What he told the world about Hugh was a lie. The truth… it had the potential to ruin his name, his life, and those that he loved. For that reason, he needed to be careful, and for that reason, he found it difficult to care about something as silly as courtship.
“I’m sorry I have to leave on such short notice,” he told Lady Emily as his horse was brought to him. “Please, do not take it personally.”
“It is quite fine,” she said. “You have so much on your plate as it is. Truly, do not worry about it.” She sounded a little too relieved to see him go, and Alistair wondered if that was because of Hugh. Likely it was.
“I will write to you,” he assured her.
“I look forward to it.” Again, it did not sound as if she did.
Alistair’s life had changed so drastically and in such a short space of time. As he looked to the future, he wondered what else was going to change, just as he wondered how it would likely ruin him.
CHAPTER NINE
“Hugh, do you understand what I’m showing you?” Yvette asked Hugh from the front of the room. “Tell me, what does this mean?”
Hugh sat at his single table in the center of the room, his face scrunched into a tight ball, and his skin was flushed bright red as if he hadn’t taken a breath in minutes. Likely, he hadn’t.
The concentration evident in Hugh should have inspired Yvette, proof that he wanted to learn and improve his education – he was taking these lessons rather seriously. But it was the degree of concentration that he exhibited, which worried her, a sense that his life depended on getting the answers right.
A child his age shouldn’t stress about such things. He should want to learn, while understanding that it’s not the end of the world if he gets the answers wrong.
“Those circles…” He bit into his lip. “Th – they… represent the number being multiplied?”
“That’s right.”
He breathed a sigh of relief, but somehow managed to look just as stressed. “And by adding them together…” He started to sweat. “I – I – I… I don’t understand.”
“What don’t you understand?”
“All of it!” He threw up his hands.
“That’s not true,” she said gently.
“It is!”
“How can it be true when you just told me the answer?” She made sure to keep her voice soft, not wanting to upset the poor boy. “You’re correct, those circles represent the number being multiplied. And if you add them together –”
“I ca -- can’t!”
“Yes, you can.”
“Not in my head,” he huffed and folded his arms. Then, he looked away as if in shame. “Not like you ca –ca -- can.”
Yvette frowned. “Who says that you have to do it in your head?”
“You did!”
“No, I did not.”
“Well…” He huffed again and pouted. “You did it. So, I should be able to. I can’t carry a piece of paper and quill around ev – everywhere I go.”
She laughed softly. “It wouldn’t be very practical.”
“Which is why I sh – sh – sh – sh –” His stutter grew worse so that it looked as if the words were literally choking him. He gripped the edge of the table, trying to force the words out, but that just made it worse.
“Deep breaths.” Yvette rushed to his side and rested a hand gently on his back. “Take your time, Hugh. It’s just you and me.”
“I can’t!” He shoved her off and threw up his hands again. “It’s too ha -- hard!”
