and we adore and respect him, but it is so nice to have a bit of rest,” Henry said.
Gabriel refrained from showing just how excited he was as well. He couldn’t freely express that he was also quite relieved that Lord Courtshire was not there. After all, he was a rather intimidating man and he tended to make Gabriel anxious whenever he was around. There was simply something about him that always caused people to be nervous.
“Ah, well, that is nice for you and your sister then. I am sure you are enjoying the bit of freedom that you have whilst he is away,” Gabriel said, not wanting to say anything that might get him into trouble. In truth, he breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that there was no longer the same intense pressure that there had been previously.
“So, what are we going to study today?” Henry asked, a blend of curiosity, worry, and excitement. It was clear that he was still anxious that he would be forced to learn something about which he held no interest, but Gabriel was ready to show him more of what they had been discussing already. He was confident that Henry would, soon enough learn to truly enjoy the lessons at hand.
“Here we are. Today, we must look more at literature as we have largely avoided it in the past week. I know that this is not an area which interests you, but nothing can be ignored. Therefore, let us take a look at Sir Edward Lawson’s grand poem, Sunday West. It is one of my favourites,” he said, opening the book and reading aloud.
What fair, what fair!
The lords and ladies bare,
Their dances and their spindly pipes a roaring, vibrant blare.
Look there, look there!
I see a maiden fair,
And here I watch her, leaning forward, from my Sunday chair.
I stare, I stare!
Just through the window there.
And yet I cannot help myself, when I am without care.
She dares, she dares!
The sun shines on her hair,
As blackened drips of charcoal slips upon that maiden there.
The air, the air!
It fills with songs of prayer,
But when night falls, the maiden calls, and I am unaware.”
Gabriel paused and gave Henry a moment to think about the poem and try to discern what he thought of it. At last, Gabriel was ready to begin quizzing him about the meaning.
“What do you think this poem is about?” he asked.
Henry gritted his teeth, frustrated by his uncertainty.
“You may share whatever thoughts you have. You may tell me it is the worst poem you have ever heard or that you think it is pretty or that you believe there is a deeper, cultural meaning,” he said, listing a few options for Henry to start from.
“I think it must be about love,” Henry said.
“How so?”
“I have never been in love, so how am I to know?” Henry asked.
“It is about expectations,” Lady Montague said, peering through the door.
Taken aback, Gabriel turned to her. He waited, giving her a moment to elaborate.
“The people of society enjoy their party, unaware that the woman is burning up, that she cannot withstand the fires of what they think she should be. Meanwhile, the man who notices her places a value upon her because he is attracted to her, but even he does not notice when she dissipates,” Lady Montague said.
Gabriel gasped in a breath of shock. He had never heard a woman speak on poetry before, but he also could scarcely believe that she understood the meaning of the poem with such ease. The language was subtle in its meaning, and yet she came to her conclusion without difficulty.
“Goodness, Lady Montague,” was all he managed to say. She immediately looked worried.
“Forgive me. Have I gotten it wrong?” she asked.
“Quite the contrary. I have heard many a man try to interpret this poem. Sir Edward Lawson is one of the most remarkable poets we have, and his subtleties are among his greatest assets. What strikes me is that this is one of his shortest poems and you have managed to work through its meaning with ease. Have you read an exposition of his work?” Gabriel asked.
She simply shook her head, somewhat uncomfortably.
“You have a remarkable mind,” he said.
At that, she blushed but said nothing more.
“Come, Kittie. Sit with me,” Henry said. “Perhaps you can help me answer the rest of his questions.”
Gabriel was immediately anxious. He hadn’t been hired to teach Lady Montague and worried that he might get into trouble if he did so.
“I beg your pardon, Lady Montague, but I worry that your brother did not instruct me to teach you,” he said.
“Did he tell you explicitly that I must not be taught?” she asked.
Gabriel opened his mouth to respond but realised at once that he had nothing to say to that. She was right. He had never been told that he couldn’t teach her. Although it had clearly been assumed, there was really no reason for him to think that he must stay away from her and keep her at bay during lessons.
“If he did not, then there must not be anything wrong with it,” she said.
But Gabriel remembered Adam’s warning and felt very nervous. He wasn’t sure if he should allow her to stay. It could get him into trouble, but he also realised that Lord Courtshire would be away for the next two weeks, as Henry had told him. If that was so, perhaps there was nothing entirely wrong with teaching Lady Montague as well. She was there and he had no reason to send her away.
“You may sit with us for a few days, but if Lord Courtshire tells me otherwise when he returns, I must insist that you cannot remain here,” Gabriel said.
“I understand,” she said.
“And you must not give your brother all the answers. He needs to learn on his own,” he said.
“I promise to stay silent and merely listen and learn,” Lady Montague said.
With that, Gabriel continued the lesson. It was clear that Lady Montague was still very eager to learn and that she was as intelligent as she was beautiful and charming.
Nevertheless, he tried not to be too distracted by her. The last thing he needed was someone who would get him into trouble.
No. The last thing he needed was to fall for a woman of a higher station.