Free Louisa Revealed by Maggie Ryan Page A

desires to be undermined or hidden another
moment.
     

Chapter 3
     
    While Louisa cried herself to sleep in her crib,
Lucille felt like crying in the classroom.   Her head was whirling with mathematical formulas, while her bottom was
throbbing on the hard seat.   Professor Lloyds took a deep breath and tried to be patient, as he
explained yet again what he considered a simple equation.
    “Miss Furniss, surely you must understand at
least a portion of this lesson?   Tell me that this isn’t all new to you.”   Lucy squirmed once more, attempting to
find the least painful position.   Her professor saw her movement and heard her small moan.   He went to the closet, opened it and
returned to her desk.   “Stand up
Miss Furniss.”   Lucy’s eyes snapped
up to his, her heart pounding, thinking she was about to be punished yet
again.   Her mouth opened to beg for
mercy when she saw him lift a large pillow in his hand.   She blushed, but slid out of her chair.   He placed the pillow on her seat and she
cautiously sat down.   Her relief was
apparent in her soft sigh.  
    Charles Lloyds tried not to smile but his eyes
gave him away when she whispered, “Thank you, Sir.”  
    “You are welcome, Miss Furniss.   Perhaps now it will be easier for you to
concentrate on the lesson, instead of your… um… your condition.”  
    Lucy dropped her eyes, her face growing hotter
with shame.   Though the entire
school was aware of what happened when a student was sent to the headmaster’s
office, speaking of it was humiliating.   She was saved having to respond when he turned her tablet to a fresh
page and began again to explain the equation.   After several attempts, she suddenly
smiled and said, “Oh!   I understand
it now.   Oh, thank you, Professor
Lloyds.   Can we do another?”  
    Charles was thrilled with her excitement, and
though it was only one portion of the exam, he knew that she truly grasped the
mathematical concept.   They spent
the next hour going over similar equations and Lucy missed only a few.   Both were engrossed in the lesson when a
sudden sound broke through their concentration.
    “Excuse me, Sir.   I’ve come for Miss Furniss.”   Lucy looked up to see Mrs. Bremmer
standing in the doorway.   Professor
Lloyds pushed himself away from Lucy’s desk and said, “Certainly.   She will be ready presently.   I wish to send several pages for her to
study this weekend, if you will give me but a few moments.”  
    Mrs. Bremmer nodded and stepped further into the
room.   She approached the two and
held out an envelope, “Lord Wintercrest requests that you read his note and ask
you to return a response with me if you would.”  
    Charles took the offered envelope and opened
it.   He read the note quickly and
then, with a smile, walked to his desk and wrote his response on the back of
the note.   He replaced the sheet of
paper in the envelope and walked back to hand it to Mrs. Bremmer.   She nodded and slid the envelope into
her string bag.   She watched as Lucy
slowly stood from her desk, her small wince indicating her still aching
bottom.   Mrs. Bremmer’s lips
compressed into a thin line as her eyes landed on the large pillow that Lucy
had been sitting on.   She was sure
that his Lordship would not approve of his charge being allowed any such
comfort after she had earned a good caning for her misbehavior.   However, being a prudent woman, she said
nothing.   Lucy found herself growing
even more uncomfortable as the woman stood silently waiting.   She fumbled with her tablet and pencil,
and then accepted a large stack of papers from her professor.
    “You have done a good job, Miss Furniss.   I believe you have a chance of passing
your exam if you continue to study this weekend.   You have the fundamentals and just need
to review the equations and formulas.”  
    Lucy felt a thrill as she heard his
approval.   She gave him a large
smile and said, “Thank you, Professor.