I give Lance a questioning look, and he remains expressionless on the other side of the table. “I assume that thePride and Prejudicebbcseries ondvdhas arrived,” he informs us.
“Lance, would you please join me in my study? I would like to talk to you,” I say, putting my napkin down on my left.
“I’ll clear the breakfast table and join you there.”
I stand up resolutely. “I mean now.”
I sit at the desk while Lance closes the door behind him. “It’s annoying that I’m not informed of what is going on in my house. I have the feeling that you know something regarding Her Grace. Whatever it is, if it’s not going to compromise national security, then would you be so kind as to tell me what it is all about?”
“Are you referring to the reason why she is not leaving her apartment?”
“It’s been more than a week of isolation. It was a simple sprain, not the black plague, who are you trying to fool?” I burst out.
“The duchess was, indeed, unwell, although this isn’t the primary reason for her protracted absence.”
“And what is?” I can’t hide my curiosity.
“Lady Jemma asked me to give her lessons in general knowledge and teach her the skills a duchess is expected to master.”
“That’s what my mother was doing, if I understood it correctly.”
“If you allow me, Lady Delphina wasn’t able to find the right way to address the topics with Lady Jemma.”
“And what aboutPride and Prejudice?”
“In particular, to answer your question, we have recently talked about the literary knowledge that is necessary for someone in high society. It’s a very rich amount of knowledge if you consider every important period, but we visited the library here at Denby Hall, and it didn’t take us long to realise that she could never read all the books I suggested in a reasonable time. Lady Jemma needs ready-to-use forms that allow for immediate assimilation. Thus, I recommended the cinematic versions of all the literary classics.”
“Thebbcseries?”
“Lady Jemma was very impressed by a film featuring Keira Knightley and, when she found out about atvseries, she couldn’t help but order thedvdversion.”
“Are you saying that Jemma has been watching one film after the other for a week in order to catch up with my library?”
“And she’s making really good progress,” he confirms, satisfied. “Tess of the d’Urbervilles, David Copperfield, Farewell to Arms, The Scarlet Letter, Vanity Fair, Wuthering Heights…”
“Thanks, Lance,” I interrupt him. “That’s incredible,” I comment to myself, but maybe I said that a little louder than I intended, and Lance has heard me.
“It’s an unconventional but very effective method. I adopted the same technique for history and geography, suggesting that she saw films about travel and eminent personalities.”
“… and she listened to you without complaining?”
“She asked for it herself,” Lance replies in her defence.
“That’s a brilliant idea, Lance. You deserve to be praised.”
“I would like to add that Lady Jemma has an extraordinary predisposition for foreign languages.”
“Explain,” I urge him to continue.
“Lady Jemma doesn’t speak German or French, but she learned Italian from her neighbours, the De Marcellos. She may not have impressed Baron von Hofmannsthal, but she will certainly prove outstandingly assured with any Italian diplomat you may invite to your evenings. In the meantime, I recommended some films in German and French. She has a very sensitive ear and I believe that she’s making tangible progress.”
I shake my head to clear my mind. “So you’re saying that she’s voluntarily undergoing an intensive course in literature, history, geography and languages, and she’s even making good progress. Is that correct?”
Lance just nods his head.
I’m shocked. I dismiss him and, a second after he’s left, I collapse against the backrest of my chair.
I feel like a worm. A caterpillar. A larva. Any invertebrate of your choice, as long as it’s far down the food chain.
