Commission as Naval Officer Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Commission as Naval Officer - Personal Statement Example This is based on my wide experience in the Aviation Maintenance community (Samuel 12). Through working as a Safe for Flight in Maintenance control and adequate skills I gained during my tenure as an administrator in Aviation Maintenance, I posses managerial experience, proficiency and strong leadership ability that characterize a successful Naval officer. Having worked as Administrative Leading Chief Petty Officer, my effective leadership style will not only be limited to serving my seniors with diligent but also I will portray professionalism in guiding junior sailors. After my remarkable duties as an Airman Recruit in the United States Navy, I am determined to work extra hard and end my 30 years career as a Naval officer. I am well equipped to undertake the tasks of LDO/CWO. Make me part of the Naval Community! You will experience my dedication and open mindedness. I am the â€Å"Technical Expert† who will not rest until I attain my goal of enhancing Navys

Las Vegas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Las Vegas - Essay Example We know our winning or losing is certain, yet wretch at the hollow glory gained by a shallow victory. Las Vegas explores the well-hidden lust that lies just beneath the sexually repressed exterior of the American public. This contradiction creates an illusion of sin and deviance that in reality stays just out of the grasp of the people wishing to partake of it. The closer the audience gets the more they discover there is nothing more that empty rooms surrounded by paper thin walls. Though the city appears to be rife with sex it is only an illusion created by the fantasy of violating our norms, which evaporates into a masquerade as inauthentic as the facade of any casino resort. America's fundamental belief in the Chrisitan values that the country was founded on are at the root of the illusion. People have a strong attraction to deviance yet live in a world where it is unacceptable by definition. In America, sex is the ultimate symbol of deviance. By European standards America is a modest country in terms of sexuality. In America, sex has become the Christian icon for the thing we want and the thing that is just not attainable. Ferrari and Ives write that, "We are a Puritan nation obsessed with sex, a self-proclaimed meritocracy that idolizes wealth, a hardworking, churchgoing, law-abiding people that can't wait to party all night long" (6). But the sex will have to remain a taboo to be meaningful, as it is the repression of sexuality that brings such glamour to it. "This paradoxical condition of being the aberration and yet, the dream, results in a Las Vegas that is disliked and rejected, yet seductive and pleasurable" (Firat 8). America is psychologically drawn to the forbidden fruit and at the same time is repulsed by it. People want it to be a reality but they pray that it is only a facade. Sexuality is an area where overindulgence is discouraged even while living in a society that praises consumer excess in the areas of wealth and avarice. Success in America is measured by how much materialism can be attained and flaunted. Yet, sex is the dirty little area where excess is truly taboo. Firat describes Las Vegas as "an aberration, where sleazy and illicit activities are sanctioned. Las Vegas is the excess of the American way of life, where many went to let go-the city of abandon" (8). However, norms and values as they relate to sex are not so easily abandoned in a culture that objects to even the most innocent public displays of affection. Sex in Las Vegas must necessarily remain a fantasy. These are the mixed messages that make Las Vegas a, "ridiculous manifestation of frustrated Puritanism" (Bouchet 7). People are praised for their love affections with their automobile and their public display of gluttony and greed, but expressions of sexual freedom need to remain hidd en behind the closed doors of the private mind. Sex is the one excess that American's will not emotionally tolerate and has become the national poster child for decadent behavior. It is the commodity of locker room talk and bathroom humor that is never brought into mixed company in the light of day. In Las Vegas it is expected that people will drink, gamble, and stay out all night. Family, friends, and society will excuse these violations of their personal norms. However, exploring the seamy underbelly of the sex trade would be

The Rise and Fall of The Ottoman Empire

The Rise and Fall of The Ottoman Empire Introduction The Ottoman empire was one the most successful empires and one of the most powerful civilizations of the modern period, it had many sultans that conquered many lands throughout Asia, Europe and Africa. The empire built was the most influential and the largest of the many Muslim empires. Their military and culture expanded over and into most of Europe. The empire lasted many years for it a strong janissary army and ruled many cities. The Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire stretched out from a small territory near Constantinople to overthrow and control the remnant of the Byzantine empire in the late thirteenth century, Successfully seizing the empire it centralized to a Sunni Islamic state. Suleyman the Magnificent (1494-1566) the greatest ruler of the empire expanded the empire to its greatest extent; at that time it reached from the Near East west to the Balkans and south to North Africa. Although the empire began to slowly shrink after Suleyman, it persisted until overthrown in the early twentieth century. Rise of Ottomans The Ottoman Empire conquered and expanded under its Sultan Selim I, who ruled from (1512 to1520). But his son Sultan Suleyman, he strove the Ottoman Empire to conquering many and most of its lands, Sultan Suleyman conquered great cities, and brought military machines, a lasting culture to the great Ottoman Empire. Most of the history of this empire lies on the achievements around this one ruler who was high minded and had lots of dignity and pride. Suleyman called was now called â€Å"The Magnificent† for his numerous achievements and was also named the â€Å"Law-Giver† for the laws he established as he conquered many cities. Suleyman ruled with self-respect and fairness according to the Ottoman political theory. In the Ottoman state, most of the power rested with the monarch. The Monarchs main idea was to establish justice, it meant shielding the poor and the helpless from shady officials and unfair taxation.The Sultan had a central bureaucracy, which was led by the Gr and Vizier, to be able to govern the Empire. He also had the authority to capsize the verdicts of the courts if he thought that the decisions were unjust. This did not put the Sultan above law instead he was chosen as the keeper of a lawful government and fair government.The Sultan was given the title of â€Å"Caliph† as well, meaning the supreme leader of Islam. When Suleyman became grew of old age, his two sons plotted to remove him from power and achieve access to the crown. The crown in the empire did not pass from father to son or to the next oldest brother but, it was given to the most worthy successor. Because of this, there was always a struggle for the crown. Once a successor was crowned, the other contenders were killed to eliminate any future competition as well as to have full control and restore order. This devilish practice was later removed and replaced by making the eldest son the heir and he should be kept insulated in a lavish imprisonment. Imperial Expansion: once the dynastic civil war was done, the determined Mehemed II the conqueror, who many people considered the real creator of the empire, brought in European artillery knowledge and took his newly built navy across Pera into an inlet of the Bosporus, to attack both the seaward and landward walls of Constantinople to conquer the city. He later renamed is Istanbul. Selim the Grim who created an Ottoman navy, which effectively captured Mesopotamia, Egypt and Syria by capturing these countries he was able to aquire the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Suleyman the Magnificents reign was the main cause of the Ottomans expansion and its importance. He made his way through Europe conquering many places. The culture of the Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire evolved and expanded over several centuries, as the ruling organization of theTurksabsorbed, modified and adapted the cultures of many different dominated lands and their peoples. There was a powerful influence from the languages and customs ofIslamicsocieties. Throughout its history, the Ottoman Empire had large subject populations ofJews, and Byzantine Greeks, who were allowed a certain amount of independence under themilletsystem of the powerful Ottoman government. However, as the Ottomans moved further into the west and the incorporation of the Balkan and Greek populations progressed, the Turkish and Arabic-Persian-Greek influenced culture of its leaders, for itself to absorbed some of the culture of the conquered peoples. Islam in the Ottoman Empire When the Ottomans conquered Medina and Mecca, the Empire achieved speculative leadership privileges over mostly all the Muslim Sunni states. The Ulama helped the sultan by watching and accepting his actions under the Islamic law. Charitable foundations supplied schools and mosques. Ottoman Society Five classes were divided among the people of the Ottoman Empire: First, was the ruling class, all of who were linked to the sultan. Under the ruling class were the merchant class, which had a largely free form of government taxation and regulation. The Artisans were a separate class; they organized themselves according to guilds. The largest group in the Ottoman Empire was the peasant class. They farmed leased land. The leased land was passed along from generation to generation. The final groups were the pastoral people. They were clans and tribes who lived by their own rules under the guidance of their chiefs, who swore allegiance to the Ottoman sultan. Ottoman Law The legal system approved in the Ottoman law was the religious law over its subjects. The Empire always planned around a system of jurisprudence (the science of philosophy and law). Power in the Ottoman Empire revolved around the administration of the rights to land, which gave space for local authority to develop local crops. The Ottoman Empire aimed to permit the incorporation of religious and cultural different groups. Ottomans had different court systems: One for non-Muslims which appointed Jews and Christians to rule over their religious communities and another for Muslims, the sultan ruled these laws but he could also interfere with the court laws of non-Muslims if needed to. Army and Military ranks of the Ottoman Empire The Cavalry: Until the mid of the 18th century the spihai cavalry formed the most of the Ottoman armies, Numbered around fourty thousand men half of them were from European provinces. Regular timar fiefs supported one horseman, the larger zaemets were expected to equip mounted retainers. The Largest were the hass fiefs of the Sultans family, favorite ministers and viziers. Spihais lived in a village, work their own lands, and pay the peasants for most of their services and gained no salary. The Infantry: Infantry forces in the Ottoman state went by many confusing names, meaning that would change over the centuries. The first were azaps. Most of these were Anatolian Turks and in the beginning were only paid how long a campaign was. After a while they got regular salaries and they acted as garrison troops. The Gonulluyan which were called volunteer infantry, they could be Muslim or Christian, and were supported similarly like their neighbor villagers. The Voyniks were Balkan Christians, first recorded as the infantry followers of Christian siphais that fight under Murat I The Janissaries The janissaries were two institutions created by sultans of the Ottoman Empire and they were the military organization and civil service. This institution came from the practice by ottomans leaders in Anatolia of hiring prisoners as troops. During the conquest of the Balkans they took slaves which later became slaves of the sultan. These salves were Christian but were brought up as Muslims and were devoted to loyalty the sultan and islam. The better troops were enrolled in the palace corps, trained to become officials in the Ruling Institution. The rest were taught military education and later became part of the janissary army. They were known to be the best and most effective soldiers of Europe. The Decline of the Ottoman Empire One primary cause for the decline of the Empire was the decline of the Sultanate. The Sultanate was a powerful organization where the sultan would chose a capable successor from his many sons. Over periods of time the sultanate weakened gradually. The weakening of the empire began late in the ruling of Suleyman the Magnificent. Although he was the height of the Golden Age, Suleyman became less concerned with the affairs of state added to that his two qualified successors went against him, they were later executed. As Selim II became Sultan he did not have much experience in the running of the government. He was fond of physical pleasures rather than taking the governing responsibility seriously. After him the decline of the Sultanate continued. Because the brothers of the Sultans were restricted in the harem, they became incompetent. Another reason to the decline of the empire was that the Sultans deserted the tradition of training their sons in related affairs and government. The co llapse of the empire focused mainly on the corruption of the governments control over the empire. Added to this problem was the major factor which was the change in the balance of power. Because of the Ottoman military division called the janissary kept fighting and always conquering new lands and became the most powerful state in the world. As time passed the janissaries and their fighting methods became old-fashioned and no longer became a army that was unmatched. In the end, the Ottoman Empire collapsed, the government declined with the degeneration of the sultanate as well as the Ottomans failed to industrialize and the empire was destroyed when war overwhelmed it during World War I. Conclusion As stated above, the Ottoman Empire was the greatest and one of many empires that still leads influence and remembrance throughout history. It had many great leaders and each brought great changes through their reigns in the empire. The Ottoman Empire accepted many religions and brought in many cultures, their established laws caused people to move to its empire but in the end all great empires fail to maintain their strong and well built structure. Unfortunately the Ottoman Empire dealt with bad economic outcomes and fail leadership of its sultanate which caused its fall and collapse.

Comparing Plato and Aristotle Essay -- Philosophy

Comparing Plato and Socrates Plato was among the most important and creative thinkers of the ancient world. He was born in Athens in 428 BC to an aristocratic and well-off family. Even as a young child Plato was familiar with political life because his father, Ariston was the last king of Athens. Ariston died when Plato was a young boy. However, the excessive Athenian political life, which was under the oligarchical rule of the Thirty Tyrants and the restored democracy, seem to have forced him to give up any ambitions of political life. In 388 BC he journeyed to Italy and Sicily, where he became the friend of Dionysius the ruler of Syracuse, and his brother-in-law Dion. The following year he returned to Athens, where he devoted his time to research and instruction in philosophy and the sciences. Most of his life thereafter was spent in teaching and guiding these activities. In 347 BC Plato died, while he's published writings all still live. They consist of some 26 dramatic dialogues on philosophy and related the mes. The philosopher Socrates was a close friend of Plato's family as well as his teacher. Plato's writings attest to great influence on him. This could be a good explanation to why Plato uses Socrates to voice his own opinions about his Ideal State. Book I of Plato's Republic, beings with Socrates, Cephalus, Polemarchus and Thrasymachus discussing justice. Each give their own meaning of justice or dikaiosyne. Cephalus says justice is truth telling and debt paying. He views justice this way because he is an honest and just businessman. Polemarchus, who is Cephalus's son, agrees with Cephalus's definition, but continues by saying justice, is giving each his own due. By this he means, helping one's friend. Finally, Thra... ...syche. Aristotle divides the soul into two portions: rational and irrational, and continues to divide the irrational part. Plato divides the soul into three different parts: the appetitive, the honor loving, and the rational loving. The only similarities here are that both philosophers divided the soul into different parts so that each can be examined. Plato and Aristotle were both great philosophers during their time and in the present. Both their works on Ethics have taught many students a great deal and will continue to do so throughout time. Bibliography: Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis/Cambridge, 1999. Translated by Iwrin, Terence Plato. Republic. Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis/Cambridge, 1992. Translated by Grube, G.M.A. Revised by Reeve, C.D.C. www.encyclopida.com www.sparknotes.com

Individual Learner Difference In Second Language Acquisition Education Essay

SLA ( Second linguistic communication acquisition ) is a procedure through which an person learns a 2nd linguistic communication as an extra linguistic communication after holding learned a native linguistic communication already. SLA involves wide research and is considered a subdivision of applied linguistics. The construct is besides related to instruction, neuroscience sociolinguistics, and psychological science. Learning a 2nd linguistic communication is non an easy undertaking, this is a pattern that involves committedness, survey, dedication, patient every bit good as clip in order to develop. Peoples who learn a 2nd linguistic communication do non make it because is merely a compulsory topic at school, but because they feel encouraged to larn it, sing factors such us, communicating with aliens, academic surveies and better chances to happen a good occupation. Research has shown that there are differences among 2nd linguistic communication scholars that significantly affect linguistic communication acquisition success. As a consequence, the survey of single differences ( IDs ) particularly in linguistic communication acquisition motive and linguistic communication aptitude has been attributed to researches on L2 surveies dating back to the sixtiess. Motivation is what guides people to carry through and be successful in all countries of life. Sing the schoolroom environment, this term is the footing of how enthusiastic or unwilling pupils are to larn and the counsel force to keep the extended and sometimes boring learning procedure. Both the grade of motive and educational success often seem to travel manus in manus, which can be clearly observed throughout the instruction pattern. This essay seeks to research and discourse in item one person scholar difference in 2nd linguistic communication acquisition, which is motive. Apart from specifying the term, sing different writers, the essay will besides include the analysis of the assorted types of motive, every bit good as, the function motive plays in 2nd linguistic communication schoolrooms. And eventually, ways of furthering motive will be proposed. The term Motivation in SLA One of the single scholar differences in SLA is motive, which is a term hard to specify, since its significance could depend on the persons and their civilizations. Dornyei ( 2002: 1 ) says that motive â€Å" is best seen as a wide umbrella term that covers a assortment of significances † , but at the same time this writer besides describes motive as the factor in charge of finding why persons decide to transport out an action, the sum of attempt people invest in the undertakings every bit good as the rate of doggedness people put when finishing assorted activities. Alike Dornyei, Passer and Smith ( 2004: 327 ) perceive motive as â€Å" a procedure that influences the way, continuity and energy of purposive behavior † . Harmonizing to Gardner ( 1985 ) , motive is what makes people to move towards a given state of affairs. Taking into consideration all these definitions which province what the term of motive is, it can be deduced that the construct refer to some type of energy that guides persons to set about a undertaking in their lives. The motivated linguistic communication scholar Lightbown and Spada ( 2002 ) point out that motive is a factor that plays an of import function in linguistic communication acquisition success. In the context of linguistic communication acquisition is what pushes a student to derive cognition of the English linguistic communication. The importance of motive in relation to accomplishing the ends of larning English as a Second Language harmonizing to Naiman et Al, ( 1978 ) is that it gives the scholar the ability to digest ambiguity ; a demand for accomplishment ; a positive orientation towards the undertaking ; high aspirations ; ego engagement ; doggedness and end orientation. Therefore, a motivated linguistic communication pupil is a individual who has positive attitudes towards the mark linguistic communication. These attitudes are shown when the 2nd linguistic communication scholar makes attempts to get the linguistic communication and has a consistent desire of analyzing and detecting new and extra stuff. Furthermore, looking f or chances and ways where he or she will be able to set in pattern the mark linguistic communication. An extra manner of specifying a motivated scholar is when larning the 2nd linguistic communication is a comfy state of affairs for the learner, taking pleasance in the undertakings involved. Furthermore, a student that experience a high degree of motive will doubtless experience pleased about larning the linguistic communication. Research workers have arisen several accounts of what encourages scholars to analyze a foreign linguistic communication ; they have found that motivational factors are cardinal at the clip of talking about 2nd linguistic communication success. Types of motive As it was mentioned earlier, there are diverse significances for motive in SLA, irrespective of the words they fundamentally refer to the same impression. Besides, there are different factors which slightly vary depending on the writers ‘ points of position. I will mention in this essay to the different types of motive, taking into consideration different writers. Extrinsic and Intrinsic motive: The words extrinsic and intrinsic are to some extent complicated, given that both footings do non look to hold a clear definition in the field of 2nd linguistic communication acquisition. Passer and Smith ( 2004 ) citation extrinsic and intrinsic motive, even though Noels ( 2002 ) uses the footings extrinsic and intrinsic orientations. For these writers, Passer and Smith and Noel, extrinsic signifies that people carry out an action to carry through an external end or evade penalty, while by intrinsic motive the writers wholly mean that pupils do activities, due to the satisfaction they get from the undertakings themselves. Activities that motivate pupils per se are likened to gratifying activities, merriment, or things that pupils do out of their ain pick. Some of the conducted surveies assert that per se actuating activities lead to improved acquisition by the pupils. The difference between Passer & A ; Smith ( 2004 ) and Noels ( 2002 ) is merely the impression motive and orientatio ns, in position of the fact that both footings involved different attacks of motive. The initial term proposes that the motive itself comes from outside or within ; while the term orientation suggests that it is instead the different triggers of motive that comes from outside or within. Although, Glasser ( 1996 ) does non utilize the footings intrinsic and extrinsic, he provides a 3rd path to see where motive comes from. He states that motive is produced seeking to fulfill the indispensable desires which all human existences own. For case, the demand of amusement. He points out that even if a individual is influenced by the environment, all motive still comes from inside the person, because it is he or she who truly choose whether or non and how to transport out an activity. Though I concur with Glasser that merely the persons are the 1s who make their ain determinations, I think that what motivates people, are factors which can be both external and internal. Alternatively, Garden and Lambet ( 1972 ) coined the undermentioned footings to sort motive. Integrative Motivation Garden and Lambet ( 1972 ) depict this term as the desire that the scholars have to familiarise themselves with the civilization of the cultural group that speaks the linguistic communication they intend to larn. Gardner ( 2002 ) himself perceives Integrativeness as one of the factors that conduct to motive for 2nd linguistic communication acquisition, and by this he suggests that whether scholars have the hope to come nearer the L2 community they will hold existent desire in larning and analyzing the 2nd linguistic communication. Besides, the term besides refers to the grade at which the scholar desires to understand the mark community. Basically, integrative motive refers to a scholar ‘s desire to spread out their association with the community that they are aiming. Saville – Troike, ( 2005 ) affirm that the chief triggers of this type of motive are emotions or affectional factors. For case, a Chilean male child who come to populate in London for a clip, run into an En glish miss and autumn in love with her. He will hold the desire and motive to larn English in order to pass on with his girlfriend and integrate into the new civilization and go portion of the community. As Chile is chiefly a monocultural society, opportunities to use the 2nd linguistic communication in day-to-day conversations are reasonably limited. Therefore, scholars do non experience motivated to larn the 2nd linguistic communication to go portion of the community, since they merely need their first linguistic communication to interact. It can be discussed that integrative motive is an intrinsic factor, because it implies that larning a 2nd linguistic communication is more a concluding purpose itself instead than a mean to carry through a concluding end, due to the reliable desire on the acquisition undertakings ( Noels ( 2002 ) . Instrumental Motivation: One more term that Gardner and Lambert made up is instrumental motive which Lightbown & A ; Spada ( 2002: 56 ) introduce as â€Å" linguistic communication acquisition for more immediate or practical ends † . Very similar to integrative motive, instrumental motive besides sees linguistic communication acquisition as an instrument to carry through a end instead than the satisfaction in the action itself. However, what distinguishes both footings is the concluding purpose, which in integrative motive is the interaction in the L2 community while in instrumental motive the ultimate end is more practical, for case, obtaining a better occupation, calling developmental or go throughing tests. For most Chilean scholars of English instrumental motive is the cardinal component at the clip to larn English as a 2nd linguistic communication. For Lightbown & A ; Spada ( 2002 ) both types of motive are of import, they say that whether the pupils feel the necessity to interact in the 2nd linguistic communication in assorted societal state of affairss or to carry through academic and professional aspirations, the communicative value of the foreign linguistic communication will be perceived and hence, they will experience encouraged to acquire proficiency in the linguistic communication. I agree with the writers that both types of motive are of import to get a 2nd linguistic communication, However for Chilean people integrative motive is far to be seen as a ground to analyze the 2nd linguistic communication due to the fact that Chile, as I mentioned earlier, is a monocultural and monolingual society. Classroom Learning Motivation V. Language Learning Motivation When sing 2nd linguistic communication acquisition and motive, it is of import to set two motivational concepts into consideration. Research has shown that there are two classs of motive that should be put into history when discoursing SLA. This mainly trades with the difference that exists between schoolroom larning motive and linguistic communication learning motive. Language learning motive refers to the desire to larn a 2nd linguistic communication. Language learning motive includes evaluated 2nd linguistic communication acquisition, socio-educational representation ( Gardner, 1985 ) , the readiness to discourse theoretical account ( Clement, Dornyei, MacIntyre & A ; Noels, 1998 ) among others. It is the cosmopolitan type of motive that applies to any context of larning a linguistic communication. The cosmopolitan properties of the scholar relate to the demand to larn the linguistic communication. Clement ‘s ( 1980 ) societal context theoretical account, Gardner ‘s ( 1985 ) SLA social-education theoretical account among others, agree that the motive or desire to larn a 2nd linguistic communication is a characteristic that has considerable effects on the single although they are different when it comes to assessment, correlatives and ancestors. The other type of motive is the larning motive in a schoolroom. Harmonizing to Heckhausen and Kuhl ( 1985 ) , classroom-learning motive is the general educational psychological science as described by Dornyei ‘s theoretical account of post-actional, actional, and pre-actional motive theoretical account. Although it is seen to be an of import portion to motive as a whole, the SLA socio-educational theoretical account by Gardner, ( 1985 ) , characterizes it. The chief focal point is the individual ‘s position on the mission to be achieved and to a big extent, it is province oriented. This means that a figure of issues that are related to the linguistic communication category will impact the person ‘s perceptual experience. As a consequence, the ambiance in the category, the instructor, the contents of the class, installations and stuffs combined with the pupil ‘s personal properties will impact the individual ‘s motive when it comes to classroom acquisitio n. It is difficult to distinguish between the two classs of motive because they control the person at any peculiar clip. Therefore, it is of import to see both categories of motive operative. Merely every bit difficult as it is to specify motive, it is every bit hard to give an account to the significance of larning a 2nd linguistic communication. Harmonizing to Gardner, the motivational strength can merely be estimated from questionnaires based on an person ‘s attitude and is considered to be a concealed psychometric feature. Other educational patterns have applied the usage of indexs that have been observed from person ‘s behaviour in response to a given undertaking. This depends on the individual ‘s choice of undertakings, which is determined by the degree of trouble, the doggedness of the scholar to undertake the job at manus, the extent at which an person participates in a group or category activities, the span of attending and focal point, or the qualitative info rmation available on spoken studies of self-regulation and self-monitoring. The new research plan by Crookes and Schmidt ( 1991 ) includes the promotions made in the cosmopolitan educational, which has narrowed to the field of linguistic communication larning motive. This directs its focal point on persons, the attacks that the scholar might implement in the acquisition procedure, the acquisition contexts, and the discernible behavior of category members. Following the origin of the new lineation, the countries of involvement have shifted to the scholar as an person. In Covington ‘s self-worthy theory ( 1998 ) , the importance of the scholar ‘s thoughts were emphasized, their ain beliefs, the scheme they use, and the degree of their desire to cover with the undertaking at manus. The self- efficaciousness construct by Bandura ( 1997 ) is a really of import related characteristic which assesses the degree at which scholars gauge their possible and their ain direction. Persons who have this ability come up with an efficient motivational thought sche me and are able to cut down the hazard of failure and increase their opportunities of success while depending less on outside obligatory steps and schemes. Motivation: Individual Learner Difference in Chilean Culture Clement and Noels ( 1996 ) indicate that the cultural scenes present different linguistic communication acquisition and single scholar differences. In the Chilean cultural scene, the motive to larn the English linguistic communication offer some challenges to the scholars due to most of the pupils who attend Chilean public schools are in societal hazard. In add-on, many of the scholars may be discouraged to set personal attempt in larning the linguistic communication because of the fact that they may non happen the linguistic communication utile outside the educational scene. Others may be of the sentiment that their opportunities of going to a state where English is spoken as a native linguistic communication are instead minimum. Furthermore, challenges that come with learning a category that has many pupils may impact the effectivity of the instructors and the quality of the lesson. This together with the small involvement towards larning the English linguistic communication may ac t upon negatively the motive to learn every bit good as the motive to larn. Fostering Motivation The best ways to further motive is to make a good environment, which is good for 2nd linguistic communication acquisition. This can be done by cut downing the figure of pupils per category to guarantee that the direction given by the English instructors is of good quality. The instructors should besides come up with programs that apply to both slow scholars and fast scholars so as to guarantee that those who do non hold on rapidly are non left far behind because this may demotivate them to go on larning. The schools may see originating exchange plans with schools where English is the native linguistic communication. This would give pupils the feeling that analyzing English is non an attempt in vain but a measure in the right way since it would assist them in procuring occupations and touring other parts of the universe. Furthermore, instructors should come up with a timetable that gives us adequate clip to fix for our categories by acquiring the necessary stuffs every bit good as ref lecting on the success of the plan. This would assist us in coming up with a better program to learn hence bettering our learning methodological analysis. It would besides assist instructors find ways of actuating their ain pupils. With the relevant governments guaranting that, schools are good equipped to learn English as a 2nd linguistic communication, pupils will be motivated to larn and instructors will be motivated to learn. Decision The above treatment has provided an analysis of motive as an single scholar difference. There have been legion research surveies researching single scholar differences, which have indicated that the chief ground why many L2 pupils fail while others win effortlessly is the presence of different pupil features such as linguistic communication aptitude, motive, or personality traits. The motive of the pupil is really of import in the acquisition procedure and is regarded as the cardinal factor that contributes to the success of SLA. Research has revealed that intrinsic motive is more successful than external or extrinsic motive over the long term. Some pupils ‘ larning rate is higher as compared to others. Some scholars are able to hold on rapidly and they go on to the degree of making near-native competency while slow scholars experience troubles in the early phases of the acquisition procedure. Recently conducted research has shown that this disparity is caused by the peculiar s cheme adopted by the scholar, motive, anxiousness, personality, every bit good as social and societal influences. Research has clearly shown that the strength of the pupil ‘s motive to its highest degree, including the cognitive, affectional, and behavioural constituents are the most of import facets towards success in SLA. Since the integrative motivation incorporates the facet of being unfastened to cultural designation as portion of the procedure, it tries to connote that integrating may be more affiliated to accomplishing highest degree of accomplishment as compared to other types of motive that do non hold this constituent. Classroom larning motive seems to be a system that encourages persons to get specific linguistic communication elements but for the pupils to be Masterss of the linguistic communication, more is needed. In my sentiment, the integrative motive provides the pupils with a better platform for SLA. A instructor ‘s function in the procedure of larning a 2nd linguistic communication is instead complicated but really of import. It surpasses the proviso of wages since the whole experience is dependent on the self-efficacy of the pupil. The instructor ‘s function entails supplying disputing yet supportive environment to let the pupils to larn and research their possible. The instructors are besides supposed to assist their pupils to develop their ain motivational thought by detecting their original orientation. The most ambitious facet in all of this is seeking to avoid anything that may de-motivate the pupils. Although it is really much possible to conceive of other signifiers of motive, the type of motive does non count really much. The difference that emerges between instrumental and integrative motive, or between extrinsic and intrinsic motive does really small in assisting us to understand the function that motive dramas in 2nd linguistic communication acquisition.

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Fifteen

In his wanderings at Belgrave, Jack had, during a rainstorm that had trapped him indoors, managed to locate a collection of books devoted to art. It had not been easy; the castle boasted two separate libraries, and each must have held five hundred volumes at least. But art books, he noticed, tended to be oversized, so he was able to make his task a bit easier by searching out the sections with the tallest spines. He pulled out these books, perused them and, after some trial and error, found what he was looking for. He didn't particularly wish to remain in the library, however; he'd always found it oppressive to be surrounded by so many books. So he'd gathered up those that looked the most interesting and took them to his new favorite room – the cream and gold drawing room at the back of the castle. Grace's room. He would never be able to think of it as anything else. It was to this room that he retreated after his embarrassing encounter with Grace in the great hall. He did not like to lose his temper; to be more precise, he loathed it. He sat there for hours, tucked into place at a reading table, occasionally rising to stretch his legs. He was on his final volume – a study of the French rococo style – when a footman walked by the open doorway, stopped, then backed up. Jack looked back at him, arching a brow in question, but the young man said nothing, just scurried off in the direction from which he'd come. Two minutes later Jack was rewarded for his patience by the sound of feminine footsteps in the hall. Grace's footsteps. He pretended to be engrossed in his book. â€Å"Oh, you're reading,† she said, sounding surprised. He carefully turned a page. â€Å"I do so on occasion.† He could practically hear her roll her eyes as she walked in. â€Å"I've been looking everywhere for you.† He looked up and affixed a smile. â€Å"And yet here I am.† She stood hesitantly in the doorway, her hands clasped tightly before her. She was nervous, he realized. He hated himself for that. He tilted his head in invitation, motioning to the chair beside him. â€Å"What are you reading?† she asked, coming into the room. He turned his book toward the empty seat at the table. â€Å"Have a look.† She did not sit immediately. Rather, she rested her hands at the edge of the table and leaned forward, peering down at the open pages. â€Å"Art,† she said. â€Å"My second favorite subject.† She gave him a shrewd look. â€Å"You wish for me to ask you what your favorite is.† â€Å"Am I so obvious?† â€Å"You are only obvious when you wish to be.† He held up his hands in mock dismay. â€Å"And alas, it still doesn't work. You have not asked me what my favorite subject is.† â€Å"Because,† she returned, sitting down, â€Å"I am quite certain the answer will contain something highly inappropriate.† He placed one hand on his chest, the dramatic gesture somehow restoring his equilibrium. It was easier to play the jester. No one expected as much from fools. â€Å"I am wounded,† he proclaimed. â€Å"I promise you, I was not going to say that my favorite subject was seduction, or the art of a kiss, or the proper way to remove a lady's glove, or for that matter the proper way to remove – â€Å" â€Å"Stop!† â€Å"I was going to say,† he said, trying to sound beleaguered and henpecked, â€Å"that my favorite subject of late is you.† Their eyes met, but only for a moment. Something unnerved her, and she quickly shifted her gaze to her lap. He watched her, mesmerized by the play of emotions on her face, by the way her hands, which were clasped together atop the table, tensed and moved. â€Å"I don't like this painting,† she said quite suddenly. He had to look back at the book to see which image she referred to. It was a man and a woman out of doors, sitting on the grass. The woman's back was to the canvas, and she seemed to be pushing the man away. Jack was not familiar with it, but he thought he recognized the style. â€Å"The Boucher?† â€Å"Ye – no,† she said, blinking in confusion as she leaned forward. She looked down. â€Å"Jean-Antoine Watteau,† she read. â€Å"The Faux Pas.† He looked down more closely. â€Å"Sorry,† he said, his voice light. â€Å"I'd only just turned the page. I think it does look rather like a Boucher, though. Don't you?† She gave a tiny shrug. â€Å"I'm not familiar enough with either artist to say. I did not study painting – or painters – very much as a child. My parents weren't overly interested in art.† â€Å"How is that possible?† She smiled at that, the sort of smile that was almost a laugh. â€Å"It wasn't so much that they weren't interested, just that they were interested in other things more. I think that above all they would have loved to travel. Both of them adored maps and atlases of all sorts.† Jack felt his eyes roll up at that. â€Å"I hate maps.† â€Å"Really?† She sounded stunned, and maybe just a little bit delighted by his admission. â€Å"Why?† He told her the truth. â€Å"I haven't the talent for reading them.† â€Å"And you, a highwayman.† â€Å"What has that to do with it?† â€Å"Don't you need to know where you're going?† â€Å"Not nearly so much as I need to know where I've been.† She looked perplexed at that, so he added, â€Å"There are certain areas of the country – possibly all of Kent, to be honest – it is best that I avoid.† â€Å"This is one of those moments,† she said, blinking several times in rapid succession, â€Å"when I am not quite certain if you are being serious.† â€Å"Oh, very much so,† he told her, almost cheerfully. â€Å"Except perhaps for the bit about Kent.† She looked at him in incomprehension. â€Å"I might have been understating.† â€Å"Understating,† she echoed. â€Å"There's a reason I avoid the South.† â€Å"Good heavens.† It was such a ladylike utterance. He almost laughed. â€Å"I don't think I have ever known a man who would admit to being a poor reader of maps,† she said once she regained her composure. He let his gaze grow warm, then hot. â€Å"I told you I was special.† â€Å"Oh, stop.† She wasn't looking at him, not directly, at least, and so she did not see his change of expression. Which probably explained why her tone remained so bright and brisk as she said, â€Å"I must say, it does complicate matters. The dowager asked me to find you so that you could aid with our routing once we disembark in Dublin.† He waved a hand. â€Å"That I can do.† â€Å"Without a map?† â€Å"We went frequently during my school days.† She looked up and smiled, almost nostalgically, as if she could see into his memories. â€Å"I'd wager you were not the head boy.† He lifted a brow. â€Å"Do you know, I think most people would consider that an insult.† Her lips curved and her eyes glowed with mischief. â€Å"Oh, but not you.† She was right, of course, not that he was going to let her know it. â€Å"And why would you think that?† â€Å"You would never want to be head boy.† â€Å"Too much responsibility?† he murmured, wondering if that was what she thought of him. She opened her mouth, and he realized that she'd been about to say yes. Her cheeks turned a bit pink, and she looked away for a moment before answering. â€Å"You are too much of a rebel,† she answered. â€Å"You would not wish to be aligned with the administration.† â€Å"Oh, the administration,† he could not help but echo with amusement. â€Å"Don't make fun of my choice of words.† â€Å"Well,† he declared, arching one brow. â€Å"I do hope you realize you are saying this to a former officer in His Majesty's army.† This she dismissed immediately. â€Å"I should have said that you enjoy styling yourself as a rebel. I rather suspect that at heart you're just as conventional as the rest of us.† He paused, and then: â€Å"I hope you realize you are saying this to a former highwayman on His Majesty's roads.† How he said this with a straight face, he'd never know, and indeed it was a relief when Grace, after a moment of shock, burst out laughing. Because really, he didn't think he could have held that arch, offended expression for one moment longer. He rather felt like he was imitating Wyndham, sitting there like such a stick. It unsettled the stomach, really. â€Å"You're dreadful,† Grace said, wiping her eyes. â€Å"I try my best,† he said modestly. â€Å"And this† – she wagged a finger at him, grinning all the while – â€Å"is why you will never be head boy.† â€Å"Good God, I hope not,† he returned. â€Å"I'd be a bit out of place at my age.† Not to mention how desperately wrong he was for school. He still had dreams about it. Certainly not nightmares – it could not be worth the energy. But every month or so he woke up from one of those annoying visions where he was back at school (rather absurdly at his current age of eight-and-twenty). It was always of a similar nature. He looked down at his schedule and suddenly realized he'd forgotten to attend Latin class for an entire term. Or arrived for an exam without his trousers. The only school subjects he remembered with any fondness were sport and art. Sport had always been easy. He need only watch a game for a minute before his body knew instinctively how to move, and as for art – well, he'd never excelled at any of the practical aspects, but had always loved the study of it. For all the reasons he'd talked about with Grace his first night at Belgrave. His eyes fell on the book, still open on the table between them. â€Å"Why do you dislike this?† he asked, motioning to the painting. It was not his favorite, but he did not find anything to offend. â€Å"She does not like him,† she said. She was looking down at the book, but he was looking at her, and he was surprised to see that her brow was wrinkled. Concern? Anger? He could not tell. â€Å"She does not want his attentions,† Grace continued. â€Å"And he will not stop. Look at his expression.† Jack peered at the image a little more closely. He supposed he saw what she meant. The reproduction was not what he would consider superior, and it was difficult to know how true it was to the actual painting. Certainly the color would be off, but the lines seemed clear. He supposed there was something insidious in the man's expression. Still†¦ â€Å"But couldn't one say,† he asked, â€Å"that you are objecting to the content of the painting and not the painting itself?† â€Å"What is the difference?† He thought for a moment. It had been some time since anyone had engaged him in what might be termed intellectual discourse. â€Å"Perhaps the artist wishes to invoke this response. Perhaps his intention is to portray this very scene. It does not mean that he endorses it.† â€Å"I suppose.† Her lips pressed together, the corners tightening in a manner that he'd not seen before. He did not like it. It aged her. But more than that, it seemed to call to the fore an unhappiness that was almost entrenched. When she moved her mouth like that – angry, upset, resigned – it looked like she would never be happy again. Worse, it looked like she accepted it. â€Å"You do not have to like it,† he said softly. Her mouth softened but her eyes remained clouded. â€Å"No,† she said, â€Å"I don't.† She reached forward and flipped the page, her fingers changing the subject. â€Å"I have heard of Monsieur Watteau, of course, and he may be a revered artist, but – Oh!† Jack was already smiling. Grace had not been looking at the book as she'd turned the page. But he had. â€Å"Oh my†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Now that's a Boucher,† Jack said appreciatively. â€Å"It's not†¦I've never†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her eyes were wide – two huge blue moons. Her lips were parted, and her cheeks†¦He only just managed to resist the urge to fan her. â€Å"Marie-Louise O'Murphy,† he told her. She looked up in horror. â€Å"You know her?† He shouldn't have laughed, but truly, he could not help it. â€Å"Every schoolboy knows her. Of her,† he corrected. â€Å"I believe she passed on recently. In her dotage, have no fear. Tragically, she was old enough to be my grandmother.† He gazed down fondly at the woman in the painting, lounging provocatively on a divan. She was naked – wonderfully, gloriously, completely so – and lying on her belly, her back slightly arched as she leaned on the arm of the sofa, peering over the edge. She was painted from the side, but even so, a portion of the cleft of her buttocks was scandalously visible, and her legs†¦ Jack sighed happily at the memory. Her legs were spread wide, and he was quite certain he had not been the only schoolboy to have imagined settling himself between them. Many a young lad had lost his virginity (in dreams, but still) to Marie-Louise O'Murphy. He wondered if the lady had ever realized the service she had provided. He looked up at Grace. She was staring at the painting. He thought – he hoped – she might be growing aroused. â€Å"You've never seen it before?† he murmured. She shook her head. Barely. She was transfixed. â€Å"She was the mistress of the King of France,† Jack told her. â€Å"It was said that the king saw one of Boucher's portraits of her – not this one, I think, perhaps a miniature – and he decided he had to have her.† Grace's mouth opened, as if she wanted to comment, but nothing quite came out. â€Å"She came from the streets of Dublin,† he said, â€Å"or so I'm told. It is difficult to imagine her obtaining the surname O'Murphy anywhere else.† He sighed in fond recollection. â€Å"We were always so proud to claim her as one of our own.† He moved so that he might stand behind her, leaning over her shoulder. When he spoke, he knew that his words would land on her skin like a kiss. â€Å"It's quite provocative, isn't it?† Still, Grace seemed not to know what to say. Jack did not mind. He had discovered that watching Grace looking at the painting was far more erotic than the painting itself had ever been. â€Å"I always wanted to go see it in person,† he commented. â€Å"I believe it is in Germany now. Munich, perhaps. But alas, my travels never took me that way.† â€Å"I've never seen anything like it,† Grace whispered. â€Å"It does make one feel, does it not?† She nodded. And he wondered – if he had always dreamed of lying between Mademoiselle O'Murphy's thighs, did Grace now wonder what it was like to be her? Did she imagine herself lying on the divan, exposed to a man's erotic gaze? To his gaze. He would never allow anyone else to see her thus. Around them, the room was silent. He could hear his own breath, each one more shaky than the last. And he could hear hers – soft, low, and coming faster with each inhalation. He wanted her. Desperately. He wanted Grace. He wanted her spread before him like the girl in the painting. He wanted her any way he could have her. He wanted to peel the clothes from her body, and he wanted to worship every inch of her skin. He could practically feel it, the soft weight of her thighs in his hands as he opened her to him, the musky heat as he moved closer for a kiss. â€Å"Grace,† he whispered. She was not looking at him. Her eyes were still on the painting in the book. Her tongue darted out, moistening the very center of her lips. She couldn't have known what that did to him. He reached around her, touching her fingers. She did not pull away. â€Å"Dance with me,† he murmured, wrapping his hand around her wrist. He tugged at her gently, urging her to her feet. â€Å"There is no music,† she whispered. But she stood. With no resistance, not even a hint of hesitation, she stood. And so he said the one thing that was in his heart. â€Å"We will make it ourselves.† There were so many moments when Grace could have said no. When his hand touched hers. When he pulled her to her feet. When he'd asked her to dance, despite the lack of music – that would have been a logical moment. But she didn't. She couldn't. She should have. But she didn't want to. And then somehow she was in his arms, and they were waltzing, in time with the soft hum of his voice. It was not an embrace that would ever be allowed in a proper ballroom; he was holding her far too close, and with each step he seemed to draw her closer, until finally the distance between them was measured not in inches but in heat. â€Å"Grace,† he said, her name a hoarse, needy moan. But she did not hear the last bit of it, that last consonant. He was kissing her by then, all sound lost in his onslaught. And she was kissing him back. Good heavens, she did not think she had ever wanted anything so much as she did this man, in this moment. She wanted him to surround her, to engulf her. She wanted to lose herself in him, to lay her body down and offer herself up to him. Anything, she wanted to whisper. Anything you want. Because surely he knew what she needed. The painting of that woman – the French king's mistress – it had done something to her. She'd been bewitched. There could be no other explanation. She wanted to lie naked on a divan. She wanted to know the sensation of damask rubbing against her belly, while cool, fresh air whispered across her back. She wanted to know what it felt like to lie that way, with a man's eyes burning hotly over her form. His eyes. Only his. â€Å"Jack,† she whispered, practically throwing herself against him. She needed to feel him, the pressure of him, the strength. She did not want his touch only on her lips; she wanted it everywhere, and everywhere at once. For a moment he faltered, as if surprised by her sudden enthusiasm, but he quickly recovered, and within seconds he had kicked the door shut and had her pinned up against the wall beside it, never once breaking their kiss. She was on her toes, pressed so tightly between Jack and the wall that her feet would have dangled in the air if she'd been just an inch higher. His mouth was hungry, and she was breathless, and when he moved down to worship her cheek, and then her throat, it was all she could do to keep her head upright. As it was, her neck was stretching, and she could feel herself arching forward, her breasts aching for closer contact. This was not their first intimacy, but it was not the same. Before, she'd wanted him to kiss her. She'd wanted to be kissed. But now†¦It was as if every pent-up dream and desire had awoken within her, turning her into some strange fiery creature. She felt aggressive. Strong. And she was so damned tired of watching life happen around her. â€Å"Jack†¦Jack†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She could not seem to say anything else, not when his teeth were tugging at the bodice of her frock. His fingers were aiding in the endeavor, nimbly unfastening the buttons at her back. But somehow that wasn't fair. She wanted to be a part of it, too. â€Å"Me,† she managed to get out, and she moved her hands, which had been reveling in the crisp silkiness of his hair, to his shirtfront. She slid down the wall, pulling him along with her, until they were both on the floor. Without missing a beat, she made frenetic work of his buttons, yanking his shirt aside once she was through. For a moment she could do nothing but gaze. Her breath was sucked inside of her, burning to get out, but she could not seem to exhale. She touched him, laying her palm against his chest, a whoosh of air finally escaping her lips when she felt his heart leaping beneath his skin. She stroked upward, and then down, marveling at the contact, until one of his hands roughly covered hers. â€Å"Grace,† he said. He swallowed, and she could feel that his fingers were trembling. She looked up, waiting for him to continue. He could seduce with nothing but a glance, she thought. A touch and she would melt. Did he have any idea the magic he held over her? The power? â€Å"Grace,† he said again, his breath labored. â€Å"I won't be able to stop soon.† â€Å"I don't care.† â€Å"You do.† His voice was ragged, and it made her want him even more. â€Å"I want you,† she pleaded. â€Å"I want this.† He looked as if he were in pain. She knew she was. He squeezed her hand, and they both paused. Grace looked up, and their eyes met. And held. And in that moment, she loved him. She didn't know what it was he'd done to her, but she was changed. And she loved him for it. â€Å"I won't take this from you,† he said in a rough whisper. â€Å"Not like this.† Then how? she wanted to ask, but sense was trickling back into her body, and she knew he was right. She had precious little of value in this world – her mother's tiny pearl earrings, a family Bible, love letters between her parents. But she had her body, and she had her pride, and she could not allow herself to give them to a man who was not to be her husband. And they both knew that if he turned out to be the Duke of Wyndham, then he could never be her husband. Grace did not know all of the circumstances of his upbringing, but she'd heard enough to know that he was familiar with the ways of the aristocracy. He had to know what would be expected of him. He cupped her face in his hands and stared at her with a tenderness that took her breath away. â€Å"As God is my witness,† he whispered, turning her around so he could do up her buttons, â€Å"this is the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life.† Somehow she found the strength to smile. Or at the very least, to not cry. Later that night Grace was in the rose salon, hunting down writing paper for the dowager, who had decided – on the spur of the moment, apparently – that she must send a letter to her sister, the grand duchess of that small European country whose name Grace could never pronounce (or, indeed, remember). This was a lengthier process than it seemed, as the dowager liked to compose her correspondence aloud (with Grace as audience), debating – at painful length – each turn of phrase. Grace then had to concentrate on memorizing the dowager's words, as she would then be required (not by the dowager; rather, by a general duty to humanity) to recopy the dowager's missive, translating her unintelligible scrawl into something a bit more neat and tidy. The dowager did not acknowledge that she did this; in fact, the one time Grace offered, she flew into such a huff that Grace had never again whispered a word of it. But considering that her sister's next letter opened with gushes of praise on the dowager's new penmanship, Grace could not imagine that she was completely unaware. Ah, well. It was one of those things they did not discuss. Grace did not mind the task this evening. Sometimes it gave her a headache; she did try to do her recopying when the sun was still high and she could enjoy the advantages of natural light. But it was an endeavor that required all of her concentration, and she rather thought that it was exactly what she needed right now. Something to take her mind off†¦well, everything. Mr. Audley. Thomas. And how awful she felt. Mr. Audley. That painting of that woman. Mr. Audley. Jack. Grace let out a short, loud sigh. For heaven's sake, who was she trying to fool? She knew exactly what she was trying so hard not to think about. Herself. She sighed. Maybe she ought to take herself off to the land of the unpronounceable name. She wondered if they spoke English there. She wondered if the Grand Duchess Margareta (nee Margaret, and called, she was pertly told by the dowager, Maggs) could possibly be as ill-tempered as her sister. It did seem unlikely. Although as a member of the royal family, Maggs presumably had the authority to order someone's head lopped off. The dowager had said they were a bit feudal over there. Grace touched her head, decided she liked it where it was, and with renewed determination pulled open the top drawer to the escritoire, using perhaps a bit more force than necessary. She winced at the screech of wood against wood, then frowned; this really wasn't such a well-made piece of furniture. Rather out of place at Belgrave, she had to say. Nothing in the top drawer. Just a quill that looked as if it hadn't seen use since the last King George ruled the land. She moved to the second, reaching to the back in case anything was hiding in the shadows, and then she heard something. Someone. It was Thomas. He was standing in the doorway, looking rather peaked, and even in the dim light she could see that his eyes were bloodshot. She gulped down a wave of guilt. He was a good man. She hated that she was falling in love with his rival. No, that was not it. She hated that Mr. Audley was his rival. No, not that. She hated the whole bloody situation. Every last speck of it. â€Å"Grace,† he said. Nothing else, just her name. She swallowed. It had been some time since they'd conversed on friendly terms. Not that they had been un friendly, but truly, was there anything worse than oh-so-careful civility? â€Å"Thomas,† she said, â€Å"I did not realize you were still awake.† â€Å"It's not so late,† he said with a shrug. â€Å"No, I suppose not.† She glanced up at the clock. â€Å"The dowager is abed but not yet asleep.† â€Å"Your work is never done, is it?† he asked, entering the room. â€Å"No,† she said, wanting to sigh. Then, refusing to feel sorry for herself, she explained, â€Å"I ran out of writing paper upstairs.† â€Å"For correspondence?† â€Å"Your grandmother's,† she affirmed. â€Å"I have no one with whom to correspond.† Dear heavens, could that be true? It had never even occurred to her before. Had she written a single letter in the years she'd been here? â€Å"I suppose once Elizabeth Willoughby marries and moves away†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She paused, thinking how sad that was, that she needed her friend to leave so she might be able to write a letter. â€Å"†¦I shall miss her.† â€Å"Yes,† he said, looking somewhat distracted, not that she could blame him, given the current state of his affairs. â€Å"You are good friends, aren't you?† She nodded, reaching into the recesses of the third drawer. Success! â€Å"Ah, here we are.† She pulled forth a small stack of paper, then realized that her triumph meant that she had to go tend to her duties. â€Å"I must go write your grandmother's letters now.† â€Å"She does not write them herself?† he asked with surprise. Grace almost chuckled at that. â€Å"She thinks she does. But the truth is, her penmanship is dreadful. No one could possibly make out what she intends to say. Even I have difficulty with it. I end up improvising at least half in the copying.† She looked down at the pages in her hands, shaking them down against the top of the desk first one way and then on the side, to make an even stack. When she looked back up, Thomas was standing a bit closer, looking rather serious. â€Å"I must apologize, Grace,† he said, walking toward her. Oh, she didn't want this. She didn't want an apology, not when she herself held so much guilt in her heart. â€Å"For this afternoon?† she asked, her voice perhaps a little too light. â€Å"No, please, don't be silly. It's a terrible situation, and no one could fault you for – â€Å" â€Å"For many things,† he cut in. He was looking at her very strangely, and Grace wondered if he'd been drinking. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. She had told herself that she mustn't scold him; truly, it was a wonder he was behaving as well as he was, under the circumstances. â€Å"Please,† she said, hoping to put an end to the discussion. â€Å"I cannot think of anything for which you need to make amends, but I assure you, if there were, I would accept your apology, with all graciousness.† â€Å"Thank you,† he said. And then, seemingly out of nowhere: â€Å"We depart for Liverpool in two days.† Grace nodded. She knew this already. And surely he should have known that she was aware of the plans. â€Å"I imagine you have much to do before we leave,† she said. â€Å"Almost nothing,† he said, but there was something awful in his voice, almost as if he were daring her to ask his meaning. And there had to be a meaning, because Thomas always had much to do, whether he had a planned departure or not. â€Å"Oh. That must be a pleasant change,† she said, because she could not simply ignore his statement. He leaned forward slightly, and Grace smelled spirits on his breath. Oh, Thomas. She ached for him, for what he must be feeling. And she wanted to tell him: I don't want it, either. I want you to be the duke and Jack to be plain Mr. Audley, and I want all of this just to be over. Even if the truth turned out to be not what she prayed for, she wanted to know. But she couldn't say this aloud. Not to Thomas. Already he was looking at her in that piercing way of his, as if he knew all her secrets – that she was falling in love with his rival, that she had already kissed him – several times – and she had wanted so much more. She would have done more, if Jack had not stopped her. â€Å"I am practicing, you see,† Thomas said. â€Å"Practicing?† â€Å"To be a gentleman of leisure. Perhaps I should emulate your Mr. Audley.† â€Å"He is not my Mr. Audley,† she immediately replied, even though she knew he had only said as much to provoke her. â€Å"He shall not worry,† Thomas continued, as if she'd not spoken. â€Å"I have left all of the affairs in perfect order. Every contract has been reviewed and every last number in every last column has been tallied. If he runs the estate into the ground, it shall be on his own head.† â€Å"Thomas, stop,† she said, because she could not bear it. For either of them. â€Å"Don't talk this way. We don't know that he is the duke.† â€Å"Don't we?† His lip curled as he looked down at her. â€Å"Come now, Grace, we both know what we will find in Ireland.† â€Å"We don't,† she insisted, and her voice sounded hollow. She felt hollow, as if she had to hold herself perfectly still just to keep from cracking. He stared at her. For far longer than was comfortable. And then: â€Å"Do you love him?† Grace felt the blood drain from her face. â€Å"Do you love him?† he repeated, stridently this time. â€Å"Audley.† â€Å"I know who you're talking about,† she said before she could think the better of it. â€Å"I imagine you do.† She stood still, forcing herself to unclench her fists. She'd probably ruined the writing paper; she'd heard it crumple in her hand. He'd gone from apologetic to hateful in the space of a second, and she knew he was hurting inside, but so was she, damn it. â€Å"How long have you been here?† he asked. She drew back, her head turning slightly to the side. He was looking at her so strangely. â€Å"At Belgrave?† she said hesitantly. â€Å"Five years.† â€Å"And in all that time I haven't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"I wonder why.† Without even thinking, she tried to step back, but the desk blocked her way. What was wrong with him? â€Å"Thomas,† she said, wary now, â€Å"what are you talking about?† He seemed to find that funny. â€Å"Damned if I know.† And then, while she was trying to think of a suitable reply, he let out a bitter laugh and said, â€Å"What's to become of us, Grace? We're doomed, you know. Both of us.† She knew it was true, but it was terrible to hear it confirmed. â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about,† she said. â€Å"Oh, come now, Grace, you're far too intelligent for that.† â€Å"I should go.† But he was blocking her way. â€Å"Thomas, I – â€Å" And then – dear heavens – he was kissing her. His mouth was on hers, and her stomach flipped in horror, not because his kiss was repulsive, because it wasn't. It was the shock of it. Five years she'd been here, and he'd never even hinted at – â€Å"Stop!† She wrenched herself away. â€Å"Why are you doing this?† â€Å"I don't know,† he said with a helpless shrug. â€Å"I'm here, you're here†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'm leaving.† But one of his hands was still on her arm. She needed him to release her. She could have pulled away; he was not holding her tightly. But she needed it to be his decision. He needed it to be his decision. â€Å"Ah, Grace,† he said, looking almost defeated. â€Å"I am not Wyndham any longer. We both know it.† He paused, shrugged, held out his hand in surrender. â€Å"Thomas?† she whispered. And then he said, â€Å"Why don't you marry me when this is all over?† â€Å"What?† Something akin to horror washed over her. â€Å"Oh, Thomas, you're mad.† But she knew what he really meant. A duke could not marry Grace Eversleigh. But if he wasn't†¦If he was just plain Mr. Cavendish†¦Why not? Acid rose in her throat. He didn't mean to insult. She didn't even feel insulted. She knew the world she inhabited. She knew the rules, and she knew her place. Jack could never be hers. Not if he was the duke. â€Å"What do you say, Gracie?† Thomas touched her chin, tipped her face up to look at him. And she thought – maybe. Would it be so very bad? She could not stay at Belgrave, that was for certain. And maybe she would learn to love him. She already did, really, as a friend. He leaned down to kiss her again, and this time she let him, praying that her heart would pound and her pulse would race and that spot between her legs†¦Oh, please let it feel as it did when Jack touched her. But there was nothing. Just a rather warm sense of friendship. Which she supposed wasn't the worst thing in the world. â€Å"I can't,† she whispered, turning her face to the side. She wanted to cry. And then she did cry, because Thomas rested his chin on her head, comforting her like a brother. Her heart twisted, and she heard him whisper, â€Å"I know.†