Julia sighed. “Well, the day wasn’t a total loss. I enjoyed watching my fellow graduate students react to your arrival.”
Gabriel’s lips twitched. “Oh, really? And how did they react?”
Julia rolled onto her stomach. “Like they’d never seen a hot professor before. You made quite an impression in your turtleneck.”
“Ah, yes, the turtleneck. Turtles have that effect on people.”
“It’s the man they were admiring. And I was proud to be with you.” She laced the edges of the sheet between her fingers. “But there are still rumors going around.”
“Oh, really?” Gabriel lifted her chin so he could make eye contact.
“Zsuzsa told me that some of the grad students have been saying that you got me into the program.”
“Bastards,” Gabriel spat. “This is Christa’s fault.”
“Not entirely. We made our choices and we have to live with them.”
“The reality of what happened and what they’re saying is poles apart.”
“That’s true. But you’ll be interested to know that now they’re gossiping about Christa.”
Gabriel gazed at her with cautious interest. “Christa? Why?”
“Sean, one of the PhD students in my department, has a friend at Columbia. He said that the department forced Christa out. None of the faculty would agree to supervise her.”
Gabriel’s eyebrows lifted. “Really? When I was in New York, Lucia mentioned that Katherine complained about Christa’s behavior in Oxford. But I doubt her dismissal had anything to do with us. Lucia also said that her work wasn’t very good.”
“It’s possible she didn’t get along with the Dante specialists in that department. They can be mercurial.” Julia winked at her husband slyly.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Gabriel sniffed.
“Sean said that Christa is on her way to do her PhD in Geneva.”
“Geneva doesn’t have its own doctoral program in Italian. They’re part of a consortium.”
“That’s where she’s headed, if the rumors are to be believed.”
Gabriel shook his head. “If she’d just focused on her work at Toronto and not become fixated on me, she’d probably still be there. Her original application and writing sample were very good. It was her machinations that were her downfall. Then she made the colossal error of going up against Katherine. That made Lucia nervous.”
“Why?”
“Katherine is one of the best in her field. If anyone wants to publish in Dante studies, or write a grant for support, or try to get a job, people look to her for her opinion. If she approves of you, she’ll say so. If she doesn’t, she’ll say that, too. No one wants to alienate her in case they need her support some day. That includes Lucia and her department.”
Julia pursed her lips.
“I didn’t want Christa’s life to be ruined. I just wanted her to leave us alone.”
“She did this to herself. She had several opportunities to rethink her choices, and she didn’t. No one made her go to Oxford and try to sabotage you, or to do mediocre work at Columbia.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Julia rested her head on the pillow. “Academia is the strangest place.”
“Bit like Mars, really. Except with more sex.”
Julia laughed. “I’m glad Katherine approves of me. I shudder to think what would happen if she didn’t.”
“Me, too. But in any case, I’ll speak to Greg Matthews and make sure the rumors about us are quashed.”
“Don’t call in a favor for that. I might need his help with something else.”
“Like what?”
“Katherine thinks I need to take a maternity leave. She wants me to speak to Cecilia about it.”
Gabriel stroked the arches of her eyebrows with his fingers.
“And what do you want?”
“I have to talk to Cecilia. But I was hoping to wait until I’m in my second trimester. Most mis—” She caught Gabriel’s eye and stumbled over the word. “—problems occur in the first trimester.”
“If you want to take a maternity leave, you should. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. I’m going on leave regardless. After the paternity leave, they owe me a sabbatical. I could be home with the baby for two years.”
“Isn’t there some rule about not taking a leave and a sabbatical back to back?”
“Probably.” Gabriel began caressing her lower back. “But I have it written into my contract that they give me a sabbatical the year after next. It was part of their job offer.”
“I’d hate to see you waste your sabbatical,” she said quietly.
His hand rested in the hollow of her lower back.
“What part of spending time with the baby would be wasted?”
“You won’t be able to finish your book.”
“I’m sure I’ll have time to write. Even if I didn’t, it would be worth it. Talk to Cecilia and see what she says. But whatever you do, don’t worry. I made promises to you, and I intend to keep them.”
Julia smiled. “That’s the only reason why I’m not freaking out.”
He gazed at her intensely. “Good.”
Chapter Seventy-four