Feline Fatale by Rita Mae Brown

Author:Rita Mae Brown [Brown, Rita Mae]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2024-04-16T00:00:00+00:00

21

 A smattering of fresh snow brightened the undulating terraces at the University of Virginia. From the rotunda to the statue of Homer, the lawn, now white, was bounded by redbrick one-story buildings on each side. At regular intervals, a two-story building—formerly living quarters for professors and their families—was beautifully cloaked in snow. Proportion, restraint, a sense of organized space welcomes whoever might be walking along, regardless of season.

Harry, Fair, Susan, and Ned hurried down to Old Cabell Hall, which was directly behind Homer. The cold spurred them forward. A stream of people moved in the same direction, with each individual happy to be inside out of the cold. Old Cabell Hall…built in 1898, designed by the extraordinarily talented Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White…could accommodate musicians, speakers, and panels. The auditorium seated 851 people, treating them to amazingly clear sound.

Tonight’s program started at six. Already dark, the light inside the auditorium enlivened people. The ground of UVA, not awash in bright lights, necessitated watching carefully where you stepped, especially in winter. Seated close to the front, in part thanks to Ned being the county’s delegate to the Assembly, the four removed their coats, laying them across their laps. People kept streaming in. This was a packed house, filled with students as well as townies.

A few minutes after six, the program started. The head of the Political Science department introduced Lucas Dennison. Latecomers leaned against the back wall. The school administrators tried to keep count. No one wanted to run afoul of the fire department because the room held too many people.

After the introduction, strong applause was mixed with boos. If Lucas was upset, he didn’t show it. Looking into the audience, he recognized Ned and Susan and smiled.

He spoke of the state system of government and how he found his way into it. When he mentioned being a student at William and Mary, there were a few boos, more as a rival than animosity.

“Remember, we were founded on February 8, 1693, and you were founded on January 25, 1819,” Lucas teased them.

He outlined briefly the larger issues facing the Assembly now as he harked back to greater issues in the recent past, most especially the admittance of black men and then the admittance of women. Both actions provoked a dramatic drop in alumni funds, which eventually evened out. People got used to it, plus the new students proved outstanding. He also indicated those issues, gender and race, affected William and Mary, as well as every other university and college in Virginia.

He encouraged young people to participate in politics. For those going into law school, he urged high performance. They would be hired at powerful law firms or clerk for imposing judges. There was a lot to learn.

He briefly addressed studying at William and Mary, enjoying the friendships but never quite feeling right, never feeling he fit in. Finally, in his mid-twenties, he knew he had to make a drastic change or he’d live a miserable life.

He praised his best friend, Amanda Fields, for sticking by him.

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