show." She directed a pointed glance at James, praying he wouldn't contradict her.
The seconds ticked by as both Margaret and Carolly held their breath, waiting for James's verdict. Finally he nodded, and the girl hesitantly joined Carolly on the couch. Immeasurably relieved, Carolly took a deep breath and decided to plunge right in. "First off, Margaret, please allow me to apologize."
She saw the little girl's shock. She couldn't quite see James's face, but she guessed he wore a similar expression of astonishment.
"You seem surprised, dear," Carolly continued. "Is that because no one has ever apologized to you before? Well, rest assured, when I make a mistake, I try to apologize immediately."
"Do—do not regard it, madame." Margaret's voice was high and uncertain, and Carolly could already see that, just like a wall, just like her uncle, Margaret had a great deal of reserve. It would take nothing short of a full-blown force of nature to break through.
Fortunately, Carolly thought with a smile, she was up to the task. Or so she hoped.
"Thank you, Margaret. But you have not yet heard what I'm apologizing for. For all you know, I could be confessing to murdering your parents."
Margaret gasped, and James shifted angrily in his seat. Carolly suddenly understood the magnitude of her blunder. She'd forgotten the girl's parents were dead. Margaret was an orphan.
"Oh, no! I'm so sorry, Margaret. That was completely tactless of me. I didn't . . . I wouldn't . . . " She grimaced as she accidentally bit down hard on her lip. "I'm not very good at talking to children, you know. Adults simply ignore me, but children—well, they often take what I say too seriously or not seriously enough." She paused a moment. "Well, that's pretty much the way the whole world treats me, so I guess children aren't very different, are they?"
Margaret looked completely at a loss, so Carolly simply continued babbling, silently praying God would put the right words in her mouth.
"Let me try again. I wanted to apologize for that scene in the nursery. I fought with your uncle over you without asking what you wanted. I practically ordered you downstairs, and that wasn't very nice of me. I'm sorry.''
Carolly waited for a response, but the girl simply pressed her lips together. Glancing at James, Carolly was struck by the resemblance between the two. Physically, of course, they were almost complete opposites. James was powerful, handsome, and very male. Margaret was young, a shrinking violet, and too aware of her place. And yet both had wills of steel.
Well, it was time to make Margaret feel important.
"From now on, Margaret, there will be new rules. They are very simple, really. First, if you don't want to be with me, you may leave. But," Carolly hastily added, "I hope you will stay."
For one heart-stopping moment, Carolly thought the girl would get up and leave just to be difficult. Fortunately, Margaret's only other alternative was probably the nursery.
"Good," Carolly said, once it became clear Margaret was staying. "Second, you are free to say anything you like, ask anything you like." She leaned over and lowered her voice. "You can even swear if you want to, and it won't bother me."
"It will bother me," James said, his rich voice descending on them like a pronouncement from the Greek gods overhead.
Carolly turned with a grin. "Then you needn't join us."
"Carolly—"
She turned back to Margaret, ignoring him. "And third, we may do anything you like when we're together." She caught James's angry glare and decided to amend her statement. "Within reason, of course. It can't be dangerous or take us too far away from your uncle's lands." James continued to glower, but Carolly ignored him. She would deal with him later. "So," she said brightly to Margaret. "How does that sound to you?"
"It is fine, madame," came Margaret's cool response.
Carolly squelched her disappointment. Obviously, given the girl's expression, Margaret didn't believe a word
The seconds ticked by as both Margaret and Carolly held their breath, waiting for James's verdict. Finally he nodded, and the girl hesitantly joined Carolly on the couch. Immeasurably relieved, Carolly took a deep breath and decided to plunge right in. "First off, Margaret, please allow me to apologize."
She saw the little girl's shock. She couldn't quite see James's face, but she guessed he wore a similar expression of astonishment.
"You seem surprised, dear," Carolly continued. "Is that because no one has ever apologized to you before? Well, rest assured, when I make a mistake, I try to apologize immediately."
"Do—do not regard it, madame." Margaret's voice was high and uncertain, and Carolly could already see that, just like a wall, just like her uncle, Margaret had a great deal of reserve. It would take nothing short of a full-blown force of nature to break through.
Fortunately, Carolly thought with a smile, she was up to the task. Or so she hoped.
"Thank you, Margaret. But you have not yet heard what I'm apologizing for. For all you know, I could be confessing to murdering your parents."
Margaret gasped, and James shifted angrily in his seat. Carolly suddenly understood the magnitude of her blunder. She'd forgotten the girl's parents were dead. Margaret was an orphan.
"Oh, no! I'm so sorry, Margaret. That was completely tactless of me. I didn't . . . I wouldn't . . . " She grimaced as she accidentally bit down hard on her lip. "I'm not very good at talking to children, you know. Adults simply ignore me, but children—well, they often take what I say too seriously or not seriously enough." She paused a moment. "Well, that's pretty much the way the whole world treats me, so I guess children aren't very different, are they?"
Margaret looked completely at a loss, so Carolly simply continued babbling, silently praying God would put the right words in her mouth.
"Let me try again. I wanted to apologize for that scene in the nursery. I fought with your uncle over you without asking what you wanted. I practically ordered you downstairs, and that wasn't very nice of me. I'm sorry.''
Carolly waited for a response, but the girl simply pressed her lips together. Glancing at James, Carolly was struck by the resemblance between the two. Physically, of course, they were almost complete opposites. James was powerful, handsome, and very male. Margaret was young, a shrinking violet, and too aware of her place. And yet both had wills of steel.
Well, it was time to make Margaret feel important.
"From now on, Margaret, there will be new rules. They are very simple, really. First, if you don't want to be with me, you may leave. But," Carolly hastily added, "I hope you will stay."
For one heart-stopping moment, Carolly thought the girl would get up and leave just to be difficult. Fortunately, Margaret's only other alternative was probably the nursery.
"Good," Carolly said, once it became clear Margaret was staying. "Second, you are free to say anything you like, ask anything you like." She leaned over and lowered her voice. "You can even swear if you want to, and it won't bother me."
"It will bother me," James said, his rich voice descending on them like a pronouncement from the Greek gods overhead.
Carolly turned with a grin. "Then you needn't join us."
"Carolly—"
She turned back to Margaret, ignoring him. "And third, we may do anything you like when we're together." She caught James's angry glare and decided to amend her statement. "Within reason, of course. It can't be dangerous or take us too far away from your uncle's lands." James continued to glower, but Carolly ignored him. She would deal with him later. "So," she said brightly to Margaret. "How does that sound to you?"
"It is fine, madame," came Margaret's cool response.
Carolly squelched her disappointment. Obviously, given the girl's expression, Margaret didn't believe a word
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