Within moments he was standing beside her chair.
"Stand up, child. Mrs. Crosley and I would like to get a better look at you."
Allie stood obediently, her eyes traveling up to the soft-spoken gentleman's face. His face was smooth and clean-shaven except for a narrow, well tended mustache. His features were fine, almost to the point of appearing feminine, and his thin lips were curved into a smile, but Allie felt none of its warmth. Instead, she was immobilized by his dark eyes, which appeared to dissect her as he touched her hair with his soft pink hands.
"It appears to me that she is exactly the girl we have been looking for, isn't she, Meridith , dear?"
Allie looked at the woman who stood slightly behind Mr. Crosley . She was startled by the anxiety apparent in the woman's expression before she averted her head and murmured, "Yes, she is, Albert."
"Look at me , child." The unexpected sharpness of the command snapped Allie's attention back to Mr. Crosley as he took a step closer. "That's better. Now turn around… yes, completely around."
Following the man's commands, Allie turned in a small circle, her pale face flooding a bright pink. She was embarrassed by the man's manner, and her skin crawled at his intense scrutiny.
"Ah, now I have embarrassed you, haven't I, dear? Well, you mustn't be shy. Mrs. Crosley and I came here today hoping against hope that there would be a child in this group who would appeal to us. You see, I first came into contact with my darling wife in much the same way."
At Allie's obvious confusion, Mr. Crosley's smooth face creased into a wider smile. "You see, the first Mrs. Crosley and I adopted Meridith seven years ago. My dear Patricia died a few years later. In the time following, Meridith grew into the fine young woman you see here today, and she is now my loving wife. She is so appreciative of the life that I have been able to give her that the moment she heard of your group's arrival, she expressed a desire to afford another child the same opportunity that was afforded her."
Pausing, Mr. Crosley ran his long, smooth fingers across Allie's cheek in a brief caress. "Ah, yes, I do find pale-haired children especially appealing." Cupping her chin, he raised it so that she could no longer avoid his eyes.
A chill passed down Allie's spine, and Stella's reference to her "lily-white skin" flitted across her mind. She drew back, repulsion whitening her small face even further.
"No, child, you mustn't be frightened. Meridith and I will provide you with a very good home. You are obviously intelligent. I saw that at first glance. Mr. Smith informed me of your name and background, and that you can read and cipher, and that is an added plus. I am a banker, you see, and a man in my position must have an intelligent family around him, a bright, obedient daughter whom he can train to reflect well upon him. You will have much to gain by becoming that daughterthe finest clothes, just as have been given to Meridithand I will personally see to it that your education is continued in a vein suitable to the position you will hold in life. You cannot ask for more than that, can you, dear?"
Abruptly releasing her chin, Mr. Crosley reached down to take her firmly by the hand. "Come now. We'll find Mr. Smith and tell him we've made a match, shall we? And then Meridith and I will take you home."
Allie shook her head. An unexpected fear seemed to have frozen her throat, but she stepped back in protest and attempted to pull her hand free. A light flush moving over his delicate features, Mr. Crosley gripped her hand all the more tightly. His dark eyes held hers captive with their intensity.
"Come, Allie. You must not appear ungrateful. Mr. Smith will not understand your reluctance to come with us when we have so much to offer you. He might even be angry and punish you quite severely. Your attitude will
"Stand up, child. Mrs. Crosley and I would like to get a better look at you."
Allie stood obediently, her eyes traveling up to the soft-spoken gentleman's face. His face was smooth and clean-shaven except for a narrow, well tended mustache. His features were fine, almost to the point of appearing feminine, and his thin lips were curved into a smile, but Allie felt none of its warmth. Instead, she was immobilized by his dark eyes, which appeared to dissect her as he touched her hair with his soft pink hands.
"It appears to me that she is exactly the girl we have been looking for, isn't she, Meridith , dear?"
Allie looked at the woman who stood slightly behind Mr. Crosley . She was startled by the anxiety apparent in the woman's expression before she averted her head and murmured, "Yes, she is, Albert."
"Look at me , child." The unexpected sharpness of the command snapped Allie's attention back to Mr. Crosley as he took a step closer. "That's better. Now turn around… yes, completely around."
Following the man's commands, Allie turned in a small circle, her pale face flooding a bright pink. She was embarrassed by the man's manner, and her skin crawled at his intense scrutiny.
"Ah, now I have embarrassed you, haven't I, dear? Well, you mustn't be shy. Mrs. Crosley and I came here today hoping against hope that there would be a child in this group who would appeal to us. You see, I first came into contact with my darling wife in much the same way."
At Allie's obvious confusion, Mr. Crosley's smooth face creased into a wider smile. "You see, the first Mrs. Crosley and I adopted Meridith seven years ago. My dear Patricia died a few years later. In the time following, Meridith grew into the fine young woman you see here today, and she is now my loving wife. She is so appreciative of the life that I have been able to give her that the moment she heard of your group's arrival, she expressed a desire to afford another child the same opportunity that was afforded her."
Pausing, Mr. Crosley ran his long, smooth fingers across Allie's cheek in a brief caress. "Ah, yes, I do find pale-haired children especially appealing." Cupping her chin, he raised it so that she could no longer avoid his eyes.
A chill passed down Allie's spine, and Stella's reference to her "lily-white skin" flitted across her mind. She drew back, repulsion whitening her small face even further.
"No, child, you mustn't be frightened. Meridith and I will provide you with a very good home. You are obviously intelligent. I saw that at first glance. Mr. Smith informed me of your name and background, and that you can read and cipher, and that is an added plus. I am a banker, you see, and a man in my position must have an intelligent family around him, a bright, obedient daughter whom he can train to reflect well upon him. You will have much to gain by becoming that daughterthe finest clothes, just as have been given to Meridithand I will personally see to it that your education is continued in a vein suitable to the position you will hold in life. You cannot ask for more than that, can you, dear?"
Abruptly releasing her chin, Mr. Crosley reached down to take her firmly by the hand. "Come now. We'll find Mr. Smith and tell him we've made a match, shall we? And then Meridith and I will take you home."
Allie shook her head. An unexpected fear seemed to have frozen her throat, but she stepped back in protest and attempted to pull her hand free. A light flush moving over his delicate features, Mr. Crosley gripped her hand all the more tightly. His dark eyes held hers captive with their intensity.
"Come, Allie. You must not appear ungrateful. Mr. Smith will not understand your reluctance to come with us when we have so much to offer you. He might even be angry and punish you quite severely. Your attitude will
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