Passing as Elias - By Kate Bloomfield Page 0,2

I should think the answer to that is quite simple. I would very much like you to stay here. You will be a qualified apothecary.’

‘I know, I know. I would like that very much, Sir. However, what shall people think of a woman brewing their concoctions? I fear they shall all despise the idea of me as their apothecary.’ The words came forth rushed. Elizabeth had been biting back these fears since she had begun her apprenticeship three years ago.

The expression upon Professor de Bard’s face was comforting. He looked upon Elizabeth as though she were his own child that needed comforting.

‘You will earn their trust.’ He gripped her shoulder, ‘that is why it is important we begin showing the townspeople what you are capable of. Do you not remember the point of today?’

‘To be humiliated in front of Master Larson?’ Elizabeth grumbled. ‘Sir.’ She added.

The Professor ignored this, ‘To get word out of your skills, Elizabeth.’

‘Regardless of my skills, Professor, I shall only earn half of what a man does.’ She said bitterly.

Professor de Bard gave her shoulder a light squeeze again, ‘I pay you based on your work Elizabeth, not your gender.’

‘A generous pay it is too, Sir.’ Elizabeth did not want to sound ungrateful, for Mister de Bard paid her as much as a man would earn in the same position.

‘That is because you are the cleverest young person I have met in a very long while.’ He smiled upon her. Elizabeth noticed he chose to say ‘cleverest young person’ rather than ‘cleverest young woman’.

‘I only wish others had the same view. You saw how Master Larson reacted. He thought my time and effort worth only a fraction of a gentleman’s. How shall I earn a living if I were to ever open my own apothecary? The coin he paid does not even cover the cost of the ingredients we used to make it. Perhaps I should just dress as a boy, and be done with it.’ Elizabeth muttered.

‘I am afraid I do not have a potion for that.’ Professor de Bard smiled warmly, ‘Come now, do not be silly. All you need to do is prove yourself of equal talent to a man. Yet you and I both know that you are smarter than most. Your application proved that.’

Elizabeth shrugged. She had earned her position as an apothecaries apprentice by solving a mathematical equation that had been posted upon the town hall bulletin board. She had not known that it was a test for a job position. The flyer had merely stated that whomever could figure out the problem should present themselves to Professor de Bard by the aforementioned date for a prize. The answer to the equation was his home address. According to the Professor, many people had taken the flyers upon the board, yet Elizabeth had been the only one to appear upon his doorstep. She had been offered the apprenticeship at once. Never had Elizabeth considered Apothecary as a career, however the idea grew upon her over the days she considered the offer. A week later she returned to Professor de Bard to accept his proposition.

Elizabeth was a common girl. Her mother had taught her everything she knew, which was not much, though Elizabeth had always been described as a gifted child. She had been brought up under the impression that a woman’s role was to be a wife, and mother. At twenty, most would expect Elizabeth to be wed by now, however it did not interest her in the slightest. Her mother often complained that it was socially humiliating to be unwed at Elizabeth’s age. She had never been in love, not that love seemed to matter when it came to being married, it seemed. Her mother often nagged her when it came to matters of marriage, however Elizabeth just shrugged it off. No man had ever attempted to court her. She supposed it was because her intelligence far outstripped any man she knew, which was considered quite unappealing to bachelors. However there was one man who was quite persistent with his flirtatious advances upon Elizabeth, though he had never officially sought to court her. Captain Greenwood of the Royal Navy was often at the apothecary when he was not at sea, but Elizabeth was extremely wary of him, for he was very handsome, and had a rather cheeky reputation. This did not bother Elizabeth too much for she did not have any feelings for Captain George Greenwood.

Elizabeth was not an unattractive