Gilded Cage

Chapter Fifteen

The day before the new term officially started, I received a letter I had been waiting for almost two weeks now. That morning, I checked my box like I did every day and I was surprised to find a white envelope with Cambridge University's coat of arms printed on it. I immediately opened it with trembling hands and took a deep breath before reading the first two lines.

Dear Mr. Knight,

the Committee of Acceptance at the Classics Department of Cambridge University is delighted...

"I got in," I whispered to myself. My breath was coming up short as I scrolled to the end of the letter. "Holy shit. I got in!"

My scream must have been so loud that one of the secretaries in the administrative office walked out to see what the commotion was all about. "Is everything alright, dear?" she asked, fixing me with an eloquent look behind her spectacles.

I looked at her with misty eyes. "Yes, sorry. Ehm... would it be possible for me to use the phone, please?"

She smiled. "Of course, dear. Come."

She led me into a small room and pointed at the public phone. "There you go. It's all yours."

"Thank you."

Once I was alone, I dialled the number reported on the letter. After a few rings, a male voice came through. "Cambridge University, admission office. How can I help?"

"Huh, hi. Sorry, hello. My name is Benjamin Knight. I just received your letter. I requested a change of course a couple of weeks ago?"

"Oh, Mr. Knight. Of course. I'm Dominic Wallace. I'm the one who personally oversaw your application. I have to say; usually, we don't accept anyone middle-year, but your curriculum was very impressive and your presentation letter very convincing."

"Thank you," I said, breathless.

"I meant to ask you, though; something you didn't specify in your letter. Why Classics? It's a big change from Theatre."

I looked out of the window that faced the courtyard, gripping hard at the receiver. The first time the thought of leaving the castle had leapt into my mind was after my fight with Jamie. I just wanted to find a place as far away from here as possible and I chose Cambridge because I had always been attracted by its high level of education. I had sent my application without thinking too much about it, believing that it was too late to apply anyway and that I would have been forced to go back to Jamie's class and act like nothing had happened. The very notion of being stuck at St. Joshua's College for another six months had been monstrous for my already declining mental health. I knew that it had been the result of an impulsive decision dictated by anger and fear, but after everything that had happened, I was glad I made that choice.

"I think... I think I found my vocation in teaching and Latin has always been a passion of mine. I would love to be able to pass my knowledge of this great language to others."

"That's very noble of you."

I wouldn't have called it noble; more like easy. I knew Latin. I could see myself teaching it. More importantly, it would be something different from anything I had been doing here. I was always supposed to take Latin as my chosen module. That would have been the right decision. I was just trying to correct my mistakes and restore my original path. By doing that, maybe I could have found some peace of mind.

"I actually called because I wanted to know when I'm supposed to come. The letter doesn't say."

"The start of the term is the day after tomorrow," Mr. Wallace said, and I coursed under my breath. "But I guess we can give you at least a week to sort yourself out."