Miss Grimsleys Oxford Career by Carla Kelly Read Free Book Online

sister, Ellen.”
    Ellen grasped the woman's cool, dry hand, opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it when the woman only touched her hand and then hurried past her to embrace Aunt Shreve.
    “Eugenia, how long has it been?” she exc1aimed, lips stretched tight over protruding teeth in what must be a smile.
    The students in the room continued to gape. Gordon looked at them in amusement. “Perhaps they never knew a dragon to have friends,” he whispered to his sister.
    While they watched the reunion, Gordon took his sister by the arm. “I have spoken a meal for the three of us at The Mitre.” He grinned. “Providing you can fork over the blunt.”
    “Gordon, it is only just past the quarter. Are your pockets to let already?”
    “Always,” he agreed cheerfully. “I was hoping you would be bringing some reinforcements from home.” He looked around to make sure that his aunt could not hear him. “I am planning to toddle over to London this weekend with a new friend of mine.”
    “Gordon, that is a long way to go. What about your studies?”
    He shrugged and flashed that lopsided grin of his that only made her more wary. “I'll get by.”
    There wasn't time for a reply. In another moment, Aunt Shreve, her arm about Miss Dignam, had returned to her side. “Come, my dears,” she announced. “Miss Dignam has given us leave to go to—The Mitre, is it, Gordon? I promised to have you back here by nine o'clock, and indeed, Gordon has his own curfew.”
    Again that careless shrug. Ellen frowned, dreading the uneasiness that was already stirring her stomach around.
    “I am entirely at your service, ladies,” Gordon said as he made a final bow, to the accompaniment of an entire row of sighs from the students grouped on the sofa.
    “Gordon, you are utterly shameless!” Ellen scolded as they bundled up against the drizzle and hurried along the street to Cornmarket. “I think you are a dreadful flirt.”
    “I must second the notion,” Aunt Shreve agreed as they entered the inn and surrendered their cloaks to the serving girl. She smiled at her handsome nephew. “And I also must acknowledge that you received an unfair amount of the Grimsley charm.” She took him by the arm as they walked into a private parlor. “I would advise you not to waste it on your aunt and sister. We know you too well.”
    The first course was ready as soon as they were seated. They ate in hungry silence and then Gordon pushed back his plate. “Sister, I could not believe my own eyes when I received that letter from Mama, telling me that you would be attending Miss Dignam's Academy. Have you let your brains leak out? If Papa offered me anything I wanted for two bottles of sherry, this place would be low on my list.”
    He smiled at the waiter, who set the next course in front of him. “I can't imagine anyone comes up to Oxford without vast coercion, El.”
    “You're a dunce, Gordon,” she said without missing a bite.
    He slammed down his fork. “Don't keep me in suspense, sister! Did or did not Papa say something to you about my joining that cavalry regiment?”
    Ellen stared at her brother. “He did no such thing, Gordon, and you know it. I remember well the terms of the agreement he forged with you when you came up here only one month ago. You are to acquit yourself at Oxford for a year, through all the terms, and then he would think about it.”
    Gordon picked up the fork again and dragged it around the food on his plate. “Think about it!” he burst out. “While he's thinking about it, the war will end in Spain and I will have missed all the fun!”
    “It cannot be otherwise,” Ellen replied. “Now tell me what you have learned thus far at your college.”
    He gave her a blank stare and continued picking over his food, his lips tight together and the frown line between his eyes deeply pronounced.
    Aunt Shreve picked up the ball of conversation. “My dears, whenever I see you two together, I am struck by your resemblance