hapter 34 Spring Gala
That Made My Brothers Weep
Sadie sent Katy and two of Alexander’s servants to man the stall, while she, Alexander, and his usual gang headed straight for Sunlit Arcade. The covered walkway twisted in graceful turns, its beams hung with scrolls that lured poets and scholars to pause and critique.
With help from his boisterous friends, Alexander soon spotted her calligraphy. “Sadie, here it is!” he called, triumphant.
She tilted her head and followed his pointing finger.
Her piece hung beside the work of two other young women from the academy. In one corner glowed a vermilion seal–the very stamp Zephyr had carved for her.
Sadie lightly pressed the silk pouch that held that seal, a gentle ripple of warmth softening her almond- shaped eyes.
A genial voice drifted toward them. “Several young women from Cranesong Academy have written exquisite hands this year, Commander Gates. Might you offer a few remarks?”
Sadie glanced toward the far end of the gallery.
Several officials were escorting Zephyr and Gregory Hamlet toward them; it was Gregory who had spoken.
As the party drew near, Sadie recovered herself and joined Alexander and the others in a respectful bow.
“What a happy coincidence, Mr. Alexander. You’re here as well,” Gregory said with a smile.
“I came to see my sister’s work!” Alexander declared, his face glowing with pride. “Tell me, gentlemen. Have your sisters ever had their pieces displayed in Sunlit Arcade? No? I thought not!”
He wagged his figurative tail like an eager young hound, and Sadie was plainly the treasure he meant to show off.
Flushed with embarrassment, Sadie sneaked a quick tug at his sleeve.
Alexander’s friends added their uproar, shouting that Sadie’s script was the finest and that they had come expressly to admire it.
Her cheeks flamed so hot she wished she could hide in
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There was no clear first among scholars, she reminded herself; Sunlit Arcade brimmed with masters far beyond her years. Her writing was still awkward, like that of a youth. How could it possibly be the best?
Zephyr had been watching her all the while.
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Today, the girl wore the same green gauze blouse and lapis–blue pleated skirt, though she had added a lilac half–sleeve embroidered with flowers. The demure colors should have whispered restraint, yet aga delicate features, they blushed with fresh, mischievous life.
He watched the boys swarm around Sadie like moths circling a lamp.
In more than one pair of eyes, he caught the first shimmer of infatuation–whether born of their own hearts or teased out by her effortless charm, he could not tell.
“You claim her penmanship is unmatched. Tell me. Exactly what makes it so extraordinary?” Zephyr asked.
Chapter 34 Spring Gala
half–smiling.
The scions traded helpless looks. They had never loved books; how could they possibly explain fine calligraphy?
“Her lines are straight as an arrow–see this horizontal, this vertical,” Alexander declared, puffed up with pride.
Sunlit Arcade fell into a long, stifling hush.
Sadie lifted her brows but said nothing.
If they could not praise her work, she wished th
would at least stop forcing compliments on her.
“I’d like to know as well,” Neville sneered. “What, exactly, makes Sadie’s calligraphy worthy of praise?
All eyes swung toward Neville. Behind him loomed his two brothers and their youngest sister, Daisy, whose cheeks were blotched red from unshed tears.
Daisy’s fists tightened around the scroll she carried. She could not fathom why Sadie’s work had been chosen instead of hers.
In the previous life, she remembered that both her own and Adonis‘ pieces should have hung in Sunlit Arcade.
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She convinced herself that Sadie had leveraged the Gates family’s influence to push the Francis siblings aside.
Daisy refused to swallow that humiliation; she would expose Sadie today and show everyone how ruthlessly she abused power.
“We all know Sadie never bothered to practice properly at home,” Neville proclaimed. “How can her work hang among masters in Sunlit Arcade while Daisy, who has labored for years, is ignored?”
He added, “With the gentlemen here as witnesses, I accuse Cranesong Academy of blatant favoritism and the disgraceful act of replacing excellence with mediocrity.”
“Oh?” Gregory stroked his moustache. “Since we have scholars and masters present, why not ask them to judge the two pieces?”
Daisy gave a small, trembling sob and offered the scroll with both hands. “Please have a look, Mr. Hamlet.”
Gregory signaled for the attendants to lay Daisy’s piece beside Sadie’s.
“Our vote goes to Sadie,” Alexander announced without even glancing at the scrolls.
“And what would Mr. Alexander know about calligraphy?” Neville sneered.
Alexander’s fists clenched. He took a step forward, ready to swing, but one look from Zephyr pinned on in place.
Several renowned calligraphers were ushered to the front.
The masters studied both scrolls in silence, then nodded to one another.
“Miss Daisy’s hand is delicate yet too weak,” declared their spokesman. “Miss Sadie’s may not be flawless, but
Chapter 34 Spring Gala
it surges with energy and an irrepressible strength, We therefore select Miss Sadie.
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HEU Meirs Second Life: The Rebirth That Made My Brothers Weep
