Never Less Than A Lady | Herophine

Chapter Thirty Six

Josephine

As always, Lady Willow Westerfield was an island of unflappable calm. Hero and Josephine took Aiden to meet her at Rockton House, the London home of her brother, the Duke of Rockton. Aiden was dressed with painful neatness, anxious despite Hero's assurances that Lady Willow would surely accept him to her school. He wanted so much to be like other boys.

Lady Willow was expecting them, so the butler escorted them to the lavishly furnished morning room. Setting her newspaper aside, she rose. In her fashionable blue morning gown, she was more regal than any member of the royal family, but her expression was welcoming. "Good day, Lady Josephine, Hero." Her gaze went to Benjamin. "You, I presume, are Master Aiden Marlowe, Major Tiffin's cousin?"

He nodded. "Yes, Lady Willow." His country accent was strong today.

Hero asked, "Should we leave so you can interview Aiden privately?"

"That shouldn't be necessary. Please, take a seat." She settled back in her chair. "I'm returning to Kent in the morning, so it's good you could come today. Aiden, why do you wish to attend the Westerfield Academy?"

He looked startled at her directness. "Uh...because Major Tiffin went there? And because he thought it would be a good school for me."

Lady Willow nodded. "Hero will have told you the Westerfield Academy is unusual because all of the students have an odd kick in their gallop. What is yours?"

Aiden looked uncertain again. "M-my mum was a barmaid, and I'm a bastard," he stammered. "I was born and raised in a posting house until she died and I was given to a farmer as slave labor. That's odd."

"You would not be the first illegitimate child to attend the Westerfield Academy, and other students have had backgrounds as unusual as yours," the headmistress remarked with a faint smile. "Major Tiffin's note yesterday said that you'd had basic schooling in reading, writing, and numbers, and that you love to read."

"Yes, but I don't know any Latin or Greek," he confessed. "Gentlemen are supposed to know Latin and Greek."

"One can be a gentleman without, but they are good subjects to know. With tutoring, you can catch up with those boys who've had more traditional educations." Lady Willow regarded him thoughtfully. "I always ask two questions of prospective students. What at school would make you happy? And what would you hate most?"

"I have a cat," Aiden said hesitantly. "Could I bring Duchess to school with me? She's no trouble!"

"Other students have pets. Five dogs, three cats, a parrot, and two ferrets at the moment, I believe," Lady Willow replied. "There's room for another cat if she's not a troublemaker and you take care of her, so that's doable. But what would you hate?"

Aiden's lips thinned. "Being beaten for no good reason!"

"I assure you that will not happen." Lady Willow gave a short, sharp nod. "I think you'll do very well at the Westerfield Academy, Aiden. Classes will start a week Monday. Most boys will be arriving the Friday before to settle in before they start to work. Hero will know what you need"-she lifted a folder from the side table and offered it to Benjamin-"but here is general information on the school."

Aiden stared at the folder, not taking it. "There's something else, Lady Willow," he blurted out. "I killed a man three days ago."

For a moment there was absolute stillness in the morning room. Hero and Josephine stopped breathing, but Lady Willow asked calmly, "Why did you do that?"

"He was trying to kill Major Tiffin and Lady Josephine."

"In that case, you did the right thing." Lady Willow looked over at Hero, silently asking for information.