The Closed Room and the Mysterious Door

The Earl had picked one of his least favorite mourning suits, one he had rarely worn, but even so his heart pounded a little as he put it on. He was not sure what he was afraid of, but he rather thought he was afraid that the pain he had felt when he wore it last would come rushing back to him. There was no such flood, to his relief. He could feel the empty place inside him where the flood would have gone, and it was--tentatively--simply empty.
He nearly jumped when the door opened.
"Father?"
"Ah--Charlie. Knock next time, pup. Where's your nurse?"
"Helping Maddie pour out the bathwater."
The Earl loved to take long baths, and he could well imagine it took two to lug the tub up to the window.
"Are you--going to church?" Charlie skipped past his father to the other end of the room.

"Yes, for a funeral. Matty's Aunt. Do you remember her?"
"Yes. But is she really dead?" Charle was smiling as though the words had no meaning.
"Of course she!--unfortunately. Come here, Charlie."
Charlie came obediently, but he was secretly disappointed. He was rarely allowed in this room, which was usually locked. It was not his father's bedroom, but for some reason it had some of his father's clothes in it. The most fascinating part was the door at the other wall. Charlie suspected it was locked, too, but he would have liked a chance to look. Instead he stood in front of his father.
"Now listen up. I'm going away for a little while, and I want you to behave yourself."
Charles was confused. He did not usually get a lecture like this when his father went into the town.
"My Friend Edward wrote me a letter recently, and it reminded me that I have been skimping on your education, young man. I'm going to visit him, and with any luck I will come back with a tutor for you."
So he was going to London again! "A tutor?"
"He'll teach you and watch you during the day."
"Nurse Thale does that."
"Yes, but she doesn't teach you what you are ready to learn. Reading, writing, Latin, French, music, Science..."
None of this sounded appealing to Charles. "What about Nurse Thale?"
"She'll go help Lady Arnold during the day. Lady Arnold will need it, with her new baby coming."
Charles took it all in silently. He was rather sorry he had come in at all. He was even sorrier when his father grinned and and ushered him out into the hall a moment later, for he had missed another chance to look at the mysterious door.