has great depths one must deeply plunge into in order to fully know him.”
Guy paused in his pacing to stare at his beloved. “What on earth are you talking about? We are discussing solicitors, not Carmody.”
“Yes, darling. Of course.” Hattie changed the subject. “Miss Sweet, do you have everything you require since you left home with nothing but the clothes on your back? I sympathize with your situation, my dear, as I long ago left my aunt and uncle with very little but my pride. Would you care to view my wardrobe and see if there are any gowns you might use?”
“I fear nothing of yours would fit me.” Candace regarded Hattie’s thin form. “But I thank you deeply for the offer and admire your courage in changing your life. If it were not for Miss Gardener’s friendship, I would not have been brave enough to flee.”
Hattie touched Candace’s hand. “Perhaps another day we might speak at length. I know it is difficult to discuss such personal matters with others present.” She nodded toward Guy.
His eyes widened. “Oh! I am interrupting lady time. I am sorry. Shall I go home and leave you to it?”
“It is rather late now and I have much to think about. Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Hardy and Mrs. Glover.” Candace politely ended their meeting. “You are great allies to have on one’s side.”
“Anything we may do to help, Miss Sweet. You are not alone,” Hardy pronounced.
“Indeed,” Hattie nodded. “You have friends now.”
*
“Professor, I still don’t understand. Please, explain it again.” While Jasper Harkins had been floundering through algorithms, Will’s mind had drifted into daydreams of Rose.
With a sigh, he drew himself back to the session and explained the particular formula for a third time. He had been tutoring long enough to know when a student simply wasn’t equipped for a particular subject. Harkins and quadratic equations would never get on together. The young man was more interested in stagecraft, which naturally his parents were not pleased about.
“All right. I understand that, and that.” Harkins pointed to sections of the problem. He pushed back his long bangs, the current mode for university students, which happened to make Will’s always floppy hair suddenly stylish. “But what about that?” he stabbed his finger.
Will bit back his frustration. “Sometimes, Harkins, it is best to put aside a lesson when one grows too frustrated. Shall we rehearse your lines?”
“Yes, please!” The youth slammed his textbook shut, pushed his papers aside and offered Will a copy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. “I’m on pins and needles about my upcoming performance.”
Harkins dove into Shakespeare’s dialogue like a happy fish returned to a river. He played Demetrius rebuking his once-beloved Helena. Will took the part of the scorned maiden. He did not need to prompt his acting partner since Harkins knew every line of both parts.
When they’d finished the scene, Harkins sighed. “Why couldn’t life actually be a stage and all people actors like Shakespeare says? Acting is all I care about, but my father has other plans for me.”
“It often seems as if our roles are dictated to us,” William agreed. “But you must get your marks, graduate, and then think about setting your own course.”
“An actor doesn’t need this sort of education. I should seize the day while I am still young. You are a lucky man to have the freedom to do exactly as you wish and love whomever you care to.”
The last part was out of the blue, but struck a chord, since all Will could think about was Rose and what she might be doing at any given moment. “Are you enamored then, Harkins?”
The youth rested his head on folded arms and sighed again. “I am, but I don’t wish to talk about it. Ours is a secret adoration. What about you, sir? You seem to have a new aura about you, and a look in your eyes as if your mind were miles away. Is there someone?”
“Not a suitable conversation for pupil and teacher, Mr. Harkins.” Will found himself wanting to proclaim his feelings about Rose. The novel sensation of being in love was too heady to keep to oneself.
Harkins sat up, eyes aglow. “Inconceivable! A fellow of your age has found romance at last.”
“Quite a presumption.”
“Yet I am right, aren’t I, and why not? Summer is the perfect season for it. Perhaps a private assignation in the woods just like in the play.”
Rose would enjoy a spot full of natural beauty. He could whisk