Page 64 of Apt to be Suspicious
“Because I have a plot, and you are not available for it, of course. I keep track of the resources. No, I’m not telling you what it is. You can be pleasantly surprised at solstice. More fun that way.” Edmund knew from experience that Ursula wouldn’t budge. But she’d also enjoy explaining it later, so he could ask her once they had a moment after solstice and the Faire. “All right. In that case, what you want is to make sure she has time to talk to Giles and Aunt Cammie before the Faire. And then introduce her to your family— and Ytene— after. When things settle down.”
Edmund knew this was sensible. Though he was amused again at the way their names for people mirrored each other. Ursula had grown up with Cammie around at odd times, given that her stepfather taught at Schola, and her mother had the village bookshop. Uncle Giles was someone she’d built a relationship with outside of growing up, and so he was not an uncle to her. “And do I escort her at the Faire?”
“Do you have time to escort her? Or are you going to be busy helping with the stable business? And watching the pavo, obviously.” Ros and Leo— Edmund’s sister and Ursula’s brother— were almost certain to play in the pavo matches this summer again. Though there was one more school match on Saturday that would determine their placement for that tournament and who’d start on the team.
Edmund grimaced. “I’d like to escort her, but it’d be public and fuss, and I need to lend a hand. Be visible, lending a hand. But it’s not as if Papa and Mama and Master Rufus and Master Benton can’t handle it like they have for decades.”
“So, sort out your schedule with them. If you’d really like to escort her, find a quiet time— a morning, before everything gets going, or an evening, to a concert or performance. Tell your parents you’ll introduce her after, when it’s quiet. And keep to that. Or take her to see something in London or ... I don’t know. You’re supposed to know about London things.”
That idea, honestly, appealed. It would be far less about juggling half a dozen faces to the world at once, just one or two. “London’s a good idea. And I’m sure she has people she can go to the Faire with. I’ll talk that through with her. There are other years too. I hope so, anyway.”
Ursula tilted her head, and Edmund was suddenly certain more of his emotions had shown than he’d wanted. On the other hand, Ursula was more observant than most, and she knew what to watch for, besides. “How obvious am I?” He asked it a bit warily.
“Someone who knew you would know that she’d be a lever to move you. Build your protections with that in mind, mmm? Ask Dad about it if you need help. He’d understand that problem.” Her father would. He thought about protections and all the related magics and interconnections day in and day out. And how a threat somewhere changed the map for everything. Edmund did not like thinking like that. It was certainly quite new to him to think that about someone in his personal life who wasn’t family. But it was the truth.
Whatever it looked like, he wanted to know Pen was safe. Or at least, not at risk because of something he’d done or failed to do or ignored too long. He nodded once, and Ursula beamed at him. “Also, I would like to meet her when the time is right. After your parents, though. They have dibs.”
“Dibs is not quite the word. After them. Uncle Alexander has met her, though briefly, and not— um. In the stated context.” He wouldn’t assume what Uncle Alexander might or might not have discerned already beyond the Berlioz references. “And yes. I’ll find time after.”
“Good. Now, tell me what you’re doing. Or do you need to get back?” Ursula glanced at the clock. “You’re safe from Uncle Garin for at least another hour.”
“I ought to get back. I’ve an essay to write. A crossword to solve— well, to write to Pen about. There are two clues I can’t budge today. People to nod at and make some suitable comment about the weather, the river, or how much work is piling up.”
“Right. I’ll walk you down.” Ursula picked up the alarm, slipping it into her pocket and muffling the soft ticking. She waited for him to finish the last of his cup before walking him downstairs and out to the portal, amiably chatting about minor things on the estate.
Chapter 40
Friday, June 4th, 2pm
“Come in, come in.” Pen heard the voice clearly through the door. She had found her way to a corner of the Academy she hadn’t previously been in. It was in a row of offices on the ground floor at the opposite end of the courtyard from the Junior Common Room, past the library.
She opened the door to find what looked at first glance like every other academic’s office. Two rows of books stretched down either wall, with a desk under the one window. But the room was dimly lit other than the window. The books on the left wall were much thicker than usual, more like binders. There were three chairs set out, though one of them didn’t quite match the others. Giles was in one of them, with the dog she’d seen before at his feet. She was peering at the new person.
Cammie was standing by the other set of shelves, pulling a volume off one of them and adding it to a pile in her arms. “Have a seat there, Pen. Do you want more light? I rarely bother unless I’m reading something out. When do you need to be done by?”
Pen shook her head. “I’d want more for reading, but this is fine, thank you.” It meant she had a moment to focus on sitting down, then folded her hands, then wasn’t sure what to do with them. Then she realised she hadn’t answered the second question. “Five o’clock lecture, Professor Titchmarsh’s advanced mathematics.”
Cammie came back, setting a stack of four books on the table by the door. “Take those with you when you go, please, or come back for them when you can carry them. I’ll key you into the wards today.” She then added something else, a small metal plate with gaps in it, accompanied by something that looked like an awl. “Also, do you need coffee or something? A five o’clock lecture on advanced maths on a Friday seems like a poor decision on someone’s part.”
“Erm?” It was not a remotely intelligent question, and Pen winced at that. “The things to take with me, I mean?” Then she added hesitantly, “It’s when the lecture is, and it's better than first thing in the morning?”
Giles spoke, his voice crisply amused at something. “Some reading for you when you’re done with the term. One of them is a set of instructions on braille. It’d be a help— this is the repayment for your apprenticeship— for you to be able to take on some of that. Cammie’s quite quick at it, and my valet as well, so most of it won’t be on you to do. As for Titchmarsh, I’m glad you’re going to those. I’ll be interested in talking about it with you at some point.”
Pen made a mental reminder to write up summaries from her notes for easy reference. She was obviously going to need them. “But being able to do some, sir.” Pen nodded, realised it wasn’t a helpful gesture, then coughed. “Should I learn to read it, as well?”
“You’re welcome to, and if you’d like, I’m glad to teach you that part. But that’s not necessary. Just enough to figure out which thing to hand me. Though we do label things in ink, too. Sometimes there’s mail from someone, something like that.” Giles gestured. “The slate and stylus are a start, but when there’s time we’ll introduce you to the braille writers. None of them are entirely what they ought to be, mechanically. Rather like a range of typewriters. They all have quirks and paper jams, or what have you.”
Pen opened her mouth, hesitated, closed it, and then offered, “My father’s an engineer, sir. He’s always rather enjoyed looking at that sort of device when he gets time? Perhaps he’d have an idea about some of it.”
“Glad to have him round, then,” Giles said. “I assume you’ve explained the circumstances to your parents, in some form?”
“That you’re taking me on next year, for an apprenticeship. I made a copy of the agreement for them. I’ve got the signed copy with me.” That had been a tricky discussion to do by journal, but it had also meant her parents couldn’t argue as much as they would have in person.
Mum had been baffled. Dad had wanted to make sure things were fair. But when it came down to it, Giles was not asking for a fee. The exchange was simply for a reasonable amount of her time as an assistant, allowing for her exams and other obligations at Oxford. “Mum asked about what it meant for the long vac. And once I finished my degree.”
“A lot of reading and a fair bit of conversation for the long vac. Though of course if you want to go on any reading parties, we can make time for that. Those connections are important, too.” Giles said it promptly, then added, “May I ask about your plans?”
The problem was that there were two rapidly diverging sets of plans in Pen’s head. They were the kind that would make interesting equations if she worked around to doing them. One had to do with the things she wanted to learn, the puzzles she wanted to solve. The other had to do with the puzzle that was Edmund. She let out a huff of breath, then tried to put it into words. Cammie settled down in the other chair rather than prowling around the other set of shelves with no apparent goal.
