Read Online A Scholar of Magics by Caroline Stevermer - Free Book Online

pulled himself together. “Miss Brailsford. A pleasure. Am I late or are you early?”
    â€œYou are blameless, sir. As, in this instance, am I.” Jane smiled up at Lambert. “My brother’s memory is at fault, I fear. He had a committee meeting first thing this morning so he left the house without me. Prodigiously important meeting, I gather. I was to follow at a more civilized hour and he
would collect me for my tour. I have followed his instructions to the letter. The committee must have adjourned at least an hour since. Robin promised to meet me here thirty minutes ago. Yet here I languish.”
    Lambert had half convinced himself that he’d been imagining the gleam he’d seen in Jane’s eyes, but here it was back again. He was glad to see it. “That’s languishing, is it?” Lambert thought it over. “My experience with this sort of thing is limited. Forgive me if I get it wrong. But you aren’t languishing very hard, are you?”
    â€œI’m just a beginner,” Jane explained. Her deadpan expression was perfect. Lambert promised himself he would never play cards with her.
    Lambert consulted his pocket watch. “I don’t think you can blame Brailsford’s memory. Those committee meetings can be the devil. It could still be going on.”
    â€œTruly?” Jane looked chastened. “Poor Robin.”
    â€œIs there something I could do?” Lambert sat down beside her.
    â€œIf you aren’t expected elsewhere, I’d appreciate your company. If you are …” Jane trailed off.
    A small silence stretched between them. Lambert ended it. He didn’t like to admit how little honest work there was for him to do at Glasscastle, but it was the truth, so why shrink from saying so? “No, no. I’m at your service. I have no tests today. I was at a loose end, I promise. Let me show you some of the sights of Glasscastle. You’ll be doing me a favor.”
    â€œNo tests of marksmanship, perhaps,” said Jane. “Research takes many forms.”

    Something of Lambert’s wariness must have shown on his face, because Jane seemed to relent. “Forget I said that. Last night Robin told me not to ask you about the project. Don’t worry. I’ll be discreet.”
    â€œI’m not worried about your discretion. Mine might be questioned.”
    Jane grimaced. “Dear me. That will never do. I don’t mean to interrogate you. Would you like to interrogate me instead? Just to be perfectly safe?”
    Lambert took this in the flirtatious spirit it was obviously intended. “Very much.”
    â€œOh, good.” Jane settled herself more comfortably. “Do your worst.”
    â€œYesterday I asked you what subjects you taught. You said Mock Turtle’s arithmetic. I don’t know what that means.”
    Jane shook her head slightly. “I was being silly. Amy brings it out in me sometimes. I meant I teach mathematics.”
    Lambert tried and failed to conceal his surprise. “You teach mathematics?”
    â€œWhy? Don’t I seem scholarly enough?” Jane gazed at him tranquilly and if anything her eyes were wider and more limpid than Lambert remembered them being the day before.
    Lambert didn’t let Jane’s innocent look or mild tone deceive him. There were tests and then there were tests. She was a schoolteacher, after all. He chose his words with care. “You don’t seem anywhere near old enough.”
    â€œI am quite old enough.” The innocent look remained, but Jane’s tone had gone tart.
    â€œAre people ever surprised to learn you teach mathematics?”
Lambert could guess the answer from her tartness. Jane had held this conversation often enough to be tired of it.
    â€œPeople are usually surprised that a woman knows even the rudiments of mathematics.” Jane looked as if she would like to say more, but she let it stand at that.
    Lambert thought it