Max chuckled. “No, that’s hardly of interest to me. I have, however, agreed to take a position teaching school. At least for a short time.”
The Duchess choked on her wine and began coughing. She managed to regain control as Max’s father put down his fork and shook his head. “What in the world are you talking about?”
After taking a sip of iced tea, Max smiled. “It’s a long story but suffice it to say that I won’t be in town for a few weeks.”
“I don’t understand any of this. You have a position and responsibility to me. We have matters to resolve and projects to oversee.”
“Father, the truth of the matter is that it’s time for me to see to my own future. More than time. I’ve spent these last dozen years learning from you and my brothers. I’ve done things your way and helped to benefit you as best I could. The only real interest I have in the projects I’ve overseen have been the sawmills and logging. Since your mills were destroyed, I am of a mind to perhaps create my own at some point. There’s good money in it, especially when you have your own property from which to harvest trees.
“However, I am also giving much thought to teaching as a permanent vocation. I enjoy it, and since I have an inheritance that I can invest and still manage to live a comfortable life, the lower paying job of teacher is entirely possible for me to choose.”
“But there’s no admiration in such a job. You will be looked down upon by our society,” the Duchess declared.
“Then perhaps that society isn’t something I wish to be part of. Teaching is an admirable service, and without it we would fail as a civilization.” Max leaned back. “I don’t expect you to understand, but I hope you will at least wish me well. Dr. Turner and his wife have purchased a couple of farms onto which the poor who were made homeless or jobless by the fires can move and begin to build again. There will be a need for someone to teach the children of these families, and I volunteered until they could find a permanent teacher. But who can say? I might enjoy it so much that I’ll volunteer to stay on.”
“Oh, your head injury must have brought about this nonsense of religion and volunteering your time to the poor.” The Duchess spoke before Max’s father could. “Darling, we musttake him to a good doctor, someone more qualified to figure out what is wrong.”
Max shook his head and gazed heavenward. He had known they would resist his plans, but nevertheless he felt even stronger in his convictions. “I assure you, Duchess, there is nothing wrong with me. In fact, maybe for the first time in my life, everything seems very right.”
She looked at him oddly. “You’ve been schooled in the best private institutions available to us. You have known only the best families and been raised to know how to conduct yourself properly. Now you want to throw that all away and teach the poor?”
“I don’t see myself throwing away any solid teachings or valuable lessons.” Max pitied her. “I believe I will be a better teacher for the experiences I’ve known and the knowledge I’ve been able to take in. I see nothing demeaning about teaching, however. I think back on my childhood and realize that those teachers were the ones who had the most influence over what I believed. Not even you and Father had more impact.”
“What a thing to say,” Father said indignantly.
“It might be difficult to hear, but children sit in school any number of hours each day and are heavily influenced by the one in charge of the classroom. Their time at home with their parents is limited to a brief period in the morning, then a brief time after school. They are soon off to bed and the process starts fresh the next day. Surely you can see that the time given a child with their parents is brief once school begins.
“And for that upper-class society that you so love, Duchess, those hours are spent with a nanny or governess, and children rarely ever see their parents. So how could they possibly be influenced by them? When I was young, I spent a good amountof time one summer with a nanny from Savannah, Georgia. I learned all about that fair city and society. I learned about the difficulties caused by the war and how the North had been very wrong to inflict its demands on the South. I even found myself starting to speak in a thick Southern drawl like her.”
“That must have been before I married your father,” the Duchess replied, looking appalled. “I would never have allowed for a Southerner.”
“It was before you joined our family, not that it matters. My point is that if parents fail to spend time with their children, how can they hope to have any influence or say over them? Therefore, isn’t it best to call the very finest souls to the job of teaching? Wouldn’t it be to the benefit of all to have admirable people of high regard in positions of school master and marm?”
“Of course, but I would never have wanted such a position for any child of mine.” His father quickly stepped in. “Your brothers are men of industry, and you were raised to be no less.”
“But my heart lies elsewhere.” Max smiled and leaned back in his chair. “And for once, I believe I shall follow it.”
“Do you have a minute to talk?” Father asked at Evie’s open bedroom door.
“Of course. I had rather hoped you’d stop by.” She got up from her dressing table and went to hug him. “Have a seat.” She motioned to the chair she’d just abandoned. “I’ll sit on the bed.”
Her father sat down and folded his hands together. “I won’t say that I’m not sad to lose you as my assistant, but I want to assure you that I’m glad you told me the truth. I would have hated knowing you were continuing in a job that made you ill.I thought back to how sick you were at the fire. I presumed it was just because of the smells.” He sighed. “I feel terrible that I didn’t know sooner.”
“Please don’t. It isn’t your fault. I wanted so much to make this happen. For us to work together was not only your dream, but mine as well. That’s why I went to every possible length to get past my nausea and discomfort. I didn’t want to just give up without really putting all my efforts into it.”
“You did that and more. I love you dearly, Evie. I don’t want anything but happiness for you.”
“And I for you.”
Her father shifted and placed his hands on his thighs. “So, what does the future hold now?”
Evie smiled. “Well, I hope to continue fund-raising. I believe I have a talent for that. After all, I raised a considerable amount of money for our charities, and during a financial crisis. If I can do that, just imagine how great it will be when we’re having good years.”
He chuckled. “Evie, you’ve always been able to talk a good talk. I think you could convince a man to give you his coat in the dead of winter. I’m sure your mother would love to step back from some of her work and have you take over with all the fund-raising. I won’t speak for her, but I know she’s getting tired. Besides, we’ve talked of one day traveling together, perhaps going abroad again. I think this just might be the thing that allows for that.”
“I’d love knowing that my work would somehow bless you two. That’s really all I’ve ever wanted to do ... bless you.”
“Evie, the day you were born you were a blessing to us. You and Evan were our pride and joy and still are. We’re proud of you both.”
