removed the contents, and scanned the first page. “Miss McGarvie.”
She dropped her gaze, feeling a flush rise in her cheeks at his use of her maiden name. Two more weeks to wait. If Brendan failed to appear, which Mr. Stebbins believed to be likely, the circuit court would grant her petition.
The registrar’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Please sit.”
Luellen glanced around. The chairs were piled with books. She hesitated, then lifted a stack onto the floor and settled in a chair facing his desk.
“You’ve had a secondary education in Bryant County, I see.”
“Yes.” She locked her fingers together to keep her hands from trembling.
“It’s our policy to test all students who come to us from the rural areas. I trust you’re prepared to take a placement examination this morning?”
Luellen tried to hide her dismay. Nothing in the acceptance letter had mentioned a qualifying test. The trembling in her hands spread through her body. “Yes, sir. I’m prepared.”
“Excellent.” Dr. Alexander stood and walked to the door. “Down the hall to your right, you will see a room marked ‘Testing—Do Not Disturb.’ Just go on in. Mrs. Hale is waiting—she will be the proctor. Once your examination is reviewed, if your scores are acceptable, we’ll complete the registration process.” His stern face cracked into a smile. “Don’t look so frightened. Most applicants do very well.”
As she walked through the anteroom, she met Belle’s questioning gaze. “I have to take a placement test.”
Belle gasped. “Oh my word. Do you suppose he’ll make me take one too?”
“Depends on where you went to school,” the young man at the desk answered. “Small towns, yes. Cities, no.”
Luellen tried to focus on the test packet, but her eyes kept drooping shut. She wanted nothing more than to lay her head on the table and sleep. An hour to go. She unbuttoned the first two buttons on her bodice and fanned herself. If it weren’t so hot in the room, she knew she’d be better able to concentrate. Mrs. Hale had a book open on her desk, but more than once Luellen caught her nodding off.
The clock ticked toward noon. Luellen turned the next page in the booklet. No. Not zoology. She flipped to the next section. Botany. Swallowing hard, she turned the page again. Literature. She could answer those questions. Relieved, she wrote until the bell in the church steeple tolled twelve.
Mrs. Hale stood. “Time. Be back here at two. We’ll have the results for you.”
7
Luellen stumbled out of Allenwood Hall without waiting to find Belle. She knew the blank sections in her test would send her back to Beldon Grove on the next train. But now all she could think of was sleep. She’d never been so tired.
An omnibus and several carriages passed by on College Avenue as she hurried toward Mrs. Hawks’s house. Once there, she climbed the stairs to her room and opened her trunk. Her Rose of Sharon quilt lay atop books and clothing. She hugged it to her and stretched out on the bed.
Tears trickled from the corners of her eyes. All her plans, her dreams, seemed to lie beyond her reach. Why hadn’t she asked about requirements? She’d assumed an acceptance letter was a guarantee. Luellen rolled on her side, heedless of the wrinkles she was causing in her skirt. She pulled the quilt next to her face and felt the scratchy edge where the fire had singed Mama’s embroidery. How appropriate. Singed was just how she felt.
A fly crawling over her cheek awakened her. She brushed at it, but the annoying insect flew in a circle and landed on her face again. How long had she slept? Luellen sat up, dizzy, and settled her glasses back on her nose. Her quilt had fallen to the floor, adding to the clutter in the room. She studied her surroundings for a moment. Enough self-pity. She didn’t get this far by giving up and she wouldn’t quit now .
Opening her reticule, she checked to be sure the bank draft she’d brought to pay for
She dropped her gaze, feeling a flush rise in her cheeks at his use of her maiden name. Two more weeks to wait. If Brendan failed to appear, which Mr. Stebbins believed to be likely, the circuit court would grant her petition.
The registrar’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Please sit.”
Luellen glanced around. The chairs were piled with books. She hesitated, then lifted a stack onto the floor and settled in a chair facing his desk.
“You’ve had a secondary education in Bryant County, I see.”
“Yes.” She locked her fingers together to keep her hands from trembling.
“It’s our policy to test all students who come to us from the rural areas. I trust you’re prepared to take a placement examination this morning?”
Luellen tried to hide her dismay. Nothing in the acceptance letter had mentioned a qualifying test. The trembling in her hands spread through her body. “Yes, sir. I’m prepared.”
“Excellent.” Dr. Alexander stood and walked to the door. “Down the hall to your right, you will see a room marked ‘Testing—Do Not Disturb.’ Just go on in. Mrs. Hale is waiting—she will be the proctor. Once your examination is reviewed, if your scores are acceptable, we’ll complete the registration process.” His stern face cracked into a smile. “Don’t look so frightened. Most applicants do very well.”
As she walked through the anteroom, she met Belle’s questioning gaze. “I have to take a placement test.”
Belle gasped. “Oh my word. Do you suppose he’ll make me take one too?”
“Depends on where you went to school,” the young man at the desk answered. “Small towns, yes. Cities, no.”
Luellen tried to focus on the test packet, but her eyes kept drooping shut. She wanted nothing more than to lay her head on the table and sleep. An hour to go. She unbuttoned the first two buttons on her bodice and fanned herself. If it weren’t so hot in the room, she knew she’d be better able to concentrate. Mrs. Hale had a book open on her desk, but more than once Luellen caught her nodding off.
The clock ticked toward noon. Luellen turned the next page in the booklet. No. Not zoology. She flipped to the next section. Botany. Swallowing hard, she turned the page again. Literature. She could answer those questions. Relieved, she wrote until the bell in the church steeple tolled twelve.
Mrs. Hale stood. “Time. Be back here at two. We’ll have the results for you.”
7
Luellen stumbled out of Allenwood Hall without waiting to find Belle. She knew the blank sections in her test would send her back to Beldon Grove on the next train. But now all she could think of was sleep. She’d never been so tired.
An omnibus and several carriages passed by on College Avenue as she hurried toward Mrs. Hawks’s house. Once there, she climbed the stairs to her room and opened her trunk. Her Rose of Sharon quilt lay atop books and clothing. She hugged it to her and stretched out on the bed.
Tears trickled from the corners of her eyes. All her plans, her dreams, seemed to lie beyond her reach. Why hadn’t she asked about requirements? She’d assumed an acceptance letter was a guarantee. Luellen rolled on her side, heedless of the wrinkles she was causing in her skirt. She pulled the quilt next to her face and felt the scratchy edge where the fire had singed Mama’s embroidery. How appropriate. Singed was just how she felt.
A fly crawling over her cheek awakened her. She brushed at it, but the annoying insect flew in a circle and landed on her face again. How long had she slept? Luellen sat up, dizzy, and settled her glasses back on her nose. Her quilt had fallen to the floor, adding to the clutter in the room. She studied her surroundings for a moment. Enough self-pity. She didn’t get this far by giving up and she wouldn’t quit now .
Opening her reticule, she checked to be sure the bank draft she’d brought to pay for
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