"Perhaps her real name is Dorothy," Jane suggested. "SometimesDorothysare called 'Dolly' for short. Are you going to dress her, sweetheart? She will get cold lying in the water like that."
"I think her paint might rub off too," the nurse said with a smile at Jane.
Claire lifted up one garment from a nearby chair. "You dress Dolly," she said to Jane. And she stood in front of the chair watching wide-eyed as Jane complied.
Finally it was wrapped in a shawl. Jane put it against her shoulder and patted its back. "I think Dolly wants to sleep," she said. "Do you want to hold her?"
Claire put up her arms and was soon holding the doll as Jane had and pounding its back. Jane crossed the room to Amy, who had made no move to join the noisy group around Lady Dart. Jane was careful to keep her eyes off the painting.
"May I see your picture, Amy?" she asked. "Or is it private?"
She did not think the child was going to answer. She continued to paint for a minute. Then she looked up with guarded eyes. "You may see it," she said.
There was the usual child's band of blue across the top of the paper and green across the bottom. There was the usual yellow ball in the top corner. Huge across the blank space between was a black witch, arms outstretched,teethyellow and jagged. Jane viewed it silently for a while.
"Tell me about the picture," she said. "That is a splendid large figure."
"That isher," the child said quietly and primly.
Jane reached down to touch the soft curls of Claire, who had put the doll down and come up to stand beside her and cling to her skirt. "Do I know her?"
Amy looked up, her eyes stormy. "Is Papa going to marry her?" she asked.
"Whom, sweetheart?"Jane watched the child intently.
"Her," Amy said."The pretty lady."
"You mean Miss Jamieson?" Jane asked.
"Mrs. Pringle told Nurse he is going to marry her," Amy said.
Jane could no longer ignore the insistent pulling at her skirt. She looked down. Claire held her arms up above her head.
"Up," she said.
Jane smiled and stooped down to scoop the child into her arms. "I do not believe any such thing has been decided yet," she said carefully. "Why do you not ask Papa, sweetheart? Would you like Miss Jamieson as a mama?"
The child's cheeks flamed. "I do not want a mama!" she said fiercely.
Jane reached down with her free hand and touched the glossy ringlets reassuringly. It was at that point, while she was still searching for words to say to soothe thechild, thatFairfax himself came into the nursery. Amy almost upset her chair in her haste to rush across the room into his arms. Claire smiled at Jane and pointed.
"Papa," she said, and Jane set her on the floor so that she too could scurry across the room to her father.
Their eyes met across the room for a moment and Jane feltherselfblush. What would he think of her, in the nursery like this, holding and talking to his children when he had not even invited her to be there?
Claire had become almost embarrassingly attached to her, Jane thought, shifting her position on the harpsichord bench as Honor began to sing to her own accompaniment. That afternoon when they had all walked to the lake, adults and children alike, Honor had offered to carry the child. But Claire, thumb firmly in place in the middle of her smile, had scurried over to Jane and demanded with raised arms to be taken "Up." And she had, as Joseph had pointed out a few minutes before, climbed into Jane's lap during the picnic tea and fallen asleep there, though her father sat not far off, next to Honor.
Amy too had relaxed somewhat when Jane showed her how to make daisy chains. She had been moodily watching her father out on the lake with Honor before that. But she had actually smiled with delight when Jane joined the finished ends of the daisy chain together and hung it around Amy's neck. She had looked eagerly around for her father, seen that he was standing on the bank pointing out something to the elder son of Lord Dart, and rushed eagerly to show him her creation. Jane had been relieved to see that he immediately stooped down, examined the chain, and kissed his daughter before taking her hand and leading her toward the beach where the tea was being spread out.
And was he going to marry Honor?sheasked herself now, looking from one to the other of them at the pianoforte. He had been attentive to her in the last two days, but his attentions did not seem quite like those of a lover. And would Honor accept him even if he did offer? The question would not even have been worth asking a mere few days before, but now Jane was not so sure of the answer. Honor had come to her room before dinner and sat to talk while Jane finished getting ready to go downstairs. It seemed that Honor was somewhat disillusioned with her handsome suitor—if suitor he was.
"Jane," she had said, "I begin to think you are right and Lord Fairfax is firmly attached to this home. I have never spent a more boring day in my life. Imagine being saddled with a parcel of children for a whole afternoon. I do not see why we should. Fairfax' children have a nurse, and Joy's have a governess with them. Why should they be with us?"
"But Lord Fairfax took you in the boat," Jane had pointed out.
"And did not say one word that could be construed as flirtatious or romantic even by the wildest imagination," Honor had said indignantly. "Really, Jane, I begin to think I am wasting two whole weeks of the Season. I am almost determined to say no when he offers for me. Your Mr.Sedgeworthhas twice the charm of Fairfax.And is much more interesting.I think I might get him to elope with me. Would you mind very much?" She had giggled gaily. "But to be serious, Jane, it is mortally disappointing to find that the most handsome man in England is not also the most exciting man. I might have to settle after all for someone of lesser looks."
And Honor had been flirting quite shamelessly and quite harmlessly with Joseph, Jane thought. He very good-naturedly played up to her. Really, though, she felt that perhaps Honor was right. She should have stayed in London. She was not suited to be the second Lady Fairfax. And Jane hoped they would both realize the fact before taking the irrevocable step of marrying. She realized, of course, that her own opinion was not unbiased. The thought of Honor and Fairfax as man and wife was enough to make panic grab at her heart.
