‘Lello,’ came a high-pitched response.
Kate took a few steps forward and discovered a little girl with a halo of blonde curls amongst tumbled-down books. Crouching down so as not to frighten the child, she asked, ‘What are you doing here?’
By way of response, the girl, who had to be Charlotte, showed Kate the doll clutched in her hand.
‘You are playing?’
‘Yes.’ Charlotte stuck her thumb in her mouth and began to suck on it, her cheeks plump and soft.
‘Does she have a name?’ Kate pointed to the doll.
The thumb popped out. ‘Dolly.’
‘Ah.’ That seemed exactly like a name a group of men unused to raising a child would come up with.
‘Did Dolly want an adventure?’
‘We was ‘iding.’
‘Wewerehiding,’ Kate corrected gently.
‘Yes.’ The child’s hair might be blonde but she had the same dark eyes as the rest of the Dashworths.
‘Who were you hiding from?’ Kate had lost track of the time, but she guessed she had been in the library at least half an hour as she’d ambled aimlessly around. She had not heard Charlotte enter and so the little girl had probably been in here with her the whole time.
‘Teddy.’
That was not helpful. Kate knew no one with that name, but she guessed whomever she had been playing with was probably frantic with worry by now. ‘Shall we go and find her?’
‘No.’ Charlotte giggled, her whole body shaking. ‘Teddy is aboy.’
‘Let us go and find him.’
Charlotte shook her head, her blonde curls bobbing from side to side, a thick frown creasing her forehead. ‘Dolly wants ‘ide. Not go anywhere.’
‘Did Dolly tell you that?’
The little girl nodded, sticking her thumb back into her mouth. Long eyelashes closed slowly over the girl’s large eyes. The child was sleepy, which was probably going to make her slightly unreasonable. Kate stood, debating what to do for the best. She could leave her here and fetch a servant, but if Charlotte moved while Kate was gone, then she might get lost again and the whole process would restart.
Waiting until the girl dozed off seemed like the most sensible option. From her slow blink, Kate did not think it would be long until she succumbed. Settling her back against the shelf, she stretched her legs out in front of her.
‘I am Kate.’ She pointed to her chest. ‘I am a friend of your aunt Emily.’
‘Emmemme,’ slurred the girl around her thumb.
‘Exactly.’ Lifting her arms, she beckoned the child over. It did not take long for Charlotte to crawl over and lean her head against Kate’s chest. The innocent trust warmed Kate’s heart, melting away some of the anxiety that had taken up residence there. She stroked the girl’s blonde hair away from her forehead and began to hum a soft lullaby. The body pressed against hers became heavier, the wet thumb fell against her chest and the plump lips smacked together.
Kate slipped an arm under the little girl’s shoulders, so that the blonde curls rested against her chest, and managed to get her other arm under Charlotte’s knees. Only years as a governess allowed her to make the complicated move onto her feet without waking her charge.
She was nearly at the library door when it burst open, almost crashing on its hinges. Edward stood before her, his clothes rumpled, his eyes wide, his chest heaving as if he had been running. What little colour he had, vanished at the sight ofCharlotte limp in Kate’s arms. His lips formed words but no sound came out.
‘Sleeping,’ Kate said quickly. ‘She’s sleeping.’
‘Where?’ he croaked.
‘I found her on the mezzanine.’
He staggered to a seat, running his hands through his hair, then pressing his palms to his face. ‘I have been looking for hours,’ he groaned. Kate didn’t think he was exaggerating, or not very much. ‘We were playing and then…’ He shuddered, the movement going through his large body. ‘I thought something terrible had happened.’
