“Oh,” I say, shrugging. “I may have read him at some point years ago. I’m more of a . . . a Chaucer fan myself nowadays.” There’s a long pause. “Chaucer,” he repeats. His lips twitch. Is he trying not to smile? “Yes,” I say, lifting my chin a millimeter. “I adore Chaucer. Chaucer’s . . .” I scour the crevices of my brain for that new Word of the Day I learned recently for just such an occasion. “. . . phantasmagorical.” I wave my hand around. “I can read Chaucer’s tales for hours.”
