“What do you study?”
“Mostly the history of Indian immigrants and those with Indian heritage in the United Kingdom.”
“Ah, you find me worthy of study.”He takes a second to preen, and I think this is where I’m supposed to fawn over him.I don’t.Not because I disagree with him, because I do think he’s worthy of study.But because it’ll make his already inflated ego burst.So I fawn on the inside.“Why that area specifically?”he asks.
“It’s close to home—my parents are immigrants, and I’ve moved around for my education.So I find the immigrant experience here an interesting reflection of my own, with its own differences which are also fascinating.”
“America must be a very progressive place.”
“Weeeeell, let’s just say I’m lucky and have opportunities that not many people here”—more like now—“have.”
I hold my breath but he accepts it without asking for more details.“Are you being courted in your home?Is someone going to be jealous of me and our fake courtship when you return?”
“No.I’ve been busy, with studying and work.There haven’t been any serious…suitors.”And they would laugh themselves out of my office if they heard me call them suitors.
“Why?”
“The…courtships never seen to go anywhere.And I have work anyway, so I don’t have time to court.”That’s not just it.I just haven’t found someone who wanted to be with me, and everything tends to fizzle out before it gets serious.I’m not fun like Leo; most of my free time is spent ranting that no one respects my field of study.That’s hard to deal with, maybe.
“You are dedicated.”
“I guess.I have good friends through work and my family doesn’t live near me but I’m able to caaa…write letters to them.On paper.”The telephone has been invented, but it’s use isn’t widespread right now, especially in England.“What about you?Tell me about yourself.”I order before he can wonder too much at what I was going to say.
“Much less exciting than you, I’m afraid.Eton, then Cambridge.Then enjoying life in London and the family seat when Father inherited, until he died and I realized just how badly he was doing.And how I had not been helping with my own activities.The drinking, gambling, hunting, et cetera.”
“I would have loved to go to Eton and then Cambridge.Not to be unappreciative to my own schools, which at least let women in.”I send him a pointed look, despite it not really being his fault.“But there would be something really special learning about historyinhistory.”My campus was mostly built in the 1920s, which is basically ancient for California, but not quite the same as Cambridge.
“I never thought of it like that.I can take you, if you want to go.It will not be as exciting as studying there, but at least no one will flog you.”
“Oh, god.No thanks on floggings.”I cross my arms then ruin the effect my leaning forward to whisper, “But I will take that trip to the schools.”
“No corporal punishment for you?”
“No.A teacher who needs to beat their students isn’t very good at their job.”
“That is not the prevailing outlook here, I’m afraid.”
“Well, they’re wrong.”
“Probably.”The agreement is easy, no fervent defense of the way things are done just because that’s how they’ve always been done.Impressive from this dinosaur.“Where else would you like to go in London?”
I smile slowly and widely, like the Grinch does when he thinks of stealing Christmas.“You don’t know what you’re offering me.”I take a deep breath.“But I’d love to go to the British Museum, and all the palaces and Westminster Abbey and Parliament and all the country houses that let polite tourists in, and honestly, any house I could get into—” I progressively bounce higher and higher in my seat, the seasickness forgotten, or at least pushed aside, at the prospect of seeing all those places I’ve studied.“Anywhere and everywhere, basically.”
But I keep some of the places off the list, because if I try complete honesty, like mentioning I also want to visit the Indian community in Limehouse, I don’t think he’ll react well to it.And even though he seems nice enough, he’s still an aristocrat who can turn me in if I annoy him too much, because he has a lot more power than me here and people who have been given everything can have fickle natures, even if we’re supposed to be in this together.I need to remember that, and keep distance between us.
“All right, all right.”Leo laughs at me.“I will take you to all of the places that propriety lets me take you.”
“Thank you.”I settle back in.“Can I also add a blank notebook to the list of things I want out of this agreement?”
“Yes, I shall procure you a notebook.Is there anything else you would like?”
“Writing tools would be great.”
I don’t know how this all works, but I know I’ll want a written recollection of this adventure.It might be the first diary I stick to.
Even if I can’t share it, or this experience with anyone else, I can still have it for me.
CHAPTER11
