In the study.
Norman Swift sat in front of a red lacquered wooden desk, as Caroline Edwin pulled up a chair opposite him and sat down face to face.
The bookshelves in the room were filled with books, neatly arranged and dust-free, clearly tended to with great care.
All the books within sight were about aviation, without exception.
There was a small pot of the familiar Immortal on the windowsill, which she had bought specifically because she found her teacher's study too dreary.
The Immortal was thriving and the porcelain flower pot was wiped clean, free of dust and soil.
Norman Swift's gaze followed hers to the cacti, and he coughed awkwardly twice.
He took out his reading glasses from a drawer and put them on, clasping his hands together on the desk.
"Caroline Edwin."
He rarely called her by her full name.
She sensed the seriousness in his tone and knew he must have important matters to entrust.
Caroline's spine was straight, "Teacher, I'm here."