Page 55 of To Love And To Cherish
"I've been working with Mr. Ludwig for fourteen weeks now," said Miss Trent, smoothing her skirts. "But I regret to say he’s made very little progress."
Elizabeth looked up in surprise. "Is he not intelligent?"
"On the contrary, he is exceedingly clever. But he lacks all motivation. His heart is not in Italian grammar; it’s in the soil of ancient Rome. He longs to scratch about in the dirt, uncovering coins and pottery shards. That is his love."
Elizabeth smiled. "But his father insists on a traditional path."
Miss Trent gave a small nod. "Yes. An attaché to the ambassador in Italy. It sounds respectable, but to Mr. Ludwig, it is a prison sentence. So our greatest task, Miss Bennet, is not to teach him Italian, but to teach him to want to learn it."
The door opened, and the subject of their discussion entered.
Mr. Gilbert Ludwig bowed. He was of moderate height, with agreeable features and a pale complexion better suited to libraries than to excavation pits. After greetings were exchanged, Miss Trent stood.
"Today, we shall practice polite conversation in Italian. It will help you hear the rhythm and accent of the language. Miss Elizabeth will assist us."
Elizabeth gave him a reassuring smile. "We were just speaking of museums. Perhaps if you imagined yourself there, it would encourage you to persevere."
Miss Trent added, "Indeed. You could spend hours at the Museo Pio-Clementino in the Vatican, or the Museo Borbonico in Naples, which houses many of the artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum. There is also the Capitoline Museums in Rome. What better way to study ancient life than to be surrounded by it?"
Elizabeth said gently, "Perhaps a few weeks of diplomacy might earn you the liberty to explore an excavation. You might even join one."
Mr. Ludwig paused, interest flickering in his eyes. "Are there such excavations still active?"
"Yes," said Miss Trent. "There is work ongoing at both Pompeii and Herculaneum. And you might find like minds among those who studied under Winckelmann or who have read the works of Ennio Quirino Visconti."
Ludwig’s brow lifted. "You think I could find a place in such company?"
"Not if you cannot conjugate Italian verbs," said Miss Trent with a wry smile.
They laughed.
She turned to Elizabeth and said in Italian,"Signorina Elizabeth, come ha imparato l'italiano?"
Elizabeth replied with a smile,"Mio padre mi ha insegnato la lingua."
Miss Trent turned to Mr. Ludwig. "Now you, sir. What did I say to Miss Elizabeth, and how did she reply?"
He studied their faces, then said, "You asked Miss Elizabeth how she learned Italian, and she said her father taught her."
Miss Trent laughed softly. "So youhavelearned something."
He grinned. "I understand everything you say. I simply cannot convince my tongue to obey."
They continued for three hours, alternating between translation, reading, and spoken practice. When the lesson ended, Mr. Ludwig took his leave with good humor.
Miss Trent called for the carriage, and the three women were soon driven to the Roman excavation site. The dig was cordoned off with a barrier, behind which men worked with care, scraping layers of earth from ancient stone. The women stood in silence, watching. The air held the scent of dust, and Elizabeth seemed to sense something older still, antiquity itself.
They moved on to a set of long tables shaded by a canvas awning, where fragments of pottery, bone, and coins lay arranged, each being carefully labelled for packing. In due course, they would be shipped to one of the museums in London.
"Extraordinary," Elizabeth murmured.
They were still studying the artifacts when a voice called out.
"Miss Trent! Miss Bennet!"
They turned to find Mr. Ludwig approaching with another gentleman at his side.
"This is my brother, Lord Dewsberry," said Mr. Ludwig. "I brought him along to see the site. I hoped he might speak to our father on my behalf."
