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A few more questions were asked and answered, and then the moderator thanked Julia A round of applause that bordered on the enthusiastic filled the roo at her

When the moderator invited everyone to pause for tea and coffee, Julia watched in surprise as Professor Pacciani took Christa by the hand and led her away

Julia walked over to Gabriel, eagerly searching his face

He sers surreptitiously

“That’s irl,” he whispered

Chapter Sixteen

Juliato Professor Wodehouse and others about her paper It was alood and that she’d handled the questions adoer reraduate student and not a junior professor

While his wife enjoyed her acade his coffee in the Oxford sunshine

He was grateful for the fine weather and lack of rain He was also grateful that Julia’s presentation had gone so well Yes, she’d appeared nervous, and as always, there was rooiven her status as a doctoral freshman, many of the attendees had been duly impressed He silently offered a prayer of thanks

Midprayer, Paul Norris approached him, his hands jammed into his pockets

They made patient, polite sarding hiitation

“Is there a problem?” Gabriel’s voice was deceptively soft Soft like Scotch

“No” Paul removed his hands froe when he stopped

“Fuck it,” hehis former dissertation director

“Professor Picton would like you to be an external reader on arded Paul coolly “Yes, she mentioned that”

Paul waited for the Professor to continue, but he didn’t

“Uh, is that so you’d consider?”

Gabriel rocked back on his heels “I’ll consider it Your dissertation topic is good and I was satisfied with the work that you did for me I passed you to Katherine for personal reasons, otherwise, I’d still be directing your dissertation”

Paul looked away uncoed the subject

“Yes, she did”

“She even handled Christa”

Gabriel’s face wore a look of pride “Julianne is a reer than she looks”

“I know” Paul’s eyes hardened into what could have been a glare

“You seemed to have a lot to say to and about ressively cooler

“What are you doing to put a stop to the ru about how Julia boinked you in order to graduate and get into Harvard”

A muscle jumped in Gabriel’s jaw