straightening the left side first, then the right.
He was far too shy even to admit he had not attended.
"You should have, you know."
"I couldn't possibly. I hope it is all right that I am
here"
Young Mr. Lloyd sounded quite nervous and his
prominent Adam's apple moved when he tried to swallow. "I was told that I could-"
"I beg you to please remain." Charlotte smiled, trying
to put him at ease. "You are exactly where you should
be"
"Here you are, Char-Char. Who is that you are talking to?" Muriel silenced when she saw the young man
in her room with Charlotte.
Charlotte thought Muriel, upon spotting Mr. Lloyd in
her domain, might have felt a bit territorial.
"Muriel, this is Lord Marsdon's younger brother, Mr.
Sherwin Lloyd." Charlotte was happy to make the introduction. "Mr. Lloyd, my sister, Lady Muriel."
"Lady Muriel." He inclined his head, making her acquaintance. He shifted the book in his arms, adjusting
his hold. His index finger held the place where he'd
stopped reading.
"I have news for you," Charlotte whispered, then
glanced to Mr. Lloyd. "I'll wait for you in your bedchamber." She looked from one to the other. "Perhaps
you two should talk. It seems you have at least one thing
in common-books" Then she left.
"Books!" Muriel groused. "She says it as if they were
all the same. What are you reading there?" She indicated
the book in his arms.
It so happened that Mr. Lloyd was reading her book.
Muriel wanted to know exactly what subject he found
interesting in her study.
"Ah . . " He cleared his throat and turned the tome to
see its cover. "The second volume of Publius Vergilius
Maro's Aeneid."
"That edition is not translated. You read Latin?" She
ventured carefully, feeling excitement bubble up inside
her.
"Yes, and Greek. My main course of study at Eton is
Classics." His voice sounded stronger now.
"You attend Eton?" How Muriel envied him. This
young man was about her age, and if she'd had the freedom to attend Eton, they might have been classmates.
"I've just finished my first year."
"My brother is a third year. Fredrick, Earl of Brent."
"I'm afraid I don't know of him." He shook his head.
"I've been writing to Headmaster Keate. Here's his
latest reply." Muriel tapped the sealed missive she held
and raised her chin in defiance. "I'm petitioning to have
female students admitted."
She knew the majority believed her request was futile, that the school should remain all male as it had for
hundreds of years.
"No!" he said, more in astonishment than disapproval.
"Have you had any luck swaying their opinion?"
"No, but I'm not about to give up. There is no reason
why girls should not attend. They need formal education just as much as boys."
"I heartily agree," he replied with stern conviction.
It gratified Muriel to have someone, albeit one no
more than a lad himself, not even as tall as she, share
her opinion.
"I sat in on Freddie's Latin instruction when he was at
home. I study the best I can now, but my father will not
allow me the benefit of my own tutor." Muriel stiffened.
"He does not wish to encourage me to follow what he
considers male pursuits."
"I do not think acquisition of knowledge is foolish."
He laid the book on the table and stepped forward to
better address her.
"Thank you" Even the opinion of a stranger, a new
acquaintance, caused Muriel to feel vindicated.
"Latin is quite fascinating." He somehow lost that air
of awkwardness he had so firmly possessed when she
first entered.
"I think so too." Muriel smiled at him. Young Mr.
Lloyd was a fair companion ... for a boy.
"To read Aeneid in its native text is a phenomenal feat.
Some think Homer's Odyssey is a much better story.
Odyssey is, of course, a longer journey, whereas Aeneid
is only twelve volumes." He moved along the table, coming closer to her.
"But Odyssey is written in Greek. I can only dream
of studying that language. As it is, I'm afraid I've only
had minimal instruction in
He was far too shy even to admit he had not attended.
"You should have, you know."
"I couldn't possibly. I hope it is all right that I am
here"
Young Mr. Lloyd sounded quite nervous and his
prominent Adam's apple moved when he tried to swallow. "I was told that I could-"
"I beg you to please remain." Charlotte smiled, trying
to put him at ease. "You are exactly where you should
be"
"Here you are, Char-Char. Who is that you are talking to?" Muriel silenced when she saw the young man
in her room with Charlotte.
Charlotte thought Muriel, upon spotting Mr. Lloyd in
her domain, might have felt a bit territorial.
"Muriel, this is Lord Marsdon's younger brother, Mr.
Sherwin Lloyd." Charlotte was happy to make the introduction. "Mr. Lloyd, my sister, Lady Muriel."
"Lady Muriel." He inclined his head, making her acquaintance. He shifted the book in his arms, adjusting
his hold. His index finger held the place where he'd
stopped reading.
"I have news for you," Charlotte whispered, then
glanced to Mr. Lloyd. "I'll wait for you in your bedchamber." She looked from one to the other. "Perhaps
you two should talk. It seems you have at least one thing
in common-books" Then she left.
"Books!" Muriel groused. "She says it as if they were
all the same. What are you reading there?" She indicated
the book in his arms.
It so happened that Mr. Lloyd was reading her book.
Muriel wanted to know exactly what subject he found
interesting in her study.
"Ah . . " He cleared his throat and turned the tome to
see its cover. "The second volume of Publius Vergilius
Maro's Aeneid."
"That edition is not translated. You read Latin?" She
ventured carefully, feeling excitement bubble up inside
her.
"Yes, and Greek. My main course of study at Eton is
Classics." His voice sounded stronger now.
"You attend Eton?" How Muriel envied him. This
young man was about her age, and if she'd had the freedom to attend Eton, they might have been classmates.
"I've just finished my first year."
"My brother is a third year. Fredrick, Earl of Brent."
"I'm afraid I don't know of him." He shook his head.
"I've been writing to Headmaster Keate. Here's his
latest reply." Muriel tapped the sealed missive she held
and raised her chin in defiance. "I'm petitioning to have
female students admitted."
She knew the majority believed her request was futile, that the school should remain all male as it had for
hundreds of years.
"No!" he said, more in astonishment than disapproval.
"Have you had any luck swaying their opinion?"
"No, but I'm not about to give up. There is no reason
why girls should not attend. They need formal education just as much as boys."
"I heartily agree," he replied with stern conviction.
It gratified Muriel to have someone, albeit one no
more than a lad himself, not even as tall as she, share
her opinion.
"I sat in on Freddie's Latin instruction when he was at
home. I study the best I can now, but my father will not
allow me the benefit of my own tutor." Muriel stiffened.
"He does not wish to encourage me to follow what he
considers male pursuits."
"I do not think acquisition of knowledge is foolish."
He laid the book on the table and stepped forward to
better address her.
"Thank you" Even the opinion of a stranger, a new
acquaintance, caused Muriel to feel vindicated.
"Latin is quite fascinating." He somehow lost that air
of awkwardness he had so firmly possessed when she
first entered.
"I think so too." Muriel smiled at him. Young Mr.
Lloyd was a fair companion ... for a boy.
"To read Aeneid in its native text is a phenomenal feat.
Some think Homer's Odyssey is a much better story.
Odyssey is, of course, a longer journey, whereas Aeneid
is only twelve volumes." He moved along the table, coming closer to her.
"But Odyssey is written in Greek. I can only dream
of studying that language. As it is, I'm afraid I've only
had minimal instruction in
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