The Scholar

Chapter 2

This is what I thought her brother would look like... You don't have to use it too if you don't want to...
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Ann's P.O.V.

Knock knock knock!!

"10 more minutes mom," I mumbled while pulling the blankets over my head.

Knock knock knock!!!

"Hello! Is anyone there? Please open quickly!! This is an emergency!!!" Someone called out from downstairs.

What? Why is someone downstairs?

I look to my right at the clock next to me. The faint surface showed that it was only 2:30 in the morning. What could someone want at a time like this?

I look to my left. The moonlight coming in from the crack in the window shows the outline of my mom leaning against Alice's cradle, sound asleep along with Alice.

I get up and fumble around in the dark looking for the candle and a match.  My fingers search around until I feel something cold and grabbed it. I strike the match onto the candlestick and it flares to life as it catches on to the wick.

I turn towards the door as I grab a robe off the peg and quickly wrap it around myself. I walk quickly downstairs to the shop below and walk towards the door.

From the street lamp outside I could see an outline of three people through the door. They seemed to be men from their height and voices.

"Are you sure this is the place?" The one on the left said.

"I think so...it says this is the tailoring shop on the sign," replied the one on the right.

"Then why isn't anyone coming? Andrew did say his mom was a seamstress."

Andrew? Were they talking about my brother? What does Andrew has to do with these guys that come to people's homes in the middle of the night?

"Who is this? Why have you come here?" I called out.

"Mrs.Wallace? Is that you? We have your son with us right now! He's feverish and he has had too much to drink!!"

"Who comes in the middle of the night?!"

"It's us Mrs. Wallace! Robbie and Jack!!"

With that said I yanked open the door. I immediately saw Jack and Robbie supporting Andrew on both sides. Andrew's head rolls to the side as drool came out of the corner of his mouth. His eyes were so bloodshot it was hard to tell if he was conscious or not.

"What happened?!" I questioned running up to him to check his pulse.

"He's dead drunk Ann! We were having drinks and I think he got too carried away!"

"Bring him in! Quickly!"

I ushered them through the door and lead them towards the back and they put down Andrew onto a chair.

"What is going on down here!?"

My mom looked at me then at the boys.

"What happened to my son?!"

"I'm sorry to disturb you this night,ma'am." Robbie said.

"Andrew was just so stressed about studying for the exams tomorrow and wouldn't eat or sleep no matter what we told him."

"It's our fault.. We suggested to get some drinks to relieve some stress from the upcoming exams."Jack explained.

I looked at my brother. His hair was disheveled and his clothes reeked of ale along with his breath. He was muttering things under his breath. I think I heard him say things that sounded like Queen Victoria.

"Well bring him up to where I can take care of him," my mother commanded.

With that she turned around and walk up the stairs while Jack and Robbie helped bring Andrew up with me trailing behind.
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Once we got Andrew situated and taken cared of, we went into the kitchen and gathered around the table. My mom made us some weak tea as we discussed about what would happen next.

"What are we going to do about Andrew's schooling," I asked. "We can't just pull him out, he worked really hard to even get the chance to test and now he won't be able to."

"It's all my fault, I shouldn't have suggested those darn drinks." Robbie says pulling a face.

"Don't put all the blame on yourself! We should focus on what's gonna happen now than what happened!" Jack said.

"We need to find a way for him to still be able to still take he exams..but in his state I don't think he'll be able to and get a high enough score to get in..." I stated.

We all sat there in silence as we thought of what to do. The cuckoo clock went off as it turned to 4 am.

Suddenly Robbie jumped up, with a gleam in his eye he pointed at me. "Ann could take his place!"

Everyone looked at him mouth agape thinking he was crazy, which he probably was from the drinks.

"That's absurd," my mom exclaimed" there is no way that we would be able to pull that off, especially in society! Think about the scandal if she were found out!! She already runs the risk of discovery by just doing her errands but if she were alone in that school with a bunch of boys she is sure to be discovered!"

"Think about Mrs.Wallace, Ann is very well educated for a lady of her age. Why if it wasn't for her gender she could've easily gotten a scholarship!" Jack agreed with Robbie.

"That's right! Especially since they look almost identical and are around the same height she could definitely fill in." Jack said.

"This is outrageous! We may be poor but we aren't running the risk that someone finds out about her!" My mom retorted.

"She would only fill in until Andrew is well enough to come back, once he is well we'll switch them and Ann can go back to doing her errands." Robbie explained.

The entire time they were talking I stood there mute. This was my chance! My only chance to get a glimpse of what it would be like to have classes with teachers and other people who shared my same interests for learning. I wouldn't have to self teach myself by constantly dedicating hours on hours pouring over texts by myself with no one to share my thoughts with cause normally no one wanted to know what a girl thinks...

Then my thoughts turned to the consequences about what would happen if I were found out. I could possibly be jailed because I'm going against the laws on how woman aren't allowed to enter colleges. My family name would be spoiled but most of all Andrew wouldn't be able to go to school because of the disgrace on his name.

The endless possibilities and consequences kept going through my mind.

"What do you think, Ann?" Robbie asked me while mom and Jack turned to look at me.

•••••••••

So what do you think? Will Ann choose to take on this scheme?

Please comment on how to improve and any questions are always welcome!