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Blushing furiously, Julia feigned a coughing fit, while Gabriel patted her back When the lecture eventually continued, he added to his missive,

I’m sorry I embarrassed you

I promise I’ll do better

You are not a speed buhtened, and he watched as her shoulders relaxed

Hesitantly, she reached out her baby finger and linked it with his own This was her way of holding his hand without others seeing

He curved his pinky around hers, looking at her from out of the corner of his eye

Yes, Professor Emerson could be an ass, on occasion But at least he was sorry

After the conference ended for the day, Katherine spirited Julia away to The Eagle and Child pub for a drink The pub was referred to locally as “The Bird and Baby,” or “The Fowl and Foetus” It was, perhaps, the er to see it because it had been one of the roup that included CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, and Charles Williams

Inside, Katherine purchased two pints of Caledonian ale and piloted her former student to a back corner Once they were co pull fro well” Katherine took in her for was a triulad you could join us” Julia gripped her glass a little too tightly, the whiteness of her knuckles telegraphing her nervousness

“Are you anxious about your lecture?”

“So why Katherine had insisted on speaking to her alone

“It’s understandable to be apprehensive, but you’ll do fine No doubt you’re still a bit shaken after encountering that dreadful woman”

Julia’s stomach flipped, and she nodded

Katherine noted that the other patrons were engaged in their own conversations before continuing

“Did Gabriel ever explain how I ca you a favor, but he wasn’t specific”

Katherine tapped her pint thoughtfully with a single unpainted fingernail

“I would have thought he’d have told you But it’s like hilasses, placing theo, I was in phased retirement in Toronto Jeremy Martin hired Gabriel to replacea se of the fall semester, I received an email from an old friend here in Oxford He told me that our for of cancer”

“I know Professor Hutton’s work He was one of the sources for ot more inforrew al, I’d already begun teaching reed to deliver a series of lectures on Dante and the seven deadly sins for the CBC I approached Jeremy and asked if it would be possible to take a week off so I could come here”