Private Message to the Lord Protector

As I said the last time we met face-to-face, I shall attempt to fill in the gaps now—and then provide a longer report on Monday.

It is, as one might expect, difficult to keep the floors clean; the students have a collective unrivalled case of spring fever; and, of course, the mural progresses. These things undoubtedly do not interest you.

Slightly more interesting may be that Ms. Gillian Chadwick has been talking up engineering jobs. I expect that you will have a crop of builders to help expand the borders of New London soon. Unfortunately, Mr. Capper—of whom we have spoken so much—will likely not be one of them. He has not responded to guidance as well as we had hoped.

Your son is doing well.

The staff would like to recommend Francois du Maurier to your attention. He has excelled in his studies, but he has generally few prospects, as his family emigrated to our kingdom upon the beginning of your reign; they do not have the same history as his peers' families do. Similarly, Miss Effie Stevens may have been overlooked: she deserves a good word.

That, I suppose, must conclude my report.

Order Only—Septa

Arthur, Molly, I hope I have not done wrong. Several teachers suggested to me this week that your daughter Ginevra might benefit from being mentioned to the Lord Protector, along with other students who are not from traditionally well-thought-of families.

I nodded, smiled—and refrained from mentioning her name, though I did others'.

I suppose that if it is discovered by the well-meaning professors in question, I shall have to say that I had some doubts about Ginevra. I hope that you shall understand, and that I have done right by you and your child.