Naughty by Nature (9 page)

“Huh?” The boy’s
head shot up and he gave her a guilty look.  “Er, what was that, Miss Tyndale?”

Tessa frowned,
then without releasing him from her glare, she said, “Class, can you tell
Franklyn what my last question was?”

“Literary
techniques," some said.

“How to analyze
poems,” one piped up.

“Yes, Franklyn,
today’s class is about analyzing poems.”  She walked down the aisle to his desk
in the seventh row and plucked the book from his fingers.  She ignored his
scowl.  “Now, can you tell me some of the literary techniques used for
analyzing poems?”

The sullen boy
clamped his mouth shut, looking like he didn’t plan to say a word that day. 
Finally, when Tessa folded her arms and stood staring down at him, he seemed to
realize that she wasn’t going anywhere.  He licked his lips then a word came
out, almost in a groan.  “Personification?”

Tessa continued to
stand by his desk but her face softened into a smile.  “Very good, Franklyn. 
See, participating isn’t that hard.”  Then she held up the graphic novel. 
“I’ll keep this for you until after school.”  As she was walking back to her desk
at the front of the class she glanced around the room.  “What else, class?”

“Simile.”

“Metaphor.”

“Imagery.”

“Diction.”  They fired
the words at her from around the room.  Good.  They were paying attention now. 
Maybe that little shake-up with Franklyn had served a useful purpose, after
all.

“Now let’s look at
'Night Poem' by Margaret Atwood to see how we can apply these techniques in our
analysis.”  She picked up her poetry anthology from the desk.  “Page
sixty-four, everyone.  We’re going to pull this poem apart layer by layer and
see what it really means.”  She smiled, warming to her subject.  “Reading poems
is so much fun, especially when you see what the poem says on the surface and
then dig deeper to find a whole new world of meaning.  Now, who’d like to read
aloud for us?”  She looked around.  “Any volunteers?”

A hand shot up in
the front.  Tessa had to hide a slight grimace of disappointment.  Always the
same hand.  An eager student and high achiever, but she wished she could
stimulate others to be just as enthusiastic.  She smiled at her eager beaver
but held out for just a few more seconds in the hope that a shy fish would
bite.  And one of them did.  Verna George, a new immigrant from the island of
Grenada.  “Great, Verna.”  Tessa gave her a wide smile.  “The floor is yours.”

Verna began
reading, her voice soft with the lilting accent of the Caribbean islands, and
as she did the rest of the class followed in their books.  All heads were down,
following the words.  Great start.

And then her phone
rang.  Yikes!  Tessa made a dash for her handbag and began to dig.  And dig. 
And the phone kept ringing.  She plopped the big handbag onto the desk and dug
some more.  Impossible task to find anything in a bag so full of clutter, even
a ringing phone.

The class began to
titter.  Darn.  She always made a point of turning off her phone during class
time but today she’d messed up. 

Finally, her
fingers clasped the offending device and when she plucked it out of her bag the
screen said ‘Wolf Spencer’.  Tessa’s heart leaped.  She immediately pressed the
green button.  “I’m sorry, class,” she said quickly.  “Verna, please continue
reading.  I’ll be right back.”

Tessa hurried out
of the classroom and pulled the door shut behind her.  She put the phone to her
ear.  “Wolf,” she said, her voice breathless, “how are you?”

“Sorry, Tessa. 
Sounds like I caught you at a bad time.”  His voice, low and deep with just a
hint of gravel, was like music in her ear.

“No, not at all,”
she started then realizing what she was saying she said, “I mean, yes.  I’m
sort of busy but…it’s so good to hear from you.”  And it was.  It had been
almost a week since she and Wolf had had lunch together and with each passing
day the tension inside her had grown.  Maybe she’d had no right worrying about
a man she’d seen all of three times but there it was.  She’d been on pins and
needles worrying about him and there was nothing she could have done to stop
it.  “How are you, Wolf?" she asked again.  "And how is your mother?”

“I’m hanging in
there, Tessa.  Thanks for asking.  And Mom’s back in Canada with me.”  There
was a pause and it sounded like he was taking a breath.  “It’s been tough for
her.  The stroke left her paralyzed on the right side.  She’s a trooper, but…I
don’t know if a positive spirit is enough to get her back to normal.”

“But the
doctors…what are they saying?  What about physical therapy?”

"We’re going
to do all that.  We’ve got the appointments booked but it’s going to take a lot
of work.”  His voice trailed off but then it came back stronger and firmer. 
“But, you know what?  We’ll beat this.  I've just got to keep her spirits high
and do whatever it takes to keep her from getting bored.  That’s the killer for
her.  In her whole life this is the first time she’s had so much free time on
her hands.”

“Wolf, I don’t
mean to be forward but would it be okay if I…paid a visit to your mother?”  He
must think she was crazy but she’d say it anyway.  “I know she doesn’t know me
but maybe she wouldn’t mind a new face, someone outside of the family.  I guess
I’m not making much sense, but it might help.  You never know…”

“That’s a great
idea.”  To Tessa’s surprise Wolf’s voice was tinged with relief.  “I’ve been
trying to keep her occupied and so has Dad but I think we bore her sometimes.
I’m sure she’d welcome female company.”

Now it was Tessa’s
turn to feel relieved. That had been easier than she’d expected.  “Great.  I
can hardly wait to see her.”  
And you
.  But she kept that part to
herself.

“And Tessa?”

“Yes, Wolf?”

“When you come
over to visit, no pranks, okay?”

Tessa laughed. 
“No pranks.  Promise.”

They said their
goodbyes and Tessa was just about to slip the phone into the pocket of her suit
jacket when she remembered.  Cell phone off.  She powered it down but this was
one time she did not regret having left it on during class time.  Now, as she
slipped back into the class – which, of course, had disintegrated into a room
full of chattering teenagers who had forgotten they were supposed to be reading
a poem – she felt like she was floating on air.  No matter what her students
did today there would be no detentions.  How could there be, when one day soon
she’d be seeing Wolf again?

CHAPTER SIX

Tessa was in no hurry. 
She was over half an hour early for the Sunday afternoon appointment at the
home of Wolf’s parents.  They lived only twenty minutes drive away in the
nearby city of Mississauga.  She took her time cruising along Mississauga Road,
admiring the stately homes that lined the streets.  None for under a million
dollars, she was sure.  Seeing that she was very familiar with salaries in the
field of education her guess was that such an expensive home would be a gift
from their son.  In her books, another plus for Wolf.

She found the
house – a sprawling home with an immaculately manicured lawn – but drove past
it.  She would drive around some more, just to kill the time.  It would also
give her a chance to think up some conversation points.  Impulsive as always,
she’d blurted out that she’d wanted to visit Mrs. Spencer but now that she was
here the doubts came rushing in.  What if they had nothing in common?  What if
she ran out of things to say?  And worst of all, what if Mrs. Spencer hated
her?  Irrational fears, probably, but she just couldn’t help it.  As she drove
along, she sighed.  Indie was right about one thing – she really was ‘Miss
Melodrama’, blowing everything out of proportion.

At exactly four
o’clock she pulled into the driveway and was pleased to see that Wolf’s car was
already there.  She was climbing out of her car when the front door opened and
it was the man on her mind who stood there in the doorway.

He gave her a smile
of greeting and came down the steps to meet her.  “Good to see you again,
Tessa,” he said, extending his hand to her.  “Thanks for coming.”

“No, thanks for
allowing me,” she said, taking his hand.  “It’s my pleasure.”

It seemed so
strange to be so formal when he’d been on her mind all week.  And then she
looked up into his face and saw the twinkle in his eyes and knew he really was
glad to see her.  He wasn’t just saying it.  And it made her heart dance.

“Come on in,” he
said and beckoned for her to go ahead of him.  “My parents have been eagerly
anticipating your visit.  Especially my mom.”

She took his hand
as he helped her up the steps and as his warm fingers encircled hers she drew
in a deep breath.  Well, here goes…

Wolf led her
through a majestic lobby with a chandelier whose lights twinkled star-like in
the high cathedral ceiling, then along a hallway that led to an open sunlit
sitting room.  And there on a chaise longue by the wide bay window lay Mrs. Spencer. 
Her husband was nowhere to be seen.

“Tessa,” she
called out as they entered the room, “come on over and let me get to know the
face behind the name.”

Tessa was
surprised at the casual tone but she hid her confusion behind a cheerful smile
and immediately went to take the lady’s outstretched hand.  “Mrs. Spencer,” she
said softly.  “It’s good to meet you.”

“Ah, my dear, not
under the best of circumstances but we make do, don’t we?” Mrs. Spencer looked
up at Tessa and there was not an ounce of self-pity on her face.  “And call me
Lydia.  Mrs. Spencer makes me feel so old.  Even my students don’t call me
that.”

“Lydia it is,
then.”

Lydia released
Tessa then glanced over to where Wolf still hovered by the door.  “Dear boy,
will you pull up a chair for Tessa, right by me?  She looks like the kind of
girl I can have a good conversation with.”

Dear…boy?  Tessa
cocked an eyebrow as she looked over at Wolf.  He shook his head and grinned. 
“Yes, dear boy,” he said, clearly reading her mind.  The confusion on her face
must have been plain as day.  “That’s just one of Mom’s many names for me.  I
won’t bore you with the details.”

“No, bore me,” she
said as he brought the armchair and placed it by the bed for her.  “I want to
know.”

He shook his
head.  “No, you don’t.”  He gave her a tiny frown that said, ‘Don’t push it’.

“But I do,” she
said, totally ignoring his obvious desire to protect his secret.  As she sank
into the chair she gave him a beseeching smile.

Before Wolf could
respond Lydia laughed.  “I’ve been calling Wolf by all sorts of names ever
since he came home from high school and demanded that we change his name from
Wolfgang to Steve." 

Tessa’s jaw
dropped.  “Wolfgang?”  She stared up at Wolf.  “That’s your real name?”

His gaze narrowed
as he frowned at her but a smile tickled the corners of his mouth.  “It is,” he
said, “and now that you know my secret I’ll have to-”

“Kill me?” Tessa
asked, laughing.

He chuckled.  “I
was going to say, keep you here forever.”

She cocked an
eyebrow at him.  That didn’t sound half bad.  Not as long as he was going to be
there with her.

Lydia was laughing
with them and she reached over and touched Tessa’s arm.  “So, in case you want
to know, his full name is Wolfgang Arm-”

“Mom.”  Wolf gave
his mother a look that was a cross between wide-eyed shock and a glare.  “I
don’t think Tessa wants to know that part.”  Then, before she could refute that,
he turned to her.  “And don’t say you do, because you’ve heard enough of my
secrets for one day.”

“Aww,” Tessa said
and gave an exaggerated pout that had Lydia cracking up.

“You are something
else, little Tessa,” Lydia said as she wiped her eye with her good hand.  “You
just made my day.”

By then Tessa felt
so at ease with Lydia that she reached out and gave her arm a pat.  “We’ll just
wait till he leaves the room,” she said in an exaggerated whisper, “and then
you can tell me all the secrets.”

Wolf looked over
at the two scheming women and gave them a grunt and a scowl but Tessa took none
of it seriously because in his eyes was a look of relief and gratitude that
told her that he loved what he saw.  His mother was interacting with another
woman and having fun and it was obvious that he was pleased.

“I’m leaving you
two alone for a while,” he said.  “I’ll go see what Dad is up to.  But I’m
warning you…” his eyebrows fell and he looked from one woman to the other, “…no
plotting or funny business while I’m gone.  You two are too much alike and
that…” he waved a finger at them, “… is scary.”

The women burst
into peals of laughter as he backed away then turned and left the room,
muttering as he went.

“You’ve got a very
funny son,” Tessa said, in between chuckles.

“Wolf?” Lydia
looked at her like she’d lost a screw somewhere.  “Funny is probably the last
word anyone would use to describe Wolf.  When he was a teenager he almost drove
me up the wall with his moping around the house and his long face.  Too
serious, I used to say.  Just like his father.”  Then she glanced over at Tessa
and gave her a thoughtful look.  “But you…there’s just something…I don’t know
what, but he’s been so different lately.  And now that you’re here I’m putting
two and two together.  He’s been a whole lot less uptight ever since he
mentioned an intriguing woman he’d met.  You.”