Chapter 154: Day 153

Day 153,

Vernon responded to my invitation in a way that was unexpected but perhaps ought not to have been.  As I was reading to the children for the morning storytime there came a rustling at the door - akin to one fiddling with the door knob without actually opening - which caused a momentary break my flow as I glanced up just in time to catch a familiar bespectacled and becoated gentleman strolling past the window with a smile and a wave.

Curiosity piqued, upon finishing the reading and getting the children started on their first exercise of the morning I briefly passed supervision off to Cass while I went to check on the door.  It was still unlocked, ruling out a failed attempt to open on Vernon’s part.  Easing the door open I spotted the newly-dislodged paper unfolding and fluttering to the ground just in time to reach out and grab it.  Attempt to grab it.  Flail in its direction, scrape my knuckles on the edge of the door, knock the paper further away, open the door far enough to get my torso through, step on the edge of the paper further pressing it against the wet cobbles, bend to pick it up, glance both ways down the street and over my shoulder to the classroom to make sure no one saw that, note that someone definitely saw that, pick up the note, gently wave it to get some of the excess water off, gently close the door behind me, and calmly walk back to my desk playing it off like nothing happened.

One of the students proceeded to ask what just happened.

“Secret outsider business.”  Technically true of anything that I choose not to tell people or elaborate on.  That answer was properly intriguing and mysterious to satisfy at least a few of them.  As for Cass, it’s impressive how eloquently a half-smirk and precise raising of eyebrows can say “That’s malarkey and we both know it, and while I would never call you out on it in public like this, I’m not going to let you live it down in private any time soon.”  Truly a prodigy when it comes to conveying different flavors of smugness.

As for the note itself, once I got a chance to read it, it seems Vernon’s capacity for purple prose rivals my own.  In short, he proposed the day after tomorrow for getting dinner together.  He’d be finishing up from his two busiest days of the week and looking for a chance to unwind and the eateries - an option I had suggested but with which I deferred the details to his greater experience - would be emptier than usual with most villagers not inclined to partake of them two days in a row while also generally visiting on the main market day.  It seemed a sound enough plan to me.

Additionally, it seems that Vernon has rather generously interpreted my method of note-leaving as an eccentric game of sorts rather than the confrontation-avoidant mess that it is.  I can’t help but wonder if that’s a genuine misinterpretation on his part or if he realizes and chose to go this route and respond in kind out of consideration for my feelings.  He did explicitly mention picking out a less crowded venue.  Either way speaks well of him in a different manner I think.

Of course, once the children had all left for the day and I was preparing to head back to the house, Cass asked me what the “secret outsider business” was.  I informed her, albeit leaving out the why of my choosing to leave a note instead of extending an invitation in person.  It felt like a conspicuous omission to me, yet if my apprentice noticed she said nothing.

Belatedly, it occurred to me to extend the invitation to her as well.  She declined, citing an unwillingness to intrude on a “secret outsider rendezvous.”  I told her that when I said that earlier it was directed at the students, not her.  In a tone that betrayed internal laughter, she said she knew and that’s what makes it all the better.  And with that, she headed out the door.

Cheeky little sprite.  I swear, if she thinks this is a romantic matter…

Oh, speaking of sprites, I’m rather surprised I didn’t encounter that particular entity with Maiko not being here at the house last week.  Has it wandered off with my relative absence?  Then again, I wouldn’t be surprised if writing about it now summoned its attention back or somesuch.

Well, Maiko was back again when I arrived this evening, so I doubt it’ll be showing up on this visit.  I did apologize for missing her last week with the archivist commitments I’d forgotten to mention to her ahead of time.  If it bothered her, she didn’t show it, merely shrugging and saying she’d spent the time going out to check on that island with the fruits and the lizards.  This season’s fruits aren’t ripe yet but the lizards are still lazy, easy to catch, and tasty.  According to her anyway.  I didn’t say it aloud, but I’m not sure I could bring myself to eat one personally.  I find them too… “cute” isn’t the right word… “endearing” perhaps?  Hard to quite put my finger on it.

Well, I should head to bed soon.  Another day of tutoring and laundry tomorrow.  I did bring a couple of new volumes for Maiko’s reading pleasure though.  Perhaps that will go a ways toward missing last week.  She might say it doesn’t bother her, but it bothers me.

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