The next morning, Emily was already at work in the library when Daniel appeared – this time without Svetlana in tow. ‘Good morning,’ she said. ‘No Svetlana today?’
Daniel’s eyes went black. ‘Her father’s here,’ he grunted.
No further explanation was necessary. ‘Oh, I see. She didn’t mention he was coming – is this a surprise visit?’
‘Totally. He was in Seattle on business and decided to come down before heading back to Boston.’ Daniel snorted. ‘Doesn’t trust Sveta to turn that D around on her own, I guess.’
‘I see. But if he thinks he can intimidate Taylor Curzon into changing a grade, I’m afraid he’s in for a rude awakening.’
‘Try telling him that. Try telling him anything.’
Emily had not the least confidence in her own ability to ‘tell him anything’, but she was curious to see this apparent bully for herself. ‘You don’t happen to know where they are?’
‘They were heading for the coffee shop a minute ago.’
She stood and grabbed her coat and purse. ‘I feel a sudden need for a cup of coffee. Can I get you anything?’
Daniel returned her sly smile. ‘Plain black, thanks. No rush.’
On her way out of the room, Emily passed Sidney, who greeted her with an ingratiating smile. ‘Good morning, Professor Cavanaugh. I’m on my way to see if Daniel wants to go for coffee.’
‘He’s only just started to work. I’m getting coffee for him.’
Sidney’s smile faded momentarily, then reasserted itself. ‘In that case I’ll say a quick hello and get on with my day.’
Emily resisted the impulse to turn the young man around and frog-march him out of the library. She wasn’t Daniel’s keeper, after all; she couldn’t save him from every annoyance.
She entered the Paradox as if focused solely on getting a caffeine fix. Not until she’d placed her order did she look around and spot Svetlana sitting at a table by the window with a balding, pudgy middle-aged man. She caught Svetlana’s eye and waved.
Svetlana looked like a falling trapeze artist who suddenly realizes she has a net. ‘Professor Cavanaugh! Please, join us.’
The man who was presumably her father looked around and frowned. No doubt he expected, and preferred, a tête-à-tête with his daughter. But basic social training forced him to make way for Emily at the table.
‘I can’t stay long – I’m taking coffee back to Daniel, and I don’t want it to get cold.’
Svetlana’s face pinched with worry again – whether at the mention of Daniel or at the briefness of Emily’s sojourn, she couldn’t be sure. ‘Professor Cavanaugh, I’d like you to meet my father, Saul Goldstein.’
Emily extended her hand and put on her brightest smile. ‘It’s a pleasure. Svetlana’s told me so much about you.’
Goldstein’s frown intensified as he gave her hand a cursory shake. ‘She hasn’t mentioned you to me.’
‘Oh, that’s because I’ve been gone for a while. I’m on sabbatical this year – just came back for Paideia to do some research. But I did have the pleasure of teaching your daughter in a lit class last year. She’s an excellent student with keen insight.’
He snorted. ‘That opinion does not appear to be unanimous.’
‘Yes, she told me about the difficulty with Professor Curzon. What you need to realize, Mr Goldstein, is that Curzon is notorious for playing favorites. A poor grade from her is not necessarily any reflection on a student’s ability or hard work – it’s only a sign that Curzon has taken against her.’
Goldstein glowered at his daughter. ‘What did you do to antagonize her?’
‘Please, don’t assume it’s Svetlana’s fault. Curzon’s likes and dislikes are entirely capricious. And her favor rarely extends to the women in her class.’
The glower turned back to Emily. ‘Are you serious? Why is such a person allowed to go on teaching here?’
Emily gave a rueful shrug. ‘She has tenure. It takes a pretty serious accusation, backed up by solid proof, to get a tenured professor dismissed. And most of the students won’t come forward for fear of retaliation.’
He pushed to his feet. ‘We’ll see about that. The law is on our side, and the name of Saul Goldstein has struck fear into worse offenders than her before this. Where’s her office?’
Svetlana touched a tentative hand to his custom-tailored elbow. ‘Papa, please. It’s not that important. You’ll only make things worse.’
‘Not important? You know that one grade will keep you from getting into Harvard Law.’
Emily knew Svetlana’s fear was more for Daniel than for herself. ‘Your daughter may be right, Mr Goldstein. I’m sure you’re well known in Boston, but I don’t think your fame has spread to the West Coast. It takes an awful lot to intimidate Taylor Curzon.’
‘She hasn’t met Saul Goldstein yet. If you won’t tell me where to find her, I’ll figure it out for myself.’ He slammed out the door, and a minute later Emily could see him through the window marching toward Eliot Hall.
Svetlana buried her face in her hands. ‘Oh, Professor—’
‘Emily, remember?’
‘Emily. I’m so afraid she’ll just take it out on Daniel. Why can’t he back off and let me live my own life?’
‘I hope I didn’t make things worse by telling him what she’s like. I was just trying to get him to let up on you a little.’
Svetlana shook her head with a small smile. ‘Don’t worry about that. He was bound to find out sooner or later.’ She smoothed her hair with a deep sigh. ‘I’d better warn Daniel.’
Emily glanced back toward the pickup counter and saw two cups that looked like her latte and Daniel’s black coffee. ‘I’ll walk with you.’
As they left the building, Emily said, ‘I wouldn’t want to be actually in the room when your father confronts Taylor Curzon – it doesn’t sound very safe – but I wouldn’t mind watching it through a hidden camera. That could be a confrontation worthy of a Dostoevsky novel.’
Svetlana sighed. ‘I wish I could be a million miles away. Though I couldn’t be sure the fallout wouldn’t reach that far. My father is a pit bull. Once he gets his teeth into something, he doesn’t let go until he’s torn it to shreds.’
‘I hate to say it, but that could be a godsend in this case. Someone’s got to bring Curzon down eventually. He just might be the man to do it.’ Emily gave a gallows chuckle. ‘Who knows, he could end up inadvertently saving Daniel from her clutches. That would be irony for you.’
Svetlana burst out in a musical laugh that ended with a slightly hysterical edge. ‘Saving the man he’ll never let me marry. That might be enough to make him give up law for good.’
They had nearly reached the library when Svetlana’s phone pinged. She glanced at it and stopped in her tracks.
‘Daniel’s gone to Curzon’s office.’ She shot a panicked look at Emily. ‘He’s bound to run into my father there.’
Emily gave a sly smile. ‘I just remembered some urgent business with Professor Curzon. Would you care to join me or sit this one out?’
Svetlana hesitated. ‘My being there might only make things worse, but I don’t think I can stand to stay away. I’ll wait in the hall in case I’m needed.’
They changed course slightly toward Vollum College Center. The two coffees Emily was carrying seemed superfluous now, so she set them down on a concrete pillar before they entered – free caffeine for some needy student. She and Svetlana climbed to the third floor. As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, they could hear raised voices from the direction of Curzon’s office. The loudest among them, unsurprisingly, was Saul Goldstein’s.
‘Ha! Caught you in flagrante. I’d heard about your … proclivities, Professor Curzon, but I must admit I did not expect to walk in on you actually trying to force yourself on a student.’
Emily and Svetlana raced down the hall and arrived breathless in the doorway. They peered over Goldstein’s hunched shoulders to see Curzon smoothing her jacket with a smug smile, while Daniel cowered purple-faced in a corner.
‘You mistake me, sir. Whoever you are. I was merely conferring with Daniel over a difficult passage in his paper.’ Curzon gestured toward the open laptop on her desk – the far side of the desk, facing toward her chair and away from where they all stood. The woman couldn’t even be bothered to come up with a credible explanation for her behavior. Outrage arose in Emily’s blood – along with something in her throat that threatened to gag her.
Goldstein was clearly not taken in by this transparent ruse. He moved farther into the room and turned toward Daniel, so that Emily could see his face. ‘And you – you weren’t exactly fighting her off.’ Recognition dawned in his eyes. ‘Wait a minute – you’re that Daniel my Svetlana’s always going on about. Are you responsible for her getting a D?’
Daniel opened his mouth to protest, but Curzon cut him off. ‘I assure you, Mr – Goldstein, I presume? – neither Daniel nor any other student has anything to do with my grading policy. “Your” Svetlana earned that D through consistently shoddy work in my class.’
‘That is outrageous and untrue!’ Goldstein shouted. ‘I demand to see her work!’
Her smile turned derisive. ‘And you’re fluent in Russian, are you, so as to be able to understand a word of it?’
He sputtered. Emily swallowed down whatever was choking her and came fully into the room. ‘Perhaps I could be of assistance as a mediator. I am fluent in Russian and could evaluate Svetlana’s work as a neutral party.’
Curzon flared. ‘Since when is one professor’s grading policy open to scrutiny by another professor at this institution? Especially one who doesn’t officially work here anymore?’
Emily had to admit she had a point. Disputes like this technically had to be resolved at a higher level. ‘I suggest we take this to the head of the division. This isn’t the first time a student has complained about your grading being unfair, Taylor. Mr Goldstein’s interference may be … inappropriate, however well meant, but that doesn’t mean his point is invalid. Svetlana would have complained herself if—’ At the last moment Emily decided it would be unwise to finish the sentence: if she weren’t afraid you’d retaliate against Daniel.
Curzon crossed her arms and leaned back against her desk. ‘Fine. Will you call Richard or shall I?’
Emily hesitated. She had momentarily forgotten that the head of her division was unlikely to take her side in any dispute, no matter how obviously in the right she might be. But at least she could present the case without Taylor having a chance to put her spin on it. ‘I will. I’ll let you know what he says.’ She turned to Goldstein. ‘And now I suggest you let your daughter give you a tour of the campus. There’s nothing more you can do here for the moment.’
Svetlana moved forward into her father’s line of sight. He glowered, but capitulated for the moment. ‘Come on, Svetlana,’ he growled. ‘I need some air.’
Emily turned to Daniel. ‘And I think you and Professor Curzon could discuss your paper at another time. Perhaps in a more public place.’
Daniel shot her a look of pure gratitude and scurried out. Emily closed the door behind him and turned to face Taylor Curzon.
‘Taylor, this has got to stop.’
‘Parents interfering with my instructional methods? I fully agree.’
‘You know what I mean. You interfering with your male students. Don’t deny it – everyone on campus knows what you get up to. Only the students are too afraid to speak out, and the rest of us can’t do anything without proof. Well, I intend to put a stop to it one way or another. Starting with Daniel.’
Curzon sneered. ‘Oh, so you want him for yourself, do you? Can’t say I blame you – so deliciously dark and disturbed, just like a character from your precious Dostoevsky.’ She gave Emily the once-over, making her acutely aware of every wrinkle and extra pound which Taylor herself did not possess. ‘But do you seriously think you’re in with a chance?’
‘I don’t want to be. I’m happily engaged to a wonderful man my own age. But if I did want to try, my chances would be exactly the same as yours – zero. Daniel’s heart is taken, and his integrity would never allow him to give in to you out of expediency. He’d rather flunk out of Bede completely.’
‘Oh, come now, Emily. No one’s as idealistic as that. What’s a little harmless fun compared to his entire future career? No, I think you’ll find Daniel will be quite amenable in the end. They always are.’
‘Not this time, Taylor. Mark my words. Not. This. Time.’