The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted Read Free Book Online Page A

forced to concede that he had not.
    "At any rate," the old man continued, "it is not the
Better Man
Academy. It is the Betterman Academy."
    "It still sounds to me like a joke," Will said, "a name that someone has made up." Will altered his voice to sound as though he were reading an advertisement for hair tonic from one of the newspapers: "'Send your boy to us here at the Betterman Academy, and we will send you back a
Better Man!
'"
    "Perhaps Betterman is the name of the gentleman who founded the academy?" I interjected—helpfully, I thought.
    "Whatever it is named for, it still sounds nutty to me," Will muttered.
    I wondered at his aggression toward the mere name of the school. After all, he wasn't the one who was going to be attending there. I was.
    "Well," the old man said, "then you should have thought about that before you got yourself sent down from every reputable school within a reasonable radius of home."
    "Is that why you chose it, then?" Will wondered. "For its proximity to home?"
    "Hardly." The old man snorted. "It is still two days' journey from here. I
chose
it"—and here he paused, and then commenced to thunder—"
because it was the only place I could find that would take you!
"
    ***
August 7, 18—

    Dear Miss Smith,

    I write to you on behalf of my mother, Mrs. Henry Larwood. Having reviewed your application along with the many we have received, it is our decision that you would make the most fit companion for her as my husband and I commence our yearlong tour of the Orient. It is a great comfort for me to think that Mother will be tended to by such a caring girl. Mr. Gardener's letter of reference impressed us all greatly, and I must confess, Mother is particularly charmed that not only can you read to her daily, but you can do so using voices!
    The compensation for your duties will be generous. You will have every other Sunday off. We realize that a single day will not be sufficient time for you to journey back to Grangefield Hall, and so, as you requested, you will be permitted a week's leave at the Christmas holidays and another week later in the spring. We will need you here no later than the first week of September. Should these terms meet with your approval, please reply with all speed to the above address.
    "Is this woman mad?" the old man said after I'd read the letter to him, my hands shaking nervously all the while. In truth, I could have read the letter without looking at the page, since I'd written every word myself. "She talks about a letter of reference from Mr. Gardener. Well,
I
certainly never wrote to her!"
    "No, sir," Will answered, using rare formality in addressing his great-uncle. Then he cleared his throat, his own nerves taking over. "The Mr. Gardener in the letter would be me."
    "
You?
But I don't understand..."
    "I wrote it," Will said. "Bet needed a letter of reference and I provided her with one."
    "Yes, but I still don't understand any of this. Why—?"
    Will opened his mouth to explain, but I stopped him. This had all been my idea, after all. Any grief that might come of it was my responsibility.
    "I am sixteen years old now, sir," I said boldly. "Isn't it high time I made my way in the world?"
    I would never have guessed, not in a million years, that the old man would look so crestfallen at the idea of my leave-taking.
    "But I thought you were happy here, Elizabeth," he said. "Haven't we been good to you?"
    "Of course!" I said brightly, hoping to erase any damage I'd caused. I tried on a happy laugh. "But I could not stay here forever, could I?" I sobered. "After all, I am not family. At some point, I will need to earn my own living. Is it not best that I start now, when I have an opportunity with someone who wants to employ me?"
    "If it is about money ... yes, I see where perhaps we have taken advantage of you all these years, not paying you. Perhaps we could—"
    "It is not about money, sir," I said gently. "And I could never take yours. You have already given me so