Elaine’s words initially caused a slight pang of disappointment in Lydia’s heart, but it faded quickly. She immediately guessed that the student Elaine was referring to was the one she had seen before—the girl with a bow in her hair, lively and beautiful.

The most significant thing was that young girls like her, full of youthful energy, could pull off even the most cutesy acts of flirtation and still seem endearing. Lydia, on the other hand, had long since passed the age ...