Page 1 of A Noble Affair
1
“You wanted to see me?” Chastity poked her head into the principal’s office.
“Yes, come on in.” Elizabeth Mercer took freshly printed sheets out of the tray and checked them against a list in front of her. She swiveled on her chair and placed one paper on the stack behind her, and the other to her right. “You’re settling in all right?”
Chastity nodded, hiding her fatigue. She didn’t need to discuss her small worries with her boss.
“I saw your e-mail about meeting with Monsieur de Brase. Here—have a seat. And why don’t you close the door?”
Chastity walked over and peered into the adjacent library where the voices swelled. “Hey everyone, keep your voices down.” She gave a pointed look at the students clustered around a tiny screen, and their voices fell to a whisper. While her principal continued to sort papers, Chastity sat, staring absently out the window at the young children chasing each other with untrammeled glee.
“So, you’re meeting him to talk about Louis’s English grades, is that it?”
“His grades, yes,” Chastity said. “But also the quality of his writing. It’s really below standard. How did he keep passing on to the next grade?”
Elizabeth pressed her lips together before replying. “He continued to scrape by. We helped him whenever we could, and it didn’t seem like holding him back would make much of a difference. He’s just never been a great student. Either way, it would’ve been hard to go against the wishes of his father.”
Chastity frowned. “His father?”
“He refused to let him repeat a grade and said he trusted us to do whatever it took to help his son pass.”
“But—why does the father have a say in whether his kid passes? I didn’t think a parent’s opinion ever swayed our decision-making.”
“Ah. You don’t know who Monsieur de Brase is." Elizabeth gave her a level stare, and if Chastity hadn’t begun to know her principal better, she would say she was pausing for effect. “He owns the Château of Maisons-Laffitte.”
“Oh. The viscount.” There was a pause. “Still, we have other influential parents. I don’t see why—”
“Because he donates a large amount of money to the school, and we depend on it. He’s also on the board, and some of our largest donors are on it because of him. It’s not worth the risk of losing that kind of support if we can avoid it.”
“Okay, I’m sorry, but that just…irritates me. He’s using his wealth and influence to push people around, but he’s not considering what’s best for his son.” Chastity was breathless and wound up, which might have been the extra cup of coffee she’d had before her last class.
“You’ll see for yourself,” Elizabeth responded. “He’s a nice enough man, but he’s kind of hard to argue with.” Chastity snorted delicately. “Just don’t say anything to set him off. We do need his monetary gifts.”
Chastity rolled her eyes, but smiled as she picked up her bag. “I’ll try to be on my best behavior.”
Once back in her office, Chastity realized she’d forgotten to tell her principal everything, but she didn’t have time to fill her in now. Only fifteen minutes remained before Mr. de Brase arrived, and she wanted to be prepared. She selected a colored file from the stack on top of the cabinets near the window.
Flipping through the papers, she came to the one she wanted. It was Louis’s critical essay on Euripedes’ play, “Medea,” and she read it through once more. “You are kidding me,” she muttered. “How could the school let him bulldoze…”
She reviewed her corrections—“There should be no first person in a critical essay. The beginning is too informal.” —and added, “Louis, you need to improve your writing. These words are too simple.”At least this is ready to show his father. He can hardly argue with me on how bad—
Elizabeth rang earlier than expected. “Chastity, Louis’s father is here to see you.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll be right down.”
Chastity slung her purse over her shoulder and pushed her reading glasses on top of her head, which was starting to hurt. She wasn’t sure if it was the upcoming meeting or if she had pulled her hair back too tight.
At the bottom of the spiral staircase, she rounded the corner and came abruptly against a tall, well-built man. What she noticed, when he faced her, was the shape of his nose—a Patrician nose that looked as if centuries of aristocracy had poured into the genes that formed it.A nose made for snubbing people. She barely took in his blue eyes and firm mouth.
A quick look at his Italian shoes and navy blazer with a little silk scarf caused her to glance at her own long skirt with a peasant top tucked in.I should really start dressing like a French person.His hair was his friendliest quality. It had a few strands of gray but was otherwise thick and tousled with boyish locks that made him look much less formidable.
She hid her nervousness and stuck out her hand. “Bonjour, Monsieur Brase.”
“Monsieur de Brase,” he answered, accenting the prefix, which denoted ancient nobility.
“MonsieurdeBrase,” she conceded, although she had known perfectly well how to pronounce his name. She had just been flustered by the fact that he appeared younger than she had expected. She turned to walk back up to her office. “If you’ll follow me?”
They walked silently up the stairs, and she wondered if her shirt was tucked in properly in the back. A more amiable parent might have complimented her on her excellent French, but Louis’s father said nothing. When they reached the top of the stairs, Chastity gestured forward. “Right in here, please.”
