He was almost startled by the smile, seemingly open and inviting â a contrast from the expression she held before. Even with the years spent perfecting his composure at his fathers request, Jake doubted he would ever be able to do it as accurately as the woman in front of him. Part of him thought to be envious of that, but the reason as to why he had to acquire such a skill quickly followed, leaving him with the question as to why she was so good at it. Not that Jake would let that slip, her authority figure like status already making him feel like he was sixteen again. Which was ironic, considering her following words. Honest and open. He could do that, or, he could at least try.
Shaking her hand formally, he released his grip a moment later and let his hands fall into his lap, past cautions of etiquette presenting themselves prominently in his mind. Perhaps it was just people like her who brought out this side of him, whether she intended it or not. It was a habit he thought he had overcome since kicking his dad out all that time ago, but alas, apparently not. âIâm Jacob â Thorne, Jacob Thorne. Itâs nice to meet you, Rose.â That felt weird, using her first name. âI, uh, I wasnât exactly the ideal student.â How honest was too honest? He shuffled uncomfortably in his chair, debating what to say next. âI dropped out,â he admitted. âMaths? A bust. Social studies? Nope. Science? You get the picture. Iâm terrible at all of them. Itâs probably maths thatâs the worst.â
   Though it was ages ago, Roseâs parents had schooled her in etiquette as best they could for a pair of poor farmers, but none of it had stuck. Besides, practically everything going on here went against what she was raised on ---for starters, she was sat on the wrong side of the desk as far as her parentsâ generation would have known. Her poise was not accidental, however, well-practiced over centuries of existing among the wealthy, nobility, and occasionally even royalty. It was hard to let go of that sometimes, especially in situations with strangers or when she sat as a figure of authority. But sheâd try.Â
   âLikewise, Jacob,â she returned, after he introduced himself. With a nod here and there as he explained his situation, she decided early on that he certainly wasnât hopeless. Well, no one was unless they didnât want to improve and that clearly wasnât the case with him. Hell, it had taken her decades to learn more than basic English skills, and it wasnât likely she would have had the chance if she hadnât been turned ---and just look where she was now. âThen we wonât start with maths,â she offered, partly as a well-meant joke and partly because she knew it would only be discouraging. âIs there a subject you enjoy? That doesnât mean you have to be good at it, but... something that doesnât bore you half to death, hm?â