“I would be.”
The coach pulled up in front of a hotel Charles had chosen for its proximity to shops and other merchants. It would keep his wife occupied for hours while he went to his appointment. He stepped out of the carriage and put his hand out to help Cathryn. She was taken in by all the uniqueness of a university town, looking everywhere except at the task at hand. Exiting the carriage, she was about to lose her footing, and he firmly tookhold of her arm and saved her from what would have been an embarrassing situation.
He accompanied her to their room and freshened up before leaving her to her adventure. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Enjoy your afternoon. Thomas will be close by to take packages and help you if you should need it.”
“Thank you and good luck,” she said, lifting herself on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.
He nodded and flashed a smile. One thing he never had gotten used to. Conversation that was nothing but a filler for awkward moments like this. Turning, he left the room and went down the stairs to his waiting carriage.
*
He found Dr.Richard White waiting for him outside one of the large rooms used for lectures. He appeared to be older than Charles knew him to be due to the shock of white hair he had. Otherwise, the professor wasn’t much older than him.
The story of what had happened to him and what it all meant to his life fascinated Dr. White since he’d heard Charles speak to a small group of intellectuals on Wight. He had been among those who’d come to hear him. They’d stayed in contact ever since then.
“Good to see you, Charles,” he boomed.
“A pleasure, Dr. White.”
“Richard, please.”
“We’re in public. I meant to show respect to a colleague.”
“Very well. I heard you married. Congratulations are in order.”
“Yes, and thank you.”
“Did you bring her with you?”
“Yes, we’re heading back to Kent in the morning so she’s going to shop and whatever else women do while I am here.”
“Smart man. If you’re ready, we can get started. I think you’ll like this particular group. Very curious, aren’t afraid to ask questions.”
“Yes, I am ready.”
They entered the lecture hall, Charles standing to the side while Dr. White spoke. He gave a brief outline about Charles and how they’d met, and the work Charles did in addition to how hard it had been. The smiles and smirks while he forged ahead with various projects and how he overcame them.
When his time came, Charles took to the podium, notes in hand as he began to speak. Starting from the beginning, he recounted the day when he was told of his sponsor’s death and what transpired next.
Finding out he had two siblings, he was grateful for that but wondered how much, if anything, they knew about him. Social situations were complicated for him and what he found out was that he had memories of his early childhood before being sent to Wight. He had vague recollections of him and his brother playing together and how their sister tried to tag along.
Questions followed, and he was delighted at the thought put into them. They wanted to know what his thoughts were when he found out he had a brother and then finding out his brother was indeed his twin. How isolated he’d really been until he found his brother. Did he have those feelings now?
Professor White interrupted to reveal the books Charles had written and the one he’d just finished. It was a cue for Charles to introduce all of them to his books.
The books, he told them, had come as a way to learn about himself, his reactions to new situations.
Someone asked him if he ever felt as though he were very different from others and how did he cope with others’ reactions.
Finally, the class ended. It had to. Other students were waiting as Dr. White’s class had run over his allotted time. No one seemed to mind.
His head was swirling from all the interest and questions. As he walked out into the corridor, lingering students approached him, asking questions they needed the answer for. Dr. White stood to one side and watched. Charles found himself ready to return and find his wife. He’d been working there for some time.
“Thank you all for the interest. However, if you’ll excuse me, I have other obligations needing my attention.”
Dr. White took him through the hallways to his own office. “I do hope you’ll consider coming again.”
“I would be honored.”
