Mr Whitman appeared rather down. Kittie was surprised by his sudden demeanour and the way he was less than the happy man she had seen from him thus far. He was not as bright or gentle as usual. His mood seemed dark, and he appeared discouraged, hanging his head and not making eye contact nearly as much. His usual smile was replaced by a thin line.
“Mr Whitman?” Henry asked. “What is it?”
Kittie settled into her seat, eager to get the lesson started, but suddenly more interested in finding out what was bothering this remarkable man.
“Henry, I am terribly sorry. I fear that I must admit to you some dreadful news. You see, I was out, making my way home after speaking with an old friend of my father’s,” he began. “The rain began, and I was distracted…”
“What is it? What happened?” Henry pushed.
“My belongings were stolen,” he confessed, clearly embarrassed.
“Oh, dear!” Kittie exclaimed. “How awful for you, Mr Whitman! You must be devastated.”
“Indeed, I am. But I am far more devastated in that these things were the books that I bring here, materials which I must ensure you have access to. As it is, I am not yet able to purchase new materials. I am so sorry,” he said.
“It is perfectly all right, Mr Whitman,” Henry said, compassionately. Then, teasingly, he added, “You know I do not mind if we are unable to study for a few days.”
Mr Whitman laughed, solemnly, as if he wanted to find the humour in it but could not.
“That is dreadful, Mr Whitman. You must know that we do not blame you for it,” Kittie said, hoping that he would at least hear her words and know that she meant it, that they understood what had happened to him and that it was not his fault.
“Thank you for that, Lady Montague. And I do have a great deal of the materials memorised, but it will not be enough to teach you everything you must know in the future. We may make some progress in the meantime, until I am able to replenish everything that was lost,” he said.
“I honestly do not mind in the least if you never do,” Henry teased again.
“Well, I do fear that I am not going to allow that to happen,” Mr Whitman said.
They moved on, going through a few things which Mr Whitman had memorised and, eventually, Kittie rushed to the library and found a few books which they owned, and Mr Whitman wanted to reference. They did their best for the time being and Kittie listened as Henry and Mr Whitman spoke to one another in Latin and Greek. She could not follow any of the Greek but tried to keep up with the Latin as best she could.
She looked at Mr Whitman and saw such an admirable loveliness in his eyes. He was incredibly dedicated to teaching her brother and Kittie was grateful for that, wishing that she could spend more time with him, even after Richard’s return. Sad that she would not be allowed to do so, Kittie couldn’t help feeling forlorn and wondering what the future might hold for her when she was, once more, trying to find a husband and living with no value outside of that search.
At last, as the lesson came to an end, Kittie departed from the room before Mr Whitman. She knew that there was something important for her to do. After rushing to her room, she made her way back down the stairs and met Mr Whitman outside as he was leaving.
“Mr Whitman!” she called.
He paused and turned to her. Kittie reached him and smiled, clutching the small purse in her hand.
“Lady Montague, I apologise. I thought you had retired for the afternoon,” he said.
“I simply went to get this for you,” she said, holding out the purse.
Mr Whitman blushed with embarrassment and looked away.
“I beg your pardon, Lady Montague?”
“I know that you are upset about the theft and I can only imagine how difficult that must have been for you. However, I also know that these materials are important. Please, do not deny me this opportunity to help you buy replacements,” she said.
“I am grateful for your generosity and kindness, but I cannot accept something like that. I will replace them as soon as I am able and we shall continue as we did today in the meantime,” he said.
“That will not work,” Kittie insisted. “My brother needs proper materials, and you cannot teach him fully without those.”
“Lady Montague, I know that you, yourself, are eager to learn, but you must not try and insist upon my buying these for the sake of your brother when it is you who cares about the lessons,” he said.
“I am not doing it only for myself. Indeed, I have a great desire to learn, and I hope that I may continue to do so, but this is for Henry’s sake. I know what he is like and I know how stubborn he is. However, I want to be sure that he is able to learn properly and in order for him to do so, he needs good materials. The sort of materials you already had. Please do not refuse me,” she said.
He finally looked up at her and Kittie met his gaze with her own. She wanted to bask in those eyes, to enjoy every moment she was allowed to look into them. She had never met a man like Mr Whitman and, suddenly, she realised that she was not simply attracted to him for his handsome features. She was not simply interested in his clever mind.
She had actually developed feelings for him. She had begun to care for him. Mr Whitman was exactly the sort of man she could imagine herself falling in love with and she wanted to be the woman he considered in return.
“Please,” she said in a soft voice.
“If I take money from you, it means that I am overstepping my boundaries,” he said.
“No, it means that you are willing to humble yourself in order to teach my brother,” she replied, their eyes still locked in a way she hoped would last forever.
Mr Whitman finally gave her a nod of understanding. He appeared humbled and embarrassed, but also grateful as he reached out to take the pouch she offered. When he did so, their hands touched.
For a long moment, Kittie did not pull away. Much to her relief and excitement, Mr Whitman did not pull away from her either. Their fingers lingered, somewhat entertained loosely around the pouch of money.
Kittie’s heart leapt. She could not believe having such a perfect moment where she was able to just enjoy standing there with him. However, the moment finally came to an end when Mr Whitman seemed to remember himself. He cleared his throat and took the money, looking away as he did so.
“You are far too kind, Lady Montague. I do hope you know that I shall never take this for granted. It is too much for you to give me something like this,” he said.
“It is nothing,” she replied. “I only hope that, in the future, no one will try to take anything from you. And, if they do, know that I shall always be here for you, no matter what you need.”
He looked up at her again and Kittie realised that those words were a promise. She would always be there for him. She hoped that they would always be there for one another.
Every ball she had ever attended, every man she had ever danced with, every gown she had ever put on, none of them mattered. All she cared about was this moment with Mr Whitman and what it would mean for the future.