Chapter 12: Grounding

Recriminations

“I know a lot of girls at St. Agnes who would drop their panties on a first date just to say they’d been royally screwed. You don’t need to wait for a cold fish.” Lonnie was trying to cut off Liam’s rant about not pushing anyone.

“Susan is nice and she’s perfect for you. But I don’t want to date anyone like her. Neither one of you know the meaning of fidelity. She was propositioning me at the same time you were propositioning Meredith. You screwed me up on that in a big way and I don’t want to get involved with anyone like her or you.”

“That’s harsh, Liam. We’ve been friends since we were eight years old. I’m only trying to do what’s good for you.”

“I think I can figure out what’s good for me and it sure isn’t pressuring Meredith to go further or faster than she wants. I tried to kiss her when she hadn’t agreed and she didn’t speak to me for the rest of the evening nor until I called and apologized. There are some things that you give good advice about. Dating isn’t one of them, Lonnie.”

“Okay. I get it. It’s like all people are not the same and don’t try to force something on one person just because it worked on another. And really, us asking you two out wasn’t because we’re interested in you in any way other than to test and make sure you are committed to each other. You kept walking all around the idea of are you or aren’t you dating each other. After that night, we knew. Whether you confess to it or not, you two are a couple.”

“We can never be a couple in public and if you think we are a couple, you need to zip your lip. Meredith is my PA. She’s arranging for my housing when I get to campus and will help me with my class schedule. She has an apartment at Buxton House. She is helping me find the right kind of people to date. Of course, we are going to be seen together a lot. But she’s my personal assistant.”

“Very personal.”

“Lonnie, drop it. Don’t ever mention our relationship again. If you value our friendship at all, you will do what I ask.”

“Shit. I didn’t realize it was such a touchy subject. Of course. It’s closed.”

“I have to get to a class with Mr. Peoples. You’d think they’d have given us College Prep 101 before we were on the brink of going there.”

“No one has said word one about me going to the University. I’m stuck here for at least a year.”

“That only means they have something else they want to teach you. Pay attention and they’ll make it clear.” Liam raised an eyebrow at his roommate. Lonnie shrugged, scowled, and then began to laugh.

“Are we good, brother?”

“We’re good.”

School Life

Dealing with Lonnie’s well-intentioned interference in his love life was only one of the things Liam had to deal with during the first few weeks of school. The absence of Meredith was the most difficult. Not only was she not able to see him regularly during the week, neither of them had private phones in their rooms. The boys all used a hall phone. As many as ten boys shared each phone. And it was anything but private. In her visit the week before school started, Meredith discovered the dormitory rooms were not equipped with phones. The University felt turnover was too fast in the rooms to have phones assigned to them. She had to leave the dorm building and go to the student union to use a phone. Fortunately, she had arranged to meet Liam on Saturday that first week but both found out how heavy their workload was this year and they only had a little time together. They went out for coffee and found a quiet place along the drive back to Elenchus where they could spend a few frantic moments kissing, both mindful of how exposed they were to any traffic.

“How about if I pick you up Saturday morning next week and we go to the University football game. You should pick up some gear from the U Commissary, too. You’re going to be attending soon.”

“A football game? With, like, five thousand people?”

“It will give us an opportunity to be together.”

“How about if we go to Buxton House for the rest of the weekend. It would give us Sunday to sit in the library and do our studies and stuff.”

“And stuff.” Meredith grinned at Liam. “I think doing our studies and stuff sounds like a perfect way to spend Sunday.”

Before that happened, of course, Liam had to get through another week of studies at Elenchus.

“Who wins?” Mr. Boyer strode around the class positing various scenarios in interpersonal relationships. “We have two people who each think they’ve been wronged. They have a confrontation. Who wins?”

“Doesn’t that depend on the definition of winning?” Roald Adams was a friend of Liam’s and he was glad they were in this class together. “I mean, is it getting the other person to apologize? Is it correcting some behavior? Is it replacing a precious object? We can’t really tell who wins until we know how each defines winning. Right now, you’ve set it up so that neither will win no matter what the outcome.”

“That’s just the point, though, isn’t it? In a situation like this the optimum solution is that both win, not that both lose. You can’t win an argument, even if you defeat your opponent.” Liam loved engaging in this type of classroom debate. He tried not to monopolize it.

“You both have excellent points. Roald has indicated an important piece of the puzzle. What constitutes winning for each of them? No peace can be negotiated unless both walk away feeling like they’ve won, as Liam has suggested.”

“Then how do we get to the point of discovering what winning means for each? Do people really go about finding what the other person wants or needs before they have a confrontation? I’d question whether either even know their own definition of winning.” Liam was puzzled regarding how people ever succeed in relationships. Even his own first spat with Meredith didn’t seem to be a win-win. Or had it? He apologized and that seemed like a loss and Meredith won. But as a result, he’d also confessed that he loved her and she gave him what he’d been wanting in the first place—so he won.

The discussion continued for more than an hour, the class periods being somewhat less defined at Elenchus than other schools. Students arriving for their own classes simply sat in the back or stood against a wall to observe the debate. Even a couple of faculty members, including Mr. Peoples, with whom Liam had his next class, arrived and watched as well.

“Do we actually have two different scenarios here? If Roald and I have a falling out, we should both be aware enough of this dynamic to find out what the other really wants and then work together to resolve our difference. But if either one or both do not have the tools or education to get to that point, they are automatically in a lose-lose situation. Is that what we are ultimately coming down to?” Liam saw Roald nodding. Mr. Boyer stopped in mid-stride as he paced the room and turned to fix Liam with his stare.

“That is where you come in. You have the education. You have the skills. You need to practice this over and over so attempting to find what a person’s win is and how you can effectively give him that without another losing becomes an automatic response, even if that person does not have the education or tools to discover it himself. And you need to be available for those who cannot find a resolution to help them through, even if you are not personally involved in the situation. I think we’ve carried on enough for today. Let’s get everyone to his next class and we’ll deal with another dilemma tomorrow.” Mr. Boyer motioned the boys in Liam’s class to leave and the boys who had entered took their seats. Mr. Peoples intercepted Liam and invited him to walk to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee and a ‘chat’ which was his code for the next lesson.

Dating a College Girl

One good thing about school this year was that Meredith was now officially on his ‘staff’ and was authorized to pick him up at the school and transport him on weekends. Liam had always been told that having a staff person—usually Erich—pick him up and accompany him when he left the school grounds was for his safety. He somehow doubted Meredith was trained as a bodyguard but he was happy he could now leave campus with her. He asked her about it when she picked him up Saturday morning for their college football date.

“Me? A bodyguard. All I know to do is to kick off my shoes, hike my skirt above my waist and run away screaming ‘Fire!’ Don’t you think you’re big enough now not to need a bodyguard? Who’s going to kidnap you?”

“I never understood it in the first place. I think it was all just in order to keep me from meeting anyone my parents didn’t approve of. Or perhaps my Grandmother. Speaking of which, there is a small problem in our plans for this evening. My parents have invited us to dinner in their suite. I think it is their turn to determine if you are a fitting companion for me. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, don’t be sorry, Liam. I’ve met them before and can certainly tolerate dinner with them. Besides, what did we have planned for the evening?”

“Um ... well ... I mean ... I thought we could spend time together. Just the two of us.”

“And where did you think this time might be spent? Liam, honey, sometime before we part and go to our rooms, we’ll find a quiet place to kiss each other goodnight. But just because you are home doesn’t mean we can parade our relationship where anyone in the house might see. You have learned to ignore them, so you probably aren’t even aware of when a staff person is in the room with you. Lupe has told me there are over twenty people who staff Buxton House. I’ll bet you can’t even name them.”

“You’re right. And I am properly chagrined. When you live like I have, always in the company of someone ... Well, they become like furniture. You only notice a chair when you want to sit. Is that terrible of me?”

“Well, what do you think? Are your parents’ maid and valet less important than, say, Erich and Lupe? What is cook’s name? And who else works in the kitchen. Does Ray have help in the stables? Who was it who served our dinner in your grandmother’s suite?”

“This is terrible! I need to start noticing the staff.”

“Don’t notice them too hard. They are used to being invisible and might feel threatened if you start going around introducing yourself to them and asking their names. But definitely be aware of them. A simple ‘thank you’ when you notice someone making your life easier will endear them to you. They know their position and yours. But they want to think of you as kind and gracious.”

Meredith parked in her dormitory lot and pointed out the building to Liam. “I’m in the corner room on the second floor. But don’t worry. Gentlemen are not allowed beyond the reception desk in this dormitory. You will never witness the humble conditions in which I live. Our rooms here are unlike Green Hill where we had a small apartment—two private bedrooms, a shared sitting room/study, and a shared bath. Here, we literally have a room in which is crammed two single beds, two desks, two dressers, and a shared closet. The bath is down the hall.”

“That ups the urgency of finding our real housing. You shouldn’t need to live like that.”

“That is university life. Until a student joins a fraternity or sorority or moves into off-campus housing, she or he is in a shared dormitory room.”

“Mmm. Won’t Lonnie be surprised at that!”

“I doubt he will spend any more time in campus housing than you will. Over here is the student union. It has all the services that we need. We eat in a common cafeteria, there is a coffee shop, a bookstore, what we call the commissary but is really just an extension of the bookstore that sells clothing, supplies, and even snack foods and refrigerated drinks. This is the building in which the bursar receives tuition and the housing authority assigns rooms. Essentially, it is the hub of college life. Let’s get you a University sweatshirt. It might be a bit chilly in the stadium. It looks like it could rain.”

Meredith led Liam into the commissary and went down racks of clothes to find a sweatshirt in the school’s brown and gold colors that would fit Liam. Liam was surprised at how comfortable and warm it felt and wished Elenchus had adopted this mode of clothing instead of the navy blue blazer boys wore to class every day. She also chose brown wool knit hats they could pull over their ears.

“I’ll like dressing like this every day.”

“Oh, no. Not every day. While the atmosphere is more casual here, your class also dictates that your clothing must be of a certain standard. And since there are always guests on campus who are looking for potential employment candidates, you’ll find most students keep as high a standard of dress as they can reasonably afford so they won’t be passed over at first glance.”

“Is our society really so shallow that we judge people by their clothes?”

“You need only think about that for the answer to become clear.”

They had lunch in the cafeteria and then joined the throng going into the stadium for the 1:00 football game.

Liam had been cool to the idea of going to a football game. He did not think much of school sporting events and was unlikely to compete in running even though he loved it. The college game, however, carried its own excitement and he found himself cheering as loudly as the others in the stadium and sharing their disappointment at the close defeat of the home team. Meredith had also carried a warming blanket, which she tossed across both their laps. It was a bit early in the season for a blanket on the mild September day, but the advantage was they could hold hands beneath the lap blanket.

“We don’t know who could see us and recognize us in a crowd this size. I am sorry, my dear, but we must be discreet.” Meredith’s caution made Liam look around the stadium a bit more. He saw some heads turn toward him but he thought they were most interested in the beautiful woman next to him. He wondered, though, how well known a personage he was. Could anyone actually recognize a sixteen-year-old who had been sheltered and isolated all his life?

Buxton House

Dinner with Liam’s parents was not as fearsome an event as he was afraid it would be. They were quite hospitable and served a less fancy meal than Liam usually experienced in their suite. They did, of course, have their bottle of wine, but did not offer any to Liam and Meredith. Having become newly class conscious, Liam tried to determine whether his parents were simply being nice by not overwhelming Meredith with their grandeur or if they simply didn’t want to waste a fancy meal on a servant. He rather thought both options were at play.

“Meredith, we want to officially welcome you to the staff here at Buxton House. And you are the first to be added to Liam’s staff. It has been a long time coming. You will need to consider hiring a valet for him when he moves to the college. This can be one of your early assignments.”

“Certainly, ma’am.”

“Mother, why would I need a new valet? What is wrong with Erich?”

“Oh, son. Do you have any idea how old Erich is? He’s seventy if a day. While you were away at Elenchus, he has been semi-retired.”

“He won’t be terminated, will he?”

“Heavens no! Erich has a place with us here for as long as he lives. I daresay your grandmother will keep him active when he isn’t busy around the house. She always has.” Liam was quite certain his mother winked at him. He blushed.

“Now Meredith, I reviewed your curriculum vitae when my mother selected you. You’ll recall our brief interview of the candidates. You’ve been with us nearly two months now. What are your impressions?” Liam’s father, Thomas, always wanted to review things and usually had a good question or two to get things started.

“Liam is an easy person to mentor. He takes suggestion well and learns rapidly. I enjoy being with him. I still find the house a little overwhelming, but have only recently had quarters here. I’m sure I will adjust. I’ve barely begun the search for an apartment for Liam when he comes to college but there are several properties nearby that might be appropriate. Please tell me; as I search, should Liam’s valet be quartered with him or nearby?”

“I should think nearby. A young man needs privacy for his own affairs.” Thomas and Lydia both laughed as the younger couple blushed.

Dinner concluded with a nice apple crisp and coffee. Liam and Meredith were dismissed as Thomas and Lydia poured themselves after-dinner drinks.

Liam looked carefully around him as he walked Meredith away from his parents’ suite. When he was sure no one was around, he led her into the library. Even if someone saw them, it was not that unexpected for them to study together in the library. But Liam had other ideas. It turned out that Meredith did, too. She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Will you kiss me, darling?”

“Oh, yes.” The kiss was long and sensual and by the time their lips and tongues stopped touching, they were both flushed and out of breath.

“What would you think of going riding tomorrow, weather permitting? Say out to the pond?” Meredith continued nibbling along his jaw as she made her request. Liam was helpless.

“Yes. Yes, that’s a good idea. I’ll call Ray and ask him to have our horses ready. Shall we say ten?”

“Eager, aren’t you. Ten-thirty.”

“I’ll hardly be able to sleep for waiting.”

“Yes, but we need to make our goodnights now and retire to our separate rooms. Kiss me again, Liam.” The kiss might have been fractionally shorter than the first, but left them just as flushed.

“I love you, Meredith.”

“I believe you, Liam. And so, I give you my heart.”

They left the library while Meredith complained that she couldn’t imagine where she’d left ‘that book’ if it wasn’t where they’d studied together. She thanked him for helping her look and said goodnight at her door.

Liam thought he would be unable to sleep with Meredith just a few rooms down the hall but after using his special anti-jetlag treatment, he fell rapidly asleep.

At ten-thirty, he stood outside Meredith’s door dressed for riding. She opened the door promptly at the agreed-upon time. Liam properly offered his arm which she politely accepted, giving it a bit of a squeeze as they walked out to the stables. Yesterday’s September rain had evaporated almost at once and Sunday dawned bright, clear, and warm—a perfect Indian Summer day. Ray handed them the reins of their horses and started to leave.

“Ray, do you have any suggestions regarding a good trail this morning?”

“Well, sir. With the weather this fine, nearly everything is in good riding condition. Everything except the eastern lowland. It tends to hold the water longer and is probably a bit boggy.”

“Thank you for the help and for having our horses all ready for us. We’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

“Do you really think we’ll be gone for two hours?”

“I suppose it will depend on what trail we take.”

“Let’s ride to the pond.” Meredith looked so bright and innocent when she made the request, Liam was momentarily at a loss. Then he grinned at her.

“Your wish is my command, fair lady.”

Twenty minutes later, Liam slid from his saddle and held out his arms to lift Meredith down from hers. She stayed in his arms and brought her lips to his for an intense kiss, making it clear to Liam what her wish was. He led her by the hand to one of the swings and seated himself. Instead of sitting beside him, Meredith sat on his lap with her legs and feet up on the swing beside him. They had a few passing comments about the weather and how lovely the pond was, but fell straight to making out.

They kissed for the better part of an hour—not only lip to lip and tongue to tongue, but along jaws and up throats, tiny kisses on noses and eyes. And then returning to lips and tongues. In the course of their kissing, their hands also explored hair and shoulders. Liam let his drift to her left breast. Meredith inhaled sharply and Liam started to quickly remove his hand. She slapped her hand over his and held it there.

“This is called petting, dear. Treat my breasts gently. Soft touches. Gentle squeezes. No harsh or rough handling. And kiss me some more.”

After the next several minutes of kissing while Liam explored both her breasts, tracing an outline around them and following her instructions regarding squeezing, Meredith pulled away to catch her breath.

“I can hardly believe I am touching your breasts.”

“I can hardly believe I am allowing it. Wanting it. But, oh, dear Liam, we must stop now. We have not yet progressed to heavy petting.”

“What is the difference?”

“I will show you in the near future. I promise. For now, though ... One more kiss and then let me go.” Liam kissed her, pouring his heart into it as he continued to caress her. At last, Meredith pulled away and swung her legs to the ground to stand up. Liam gasped as her bottom inadvertently stroked his manhood. She paused, pressing into him, and then stood up. For a few minutes, they walked along the shore, pausing for little kisses as they worked their way down from the passion of a few minutes before. “We should study this afternoon.”

“Yes. Let’s get back and meet in the library after we have freshened up. I’ll ask Erich to see about something light for our lunch. Sandwiches? Good then.” They dismounted at the stables and Ray took their lightly-ridden horses with a smile.

“I hope you found a pleasant trail.”

“Thank you, Ray. It was most stimulating. I fear we shall have to devote the rest of the day to studying.”

Both did have studying to do. It seemed their classes were more intense than ever. As much as possible, they held hands in the library as they both read texts while sitting next to each other.

“Liam, we should have another talk.”

“Have I done something wrong?”

“Oh, no. Today you did everything perfectly. I could not be more pleased or enthused. Which makes this talk even more difficult for me. It’s time for you to go out again. With someone other than me. I will not engage myself with someone else this time, so you needn’t worry about that.”

“But whom shall I ask out? I’ve certainly not been meeting any women and I feel bad that you are arranging things for me.”

“Oh, I agree. I’d rather not get in the middle of that. How about someone you know but haven’t seen in a while?”

“Really? Who?”

“Well, you know Peggy Anne Ransburg and Karen Reese were guests at your eighth birthday party. They have had all the same training I have. I met Karen for coffee a few days ago and she actually said she was jealous of me and wished that just once she could date you.”

“But if I date another servant, doesn’t that further cast suspicion on my class?”

“Oh, they aren’t servants. I admit that like Hana, they are borderline acceptable for you long term, but see if Karen would like to go out Saturday. I can wait to see you until Sunday this week. Okay?”

“I’m not sure I would recognize either one of them based on my recollection from eight years ago. It was miraculous that I recognized you.”

“Well, the hair was a dead giveaway. Here is Karen’s phone number. Call her early this week.”

“If she says no, can I have Peggy Anne’s, too?” Meredith wrote both girls’ names and phone numbers. She knew very well that Karen would say yes, but maybe in a couple of weeks she would suggest a call to Peggy Anne. It would keep Karen from thinking she had a special in.

“Will you stay the night tonight?” Liam asked. He had visions of holding Meredith in his arms to kiss and pet some more.

“I’m so sorry, Liam. I have an appointment early tomorrow morning. We need to return to school tonight after dinner.”

“If I must.”

“You could stay here, if you want. I’m sure Erich would take you in the morning.”

“And miss half an hour more in your company? I think not.”

A Date with Peggy Anne

Liam found it was moderately easier for him to call Karen than it had been to call Hana Ito. He’d had some practice at this point and called with confidence. He found Karen was pleased to have a date with him, as Meredith had speculated. They arranged to go to an art gallery that had a special guided tour with a docent Saturday and they would have a late dinner after.

Liam sat looking at the slip of paper in his hand. He considered what Meredith had said about knowing both women. He nodded to himself and dialed Peggy Anne’s number.

“Hello, this is Peggy Anne Ransburg. How may I help you?” She was almost more formal when she answered the phone than Meredith had been the first time.

“Peggy Anne, it’s Liam Cyning. Long time, no see.”

“Liam? My it has been a long time. What inspired you to call me?”

“Well, after my boorish behavior at my eighth birthday party, I’ve decided to try to make it up with the other guests. I’ve not located Defoe and Lingam, but I knew from Meredith you were at Green Hill.”

“Donnie Defoe and Richard Lingam have been at Point Davis Military Academy as long as Meredith, Karen, and I have been at Green Hill. They were a little younger—between your year and ours, I think—so they will probably still be at the academy another year before they are admitted to the military service.”

“I had no idea. Where is Point Davis?”

“In Virginia. You really do have some catching up to do.”

“Speaking of which, would you consider going out to dinner with me Friday night and perhaps a movie. I’d love to talk with you.”

“Friday? This week? Um ... Yes, okay. Wow.”

“I’ll plan to pick you up at six.”

“You drive?”

“No. I have a driver. He’ll pick us up and return us home. It’s really lovely to talk to you, Peggy Anne. I’ll see you Friday night.”

“Yes. Um ... Goodnight.”

Well, Peggy Anne didn’t seem anywhere near as enthused as Karen had but Liam was proud of himself for gathering the courage to ask someone out who had not been suggested to him and already expressed an interest. He decided, however, it would be better not to tell Meredith about this until it was a fait accompli.

Friday night, Erich drove Liam to the same dormitory where he had picked up Meredith and Hana. He wondered if he was getting a reputation for taking a different Green Hill girl out every weekend. He opened the door and a tall brunette stopped his progress.

“Liam? My, you didn’t grow much, did you?”

“Peggy Anne?”

“Yes. I thought I would just meet you here in the lobby so you didn’t have to traipse up into the residence. It’s more proper.”

“Of course.” It was funny Meredith hadn’t mentioned that. But they were at the car in minutes and off to Julian’s Bistro for dinner. Like Hana Ito, Peggy Anne got in the back seat and stayed by the door. When he had secured the door, he ran around the back of the car to where Erich stood holding his. He did not slide to the center.

The positions made conversation a little difficult but they made some progress. At the restaurant, Liam did not even think about giving his name and being seated immediately at a table in the window.

“I hope you don’t mind such a public table. I didn’t request this.”

“Oh, no. Being in the public eye usually means a boy will behave. I’m happy to be here.”

“So, tell me about your music. Piano, yes? What are your goals?”

“Oh, no one is interested in that. Suffice it to say that I spend all my time at the keys and have just moved to the Green Hill Conservatory this fall. They say it is a move, but it’s on the same campus and I’ve had half my classes there anyway. Tell me about your life as a royal.”

“I’m ... It really isn’t much different than what it was before I knew. I guess I’m more aware of it now. I didn’t even know there were different classes until my sixteenth birthday.”

They talked through dinner and Liam had used up his entire list of questions to draw her out to no avail. She was singularly focused on her food and answered his questions with just a word or two, immediately asking him about himself and seeming to be fascinated at his meagre accomplishments. Going to university at mid-term? Fascinating. Run 5k in less than sixteen minutes? Fascinating. Riding? Fascinating.

“Shall we go to a movie now? There is a new rom-com at the Egyptian.”

“Oh. Do you mind terribly if we call this a night and you take me back to the dorm? Movies are dark and ... intimate. You should know I’m a virgin. Unlike my loose friends who practiced as often as they could. I thought that if I was chosen as your mentor, we might explore that together. But now that I’m not, I am glad I waited so I will have something to share with my one true love ... whoever that will be. And I have a lesson early tomorrow morning. I should get another hour of practice in.”

“On Saturday?”

“Yes. Every day, really. It’s been nice to catch up, Liam. Please don’t bother yourself to call in the morning. Like I said, an early lesson. I’ll say goodnight here. You needn’t escort me further.”

She bolted through the dormitory door and quickly disappeared up the stairs leaving Liam a bit confused. One thing was certain, though; he was glad she was not chosen as his mentor.