As Mark entered the office he couldn’t help but notice the large portrait of Mistress Harriot, of the Harriot School for Young Men. It occupied most of one wall of the office. As he approached it almost seemed to light up, coming strangely to life, glowing so that Harriot’s dark, intense and fascinating eyes looked straight at him. Her face was stunningly beautiful – in a stern, fierce, commanding sort of way.
Mark met the portrait’s gaze coolly enough but even this confident, arrogant young man found himself ever so slightly unnerved to think that very shortly she would be right there in this very room talking to him. It made him shudder! He had been told about her reputation from his father – but Harriot in the flesh . . .awesome, hypnotic, mysterious, if this portrait was any indication – might be something else again. He warned himself to be on guard. Read more…