Ben nodded. "Well God bless you." He smiled sheepishly when the large man mentioned Bram. "Aye. He's a good lad , but a handfull. I blame it on him bein' t' youngest. I do hope he's not been givin' ye any trouble?"

"He does a little, but it's not a horrible bother... His friend Ed is the one I have real trouble with. Bram is actually eager to learn certain things. You should see him when I teach history, that boy absorbs the stories like nobody else in the class." He gave a half smile and took another draw of smoke.

Ben frowned a little when he heard he did give the man some trouble and his frown deepened when the man described 'Ed' as Bram's friend. If they had the same Ed in mind, that was reason for concern. "Well, I'm glad 'e's interested in som't. I do want to hear it if 'e misbehaves. Bein' unable to learn is one thing, but 'e knows better than to be disruptive..."

A look of surprise crossed over the big man's face and he said, "I sent a young lady with a note to let you know of his disruptions. I suppose you didn't get it." He shouldn't be surprised. With a sigh he said, "In any case, it isn't that bad with him. He just has an attention problem more than anything... He has trouble concentrating on some things. His disruption is stemmed more from Edward and wanting to be part of the mischief I am guessing, which I used to do myself until I decided no longer to be a lawyer and to buckle down. He is smarter than he lets on though."

Ben frowned. If a note had been sent home, Bram had been very disruptive indeed. "I never got it. I'll make sure he remembers to behave and he'll apologize." Well that would be awkward, but Ben didn't know that. "But you'd do me and him a great favor if you keep him from socializing with Ed at school." Sometimes Ben saw more of Simon in Bram than he liked; the struggles in school, the impulsiveness, the sensitivity, the wild imagination, the sudden gloomy moods. Ben kept a closer eye on Bram than on the other children. The last thing he wanted for his son was a bad influence.

He couldn't help but to chuckle a little, "Kids, eh? I knew something was a little fishy but I didn't really look into it much. His sister insisted you read the note. I should have just come talk to you myself, but I had to worry about that Ed too and he was on the forefront of my mind. That kid..." He shook his head, "Ed generally sits with the older boys but I can't control who Bram plays with outside of school unfortunately and it seems that your boy looks up to him for some reason or another. I will have Ed distracted soon enough I hope, I need help building my paddock and with my lady being as pregnant as she is, I have been trying to discourage her stubborn self from doing heavy chores like that."

Ben's expression darkened. "Which one?" He found it hard to stomach that either Alice or Anne would lie and actively withhold information from him. He had raised the children to be honest and the girls were usually more obedient. "Good health to your child." He said, not quite present yet. "Your first?" His daughters didn't lie.

"I don't remember what her name was, you'll forgive me I hope. I have to remember a lot of names and because she isn't my student, I suppose it must have slipped passed my mind." That and he wasn't trying to get the girl in trouble or anything. Oh drat, he had started something without intending to. With a sigh, he said, "She looked to be around twelve or thirteen," he said lamely, knowing he was sealing the fate of the seemingly sweet young miss who was just looking out for her brother.

Anne. Gentle, delicate Anne. Too sensitive for the world she was born into. Always seeking to keep everyone happy. Of course it was her.

"That must have been my daughter, Anne. I do apologize for her deception. That ain't right. Especially with you carin' about the children."

He had seen different teachers, and knew it was not something to be taken for granted. His own teacher - for the short time he had attended school - had had little patience with stupid people like him. And he remembered that ordinary bully, Mr. Kerr, giving Simon such a hard time that he had finally pulled the boy out of school early. Mr. Kerr's threat to go to the authorities had been met by Benjamin's threat to not rest until the man was fired, and he had never heard of any trouble again. Considering all of that, Mr. Meijer seemed like a godsend.

...

If only the name could stop bothering him.

If Uriel knew of the man's intense dislike for his first name alone... well... He would have to take it up with his parents. But that was neither here nor there. Uriel did not answer right away, he took a few thoughtful puffs of his pipe and exhaled a plume of smoke before chewing a little on the mouthpiece. He tapped the ash out of the pipe after that and sighed, "Please don't be too hard on her. It was my first week after all. Those children didn't know what kind of a teacher I'd be and I am sure there was a lot of worry I would be a tyrant, which I am not." He lit the pipe again.