"P. N. Elrod - Jonathan Barrett 01 - Red Death" - читать интересную книгу автора (Elrod P N)

nd closed the door before coming to stand before the fireplace. It was unlik
e him to behave so. I saw it as more evidence of how Mother's presence had c
hanged life for us all.
"There is other news, too," I said.
"Tell me."
"She wants me to go to England to study law."
Father only nodded, which was a bit disappointing to me. "What else?"
"She wants to sell Jericho and hire on an English servant to take his place."
This was news to Elizabeth. "That's horrid."
"I told him I'd sooner run away to sea and take him with me."
Father gave out with a chuckle just then, but quickly smothered it. I'd so
unded foolish, but just then we needed some foolishness. Some of the shado
ws looming over us seemed to drop back.
"But Jericho said that I'd be arrested for stealing him," I added.
"I see. Then Jericho is a most level-headed young fellow. Well, you need
not worry about him being sold. Since I bought Archimedes with my own mon
ey, both he and his son are my
property. Your mother can't sell either of them without my permission, and t
hat is something I shall happily withhold. If she wants an English servant f
or you, she may hire one, but he will have to take his orders from Jericho."
I blinked with surprise, but Father was serious. We knew enough about the
household hierarchies to know that no man of the type Mother would be lo
oking for would accept work under such conditions. Elizabeth smiled at me
, new hope and cheer blooming on her face.
Father's own smile came and went more quickly. "England,"
he sighed.
"I don't want to go, but she said that it's all been arranged." 'Then I've no d
oubt that it has. Cambridge, I suppose. Yes,
she's mentioned it before and no, I did not know that she'd
pursued it this far."
"Why?" I asked. "What is it she wants? Is Harvard not good enough for her?
"
'That and many other reasons, laddie. Tell me everything you
know."
I summarized this morning's conversation, leaving in Mother's tantrum, then
went on to her lecture in the afternoon. The latter was little more than a s
ketch because of my condition at the time.
"She seems to have everything well in hand," was his comment when I'd finis
hed. "It looks like she's been cooking this up with that bloody sister of h
ers for some goodly time."
"Aunt Theresa?" The name was not unknown to me, but unfamiliar on the t
ongue.
"Hmm." Father went to his desk and shuffled at the papers
1 top, plucking one from the pile and bringing it back to the tetter light. I
t was the same one Mother had been studying is morning. "This is it. You've b
een accepted at Cambridge; wording to this, your studies are to begin at the
Michaelmas term. How like her to leave it there for me to just 'find.' "
"She also waited until you were away before telling me. She d it on purpose
, I think—"
"She does 'most everything with a purpose," he growled, putting the paper as