Don’t you just love the activity in the street in this painting? I can almost hear the sounds and smell the aromas. The painting gives us a lovely little glimpse of what the daily life in the town of Oxford might have been like years ago.
My book His Sensible Heart, which is book 6 in my Touches of Austen series, is set in the town of Oxford because our hero is attending school there. He’s not been a very diligent student before the book began, but things in his life have changed. His father is no longer pleased to just let him float along in life, doing as he pleases. In fact, his father has cast him aside — all because he chose the wrong lady to fall in love with.
That young lady (a very sensible young miss) and her father (a kindly gentleman) require Miles to prove himself. That will mean applying himself to his studies. His friend Tom, as we can see below, has offered to help Miles learn what needs to be learned to succeed in the challenge set before him.
I’m sharing this particular story excerpt today because I think, like the painting above, it gives a glimpse of who our hero is by showing us a piece of his life in action.
“Would you kindly pay attention?” Tom thwacked Miles’s knee. “We cannot study outside if all you are going to do is sit, looking up into the sky and counting the clouds.”
It had been two days since Charlotte had mentioned finding enjoyment in the garden because it was where she liked to think. So far, he had found being outside a much more refreshing place to attempt his studies. “I am not counting the clouds,” he said, “though I must admit it would be a far superior activity to comprehending Greek.”
“Our examination will not include how many clouds passing overhead bore the shape of a dragon.”
Miles chuckled. “I have yet to see a dragon, but that one, just there, does resemble a rat.”
“A rat?” Tom peered up into the sky. “I do not see it.”
Miles scooted to sit next to instead of across from Tom.
“The long nose is here.” He pointed to the narrow right-hand portion of a large cloud. “And if you follow it back, just here.” His finger traced the part of the cloud that grew wider. “Those are his haunches.”
“And where is his tail?”
“Why, wrapped around him, of course.”
“Conveniently,” Tom muttered.
“Or logically,” Miles countered. “You will notice he is elongated yet crouched. Therefore, I posit that he is cautiously stretched forward and sniffing. Perhaps that cloud in front of him is a morsel of food, but the rat does not know if a maid with a broom is hiding nearby or if the cat, which he earlier saw go out for a roam, has come back.”
Tom shook his head. “That would make a lovely children’s tale, but it does nothing to explain what Homer means in this passage.”
Miles sighed. He might have been watching the clouds, but that did not mean he had not been listening. Indeed, watching the clouds had helped him attend to what his friend was reading.
“Life changes,” he said by way of beginning his explanation of the passage. “Things can be progressing splendidly, and then, along comes a cloud of despair – perhaps in the shape of a rat.” He smirked at Tom, who rolled his eyes. “And when tragedy begins to rain down on the fellows, sitting on the lawn, they can only push themselves close to the tree and hope that it will help keep them somewhat dry until a new day which is free from clouds – rat-shaped or otherwise – dawns and the time of trial disappears, and a happier time takes its place.”
He looked to his friend for his acceptance or rejection of his interpretation.
“Your answer is a mite unorthodox, but it seems you have the basics of this passage.”
“Can we please do something other than study now?” Miles pulled his watch from his pocket. “We have been sitting here for two hours. Surely, you must be parched from so much lecturing, and my eyes grow tired from watching clouds and my ears, weary from listening.” He began to rise. “You know, you should consider being a tutor. I think you would excel at it.”
“My father expects me to take up the estate in my turn, and I do not think I will be going to him and saying ‘Please, Father, I would much prefer repeating the same discourses over and over to young men, who only wish to be done with the lesson before it has begun, to stewarding the estate. Perhaps, you could give the estate to Emmeline.’”
“Emme would do a masterful job of seeing that the place did not fall into ruin.” Miles had met Tom’s much younger sister twice. Both times had included a speech on something or another that involved why something which Miles had said or done was not proper. Though Emmeline had only been thirteen the last time she had skewered him with her sharp tongue, it seemed to Miles that she was well on her way to being a capable termagant, for she had not based her thoughts on anything illogical as some young girls might.
“That she would,” Tom agreed. “However, I do hope that she will one day be inserting herself into the estate affairs of her husband and leaving me be.”
[from His Sensible Heart, Touches of Austen, book 6]
I really loved looking at the details of this marvelous print. And I loved this book. It makes me want to reread the series. This will be put on my TBR for ’23. Such a great series.
Images that give you details to study and really pull you in are the best. 🙂 I just reread this book the other week. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoy that series, too!