Chapter Nine #3
Lord Hopton once again looked down his nose. “My dear Lord Tamworth, when a duke requests your services, it is not wise to decline.”
Mr. Billings knocked him in the arm with his elbow. “Plus, the old man needs the blunt.”
“Mr. Billings, that is quite enough.” Lord Hopton rose. “It appears I must find another place in which to enjoy my paper. Good day.”
Not a little disappointed that his assumptions were so wrong and not fruitful, Christopher watched the lord leave the room.
“Don’t let him bother you. If he had two pence to his name, he’d not be here.”
Christopher looked at the pugilist who was grinning widely, showing he was missing a couple of teeth on the side. “It’s just that I had hoped to help my former student.”
“Why don’t you ask one of the second-year students? They’ve all learned about that topic in their first year.”
His mood lifted instantly because he knew exactly whom he wished to ask. “Thank you, Mr. Billings. That’s a capital idea.”
“I have a few.” The pugilist pointed to Lady Prestwick, who sat three seats down across from them. “Like getting your share of the honey cakes before the lady finishes them up.” He gave an emphatic nod, despite his grin.
“My man, you are a wealth of knowledge. I will be sure to consult you first next time.”
“I am honored, my lord.”
Christopher rose from the table and walked to the sideboard. Honey cakes were the least of his concerns, but to be appreciative, he set one on his plate. It appeared that finding Lady Sophie would gain him the knowledge he wished as well as time to learn more of her.
After filling his plate, he moved down the table to where Mrs. Kingman was just finishing her meal. “May I speak to you a moment?”
The lady, who was more refined than her title suggested, as she had married a merchant, gave him a nod. “Of course. If you wish to discuss the more philosophical works of literature, I may not be as helpful as my student, Lady Sophie.”
He’d thought to find out where Lady Sophie and Mrs. Kingman met for their discussions, but the instructor’s question gave him an even easier way to get to the issue. “Yes, my intent is to discuss the more philosophical works. Would I be best discussing Candide by Voltaire with you or the lady?”
Mrs. Kingman set down her cup of tea. “Most definitely Lady Sophie. She read that book before I joined the school. I’m not familiar with it.”
“Did she read it in her first year, then?”
Mrs. Kingman waved away the footman like the well-bred lady she was. “No. To the best of my knowledge, she read Candide over the Season before her second year. Lady Sophie is always reading. I’ve even seen her reading while ascending the grand stairs!”
Concern for Lady Sophie’s welfare immediately flared. “She could have fallen.”
“That’s what I thought as well, but Lady Sophie has the balance of a cat, and she’s just as quiet, too. If you wish to discuss the story with her, you will need many questions to get her talking. She was even shy with me at first.”
Mrs. Kingman’s description of Lady Sophie as quiet reminded him of the dinner at Hawthorne Park, where she barely spoke. He had to inquire further. “How do you mean, shy?”
Mrs. Kingman looked at him as if he were still in his leading strings.
“Certainly, my lord, you know what shyness is. Lady Sophie suffers from it in spades. She does, of course, have her friends here at the school, but many have married, so I fear her circle of comfort has narrowed quite a bit. I’m pleased that I have been welcomed into it.
Once I ask a question about the literature, she can talk a good thirty minutes with no interruption. ”
Despite what the instructor stated, Christopher had difficulty reconciling his Lady Sophie with Mrs. Kingman’s. “Then perhaps I can find the right questions.”
The lady looked askance at him. “Perhaps.”
“When do you next meet with your student?”
“Today, at ten. We meet in the duchess’s parlor. If you would like to come, I’ll be happy to introduce you.”
“We have already met, but I would be grateful if I might have a bit of time with her to discuss Candide. I’d like to get a feminine perspective on the story before assigning it to my first-year students.” It wasn’t the truth, but he needed an excuse to talk to Lady Sophie.
“I see. Then please join us. Though I won’t join in the discussion, as I do hope to read the book, eventually.”
He stiffened. “I will need you to remain as chaperone to the lady. I do not wish to tarnish her reputation in any way.”
Mrs. Kingman studied him a moment and finally nodded. “And I imagine you don’t wish to be in an inappropriate position either. I can easily chaperone from the dining area, as it gives a clear view of the parlor.”
He let out a relieved breath. “Thank you.”
“Now, you best eat your boiled eggs there, or they will be too cold.” Mrs. Kingman rose, so he stood as well.
After she left, he turned his attention to his plate, but he didn’t taste anything, too focused on what Mrs. Kingman had said about Lady Sophie. Who was Lady Sophie? Was she Sophie or Rosalind, and why was he so fascinated by her?