The tutors that William had gotten for John and Eli had been doing a diligent job. The two boys have various subjects taught to them over the first few months of their education. These tutors were friends of his grandfathers whom he had met over a lifetime of business, travel, and education. These men were from a variety of backgrounds, with the boy's math teacher being a professor at the College of Philadelphia, their science lecturer an elderly naturalist who moved to the colonies to document the wildlife, and their philosophy teacher being a minister who was chased out of Boston for his less than puritan beliefs Including his fondness for wine, women.
William sought to transform both John and Eli into what he called Renaissance men. He saw this state of being that all men of virtue should aspire to be. To turn both boys into men who fit easily into a party of society's elite and be right at home in a local tavern.
Eli has also taken to joining John in his daily exercises with boys soon being able to run a mile in a little under 7 minutes.
One morning after the two finished their daily exercise they were sitting out under a tree with a few apples they had stolen from the family orchard.
“Hey John, I have been meaning to ask, why are you focused on exercising? I mean you will probably inherit more money than you know what to do with. You could do nothing and you would be set for life.”
Thinking for a second John says, “Yeah, I know but just sitting around would be a waste of a life.”
“What do you mean, that sounds like a pretty fun life,” Eli says with a perplexed tone and a look on his face.
“Well with my money I could do a lot of good, make people's lives easier, I could do things never done before. And to do those things I need to be intelligent and physically fit.”
Eli makes a grunt in acknowledgment while the two of them go back to earring the late summer apples.
The weeks slowly passed rather uneventfully until William called John into his study one morning after breakfast.
“John come sit down for a second,” his grandfather says while motioning for him to sit in the chair across from him.
“John, a man is coming here today, he is to be your and Eli’s swordsmanship teacher. But he is not the man I originally wanted.”
“He is currently away, with a letter of marque from the crown, so I've found a new man to teach you.”
John was confused by this, ‘Why did grandfather need to tell me that I would have a different teacher.’
“I am telling you this because he is French, and while I have badmouthed the French a great deal in the past few years. I NEED you to treat him with the utmost respect as he is an old friend.”
Thinking for a second John understands this, he has been heavily influenced by the morals of his past life so he blames the war more on the kings than on the citizens of the belligerent nations.
“Okay grandfather, I will treat him as I have every teacher you brought me,” John says with a smile.
“Perfect, he will arrive in a few months as he is traveling here from Bordeaux and the next convoy is soon.”
This last line filled John's heart with satisfaction, his convoy tactics had made his grandfather extremely rich and secured shipments of essential civilian supplies to the colonies making William a minor celebrity in the middle colonies and New England.
The wait for the swordsman was long and boring as it was all he could think about. The times playing with Eli and his mother, combined with the many hours of study with tutors and books kept him busy.
One night he got up around midnight to use the restroom when he overheard some noise coming from his grandfather's study.
“I need to tell him, it's only right he knows who his father is.”
“His father doesn't know who he is, why should he know him”
These voices are his mother and grandfather arguing with his mother's tone being a pleading one while his grandfather's is the stern voice that he used for business and never with John.
“The man had an affair with you and left. No matter who he is, no matter the fame or accolades he is in no way deserving of that boy we have both grown to love. It will only hurt him if and when he gets cast off by that pompous manchild.”
“But father, he never knew him, maybe if I sent a letter or went to see him.” Before she can finish her sentence William cuts her off.
YOU WILL NOT SEE HIM, I forgave you for seeing him as you were young and he was a famous personality but he is to be forgotten. John does not need a father like him, he has us, his friends, and his teacher, and that is more than enough. This matter is settled.”
Hearing this John quickly runs upstairs and gets back in bed as quietly as he can. Around 10 minutes later while still thinking about what he heard the door creaks open. The soft footsteps of Martha fill the room as she walks up to him. Leaning over she kisses him on the forehead.
“Goodnight my son, I will always love you.”
