Page 41 of The Tartan Thesis

“So there are other small parts of you?” I ask, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “Which ones?”

“No, I—I didn’t mean—”

I interrupt his sputtering. “So you don’t have any wee bits and bobs?” I say sweetly. “Go on then. Which is it?”

Beau sighs, throws his head back, and mutters, “I can’t believe we’re talking about this.”

Then he looks down at me. I smile angelically back.

Something shifts in his expression. After a moment he nods, as if making up his mind. “Fine.”

He plants those perfect hands on the table and leans toward me, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

“You told me things you like about yourself,” he says, “but I haven’t told you any of mine.” I feel heat creep into my cheeks already. “So here are a few.” He holds my gaze. “I like my eyes, so we have that in common.”

I flush at him bringing this up again, but he goes on like he doesn’t notice.

“I like that I can generally find something interesting to talk about with anyone I meet, anywhere in the world. And…”

He leans closer, drawing me in with those beautiful eyes we both like so much.

“And…”

“And?” I ask, my voice betraying me.

“And,” he continues, “I can confidently say: there are no other small things about me.”

14

Beau

Nollaig Chridheil (nollak khree-al)

Translation: Merry Christmas

Usage: To greet someone who celebrates Christmas

Hard to believe I survived another round of exams, that it’s the last day of the term, or how much things have changed since we handed in our action plan to Professor Drummond.

Across the lecture hall, Torin sits at the end of the row adjacent to mine, a notebook open in front of him, that shy half-smile tugging at his mouth whenever our eyes meet. I catch myself smiling back before looking down at my own notes.

We see more of each other now, meeting at the gym a couple of workouts a week and occasionally visiting historic sites with our classmates. Torin can still be guarded at times. I see it in the way his shoulders tighten or how he changes the subject when things get too personal, but I chip away at his armor every chance I get. Whenever he opens up to me, I find myself wanting him a little more, which makes things complicated.

Like when we almost kissed at a St. Andrew’s Day celebration. We were a couple of drinks in, standing too close together while everyone else crowded around the bar. He leaned in, I leaned in. Then Blair appeared asking if we wanted to take a shot with him. Probably would’ve been a bad idea to make out in front of our classmates anyway, but Torin was distant for a week after that, so I’m pretty sure his feelings toward me are not romantic.

Things seem better today, though, if his shy smile is any indicator. Maeve is chattering away beside me, telling Isla something about the holiday event she put together for the department, but I’m only half listening as I continue to steal glances at Torin. I swear he’s getting cuter. Maybe it’s the gym, or maybe it’s just that he’s no longer sniping at me.

“Good afternoon!” Professor Drummond calls as he enters the room, tossing his bag down and launching right into class. “Let’s discuss how the Reformation led to tensions with other nations, specifically those that remained staunchly Catholic. Who has thoughts?”

Torin starts the conversation as usual, giving an overview of the countries where tensions were present and provides some high-level reasons for a few of them. He’s thorough, as usual, but he also seems to be leaving room for others to contribute, which is new.

“Thank you, Mr. Ramsay,” Professor Drummond says. He turns to the board and writes a few notes before continuing. “Now let’s talk specifically about how those tensions then played out more broadly across Britain. Mr. Fontenot, would you care to weigh in?”

I’m prepared for this one, so I respond with newfound confidence. “Of course, Professor. There were numerous accounts of xenophobic hostilities at the hands of Protestants who didn’t believe that immigrants from countries like France could ever give up their Catholicism. This even impacted royalty like Charles II, whose wife was Portuguese Catholic. Many believed him to have secretly converted to Catholicism as part of the Treaty of Dover with France in 1670. To make matters worse, his brother, the future James II and VII, converted to Catholicism in 1672, then married a Catholic Italian princess. The rumors continued to impact his reign throughout, meaning he often had tough decisions to make as he attempted to keep the peace across his various subjects while not appearing to favor Catholics.”

A second-year jumps in. “Sure, there were rumors about Charles’s Catholic sympathies, but I think you’re overstating their prevalence and impact on the monarchy at that time. Charles II dealt much more with the issues between the two main Protestant factions than between Protestantism and Catholicism. It wasn’t until James II and VII was on the throne that the Crown was truly targeted, ultimately leading to him being deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.”

Torin clears his throat, a sound I know all too well. My stomach drops. Despite how far we’ve come, he’s still more equipped in the classroom than I am. So my eyes go wide when he says, “No, Beau is right.”