at Oxford that I first read Socrates and Plato and Aristotle, and they opened my eyes to so many things."
"Things such as what?" Cassie asked, intrigued.
"Well, for a beginning, they emphasized logic and the meanings of words. They based their beliefs on empirical knowledge rather than religion or rituals or myth. They sought natural explanations for natural phenomena. Our own world seems so very chaotic at times, do you not agree? With the wars, and Prinny in charge, and all these poets running about."
"Hmm," Cassie answered slowly, going over his words in her mind. "Order can be comforting. It was a great relief to me to be in Aunt Chat's safe, comfortable home after the confusion of my father's death. But the Greeks were not always so reasonable, were they? I mean, the Delphic Oracle was not such a sensible idea, was it, yet they believed it. And they had plenty of poets of their own 'running about.'"
She expected him to quarrel with her, and stiffened her shoulders in preparation to retort. After all, it was rather intimidating to argue with a scholar when one knew almost nothing about the subject.
But, to her surprise, Lord Royce just laughed, and said, "Touche, Miss Richards! And quite right, too. There are some things about human nature that never change. I should know that, from all the reading I have done of late on the foolishness of the Greek wars."
"Exactly so. The horrors of war do not change. Neither does family, or honor, or—or love."
Lord Royce looked at her, and, for one long, sweet moment, Cassie felt that they were in accord with one another. She wanted so much to go on talking of these things, things she had never really stopped to think about before, but Lady Royce called out to them.
"Come along, you two!" she cried over the sound of the waves. "What are you dawdling about for? We have found the perfect place for our picnic, here behind these rocks."
Lord Royce smiled at Cassie, and led the way over to where the others were waiting. Chat had already spread the blanket out carefully on the sand, and they waited only for the hamper Lord Royce carried.
It was the perfect place, Cassie thought as she settled herself on the blanket next to Antoinette and leaned back against a large rock. The crash of the waves was muffled here, and the wind turned away. She would almost have thought herself warm, with the pale sunlight beaming down on her uncovered head. It held all the promise of a perfect afternoon, with good friends and the sea.
Yet she almost wished she was alone with Lord Royce, so they could just go on and on talking, with him watching her with his lovely gray eyes.
"What were you two speaking of?" Lady Royce asked, unpacking the bounty of pork pies, cold chicken, and apple tarts from the hamper. "You were talking so intently."
"Your son was telling me about his work, Lady Royce," Cassie said. "About the philosophy of ancient Greece."
"You poor dear! Here, you must be in need of some sherry." Lady Royce poured out a generous measure of the dark gold liquid and passed it over the hamper to Cassie.
"Mother! I am hardly in the habit of boring guests so deeply that they require potent drinks to stay conscious," Lord Royce muttered.
Cassie laughed and sipped her sherry. "Indeed, I was not bored, Lady Royce! I found it quite fascinating."
"After the exciting life you must have lived in the Indies?" Lady Royce sounded most disbelieving.
"Jamaica was not always as exciting as all that," Cassie said, thinking back on the long, hot, lazy days, and the flower-scented nights, when the distant sounds of drums and the ocean would come through her open window.
No, not terribly exciting. But very sweet.
"Not exciting at all?" Lady Royce said in a disappointed voice.
"Well, there were a lot of parties. Especially when my mother was alive. How she loved to dance!" Cassie smiled at the memory.
"My brother's wife was a beautiful woman," Chat offered. "And a vivacious spirit."
"Indeed? What of your
"Things such as what?" Cassie asked, intrigued.
"Well, for a beginning, they emphasized logic and the meanings of words. They based their beliefs on empirical knowledge rather than religion or rituals or myth. They sought natural explanations for natural phenomena. Our own world seems so very chaotic at times, do you not agree? With the wars, and Prinny in charge, and all these poets running about."
"Hmm," Cassie answered slowly, going over his words in her mind. "Order can be comforting. It was a great relief to me to be in Aunt Chat's safe, comfortable home after the confusion of my father's death. But the Greeks were not always so reasonable, were they? I mean, the Delphic Oracle was not such a sensible idea, was it, yet they believed it. And they had plenty of poets of their own 'running about.'"
She expected him to quarrel with her, and stiffened her shoulders in preparation to retort. After all, it was rather intimidating to argue with a scholar when one knew almost nothing about the subject.
But, to her surprise, Lord Royce just laughed, and said, "Touche, Miss Richards! And quite right, too. There are some things about human nature that never change. I should know that, from all the reading I have done of late on the foolishness of the Greek wars."
"Exactly so. The horrors of war do not change. Neither does family, or honor, or—or love."
Lord Royce looked at her, and, for one long, sweet moment, Cassie felt that they were in accord with one another. She wanted so much to go on talking of these things, things she had never really stopped to think about before, but Lady Royce called out to them.
"Come along, you two!" she cried over the sound of the waves. "What are you dawdling about for? We have found the perfect place for our picnic, here behind these rocks."
Lord Royce smiled at Cassie, and led the way over to where the others were waiting. Chat had already spread the blanket out carefully on the sand, and they waited only for the hamper Lord Royce carried.
It was the perfect place, Cassie thought as she settled herself on the blanket next to Antoinette and leaned back against a large rock. The crash of the waves was muffled here, and the wind turned away. She would almost have thought herself warm, with the pale sunlight beaming down on her uncovered head. It held all the promise of a perfect afternoon, with good friends and the sea.
Yet she almost wished she was alone with Lord Royce, so they could just go on and on talking, with him watching her with his lovely gray eyes.
"What were you two speaking of?" Lady Royce asked, unpacking the bounty of pork pies, cold chicken, and apple tarts from the hamper. "You were talking so intently."
"Your son was telling me about his work, Lady Royce," Cassie said. "About the philosophy of ancient Greece."
"You poor dear! Here, you must be in need of some sherry." Lady Royce poured out a generous measure of the dark gold liquid and passed it over the hamper to Cassie.
"Mother! I am hardly in the habit of boring guests so deeply that they require potent drinks to stay conscious," Lord Royce muttered.
Cassie laughed and sipped her sherry. "Indeed, I was not bored, Lady Royce! I found it quite fascinating."
"After the exciting life you must have lived in the Indies?" Lady Royce sounded most disbelieving.
"Jamaica was not always as exciting as all that," Cassie said, thinking back on the long, hot, lazy days, and the flower-scented nights, when the distant sounds of drums and the ocean would come through her open window.
No, not terribly exciting. But very sweet.
"Not exciting at all?" Lady Royce said in a disappointed voice.
"Well, there were a lot of parties. Especially when my mother was alive. How she loved to dance!" Cassie smiled at the memory.
"My brother's wife was a beautiful woman," Chat offered. "And a vivacious spirit."
"Indeed? What of your
Similar Books
