Page 10 of Princess and the Ox (The Colby Brothers 1)

She paused, and then snapped, “You have no idea what you are talking about.” Nevertheless, the corners of Erika’s mouth tugged downward.

He actually grinned, then t

urned his attention to the square. “See that boy.”

Beginning to get frustrated, she turned in exasperation to search the crowd. “Where?”

Jay shot a stunned look at her and this time it held no mockery. “He really has covered your eyes with gilded lenses.”

He sighed and raised his arm to point to a street worker not more than ten yards from where they stood. Looking closer, Erika realized that the person scraping snow off the boardwalks was indeed a young teenage boy. Feeling slightly sheepish, she grudgingly nodded her head. “I didn’t realize you meant that boy.”

The look he shot her told her he knew otherwise, but instead said, “He should be in school.”

Erika laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

He straightened. “Tell me, Erika, what was so humorous about that comment?”

He hardly referred to her by name and when he did she always felt a shiver run down her spine. Most likely from disgust. “He’s far beyond the age of schooling.”

“He can hardly be a day older than fourteen.”

“Which most children have long since finished their education.”

“You mean children who attend common schools?” It was more a statement than a question. “Yet children attending grammar school graduate at the age of sixteen.”

“Naturally,” she said. “No young man can grow into a gentleman without a proper education.”

“And what of that boy? What becomes of him?”

She gave a small huff. “What good would an education do for a child such as him?”

His brows went up. “Plenty, actually. He could be a lawyer or a doctor, or even an entrepreneur like your grandfather.”

“A what?”

“An entrepreneur,” he told her and smirked. “Fancy new word for a person starting their own business.”

She frowned and wondered where on earth Jay would have picked up such vocabulary.

“Contrary to what you think, princess, an education is not prejudice. It does not separate by social class. They passed a bylaw in congress years ago that made it mandatory for all children to attend school until the age of sixteen. Not just children of the wealthy.”

“Then why isn’t he in school?”

“What school? If you haven’t noticed, our only school is overflowing as it is. The older students are forced out to make room for newer pupils.”

“Then perhaps they should consider attending the grammar school. The attendance there has always been rather low.”

“Ah, but education is not meant to be bought,” he said, referring to the high cost of tuition into the grammar school. “It is free for the taking and as a new country we should embrace this philosophy and ensure not only the wealthy get an education, but all of our children. Only then can we truly watch our communities, as well as our country, thrive.”

“And what exactly to you propose? The grammar school open its doors to free education?”

“Ideally,” he said with a shrug, obviously not holding much hope in that area.

“Apparently, Jay Colby, not only are you a fool, but you are also a dreamer. The grammar school exists because of some kind and generous gentlemen wanting to ensure a proper upbringing for their sons. Why should other’s children become their responsibility as well?”

“I should think the children of our future is everyone’s responsibility.” He sighed, then and stepped back from her. “Everyone has a right to a future, Erika.”

For some reason she thought this last comment was targeted specifically at himself. She frowned as she noted the seriousness etched across his rugged face, and for the first time realized out of the three brothers, Jay was the only one whose future looked dim and gray.

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