Page 36 of An Inventor and An Inconvenience (Gentleman Scholars #5)
T he afternoon light slanted through the library windows as Meredith Silver carefully returned the last of the ancient manuscripts to their proper places. The university cataloguing room had grown comfortably familiar over the years, its towering shelves and dust-laden corners as much a home to her as her small rented room above the bookbinder's shop.
A letter lay open on her desk—Faith's distinctive handwriting flowing across the cream-colored paper, the slight ink smudges betraying her friend's characteristic excitement. Meredith smiled as she picked it up to read it once more.
My dearest Meredith,
Life at Linford Park continues to astonish me daily. You would scarcely believe the transformation in the Marquess—he has allocated almost an entire wing for what he now calls "the innovation laboratory," where Jasper has begun installing demonstration models for visiting industrialists. Yesterday I caught him explaining pressure distribution principles to his hunting companions with surprising enthusiasm!
The wedding plans progress, though in truth, I find myself more excited about the educational possibilities than the ceremony itself. (Don't tell Jasper, though his knowing smile suggests he already suspects as much.) We've invited several promising young women from the mining communities to serve as lady's maids during the festivities—a perfect opportunity for further training while maintaining all appearances of propriety.
Adriana writes that she and Ellis will arrive a week early, bringing with them several of the treasure-hunting scholars. Roderick is particularly eager to examine that coded parchment we found in the chamber beneath the rose window. He believes the alignment of the three crowns might refer not to Oxford at all, but to specific architectural features in Dorset or Wiltshire! The unfinished hunt continues, it seems.
But Meredith, I must insist—you CANNOT refuse this invitation. I understand your commitment to the children of Oxford's back alleys (and applaud it wholeheartedly), but surely they can spare their teacher for a fortnight? I need my oldest friend beside me as I embark on this new chapter. Besides, the Linford library contains volumes unseen for generations—medieval texts that would make even your disciplined cataloguer's heart beat faster. Consider it research, if that makes your acceptance easier.
The world is changing, dearest friend. Slowly, perhaps, but changing nonetheless. Come and be part of it.
With deepest affection,
Faith
P.S. Mrs. Henderson sent me her regards. She has designed the most remarkable hat for the occasion—something about geometric principles and load distribution that I confess I didn't entirely follow. You must see it for yourself.
Meredith shook her head, folding the letter carefully and tucking it into her pocket. Faith always had possessed the uncanny ability to present irresistible arguments.
She glanced at the stack of primers she had prepared for tomorrow's lesson in the abandoned chandler's shop—ten eager faces would be waiting for her, children who had never held a book before she found them. The thought of leaving them, even temporarily, caused her chest to tighten.
But Faith was right. The world was changing, and perhaps it was time Meredith herself embraced some of that change. Besides, she had trained young Mary and Sasha remarkably well—the girls could certainly manage the basic lessons during her absence.
"Alignment of three crowns," she murmured, her mind already turning to the treasure hunt that had started them on this path. "Not at Oxford at all..."
The library clock chimed, startling her from her reverie. Mr. Hawkins would be returning soon, and she still needed to complete today's cataloguing. But as she reached for her pen, Meredith found herself already composing her reply.
My dearest Faith,
Reserve the blue guest chamber by the morning sun. I shall arrive a week before the ceremony—not for the Linford library, as tempting as you make it sound, but because I suspect you'll need at least that long to tell me every detail of this remarkable new life you've created.
The children will survive without me. The treasure hunt, however, absolutely cannot proceed without my organizational skills. Meredith laughed as she wrote that. She didn’t really believe there was a treasure beyond the books they’d found, but it wouldn’t hurt to support her friends’ delusions.
Some discoveries, after all, are best made together.
Your devoted friend,
Meredith
She would post it on her way to the evening's lessons, Meredith decided. After all, the urchins of Oxford had taught her as much as she had taught them—that knowledge flourished best when shared among friends, and that sometimes the greatest treasures weren't those hidden behind stone walls, but the ones found in unexpected connections that changed lives.
Faith had found her path forward. Perhaps it was time for Meredith to explore new possibilities as well.
The End