The amusement in Viona eyes made them shine. She pulled herself closer to the table to bend over and talk to him more closely… The whisky was probably starting to make her blood thinner.

“- So… No women for you, you say? And why so? Is your preference elsewhere or do you simply dislike the whole gender?”

Galder was talking like ‘one of the guy’, not really considering herself part of the gender in question.

Alexander shot her a look that clearly meant she was getting near a delicate subject. He took the bottle and drank the rest of it, took his glass and pulled a shot from the new bottle.

“- I’m a freak. Women are afraid of me. If I was over fifty, it would be fine to be a magus. But… they are afraid I will read their mind or turn them into some ridiculous form if they displease me.”

Viona rose an eyebrow but withholded any comment, leaving room to the young man to explain.

“- My last date was a disaster. I made a joke saying she was so joyful, she should just go around and jump like a happy puppy.” he sigh, “She did it, not because it was a funny joke or because she felt like it… She did it because she was afraid of me.”

Galder pulled the bottle of Whisky her way, trying not to laugh when he told her about his disastrous love life. She drank an other glass as he darkly went through his memories.

“- Her parents had put her in my arms and I had tried to refuse the date but… one of my teacher had told me to go out and have some fun. Yeah, some fun… Even my own family is weary around me. My uncle George forbade me from going near his children on pain of death. Here, at last, the children are not afraid of me. Even the girls look at me like I’m a human being and the guys here call me Young Alex.”

He pointed vaguely toward a table behind the young women, there an old Irish sailor was emptying his own bottle the other patron visibly respecting his solitude.

“- See that slumbering old man? The first time I came here, he told me he did not care that I was a Magus; he would still kick my ass. We became friends after I bought him an whole bottle of his favorite scotch, a 15 year Oban.”

He drinks the other shot and his eyes get a bit blurry and misty. Obviously, the magus is nearing his limit. Unable to stay serious any longer, Viona bursted into laughter attracking the attention of many of the patrons.

“- You’re not serious, right?….. Afraid of you?… Really?….”

She was not laughting at Alexander. No, in her laugh there was something else… Something deep and sad… The alcool was making Galder express in laughter something she could not dare to face of sober mind but had just seen reflected into the young teacher… When she realised people were staring at her she slowly controlled her laughter and had to wip tears from her eyes.

“- Gosh Alexander…” Viona froze… how could she had called him by his first name… She waved her hand like to erase the thought and started up again.

“- Gosh Shaw… I am really sorry that people are so stupid. Seriously…”

She still had a huge smile on her face and tears pearling in her eyes.

“- I know what a Magus is and I am not afraid of you. And no matter how drunk I am, I am still able to beat you up… And beat HIM up too…”

Galder threw her hand in direction of the drunken sailor, talking loud enough for anyone to hear. The young women had drank enough to throw many under the table and was still grabing the bottle for more. The shadow in her eyes were witness that her bravado was only a facade to hide painful thoughts.

Alexander drank his shot, looked at the bottle and made a hand gesture. Soon, another one was there, opened and ready to take the place of the soon to be empty one.

He thought long and hard and then some. Shaw contemplated his glass wondering if the next question should be ask or not. Then throwing caution to the wind, he downed his glass.

“- Why did you not marry? You could have stayed in London, they would have give you back your estate. And a pretty girl like you would find plenty a suitor.”

The question was no surprise, it was a question Viona had been asked almost daily while in London. She took her shoot quietly, taking the time to taste the harsh liquor before setting her mind into the delicate question.

“- I have many reasons to not seek an husband. You took care of four of them for the last six months.”

It was probably the most correct answer to give the man, but certainly the most incomplete. Galder dove her eyes in the empty glass, wondering if this was a kind of cheating.

She dismissed the doubt with an other shot and piled it on top of her other glass. It took her a moment to bring the next question to the front of her mind but Viona pushed it forward without really thinking.

“- What is between you and my sister?”

Alexander was thinking about her previous answer when she asked about her sister. He looked at Galder not understanding what she meant at all.

“- Hu? Come again? Who? Alice?”, his eyes were thoughtful. “Well, we are open with one another, she is quite a delightful little kitten and a good student. I don’t see anything wrong… Did I do something to make her feel bad?”

He was now more talking to himself.

“- I should talk to her tomorrow and try to find what I did wrong… I would not want her to be angry for a stupid joke or a to ruff reprimand on her work…”

Then a light popped in the young teacher mind.

“- OH!….. Oh god no!!!!! Nothing like that!!!!”

A very harsh laugh escaped his mouth before he could stop it.

“- Forget it. First, she is way to young and pure and all that. I would never entertain the thought and never did. I like her a lot but like one of my own sister. Except that she is not afr… forget it. No woman for me thank you very much. I might maybe find friendship with one someday but something else? HA!”

Galder watch the man fumble with her question a moment and nodded simply, that is all she wanted to know. Age was only a matter of time, specially when nobility was implied. If he had to have his eyes on her sweet sister, she preferred to know know right away. She did not fear for her sister honor, that man was courteous enough, she would have hardly think of him as a womanizer. Still, in two years suitors would start knocking at her door to see the young girl and Viona felt already overwhelmed with the obligation to deal with her own suitor, so the later the better.

Alexandre drank his shot straight and asked quite unfairly, showing he had noticed her half answer.

“- What about an other shot, Galder?”

It was not a real question but still within the rules of the game. It was really to force her to do better at the following round.

Viona didn’t flinch and simply drank her glass, still thinking about his own answers. His fumbling and hesitations had tell her much more about the young man then she had expected.

After a moment of thought, the teacher decided to move the game forward. Indicating the whiskey glass with his hand, Alexander smiled apologetically.

“- Your turn, miss Galder.”

Viona looked at her drink a bit thoughtful, she had not plan for such direct questions from the young man but she had to admit she did like the game. Very few man had dared drink with her, most of them finding excuses in the face that she was a women and a would be Lady. Now the Mathemagus had probably drunk with a few of his feminine classmate but probably rarely in that kind of context.

She emptied her glass and placed it neatly with the other, giving some space to the silence before emphasizing something that should have been cleared up even before they sat down.

“- Galder. Or Lady Viona. Nor Miss or Madame with me.”

She had not rose her head to look at Shaw and was simply observing him from the side.

“- My equals, the men who dared train or study in my company, call me Galder as did the man with who I grew up learning my Father’s trade and genius….”

The pause was heavy and measured.

“- I thank them for it. …. Now… The name by which I ‘should’ be called, since I carry the title of my Father, is Lady Viona… Or Lady Viona Galder if you need to be formal.”

Galder rested her eyes on the bottle, half empty, they were not doing bad but they would probably need a second one, or at least she would. She followed up with a new question, the game was far from finished afterall; she wanted him under the table!

“- What did you expected me to say about your employment?”

Alexander looked at her with a blank face than said straight with his glass in his hand:

“- ‘You’re fired Mr Shaw’ wasn’t it obvious? ”

Viona took a moment to turn and observe Alexander as he spoke words she would have never so harshly used. Granted, they were of the same family she had considered while in London. She shruged, considering.

How had the young man, only a few years her elder, made the tide turn so fast was very interesting. She had been weak, one way or an other. As she remembered her fellow student telling her many time: “You have the gift of logic, do not let it be clouded by the fogs of emotions.”, he was right as always. But was it really possible for a women too…… She stiffed abruptly, as if someone had just placed a knife on her throat, a shade passing through her gaze and then a smile as she thought that, even to this day, she was one of her worse enemy.

Viona let the facts rush through her mind, taking care to put aside the fact he was a Mathemagus. His effectiveness, his way of getting the children attention and the obvious thirst for knowledge he had awakened in the two boys were in themselves enough to make him a competent home teacher. Galder then moved her attention to the images of the fight they had been part off and acknowledged that his techniques, thought still basic, were very nicely performed, making him a good person to introduce the children to the antagonistic arts.

There had to be an explanation for those things and maybe keeping him around would help her work her deduction skills on a other level.

That drinking game was sure to be some fun time for the Mathemage. Alexander smiled a slow smile, thinking Viona was in for a big surprise. He lift the next shot, drank it and put the glass with the other one.

After an understandable smirk at the burn of the liquor, he asked his question in a low voice.

“- Why did you not tell me that you were a master at Bartitsu?”

The young women had an amused smile and pulled the next full glass to her. Viona bright eyes looked over the slick tainted glass she wore, purely for style from most people point of view.

“- Why would I have? I did not see the point of bragging, nor the appropriateness of it.”

Alexander shrugged at the socially correct answer, visibly a bit annoyed by the fact she hid such a thing from him.

“-Trying to protect my masculine Ego? I don’t have one. I had to let it go learning Magic.”

The young women had a smirk, men were delicate creatures but they surely could hold her interest. To see Shaw annoyed by such a detail was both amusing and interesting.

A flash passed in her gaze as she scanned the man and she looked down into her glass. She drank and placed it sharply in front of her…

“- Would you have told me so much about your vision of Bartitsu if I had told you all out I have been one of Barton-Wright disciple?”

Her speech had changed, she was no longer using her Ladyship as the facade to express her view, she didn’t need it, she looked even stronger without it.

The young teacher didn’t find anything to answer. She was right, he would not have say much about the art if he had known of her skills.

She poured liquor in the two empty glass, spilling a bit of the content on the table, not caring. She grabbed one of the glass and dove her gaze in Shaw’s.

“- My turn. Why did you take the job?.… Seriously, you are a PHD in Mathemagic, you even forced the door of the Royal Universitas open to study Techno-Science… Why play the babysitter?”

Alexander smiled amused.

“- Teaching children is a lot more pleasant than universitas students. As soon as they pass the entry test, they tend to believe that they know everything. I know, I was like that. Children, on the other hand, look at the world with fresh eyes. I learn more about magic, science and the world teaching the little tikes than I did earning my PHD.”

She went quiet when he explained the why of his choice. Viona had met and dealt with many Mathemagus in her life, both on and off the campus of both Universitas, and she had never met one of his type.

Shaw’s eyes have a sadness that he tries to mask. Taking the next shot, he waves it vaguely in the direction of the young women.

“- So, why do you hate me?”

Catching the shadow in his gaze, Viona took a mental note of it. Bringing her attention to his question, her eyes turned cold again. Her whole persona reverting stiffly to the lady for a short moment before forcing herself to relax.

“- I don’t really hate you… If I did I would not be drinking with you now. We might be from very different… ‘caste’” The taste of that word seemed to disgust her. ” but I do know the difference between a person and a group.”

Alexander had to grant her; she was not your typical noble. He never, even in his wildest dream, had believed that she would accept his invitation to the pub. It had been a gambit and he believed that he would be fired on the spot, but she had called his shot… and more than once. Maybe, just maybe this girl…woman, was truly different, but he dared not hope too much.

As they walked in, the Bartender of the Shenanigan threw askance of a glance in the direction of the couple. The young Lady was far from surprised, very few pub had the pretension of accepting women, after all where would man go for some relaxing time if their feminine counterpart were allowed even in their favorite hideouts.

When Alexander introduced her as Lady Viona Galder to the questioning crowd, an heavy silence settled on the room. As Viona was considering her options, the stillness was suddenly broken by the voice of a middle age man.

“- Galder! You pretty devil!”

The eyes of the young Lady lighted up and she turned toward Brian Anderson, the current resident Bartitsu Master. With strength and much warmness, the man exchanged a handshake and a friendly slap to her shoulder.

“- What a surprise to see you in this place. Weren’t you supposed to be in London……”

His voice cracked and a shadow passed in the eyes of the man. Clearing his throat, he lowered his voice to talk about a more delicate matter.

“- I heard about your Father. My condolences; he was really a great man….… Lady Viona. ”

Anderson had said her title with a bit of hesitation, not used to call her by her given name, nor by her title. The young women mood darkened a bit, she would never get used to the absence of her father, nor to the title she had now to carry. She dismissed his discomfort and his solemn tone with a sigh.

“- Thank you, Anderson. Now, please… No Lady between us.”

Brian saw the pain in the mood of his friend and decided to change the subject to something more uplifting. Turning to the bar, he grabbed his glass to raise it high in the air and then turned to the young Lady to make a toast.

“- A toast!… A few hours ago, I received results from central London concerning the latest National Bartitsu competition. Some very good news!”

The patron of the pub also took their glass to ready the toast, some sport announcements were always a good reason for a drink.

“- The second place was won by someone who now lives on King James Island. I am sure many people are very proud and I am certainly one of them. To Galder! The most surprising flower of the gardens of Artenia!”

The young women rose an eyebrow, this was in fact quite the surprise. Second place was way better then she had expected even though she had always performed well in competition. She tried to keep herself from blushing too much when Alexander looked at her with astonishment.

The toast seemed to break the ice with the patron of the bar. Viona had now become “Galder” and needed not be a Lady anymore. It was also a noticeable fact that no one wanted to mess with a competition ranked Bartitsu practitioner. If for nothing else, that alone was worth it’s share of respect.

Many came to see Viona, congratulating her on her success and introducing themselves. She noticed that a good number worked at one of the shop her father had put together on the island. After many interruption and some offer of whiskey, the pair was finally left some talking space and Alexander turned to Viona.

“- So… you wanted to talk to me about my employment in your household?”

Viona’s smile faded a moment and then reappeared with a hint of amusement. Now was her chance to mess a bit with the Mathemagus’ mind.

“- First… A drink. No two. My father used to say you know a man when you can share a glass with him.”

The young women grabbed a bottle a whiskey and two glass. Finding a table, she filled both shot to the rim and dropped them in front of the Magus.

“- Do you dare to get to know me?”

Her eyes were shinning with a light he had never seen before. The Lady had been left at the door and the person in front of him now reminded him more of a playful lad.

Alexander gazed at the glass, the traitorous bottle and looked Viona straight in the eyes.

“- You know, I could just change all my shots in water?  But…Your on, little girl!”

Viona grinned and replaced her glasses, visibly exited of the challenge to send a Mathemage under the table into a drinking game.

“- In this game what you choice to do and what you choice not to do is as important as every word spoken. I am no fool, I know the tricks of the like of you.”

The last words were said with the right amount of tease and of dare. As a Techno-Scientist, she had no trust in the Magus, as two gentlemen they had their honors to bind them.

Alex drowned the first shot without blinking an eye. The eyes of Viona were of a very deep blue, scanning the man as he drank his shot. Then, the young man smiled, turned the empty glass on the table and looked at her.

“- How about you?”

An amused smile passed on her lips and she took her glass between her fingers. She sat straight and drowned her shot, placing the glass on the table upside-down in a clear challenge to the man across from her.

“- Your call.”

Galder had her eyes straights in those of Alexander, she had called the challenge, he had to trow the next dare, the next question.

The duo was enjoying their brisk walk in the night air when, arriving only two or three streets away from the pub, Alexander lifted his hand and placed it on Viona’s arm in a familiar way. The young Lady looked askance at him and to her surprise, he bent to kiss her. She tensed as a bow, his behavior so out of place, but quickly relaxed when he whispered sweetly at her hear. A slight blush came to her face and she hid a smile before slowly patting his cheek.

They kept on walking, Galder shifting her cane from hand and gently taking the left arm of the young man. Their head close together in a quiet conversation, they laughed at the jokes they kept telling each other, obvious of the danger closing in from behind them.

They had just reached the intersection, when a man stepped out with a gun pointed toward the lovely couple.

“- Geee Governer, you sound so lucky tonight. You ‘nd you lady friend don’t mind sharing luck with us, do you?”

Only then did the deception fall. From her left hand, Viona launched a fast strike at the wrist holding the gun, her cane cracking it efficiently and forcing the aggressor to drop his weapon. Following her lead, Alex pivoted swiftly and, passing behind her, his stick hit the kneecap of the thug that had the misfortune to stand on their left, breaking it. Raising his cane quickly, the young teacher blocked a hit aimed at his head coming from the ruffian rushing to him from behind.

Busy dealing with the bully, Shaw only glimpsed a stick coming from nowhere to deflect a knife aimed at his throat, sending it flying. Without thinking anything more of his good fortune, Alexander concentrated on his opponent.

The thug was wielding a Pict Shillelagh and the head of the stick was obviously weighted down, a dangerous weapon in the hand of such a strong man. Trying a hit at the shoulder of the ruffian, the young teacher found his cane trapped into the powerful hand of the man. Bending knees in a hurry, a swing of the heavy Shillelagh threw Alexander’s hat off. In hope to get his cane back, the young man sent a powerful kick at the man chest, using the movement to force distance between the both of them.

Two years of training now sounded like very little in face of having to deal with such an opponents. Shaw knew that there were at least two other man around them, still his own antagonist was keeping him too busy for him to do anything about them. He could only hope that Lady Viona’s claimed knowledge of Bartitsu would be sufficient to keep her safe long enough for him to help her.

Calling to himself a bit of magical energy, the Mathemage watched as the brute rushed toward him, seeing the shades of his movement preceding the strike itself. With an elbow block to stop the attack, Alexander inserted his stick inside the arm of the large man and using it as leverage, forced his guard wide open. With a stomp kick to the knee, the young man forced his opponent on the ground and followed up with a two handed grip hit on his head knocking him out cold.

Turning quickly toward Lady Viona, the young man hoped he wasn’t too late. He had expected her to be quite overwhelmed and was astonished to see her standing over two opponents, laying on the ground, obviously unconscious.

Her Ladyship had been calmly watching him fight against the strongman and, adjusting her slim gloves, she politely applauded his performance. Walking to where he stood breathless, she picked up his hat and handed it back to him courteously. Viona, despite her tight corset, was breathing quite evenly and looked almost as fresh as if she had not raised her cane at all.

“- Well, Master Shaw, you were right. There was at least five of them. If it had not been for your keen hearing, we … Our Ladyship would have been in quite a bit of trouble.”

Viona walked toward the gun that was laying on the ground and, catching it with the tip of her walking stick, made it fly behind some crate where it would not be found easily.

“- This little stunt you pulled, pretending to kiss us, almost got you a slap but, again, we have to thank you. Your warning was timely and advice quite … to the point.”

She took a step toward the intersection and turned toward him with a half amused, half accomplice smile. Definitively, she was finding the young man quite entertaining and somewhat intriguing.

“- You might not be Master at Bartitsu, still it does not prevent you from having some interesting skills.  Now, shall we go to your pub?”

Smiling despite himself, Alexander offered his arm to the lady and they moved on, leaving five man incapacitated behind them.  In the shadow, unseen by either of them, a man chuckled and moved away shaking his head in wonder. Here was an unlikely pair if he had ever seen one. But… such potential should not be left to itself… Oh no. It had to be nurtured until it was ripe for the taking…

The supper was a joyful affair. The girls exchanged ideas on the new London fashion, musing on the ways they could use their new accessories in their life on King James Island. On their side, the boys were beyond themselves with excitement, enjoying the small steam toys that Viona had brought them.

David had looked at his closely. It was obviously not allowed for him to make the thing run on the dinner table but a chance to cogitate on the toy had been granted to the boy. He had to be reminded to eat his soup, his study so intense that he had lost interest in food.

After asking for a moment away from the table, the boy had brought back paper and pen. He had dedicated himself into drawing a very accurate estimate of the engine inside, while Ankony gave him some details from his own experience. Soon, they had draft a steam propelled engine that could reach the moon or so said their calculations.

Alexander smiled warmly at the young ones enthusiasm and caught the same warm smile on Viona’s lips. They exchanged a knowing smile, a true smile, for the very first time. Then, to Alex’s disappointment, her eyes turned cold and distant as she withdrew herself from the moment.

For the rest of the supper, Alexander tried to keep a cheerful appearance for the children sake but strongly believe that he would soon be sent away.

Viona on her side was thoughtful and confused.  This man, who obviously loved the children at least as much as she did and tried his best to impart them with knowledge and ethics, was her natural enemy. Not the man himself, thought she had very little doubt that given the chance he could be, but everything he represented.  Magic disguised as science… Science disguised as magic… Did he even know the consequences his art?

The young lady risked a smile to her sister, visibly oblivious to the conversation that was happening at the moment. The girl didn’t insist, knowing her sister life to be heavy in responsibility that she dared not think off.

Viona had considered getting rid of Alexander way before she had planned her return to the estate. She had her mind set and had not done it from afar simply because of what her father had taught her. The old man had always showed her that those kind decisions affected man and man had the right to stand the blow face to face.

Why was she changing her mind now? She knew he had done fine and followed her strict instruction not to introduce any of the children to magic of any kind. He had agreed without hesitation, which had slightly surprised her. He was the perfect tutor, one she would have enjoyed herself at her cousins age. All this and more was now to consider in face of her decision.

The dinner done, the boys were sent to bed. After a goodnight kiss from their elder, giggling Mary and slightly red cheek Alice excused themselves toward their room.

After a moment of heavy silence, the young Lady retired to go prepare for the visit to the pub. When she reappeared, Viona had reverted to black trousers, a silk corset and a long velvet coat. Her long hair had been pin under a small hat who framed her face with laces.

Alexander, waiting for her at the door, wore his usual, covered by a long gray coat, his small cap deep on his head. He had his favorite oak walking stick, the one he had brought with him from Artenia and reminded him of his last year of study.

Knowing the streets to be slippery, the young Master offered a bronze stick to his Lady who politely refused and provided her own. She selected a silvery and black straight cane with an engraved dragon head.

A moment later, Viona and Alexander stepped out to face the cold night of King James Island. The artificial island was slightly colder then old Artenia and the constant wind from the ocean often engulfed itself in the labyrinth of street of the floating city. Being in the middle of the sea brought a lot of moisture to the air and rust to everything that was not painted regularly.

They walked in companionable silence toward the Shenanigan, the pub aforementioned by Alexander.

The small silence that had followed the incident with Ankony had made Alexander highly uncomfortable. Turning quickly toward Viona, he was swift to explain.

“- I believe in a strong mind in a strong body, just like people of Ancient Greece did. So, I have been teaching all the children the very basic of Bartitsu. Are you familiar with this art?”

Viona smiled a little and nodded, indicating for Alexander to continue his speech.

“- Well. I am far from being a master, only a mid level practitioner at best, but they teach us at the Universitas that Magus cannot rely solely on magic. We have to be able to defend ourselves with whatever means needed and Bartitsu allow for that!”

Alexander was warming up on the subject. He obviously enjoyed Bartitsu very much and liked to discuss the topic.

Viona, one of the first few disciples of Barton-Wright, was considered a master in the art by many. Since she had started her training when the great man had started developing his techniques, she knew most of what was to know of the martial art.

Amused by the lesson, she smiled warmly at the teacher who obviously did not know much about her. The young women liked the fact that Shaw discouraged infighting between the siblings while giving them an education that would last a lifetime.

Galder had thought her cousins a bit too young for such a lethal practice, maybe they indeed were when she had left, but they surely had grown quickly. Now that she thought about it, Viona had never believed her sister to be even slightly interested by the art. Obviously, Master Shaw had some skills, or tricks, to make her pay attention.

Viona listened to his speech of using the opponents force against himself. Of how, when he trained, he felt that time slowed down. How he would try to analyze his opponents stance to anticipate his actions and counter their attacks before they even began. A bit like a game of chess, trying to out think his opponent up to 5 moves ahead.

Alexander speech was clear and well thought of; she could understand exactly what he meant or how he thought. There was still a bit of fog in his reasoning but he would probably learn to clarify those points when he would have a chance to practice the art more thourouly.

“- Of course, I never use magic when sparring. That would be against the very spirit of the art, even if I did train to use magic and Bartitsu in combination. I still prefer the use of my wits without the enhancement that magic can give me.”

A short silence followed his explanation; Viona was deep in thought, measuring the young man from what he had so willingly told her.

“- So…er…Lady Viona, what about this drink?”

She smirked then seemed to actually like the idea.

“- Well, I have been here only a few hours but think you are correct Master Shaw; we could benefit from a night out and our discussion could gain from a little privacy.”

Her speech was as elaborated as social standards required from her. As much as she enjoyed the Magus more friendly ways, she still had to be an example to her young charge. Especially since the man was almost a stranger to her.

“- It would be nice to meet your Bartitsu master. Our abilities in this art are… modest but practical … and it would be of great interest to find a master to train and improve.”

Viona congratulated herself for being able to deliver this little speech straight faced. She disliked the rules of conversation she had to abide too and was sincerely thinking that modesty should not be a virtue. Still offending Master Shaw would not have achieve anything either. Men had a tendency to be conservative when strength and martial skills were discussed, probably something to do with their impression that the gentle sex needed their help to be safe. No matter the reason, it had very little importance since she had nothing to prove to him or to anyone else.

The young lady watched the children open the bags and share the many surprises they were finding. Then, slowly, Viona turned distant eyes toward the teacher, continuing the polite discussion with the man, unsure if really anything she said had any interest to him.

“- We also attended some experimentation on the Arts of Antagonistic. Interesting, to say the least.”

She took a pause, thoughtful. There were not so many things to talk about with someone that was mostly a stranger to her… Looking at the man for what seemed like an eternity, Lady Viona finally spoke.

“- We would suppose we will need to discuss the matter of your engagement…”

David looked up from the bags of wonders, noticing the serious in his cousin’s voice. The boy dropped the small elephant cushion he had found in the bag and slid discreetly toward her to try a good word for his teacher.

“- But… Viona…” David took his cousin’s hand shyly, making sure she would give his words attention. “You know, we do enjoy our teacher very much.”

The young women smiled to her little cousin, her eyes shinning with amusement. She softly pressed the little hands and nodded to the boy in understanding.

“- Oh but I am sure you do David. Only adults have to talk of those things periodically.”

Alexander smiled politely and nodded in agreement but, really, he knew trouble when he heard it. The child looked at both his cousin and his teacher a moment and, his brother pulling him back to the treasure bag, he seemed to forget his worry quickly.

A bit nervous, Shaw looked at the kid leave them before shaking his head thoughtfully. Well, at the very worst, he would be dismissed from the Galder estate and would find a teaching position at the local College, if they accepted Magus. At the worst, he would go back to London and pursue his own thesis. Fighting gravity. Could it be done? The young man had a vague idea of how to achieve it but… he needed to focus on the now and here.

“- What would you say to a little evening walk my Lady? ”

The words of the teacher had brought back the young Lady attention. Raising a careful eyebrow, she seemed curious to know more about such an offer.

“- There is a pub not too far from here where the beer is excellent and the scotch even better. It is in the capable hands of an old Pict who makes his own brew.”

Viona was a bit startled at the young man offer. Women were far from welcome in the kind of environment that was a pub unless they were of questionable virtue. Maybe the Magus Universitas was different in this matter since women were indeed considered equals in the study of Mathemagic, but when it came down to the life outside, those rules were quite rigid.

Not hearing any objections yet, Alexander offered a bit more weight to his offer.

“- There we could talk of my future and prevent unwelcome small ears from listening to … unpleasantness if there were to be such things. There is even a Bartitsu master who comes from time to time and dosen’t mind talking about this fascinating art.”

Ankony suddenly popped his head between the two, pulling his cousin out of her consideration. Having heard the subject of the conversation and finding it the perfect moment to add his own request, he spoke in an excited voice:

“- Are you gonna teach us more Bartitsu moves tonight?”

At this, Viona raised an eyebrow and Alexander smiled sheepishly.

“- Ha no Ankony, not tonight.”

Ankony looked hopefully at his elder cousin for a turn of the decision, trying to look as miserable as possible but Viona shook her head no. Master Shaw, a bit embarrassed, added toward the insisting pupil.

“- And you and your brother remember what happened the last time you used it against one another? That’s right: no supper and an evening of transporting water from the exterior pump to the throw for the horses.”

Reminded of his past behavior, the child withdrew, vanquished, now a bit worried to be even more punished for what he had done. Quickly, he went back to join his brother quiet games.

When Shaw thought he would be pushed to the background, the voice of the young lady rose over the chattering of the children to address him, her eyes fixed on the young teacher.

“- Nice explanation on the Sublimation effect.”

The comment was really the first compliment Alexander’s employer had ever made to him. Surprised, Shaw nodded off his previous embarrassement, a little proud since he knew she had all the knowledge needed to judge his lecture.

The two girls had slid themselves against the young women and were hugging her discretely, enjoying her back from such a long absence. The boys, mouth filled with pastries, sat themselves quietly on the small couch, sharing the seat and trying to behave while grown ups were discussing.

“- Tell me… Master Shaw…” The young women slightly insisted on the ‘Master’, as to remind herself that she had, indeed, hired him as a teacher. “How was your first months in our House?”

“- It was most enjoyable your ladyship. The children are most eager to learn, probably due to your influence. Your sister and cousin are especially bright young women.”

The two girls blushed and giggled at the compliment their handsome teacher was so readily giving to them in front of their elder.

“- Young David would put some Magus to shame with his understanding of Newton’s law and Ankony is quite skilled with his hands. Overall, they are quite amazing kids and I lov…like them a lot.”

Alexander, still embarrassed, did not want to talk too much about his feelings to this woman. If she thought that he spoiled them, she would find someone else to replace him.

Lady Viona looked the man closely; Alexander’s words were kind and flattering but sounded genuine from what she could tell. Thoughtfully, she considered the question of his affection toward her wards and a smile slowly rose on her lips.

If the convention asked for discipline and distance between a tutor and his charge, Viona was far from following tradition on those questions. Every one of those children had lost their parents, and, if they all needed a good education and she knew they were receiving it, they also needed some adult they could trust and be close too. Maybe having that Magus around was not such a bad idea after all. But even as she thought of it, her smile froze and she became more serious.

“If you wish, we could conduct a series of test tomorrow morning”, the children groaned, “and you will be plesently surprise, I hope. Every single one of them is more advanced in his or her studies than people of the same age. By far.”

Viona smiled at the protest of the children. Not without some amusement in her voice she agreed.

“- We should indeed discuss this idea.”

The two girls rolled their eyes, knowing complains would get them nowhere with the Lady who had the responsibility of their future.

“And how were your affaires in London? Were they conducted to your ladyship’s satisfaction?”

The young woman was thoughtful at the question, she could see that the children were curious about her trip as well and she wondered how she could make it sound even slightly interesting.

“- Yes, things went as plan. If fact better then was expected.”

She took a moment to consider her answer.

“- Our studies are mostly completed for this coming year, everything else could be done from here and so I might not have to go back to Artenia or at least London for some time.”

The girls glossed at the mention of London.

“- How is London, sister? Did it change most?”

The question was evidently meant as one of fashion and gossip and it made the young lady smile.

“- It renewed itself as it does every year… But fear not there is plenty in my luggages that should fill your curiosity.”

Viona pointed vaguely toward some bags she had left at the door of the living room and the girls giggled, rushing to the bags to be joined by their cousin who wanted their part of the spoil.