Page 10 of The Good Duke
Forcing a calm she didn’t feel, Persephone brought her shoulders back. “It is all very fascinating. Beyond fascinating. Vital to the understanding of human function and our very lives.”
As she spoke, she was unable to tamp down the rising excitement that came from her telling. Goodness, how she’d missed those fascinating talks she’d had about topics that truly mattered.
“Scholars believe the study of anatomy began as early as 1600BC, the date of the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus,” Persephone elucidated. “This treatise shows the heart, its vessels, liver, spleen, kidneys, the uterus—”
Mrs. Belden paled.
“And bladder,” Persephone added.
“The…the…”
“Bladder,” Persephone finished for her. She motioned down toward her stomach and the place where that respective organ rested.
The headmistress wilted in her chair and searched a hand about…finding one of the handles of her drawers.
Mrs. Belden yanked it open and then, after fumbling about, she fetched a small vial, uncapped the smelling salts, and lifted them to her nose.
Persephone sat stiffly with her hands folded on her lap as the older woman recovered.
Oh, hell.Mayhap mention of bodily organs had not been the way to go.
Well, she’d wager her very post that she’d been the only instructor in the history of the dragons to drive the headmistress to vapors.
Unfortunately, such a skill offered no monetary benefits.
As so, Persephone was the young girl who’d pushed too far and sketched her last improper drawing without consequence.
Nay, this…this was worse. Because now there was no family, no going back. No fail-safe to fall upon if…when?… She lost her post.
She couldn’t. Determined to fight for her security, she spoke before Mrs. Belden could.
“Leonardo da Vinci exalted the human form as a thing of beauty, and his works inspired people and artists everywhere. It resulted in an entire Renaissance, and as such, my partaking in those pastimes cannottrulybe bad.” Slightly breathless from that long sentence, she stared hopefully over at her employer.
From behind her spectacles, Mrs. Belden’s eyes formed narrow slits. “Surely you are not comparing yourself to Leonardo da Vinci, Mrs. Forsyth?”
“Yes.”
Mrs. Belden’s eyebrows flew up to her brow.
“No.” Persephone fished about for the correct answer. “Not…exactly?”
Those stark white eyebrows returned to their normal positioning. “Which is it?”
“Somewhat I am,” Persephone clarified. “Not that I’m likening myskillsetto the Renaissance artists.” She tried again. “I’m not an artist.”
The other woman folded her hands together and leaned forward. “It’s unfortunate you didn’t recall that detail before you put your pencil to paper.”
“That is, I’m not aRenaissanceartist, Mrs. Belden.”
“Clearly,” Mrs. Belden said dryly.
Hmph.Who would have imagined the old dragon was capable ofanytype of humor?
That moment of the other woman’s levity proved so brief Persephone expected she’d imagined it.
A familiar hardness iced Mrs. Belden’s already hard features. “Throughout your tenure here, how many times have I assigned you the role of art instructor?”
“None?”
