Charlotte trotted up the stairs to the third floor. As she looked in both directions, trying to decide which corridor to try first, she saw a red ball roll from an open doorway to her right.
The ball came to a stop beside a Greek statue, and Charlotte stooped to pick it up.
A little boy stepped into the corridor, then hesitated, clearly surprised to see her there.
“Hello,” she said, suddenly breathless. “Could this be what you are looking for?” She held out the ball with a smile.
“Yes, thank you.” He took the ball, then looked up at her with his father’s brown eyes framed by a tousle of dark curly hair so like her own.
“You are very welcome, Edmund.”
He cocked his head to one side. “Who are you?”
“I am your ... your mother’s cousin Charlotte.”
“Cousin Charlotte?”
“Yes. And you are the birthday boy.” She pulled a small wrapped rectangle from her reticule. “I have a gift for you.”
“I know what that is—it’s a book.”
“Yes, and you probably already have it.”
She stooped down, sitting on her heels, so that she was at eye level with him as he ripped open the paper and looked at the cover.
“Yes.” He shrugged. “I do have it.”
“Well, it is such a good book, it won’t hurt to have another.”
He looked up at her, little brows crinkling up—so like his father.
“Why are you sad?”
“I don’t know. I suppose it is because I cannot believe you are already three years old. It is silly, really. Birthdays are to be happy times, and you are a very happy boy, are you not?”
Again he shrugged. “Yes.”
“I am so glad.”
He lifted the book. “Read to me?” he asked.
Her heart fisted hard within her, and she bit her lip to hold back bittersweet tears. She opened her mouth to answer when a woman’s voice called down the corridor, “Come now, master Edmund, your father will be home any moment.” A prim-faced young woman in grey dress appeared, shaking out a miniature frock coat before her.
“Time to dress.”
Charlotte stood and the woman paused.
“Oh, pardon me I did not know Edmund had a guest.”
“That’s all right. I was just leaving.”
The woman passed by them and into Edmund’s room.
She felt Edmund tug at her sleeve. “Father is taking me to the circus.”
“How nice.”
“But you can read to me first.”
