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‘For what?’
‘It’s harder in the long run if people make promises they cannot keep. It will be better to wait until emotions have settled down.’
‘I’m not an emotional person,’ Dante said.
Except being back, walking across these grounds...perhaps he was fooling himself.
He wasn’t fooling Reverend Mother, though.
‘You just found out this morning.’
Her question, or rather statement, was wry. She turned and smiled, and he almost returned it.
‘Okay, maybe a bit emotional.’
Yes, maybe a bit emotional—especially now, as they came to the tiny stone school.
‘My mother attended school here.’
‘Indeed.’ Reverend Mother nodded.
‘She was a challenging student, I believe.’
‘Yes.’ Reverend Mother’s voice was grave. ‘We should have done more. I can see that now.’
‘Times were different.’ Even the fact that they were having this conversation was evidence of that. ‘And you did take her in when her parents didn’t.’
‘I meant we...we should not have left that challenge to you.’
‘You can only have boys here until they are one.’
‘Still, we should have stepped in, and I regret that we didn’t. I apologise again,signor.’
He looked at the school. He had never been on the grounds before, for he had attended the local one in town.
‘She could have done well. It was a very esteemed school.’
‘It is not so esteemed now.’ The Reverend Mother gave a tight smile. ‘But we try.’
‘It was a great school.’
‘I don’t think our benefactor anticipated the digital age...’
Here we go, Dante thought.
But perhaps Reverend Mother heard the roll of his eyeballs, as Alicia had once sworn she could, because she glanced up.
‘I have just told you that I regret how we handled things, both with your mother and you, her child. I am not so barefaced that I would ask for a handout. Are you so cynical that I must guard my words?’
Was he? ‘Please don’t do that.’
‘It’s not just about being an esteemed school. There are children we could have done so much more for—like your old friend...’
‘My old friend?’ Deliberately Dante frowned, refusing to show his deep interest and yet relieved Reverend Mother was not guarding her words.
‘Alicia,’ Reverend Mother prompted, unaware that it was needless, because really there had been but one friend for him.
‘Ahh, yes,’ he said as if healmostrecalled her.
