oxford-bound

ELIZABETH SPRINGALL
Oxford Bound?

Copyright © 2019 by Elizabeth Springall
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the
publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or
distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters
and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s
imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or
dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
Elizabeth Springall asserts the moral right to be identified as
the author of this work.
First edition
ISBN: 9781710215748
This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy.
Find out more at reedsy.com

Contents
A boy’s education 1
Alice Education 5
As Time Goes 9
The Dinner 10
The Meeting 11
Application 12
The Unexpected Proposal 13
Mother’s Warning 14
Alices Choice 15

1
A boy’s education
1909, London
Mr Rupert Ward was a short, round gentlemen. His once
thick brown hair had retreated up his forehead, leaving wrinkles
behind. He was dressed in what he believed to be a casual
blue suit. Rupert sat in his chair, the brown fabric distressed
at the edges from age, his feet stretched out in front of him
with that day’s newspaper balanced over his lap. Opposite
him was two identical chairs around a circular wooden coffee
table. Around him were dark oak bookcases, decorated with the
delicate etching of flowers, each shelf covered with literature
and classics dating back years.
Halfway through his morning paper, Rupert heard a soft
knock at the door before his young butler, Benson entered
gracefully, his head held high.“A Mr Charlie Scout is here to see
you, sir,” he said, trying to sound older than he was. His hair
was combed back as if he was ready for his first day at school.
Benson started to fiddle with the silver buttons, fastening the
oversized blazer gifted to him by his predecessor.
“Yes, thank you, bring him through,” Mr Ward replied, folding
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OXFORD BOUND?
his paper in half and placing it on top of the pile of files. Benson
returned followed by Mr Scout, a man in his mid-30s, who
wore a grey suit that looked like it belonged to his father, wellpolished
black shoes and round speckled glasses. He was a tall
slim man, so thin that if he were bent over, he would surely snap
in half. With one hand he brushed the back of his ginger hair,
while with the other hand he carried a large black briefcase,
worn at the hinges from years of use.
“Hello, Mr Scout,” Mr Ward welcomed him, getting up and
shaking his hand. “Please, take a seat.”
Mr Scout sat down, placing his briefcase beside his chair.
“Thank you, Benson,” Mr Ward said. Benson bowed his head
and left, closing the door behind him. Mr Ward lent over and
picked up one of the files off the side table and started to flick
through its pages to find Mr Scout’s résumé and balanced it on
his knee.
“Mr Scout, as I informed you in our correspondences, you will
be teaching my only child. The child will have a well-rounded
education allowing them to make their own judgments. I want
a tutor with a broad education, which your résumé suggests you
have.” Mr Ward spoke as Mr Scout sat patiently, following every
word with anticipation. “You will be required to teach Monday,
Tuesday and Friday, as my daughter has other commitments
on Wednesday and Thursday,” Mr Ward finished, stretching his
legs out again which were causing him pain.
“Your daughter?” Mr Scout questioned, raising his eyebrow
before continuing.. “Mr Ward, sir, a governess would be better
suited to help prepare and train her for her female duties?”
“What duty is that Mr Scout?” he replied, chuckling as Mr
Scout’s checks started to redden and pushed his fists together.
Mr Ward had inherited a small business and over the past 20
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A BOY’S EDUCATION
years built it into an industrial empire, he knew he could come
across as arrogant and overconfident; traits that often appeared
to come from a high level of success. But really, he was a kind,
fair man trying to fit into a place where he didn’t really feel that
he belonged. It wasn’t social status or money that drove him, it
was the idea of progress.
“Sir,” Mr Scout exhaled. “For her to find a husband and obey
him. Manage a household and raise happy, health and wellmannered
children.” Mr Scout continued staring straight into
Mr Ward’s eyes.
“Yes, but why should that be the case? For us men, we decide
who our daughters marry, what our wives do, where they go,
what they can spend, and even if they can work,” Mr Ward
ranted. “Why should this be the case? They have brains, they
can make decisions for themselves. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
even became a doctor!”
“A woman, as a doctor,” Mr Scott exclaimed.
“Yes, she even opened up a hospital and helped open a school
where other women could follow in her footsteps,” Mr Ward
responded.
“Sir, that is one amongst many. Not all women will have the
constitution to deal with such things.”
“I’m not saying my daughter will be a doctor, I’m merely
saying that a woman is capable of doing more than household
duties.” Mr Scout rolled his feet. At this moment Mr Ward
wondered if Mr Scout would stand up and walk right out of
the door. He had already attempted to hire three other tutors
who all had declined his offer. He really hoped that Mr Scout
would accept as his daughter, Alice, was excited to be able to
start her education.
“Sir, I don’t think I am suitable for the position,” Mr Scout
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OXFORD BOUND?
said, picking up his briefcase and laying it on his knee, resting
his other hand on the arm of the chair.
“Mr Scout I think you may want to take a look at this,” Mr
Ward slipped out a small piece of paper from his top pocket
and handed it to Mr Scout. The man’s eyes widened as he read
the number written on the paper, and Mr Ward waited a few
moments. “So, Mr Scout, do you wish to take the position?”
“If you wish me to teach your daughter, I will do so,” Mr
Scout announced as the redness disappeared from his cheeks.
Mr Ward nodded, pulling out another large piece of paper from
inside the folder and handing it to Mr Scout, which he took
with a small smile.
“This is the contract describing what we have discussed,
please read through it and bring it with you, signed, tomorrow,”
Mr Ward stated.
“Yes sir,” Mr Scout agreed, picking up his briefcase and
standing up. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr Ward.”
“Thank you for your time. Benson will show you out,” Mr
Ward said, picking up a small bell from beside the chair and
ringing it. A few seconds later Benson opened the door and Mr
Scout was about to follow him out.
4

2
Alice Education
1909, London
Alice knelt on top of the window seat in her new school
room, looking out over the busy streets of London, at a sea of
umbrellas as the rain fell across the city. She was wearing her
favourite dress, light blue and short sleeved, the cotton fabric
draping around her knees and tied at her waist with a white belt.
Her governess Miss Miller had made Alice sit for 20 minutes
while she forced her long light brown hair into tight plaits, tied
with a cream ribbon.
Behind her at an angle stood a small smart wooden table with
two chairs placed either side and at the back of the room stood
a beautiful handmade bookcase, painted with her favourite
flowers: buttercups and daisies.
Her father had taken her to the bookshop and allowed her to
pick out three books to start her collection. Alice spent hours
carefully trying to read the blurb of each, until she decided
to buy two books by Beatrix Potter and one book filled with
numbers and other long words that she didn’t understand but
wanted to. Her father helped her work out how much they
5

OXFORD BOUND?
cost and gave her the change. When they returned home Alice
proudly displayed them on the book shelf. She had read both
of Beatrix Potter’s books but had not been able to understand
the third, but she was determined one day she would.
To the right of the bookshelves was a round wicker chair
covered in white fabric, finished with a round cushion. Sat on
the chair was Miss Miller, who’s blond hair was speckled with
grey strands and pushed up into a low bun, tied with a ribbon.
She was a short, slim woman with thin lips and small eyes. She
adjusted her long sleeved blouse which was tucked into a long
black skirt, before returning to her freestyle embroidery of wild
flowers and birds.
“Kneeling is very unladylike, Alice. You should sit down and
wait patiently,” Miss Miller admonished before looking over to
the clock on the wall. “What do you do when Mr Scout enters?”
Alice rolled her eyes and jumped off the window seat, causing
a loud bang when she landed and Miss Miller to scowl. “I stand
up and say good morning sir,” Alice answered before sitting at
the table swinging her legs back and forth, still looking out of
the window, now watching the rain bounce off the rooftops.
“Alice, feet,” Miss Miller scolded as Alice turned to see her
governess had one eye on Alice and the other on her needlework.
Alice did what she was told. “And it is good morning Mr Scout,
after that you may call him sir.” Alice started to twist the bottom
of her dress around her left thumb so that Miss Miller could
not see it.
Suddenly she heard muffled voices and creaking floorboards
as someone walked up the stairs and along the corridor before
pausing outside the room. Alice jumped up from her seat,
making the chair screech along the floor. The door opened to
reveal Benson, and behind him, Mr Scout. “Mr Charlie Scout,
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ALICE EDUCATION
Miss Alice,” he said with a nod, assuring Mr Scout, who was
wearing the same attire as the day before.
“Good morning, Mr Scout,” Alice smiled, as Benson left,
closing the door behind him. Mr Scout walked over to the
table and placed his briefcase on top of it. Miss Miller got
up from her wicker chair and placed her embroidery on the
cushion before walking over to Mr Scout.
“I’m Miss Miller, Governess to Miss Alice,” she said, reluctantly
shaking the hand Mr Scout had held out. “I will be sitting
in on your lessons with Miss Alice to ensure everything runs
smoothly.”
“Miss Miller, I teach in private,” he replied. Turning to Alice
he said, “Please sit.”
Alice did as she was told, keeping her eye on Miss Miller who
had started to flush before taking a deep breath, stepped closer
to him and whispered. “That would be quite unconventional
Mr Scout. An unmarried young lady cannot be left on her own
with a man, even if you are her tutor.”
“Tutoring a girl is unconventional, Miss Miller, but that’s
what I am here to do.” Mr Scout answered with a glare across
his face. “But I am, which means I will teach Alice in the same
way I tutor any young gentleman, in private. But you can sit in
the corridor just outside.”
“Mrs Ward will not like this, and there is no chair in the
corridor.” Miss Miller smirked, Alice knew she had a point as
her mother was against Alice having an education. Thinking
that Mr Scout would give in, Alice watched as Mr Scout walked
over to the bucket chair and picked it up, opening the door with
a screech and placing the chair down. Alice had to bite her lip
to stop from laughing.
“There you are Miss Miller,” Mr Scout said. Alice couldn’t
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OXFORD BOUND?
help but let out a little squeak of laughter that was met with a
disapproving look from both Miss Miller and Mr Scout.
With a final sigh of disapproval, Miss Miller walked out,
stomping her heels into the ground as she went and sat down
on the chair, leaving the door open behind her. Mr Scout shut
the door, took two long strides to the table and opened the
briefcase, taking out some paper from within.
“We will start with literature and then move on to mathematics.
Can you read?” He looked over and scanned the bookcase.
“I see you have a book on mathematics, have you read it?”
“Yes, I can read, sir,” Alice said with a smile, fiddling with her
fingers. “I tried to read that book, but I could not.”
“We will work our way to that, then, after we talk about the
basic rules of English,” he reassured, before starting his lesson.
Suddenly there was a screech as the door opened an inch and
stayed there, they both turned and rolled their eyes.
8

3
As Time Goes
|
9

4
The Dinner
10

5
The Meeting
11

6
Application
12

7
The Unexpected Proposal
13

8
Mother’s Warning
14

9
Alices Choice
15