01

« Juliet Martin, are you wearing lipstick ? »

Oh god. The first day of term and already Miss Villiers was on her case.

« Go and wash your face immediately. And don’t be late for class. »

Juliet dragged herself off into the nearest cloakroom. Her best friend Margot was in there, sitting up on the washbasins and leaning against the mirror, her eyes half closed. She was listening to music on her iPhone, supposedly a banned device but everyone had them. Several of her braids had escaped her ponytail and she hadn’t taken her second ear studs out, as you were supposed to.

« Villiers ? » she asked, seeing Juliet wiping her mouth with a tissue.

« Such a bitch. »

Margot, like Juliet, wore as much make up as she could get away with. Even though St Gillian’s was a girls-only Catholic school, appearances mattered. Plus there could always be some random event like half a dozen hot paratroopers accidentally landing in the school yard.

This had never happened, but they lived in hope.

« You’re going to be late, » Juliet said, tying her own blonde hair back neatly in case the teacher was still lurking outside. She got in enough trouble as it was, she didn’t need any more on the first day. She and Margot both had the same Latin class to get to so they headed there together.

Margot looked at her through heavily mascaraed lashes that definitely wouldn’t have passed Miss Villiers’ inspection, any more than her multiple earrings. « Tell me again why the hell I ever decided to take Latin ? »

The answer to this was quite simple. Old Mr Bryan, who taught Latin, was considered to be a soft touch and his classes were very laid back.

Truth be told, Juliet had secretly grown to love the Roman poetry they translated. Even more than the Romantic poets they studied in English. But she kept this quiet from her friends who might have mocked her.

« It’s stupid, all these rules. We’re eighteen now, legal adults, and we’re still treated like little kids, » Margot said as they walked down the corridor together.

They arrived and went to take their seats at the back as usual. It was such a small class that there was plenty of choice where to sit, though no one ever dared sit on the back row. It was established as Juliet’s and Margot’s territory.

« Oh look, what joy, it’s the charity case foster slut and her sidekick. »

It was Cynthia, their nemesis, scowling one of her usual greetings.

Juliet stiffened but Margot wasn’t going to give Cynthia the satisfaction of seeing Juliet upset.

« I think you have chocolate on your chin, bitch. Oh wait no, it’s just the shit that comes out of your mouth. »

Without giving Cynthia a chance to respond she brushed past her desk, pushing Juliet along with her so she didn’t try to retaliate as well. Cynthia always managed to make trouble for Juliet.

They took their places and got ready for the class. Margot still had her earbuds in as she figured Mr Bryan wouldn’t notice.

The class was kept waiting for a few minutes for the Latin teacher to arrive. The conversation level rose as students relaxed and chatted, even though they were supposed to keep quiet.

Suddenly the room fell silent.

« Ave Caesar, what do we have here ? » Margot suddenly murmured.

Juliet had been buried in her exercise book, doodling while she awaited Mr Bryan. She looked up.

Wow.

Whoever this was, it wasn’t Mr Bryan.

A young man – and not just that, an incredibly good looking young man – was arranging some books and papers on Mr Bryan’s desk. He was tall, with dark brown hair and greenish hazel eyes.

He immediately had their full and undivided attention, although he didn’t realise it. When he was ready, he stood up before them.

« Good morning, I’m Mr Spencer and I’ll be taking you for Latin this term. »

He assumed a confident air yet Juliet wasn’t entirely sure that it was solid. Facing a classroom of girls as new teacher was always going to be nerve-wracking. Or in any social situation where you were a stranger introducing yourself to a roomful of people, she thought.

« Where’s Mr Bryan ? »

« Is Mr Bryan coming back ? »

« Is he dead ? »

The new teacher smiled at this one. « No, he’s very much alive and well. He’s just taken a sabbatical and I’m filling in. »

There was silence while people digested this.

What everyone wanted to know was who he was, where he was from, how old he was – Juliet guessed mid twenties – and whether he would be a pushover like Mr Bryan. Hopefully so, since he didn’t look too strict.

They couldn’t directly ask this last question of course, but they did manage to extract that he was twenty-seven, had previously taught at a private boys’ school, and had studied in the United Kingdom at St Stephen’s House, Oxford.

« St Stephen’s ? » one girl said. « Isn’t that for priests ? Our neighbours’ pastor went there. »

« It is a theological foundation, but not all students are ordinands. Studying for ordination I mean, » he explained.

« So you’re not a priest ? »

« No, I’m not. »

« But you could have been ? » This came from Margot. She was merciless when she wanted to be.

« It isn’t my immediate plan. »

So was that his plan in future ? Was this super hot, super fit guy going to end up ordained and celibate ? He looked more like he should be modelling outdoor clothing for some mountain gear catalogue.

« So what are you into ? » Juliet asked.

Mr Spencer looked disconcerted. « Excuse me ? »

Juliet gave one of her sweet but suggestive smiles that from experience, completely unnerved most men. « What Latin writers are your favourites, I mean ? »

It had the desired effect. He almost blushed. « Much of my study has been in mediaeval Latin, though this year we’ll be doing Vergil and Cicero. » It wasn’t really an answer.

« Doing Vergil ? » Margot said, putting innuendo on the first word. A few people snickered.

Mr Spencer either didn’t notice or ignored this. « Cicero’s In Catilinam and the Aeneid, Book IV. Now if you could hand round these worksheets, starting with… » he looked questioningly at Cynthia on the front row.

Mr Bryan had made the grave error of letting the class know that « Cynthia » was pronounced « Koontia » by the Ancient Greeks, so Juliet and Margot had taken to pronouncing it that way to annoy her, as it sounded like the C-word.

« Koontia, » Margot helpfully supplied.

« …Koontia, » he repeated, looking at Cynthia and frowning slightly.

« It’s Cynthia ! » She swung her head around to glare at Margot and Juliet. In her irritation Cynthia managed to make her name sound even more like a snake’s hiss than ever.

Margot’s face was the picture of innocence, as much as Margot could look innocent anyway. Juliet was trying not to laugh. She briefly caught the new teacher’s eye and he did look flushed and confused.

She almost felt bad. But he was a new teacher, and temporary. Being put through the wringer was expected.

As Mr Spencer turned back to write something on the whiteboard, Juliet noticed how strong and broad his back was. His hands were really masculine and strong as well. She found herself imagining what they might feel like on her body : undoing her clothes, pushing them off. Firmly, maybe a little bit rough.

She squirmed in her seat, just thinking about it. Maybe he hadn’t had sex for a while and would be really pent up. Locking the door when everyone else had left he classroom, pinning her down, not taking no for an answer. His lips on her neck. Sliding his hands between her thighs…

Juliet shook herself out of the daydream. What the hell had come over her ? She found herself blushing when he turned around. He caught her eye momentarily and for a moment she freaked out that he could read her thoughts. She should be concentrating on the Latin text.