Eli had no belief in any sort of higher power, good nor evil; a man made his own fortune, not imaginary gods or fate.
"A clever mind open to learning is a gift indeed," he said. "It's a waste to not take advantage of learning something new when offered. You never know when a bit of knowledge will come in handy."
Right now Miss Cardiff was as pretty as the gold coin he'd given her, but time stopped for no one, and eye-catching beauty eventually faded. "Whenever you wish, we can begin your lessons. I look forward to spending time in your company."
And then later, at his choice, he'd collect what he'd paid for. What she'd offered in exchange for lessons. If she wanted to play the sweet, flirty ingenue for others--and she did it very well so she must have something of that still within her--that was fine with him. He'd do nothing to make anyone else think anything otherwise. They both had roles to play for whatever length of time they'd be on the Huria, and if she learned anything of him, he'd make certain that she kept it to herself as well.