Read Online Love Lessons by Alice K. Cross - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alice K. Cross
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Jane, yes, mothe r,” she said finally.
Her mother’s brow knit with worry. “Elena, you have always been such a sensible girl. You know that your father and I don’t mind if you do not marry right away—even if you should never feel led to marry, we accept that—so long as you remain a sensible girl.”
“I hope I am sensible, mother,” Elena returned. “I am still the top student in my class. Professor Kent says that I am the best student he has ever seen—man or woman. What has a ring to do with any of that?”
Mrs. Whitman frowned a little. But Elena recognized worry, uppermost in her expression. “You are too old to be infatuated with a girl,” she told her daughter. “You never gave in to such nonsense in school. I can’t see you doing so now, with such worthy ambitions a s you have.”
“Jane does nothing to thwart my ambitions, mother. Jane is very—”
But her mother cut her off, “The girl’s attitude is not my concern, child. Do you really think the law is a profession for a girl silly enough to exchange rings with another girl? And this Jane Sparrow—she is somewhat eccentric, as I understand from Polly Kent.”
Elena’s eyes clouded. But she took a deep breath. “I hardly think my legal colleagues will need to know my personal affairs in so much depth as to ask the origin s of my jewelry,” she told her mother.
Mrs. Whitman sighed. “I don’t want to argue with you, Elena. But if you are going to insist on this friendship, you need to be aware of the reaction people will have. Things are not like they were when I was your age and women could keep house together without raising respectable eyebrows. The world is not so innocent now—” she paused a bit and softened her tone to finish, “—even if you are, child.”
“Well, I’m not.” Elena found herself filled with an almost al ien courage. “I’m not innocent, Mother. I love Jane Sparrow and I intend to wear her ring for the rest of my life—and she mine. If I can win the highest honors in college, I can be a lawyer and love Jane too.”
Mrs. Whitman said nothing, but looked at her daughter for a long moment. At last, she rose from the table and said, “It grieves me to see you adding this burden to the challenge you already face. But tell Miss Sparrow to come for dinner on Saturday. You owe your father and me at least the op p ortunity to meet her.” And she left the room.
Elena put her face in her hands and took a long, trembling breath.
Jane took Elena’s letter from her breakfast tray and broke the seal. She leaned against the mantel and let her tea grow cold as she read an d reread:
Dearest Jane,
Mother asks that I invite you for dinner on Christmas Day. You know, my love, how happy this makes me. And yet I must confess it came after a scene that has shaken my nerves.
When Mother saw your ring, she disapproved of me both for having accepted it and for giving you mine. But I told her I love you and I want to be with you for the rest of my life! Where do you think your Ellie found the courage to say these things to her mother? It was your ring working its magic on me already. I looked at it and felt you were right beside me, holding my hand.
Jane, I know that at times, the world looks upon you with unkind curiosity. I believe that Mother fears that your friendship wi ll draw that same curiosity to me. But I promise to stand beside you and use whatever weak power I have to deflect the slings and arrows that come your way, dear, dear girl. Your love makes me strong to do it. I felt somehow, more than my mere self whe n I spoke to my mother this evening. I felt magnified with Jane’s love.
I sometimes feel there is nothing in the world that matters but that you love me. I am lmost ashamed to admit how unimportant all my previous hopes and plans have become next to my d
Her mother’s brow knit with worry. “Elena, you have always been such a sensible girl. You know that your father and I don’t mind if you do not marry right away—even if you should never feel led to marry, we accept that—so long as you remain a sensible girl.”
“I hope I am sensible, mother,” Elena returned. “I am still the top student in my class. Professor Kent says that I am the best student he has ever seen—man or woman. What has a ring to do with any of that?”
Mrs. Whitman frowned a little. But Elena recognized worry, uppermost in her expression. “You are too old to be infatuated with a girl,” she told her daughter. “You never gave in to such nonsense in school. I can’t see you doing so now, with such worthy ambitions a s you have.”
“Jane does nothing to thwart my ambitions, mother. Jane is very—”
But her mother cut her off, “The girl’s attitude is not my concern, child. Do you really think the law is a profession for a girl silly enough to exchange rings with another girl? And this Jane Sparrow—she is somewhat eccentric, as I understand from Polly Kent.”
Elena’s eyes clouded. But she took a deep breath. “I hardly think my legal colleagues will need to know my personal affairs in so much depth as to ask the origin s of my jewelry,” she told her mother.
Mrs. Whitman sighed. “I don’t want to argue with you, Elena. But if you are going to insist on this friendship, you need to be aware of the reaction people will have. Things are not like they were when I was your age and women could keep house together without raising respectable eyebrows. The world is not so innocent now—” she paused a bit and softened her tone to finish, “—even if you are, child.”
“Well, I’m not.” Elena found herself filled with an almost al ien courage. “I’m not innocent, Mother. I love Jane Sparrow and I intend to wear her ring for the rest of my life—and she mine. If I can win the highest honors in college, I can be a lawyer and love Jane too.”
Mrs. Whitman said nothing, but looked at her daughter for a long moment. At last, she rose from the table and said, “It grieves me to see you adding this burden to the challenge you already face. But tell Miss Sparrow to come for dinner on Saturday. You owe your father and me at least the op p ortunity to meet her.” And she left the room.
Elena put her face in her hands and took a long, trembling breath.
Jane took Elena’s letter from her breakfast tray and broke the seal. She leaned against the mantel and let her tea grow cold as she read an d reread:
Dearest Jane,
Mother asks that I invite you for dinner on Christmas Day. You know, my love, how happy this makes me. And yet I must confess it came after a scene that has shaken my nerves.
When Mother saw your ring, she disapproved of me both for having accepted it and for giving you mine. But I told her I love you and I want to be with you for the rest of my life! Where do you think your Ellie found the courage to say these things to her mother? It was your ring working its magic on me already. I looked at it and felt you were right beside me, holding my hand.
Jane, I know that at times, the world looks upon you with unkind curiosity. I believe that Mother fears that your friendship wi ll draw that same curiosity to me. But I promise to stand beside you and use whatever weak power I have to deflect the slings and arrows that come your way, dear, dear girl. Your love makes me strong to do it. I felt somehow, more than my mere self whe n I spoke to my mother this evening. I felt magnified with Jane’s love.
I sometimes feel there is nothing in the world that matters but that you love me. I am lmost ashamed to admit how unimportant all my previous hopes and plans have become next to my d
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