AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The duke brought his glass to his lips. “Useful for what?” he asked just before he sipped.
“For the Iddesleigh School for Girls. Our little school has been such a success that we must expand.”
Marley suddenly coughed, nearly spitting out the wine. Lady Caroline, on his right, put her hand on his back. “Goodness, Your Grace. Are you all right?”
“Yes, thank you,” he said hoarsely. He looked, Amelia thought, like he would be ill.
“A girls’ school,” Mr. Swann said. “How interesting.”
“My brother and his wife founded the little school down the road when it became clear that options for properly educating their daughters were lacking,” Lady Caroline explained. “It’s proven so popular that many wish to send their girls there.”
“Bravo, my lord, my lady,” Mr. Carhill said. “I applaud your efforts. We had a devil of a time finding a proper tutor for Allison and her sister.”
Beck bowed his head in acknowledgment. “We are in need of more teachers and more room. As the abbey sits empty, it seems the perfect location. It’s on the road between Iddesleigh and Hollyfield, not far from our present location. And it intersects the main highway north and is convenient to the train. We would like to make it a boarding school.”
Amelia hadn’t heard about the boarding school. “But that’s marvelous!” she said. “I always wanted to attend a boarding school. I thought it would be the happiest of times to be surrounded by girls my age. Alas, my father the king was firmly against it. Our tutor said we were already at a boarding school, in that we lived in a separate part of the palace than our parents for most of the year. But it wasn’t the same.”
“I think you were fortunate to be in St. Edys, Your Royal Highness,” said Prince Leopold. “I was sent to a military school in Fondaven, in the north of Alucia. I’ve never been so cold in my life.”
Several of the guests laughed.
“We should very much like to have a boarding school,” Beck continued. “But first, the mystery of the ownership of the abbey must be solved.”
“Why is it a mystery?” Amelia asked.
“The property records were lost in a parish fire many years ago.”
“Well, I think it is commendable of you to devote such thought to education for girls, my lord,” Amelia said. “What do you think, Your Grace?” she asked innocently.
The duke jerked his gaze to her, clearly startled by the question. “What do I think of...?”
“The school,” Amelia said. “Or, more generally, girls’ education.”
He glanced around the table. “I think it is necessary.”
Such a bland answer. “Je,and?”
“And...?” He eyed her curiously. “I’m pleased that Iddesleigh has taken such an interest in it.”
“Do you think girls should be educated as thoroughly as boys?” she asked.
“No,” Mr. Carhill said flatly.
Amelia glanced at his daughter, whose gaze was on her plate. She wondered what Miss Carhill thought. “May I ask why not?”
“I should think it obvious,” he said. “There is no need for it. Girls will become wives and mothers. There is no need for them to study subjects they won’t use in their daily lives. They don’t need to know how to, for example, distill kerosene from coal.” He nodded at Mr. Swann.
Mr. Swann nodded in agreement with Mr. Carhill, “Some subjects, I think, are overly complicated for the female brain.”
Lord.What did these two gentlemen think? That the female brain was a tiny little pebble rattling around in their heads? “How interesting!” she said brightly. “Do you believe the female brain is inferior to the male brain?”
“Well, in some ways, yes,” Mr. Swann said. “Our Creator has made our minds differently, hasn’t He? The female brain is inclined to nurture and give life. The male brain is inclined to protect and provide, to solve problems.”
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Swann, but that is ridiculous. I can solve problems as easily as you,” Lady Caroline said.
Mr. Swann’s smile was a bit patronizing. “Yes, of course. I’m not speaking of anyone here. I’m speaking in general.”
“But don’t you think, given the same education, that females could also solve complex problems?” Amelia pressed. “My sister and I were taught subjects most girls are not taught, because she would be queen one day. She solves problems frequently. Much bigger than problems any of us here might have.”
