Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits

by Hathaway, Mary Jane

  “I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.”

  - Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice

  Chapter One

  Shelby Roswell rooted through her purse for the third time, tossing receipts and gum wrappers onto the cluttered desk. Those keys were right in her hand a few minutes ago.

  Squeezing her eyes shut, she sped through her morning from unlocking her office until she arrived at the Introduction to The Civil War class. An image flashed through her mind of dropping the keys onto the ledge of the old oak podium. Bingo!

  Office hours ended in thirty minutes but she’d just slip out. Hardly anybody came to visit this early in the term, anyway. With a grimace she thought of how different it would look like in another two months, with a line of students eager to haggle over their paper grades.

  The phone rang, a harsh trill that she could hear even when she was in the main office down the hall. Shelby puffed out an impatient breath and snatched the old black receiver.

  “Shelby, it’s Daddy.” Her father’s slow, familiar drawl sounded in her ear.

  She loved how he called her office phone but never her cell. He didn’t trust anything that tiny to actually work right.

  “Your Mama wanted me to remind you to come early weekend after next. She wants to introduce you around before the party.”

  “Hope springs eternal,” Shelby muttered.

  “Now, now. Just think how bored she’ll be after she gets you married off.”

  “So, I’m her hobby?” she asked, laughing. Only he could make her see the humor in being considered a spinster at age twenty nine. Shelby’s mother spent more time trying to find her daughter a husband than all the mothers of Flea Bite Creek, combined.

  “Now you got it. And I wanted to know how the new addition was shaping up,” Phillip Roswell said, a smile in his voice.

  She could just see her father, probably sitting in his study, feet propped on the corner of the antique desk, morning sun filtering through the diamond cut window panes. He rarely left that room now that he was retired.

  “Haven’t seen hide nor hair. I heard they gave him an enormous office over in Agate Hall.” She fiddled with a ballpoint pen, beating a staccato rhythm against her desk calendar. “And there was such demand for his classes that he’s using a lecture hall to fit in the hundred or so who signed up.” It galled her to admit that last bit. She was thankful to get the thirty or so kids she did.

  “Well, as long as he stays out of your way, I won’t have to come up there and have words with him.”

  Shelby snorted, imagining her mild-mannered Southern daddy having ‘words’ with anybody. As the gentleman lawyer of a gentleman lawyer, he didn’t often resort to arguing. Power spoke for itself.

  “I’m sure he will. He’s far too important to deal with me. They’ve already had two reception dinners this week so people could meet him.”

  “Did you go?”

  “Daddy, how could I sit there, smiling and playing nice? The review he did of my book was so mean, so low...” Her voice trailed off as she struggled to put into words what they both knew. Beyond a bad review, it had been a literary lynching in a national magazine.

  “Why don’t you have Arlen Beasley review it?” he asked.

  Shelby sighed. An old family friend, he would have nothing but good things to say. But no one would care to hear them either, since he was almost completely unknown.

  “It’s done. Ransom Fielding wrote the definitive series on the history of the Civil War. And it came out in NewsWorld.” She bit her lip and doodled in the margins of her calendar. Everything had been going so well. Her membership in the Southern Historical Society was almost assured and she had nearly finished a groundbreaking article. But she had to bounce back from this catastrophe somehow, her tenure application depended on it.

  “No matter how many times I say that his criticisms weren’t valid, nobody seems to listen. He didn’t even have a problem with the work, just the way I wrote it.”

  “Why is he there teaching a college course if he’s a writer?”

  “Well, he holds a position up at Yale, so he definitely can teach a course, no worries. I know Finch was thrilled to have him join our department even for a semester.” Shelby nibbled her nail, a nervous habit she’d had since childhood.

  “He should be thrilled to have you, brilliant girl,” her father growled.

  “You’re like my own cheering squad. But I better get off the phone and go find my keys.”

  “Again? You remind me of your mother’s Aunt Kitty. She got so bad we had to hire a minder so she wouldn’t set the house on fire.”

  “I don’t think I’m that bad yet. But I could do with an assistant,” she said, eyeing the teetering pile of research papers on her desk. Her house mate, Rebecca, liked to say she used the EAS filing system: every available surface.

  “For Christmas, then. No more old books, just someone to keep your keys from walking off, ” he promised before hanging up.

  Shelby sighed, wishing her Christmas present included going back in time and muzzling a man who seemed hell-bent on ruining her career.

  After taking the stairs at a quick clip, Shelby was half way down the first floor hallway when she heard a voice drifting from the open classroom door.

  “I understand we all want to be comfortable but-”

  The hallway echoed with the deep, unfamiliar voice. Shelby involuntarily slowed her steps.

  “- even here, there must be a certain level of behavior -”

  The door was fully open and as she came closer, Shelby could see the students packed solidly in the tiered lecture hall, every one of them riveted. A feeling of foreboding crept up her spine as she inched forward, her eyes finally confirming what her instincts told her: Ransom Fielding stood at the front of the room and he seemed different from the man she’d glimpsed last week, striding across campus.

  He was very tall, but not gangly, with broad shoulders. His suit was well made, much better than an average professor would wear and he carried it with style. An almost too-handsome face was saved by severe brows and his blue eyes flashed as he spoke. There was an intensity about him that seemed to ripple outwards.

  “- the second day of class and there are still those of you who insist on disregarding my guidelines concerning classroom behavior.”

  The students seemed on the younger end of the undergraduate spectrum. Most of the girls were clustered down in the front three rows. It was packed, nothing like the few rows she needed earlier.

  “- there in the red baseball cap, turned backwards. Yes, you.”

  A kid half way up the room paused mid bite. He had a bag of chips and an orange sports drink on his desk, his notebook not yet opened, one foot propped on the back of the seat in front of him. He slowly swallowed.

  “Come here and bring your food. No, just your food, not your books.”

  The student was somewhat lanky, and it seemed to Shelby that it took ages for him to get his foot down, gather his things, and wander down the steps to the front. He stood to the side of the podium, shifting his weight nervously.

  “Your name?”

  “Tanner Keene,” the boy said softly. He smiled tentatively and look out at the class. There wasn’t the slightest rustle of movement, no one stirred.

  “Well, Mr. Keene, did you bother to read my class notes before this course began?”

  Silence in the room was absolute. The boy cleared his throat. “I read a little of it, Professor Fielding. Your office hours, I think.”

  “Ah yes, office hours. Very handy to know for the day you will come to argue about the low grade on your midterm paper.”

  There was
a soft giggle somewhere near the front. Shelby’s stomach churned. He was like a grade school bully, obviously enjoying himself.

  “Do you remember where I specifically state there will be no eating or drinking in my class? Because, Mr. Keene, it’s inconsiderate and distracting to other students, and to myself. More than that, it is impolite.”

  These last words were spoken so clearly that Shelby flinched.

  “I’m sorry, sir. I can throw it away.” The boy moved to toss the little bag and the drink into the trash near the door.

  “No, you won’t throw it away. I think you should finish your snack. We will wait for you. All of us.”

  Shelby felt Fielding’s words drop one by one into the room like pieces of ice down her back. The boy gaped at him.

  “Go on. We’re waiting.”

  As Fielding spoke, the words stopped making any sense, and all Shelby could think of was that review. Did he think this was funny?

  Slowly, Tanner opened the little cellophane sack and withdrew a chip. He put it into his mouth and chewed, glancing up at the other students, every crunch was magnified by the utter silence.

  Shelby’s eyes swept around the room. The students were riveted, most with fear, some with amusement. As he chewed and swallowed, he again brought out another chip from the crackling cellophane bag. A few giggles sounded from the front rows.

  Something stirred in Shelby, deep down where the words he’d written about her book had taken on a life of their own. Just as a blind hog finds an acorn every now and then, so this author stumbles on a startling insight or two. The challenge is to find them in the fifty six murky chapters that should have been cut to ten.

  It hadn’t helped that she had never been considered the willowy type. Well, not never. There had been a year in grade school when she was skinny, knock-kneed, with front teeth too big for her face. Since then, she’d grown some serious curves. Her friends assured her that curves were better than looking like a marathon runner, but Shelby still secretly wished God had gifted her with a lean athlete’s body.

  She moved to the door and knocked softly.

  “- what we will do is- yes?” Powerful shoulders straightened with a jerk as she pushed open the door. His bright blue eyes widened, then narrowed.

  “Excuse me, Professor Fielding. I believe I left my keys on the podium.” Shelby strode forward and peered into the ledge of the wooden stand.

  “Yes, here they are!” There was the faintest waft of a woodsy smell as she reached under his arm. He was tall enough that she could grab her keys without having to bend too far. She glanced up at Fielding’s face, his dark brows were drawn together. A thrill went through her that was only partly anger. He opened his mouth to speak, but Shelby turned away and stopped near the guilty student at the door.

  “Oh, those look tasty! May I?” And without waiting for an answer she reached into the bag and grabbed a handful. There were only a few left, and Shelby managed to put them in her mouth all at once. She chewed thoughtfully, ignoring the sudden rustles and laughter from the students. A few crumbs fell from her lips and she brushed them from the front of her white shirt. The boy in the backwards cap stood perfectly still, brown eyes wide, holding the empty bag in one hand and the drink in the other.

  “These are so salty. Do you mind?” Shelby hated drinking after anyone else. Her sisters used to tease her that she would die of thirst in the desert rather than share a glass. But there was a fury burning inside and she wanted the bully to know that he would not win. Not here, not today.

  Grabbing the sports drink she drank deeply, chugging the half-full contents of the bottle. Peering into the bottom she exclaimed, “Well, looks like that’s finished.”

  She turned to leave, chuckles turning to laughter all around her, but paused mid step. On the board Fielding had written:

  General Beverly crosses the Ranawah Mountains

  after his hometown of Oxford is threatened.

  “Oh, and by the way, Beverly was from Flea Bite Creek, not Oxford,” she said in a clear voice. “I covered him in chapter three of my book on this area. I can loan you a copy if you’d like to read it.”

  Ransom Fielding had not moved. A muscle jumped in his jaw and the tendons on his large hands stood out where he gripped the podium. He seemed incapable of speech, but if he could speak, she had no doubt what he would say.

  With a nod, Shelby strode toward the door. The last thing she saw as she walked through the doorway, amid another wave of raucous laughter from the students, was Mr. Finch, the head of her department. His balding head was a shade deeper red than his face, which bore an expression of deep disapproval. His knobbed hands were splayed flat on the desk, his entire posture one of shocked fury.

  And to his right was Mrs. Greathouse, the head of the Southern Historical Society, who was currently reviewing Shelby’s application for membership. A membership she desperately needed.

  Gone was the polite smile from their previous, and only, meeting. Her lips were a thin, pale line of anger. From under her silver trademark crest of hair several inches high, her parrot-like black eyes met Shelby’s with a startling malevolence.

  “Good opinion once lost, is lost forever.”

  -Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice

  Chapter Two

  Once inside her office, she closed the door and sat behind her desk, heart racing. Completely out of bounds! The damage he’s doing to students! Pedagogy at its worst! And what was Finch doing there? With Margaret Greathouse? Her thoughts whirled and beat against each other. She glanced at the clock. Not even eleven. Rebecca would still be teaching. She alternately paced the office and tried to sit down to work but her emotions rioted within her.

  When the fierce fire of her outrage had cooled to a simmer, she dropped her head in her hands and faced the facts. Her behavior had been completely unprofessional. She had allowed her temper to dictate her actions. And now she would have to apologize.

  Just hours ago during her morning devotions she’d read the Bible verse about being ‘quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger’ but a few hours later there she was, busting into Fielding’s classroom, furious. The thought filled her with shame. Lord, why can’t you just put me on mute when I’m running my mouth? But God didn’t work that way. He let his children make their own messes– and clean them up. She groaned, grabbed her keys and headed outside. A walk would clear her head, help her find the words she needed to eat crow.

  Shelby was deep in thought as she made her way down the narrow stairs to the second floor and by habit headed to the office. Already in the door before she realized it, she tried to softly back out into the hallway. The departmental secretary could talk the ears off a jackrabbit.

  “Shelby! There’s something in your box!” Jolee’s cheery voice rang out from the far corner of the high-ceilinged office. It was amazing how she always knew when someone came in, even though there was a few feet of blind hallway.

  “Hi, Jolee. Just checking my mail.” Well, she was now that she’d been pulled in like a fly in a spider’s web. She wandered over to the mail cubbies. The small white square was stuffed full. Slowly she reached out, extracting a cellophane bag of chips and a large orange sports drink, still cold from the vending machine. Carefully turning over the white piece of folded paper that was under the drink, Shelby sucked in a breath.

  You seemed ravenous. Thought you might need a snack.-JF

  Shelby read and re-read the tidy, handwritten note.

  “Isn’t that nice? I tried to tell him that you didn’t really eat junk food and I’d never seen you drink anything but water, Diet Coke, and coffee, but he insisted. ” Jolee glanced up with a grin as she stacked outgoing mail next to her desk. Her bright blue eyes sparked with curiosity.

  “Yes, very nice. We’re... I’m sure we’ll be good friends, ” Shelby choked out, warmth stealing up her neck. She gathered up her ‘snack’ and waved a hand at Jolee, avoiding her inquisitorial stare.

  He had thrown down the gauntlet,
but she had no intention of fighting. She was a peaceful, Christian woman who was devoted to the Gospel of unity and love. At least, that’s what she repeated to herself as she dropped the vending machine junk in the trash and strode to the front doors.

  The morning sunlight smacked her in the eyes as she trotted down the brick steps and swiftly crossed the quad. The expansive grassy area dotted with students at any hour of any day was bordered by two enormous academic buildings and the library. The history building sat as something of an afterthought, holding down one small corner. Agate Hall loomed over the south end of the lawn, ten stories high and as characterless as a post office.

  The elevator to the sixth floor seemed to take hours. Shelby nervously nibbled one fingernail and mentally rehearsed what she would say. Please give me Your words, she prayed. Rebecca often prayed she wouldn’t get tongue-tied before a big presentation. That particular curse had never been Shelby’s problem, sadly. Don’t let me say anything I’ll regret later.

  The office door had a standard brown name plate attached, white letters spelling out the occupant’s name. She took a deep breath, and knocked.

  There was no response.

  Shelby pushed the door the tiniest bit and peeked inside. A desk stood empty, papers stacked in tidy piles. The desk top computer hummed, a cup of hot coffee gently steamed near the keyboard. She glanced back down the long hallway but saw no one.

  Through the enormous window behind his desk, Shelby could see Chapman Hall in the distance. Being six stories up made the red brick building look even more humble, almost forgettable. Still better than having her office in a big gray box, she thought.

  There was a comfortable leather armchair in the corner near the door. Shelby perched on the edge of the cushion and gazed around. The office was very large, but empty except for a few boxes near the door. Several books were stacked haphazardly and she instinctively reached for the leather bound ones at the bottom. The first was by Anthony Trollope. The next was Wuthering Heights by Charlotte Bronte. The third was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Shelby snorted softly, wondering whose books had been left behind. She slid them back and picked up a familiar, glossy hardback from the next stack.