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“If you were to read to relax, who would you read?”
“Plato or Aristotle. Maybe Thomas Aquinas. Francis Bacon.”
“Philosophers?”
“Philosophy of law. I’m always intrigued by the relationship between law and morality. We lawyers are focused on how law applies to a particular issue in a particular jurisdiction, but sometimes it’s necessary to step back and remember the features of law shared across time, place, and culture.”
“No wonder you don’t enjoy reading anymore,” she teased.
“I actually enjoy reading philosophy. I just don’t make time to read, perhaps because I don’t have much free time.”
“Do you ever want more free time?”
That was an interesting question, and he didn’t immediately answer. “A year ago, I would have said no, but now… maybe.”
They had passed the Abbey and the crowded Roman Bath entrance. As Baird talked, Ella gestured for them to continue on Monmouth Place without needing to interrupt the conversation. But as they approached the Royal Theatre, Ella paused, touching Baird’s arm.
“Oh, how could I have forgotten about the Royal Theatre?” Ella cried, stepping back to look up at the façade. “It’s not the Theatre Royal, this one was built to replace that one, but both theaters were significant in Jane Austen’s life, and society. The theater was one of the few places men and women could socialize. It was also one of the few places the different classes could mix. Jane would have been able to mingle and observe the aristocracy at the theater—” She broke off and laughed self-consciously. “But, of course, you know all of that. You’re British and this is your history. I’m sure you were an excellent student, too.”
“I held my own.”
“Just like in a fight?”
He smiled at her. “Youarebloodthirsty.”
“I just like learning things about you. Tell me something I don’t know. What was your favorite subject in school?”
“I was very strong in math, but I liked history best.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “And science. Literature. I like literature.”
“You’ve pretty much covered all the subjects.”
“I did well in school.”
“How well?”
He should be modest. He wasn’t. “Very well. I was a King’s Scholar.”
“What is that?”
“It’s one of fourteen awards granted each year at Eton. It’s a significant award, covering all tuition and expenses, which is what allowed me to go there. We didn’t have that kind of money, and I didn’t come from that kind of family. No one in my family went to private schools, much less a school like Eton.”
Ella heard the way he said Eton, as if it was a foreign thing, an almost painful thing, and she realized she knew nothing about Baird, his past, his work, his dreams. She’d always focused on that heat between them, that spark which defined so much of their interactions, but he was so much more than a ruggedly beautiful man. He had a life she knew nothing about and with her trip ending in a week, she’d never know.
But no, she wouldn’t think that. She couldn’t. She had to leave room for hope. “How did you win the award?”
“I took incredibly difficult tests. I’d never seen anything like it. I was sure I’d failed.”
She put her arm around him, giving him a squeeze. “But you didn’t.”
“I didn’t,” he agreed.
“And that’s where you met Alec.”
“And now you know the rest of the story.”
