She was smiling. Nothing on her face revealed that she held any grudges. He wondered if that was true, or if she was simply good at hiding her feelings, like him.
“Am I interrupting?”
The girls’ gaze lingered on him, their writing utensils in their little hands, practicing. He imagined how big and confusing the world must look to them. How filled with things yet to be found out. But, at the same time, how curious and how wonderful.
This was what he needed to remind them of. This was also what he needed to be reminded of himself. Perhaps, Miss. Blake would play a part in that revelation. He surprised himself with hidden hopes of that being correct.
“We were just practicing our writing,” Miss. Blake explained, and both girls nodded.
“I do not mean to interrupt your lesson plan by any means,” Edmund spoke with some hesitation, but he was certain of what he came here for. “I was wondering if perhaps, when you are done, we could… all take a walk.” He paused, not even sure why, simply the lack of familiarity with such a suggestion made him do it.
“A walk?” the girls repeated at the same time, their faces a strangely sweet mixture of shock and awe.
“Yes,” Edmund nodded. “I think a nice walk before lunch time will do us all good.”
“I think that is a wonderful idea,” Miss. Blake’s face beamed, as she locked eyes with his. “Don’t you think so, girls?”
Her face seemed even lovelier than usual. Her long white hair was again tied in a braid, which fell down her back. He liked that it wasn’t in a high bun or something of the sort. In fact, he wished he could see what she looked like with her hair down, framing those tender eyes and those smiling lips.
“May we go now, Miss. Blake?” Madeline jumped up from her chair, and Cecilia followed suit.
Edmund remained silent. He wanted to see how Miss. Blake would handle it.
“While I do believe it is a lovely idea,” Miss. Blake started softly, but firmly, “one must always finish what one started, before taking up a new activity. In any case, we are almost done with our exercise.”
Edmund wanted to suppress his smile, but he couldn’t. She reacted exactly as he wanted her to react. Then, to his utter surprise, the girls simply concurred.
“Yes, Miss. Blake,” Madeline immediately sat back down, and Cecilia did the same.
Miss. Blake watched over their little hands scribbling quickly, as he remained on the sides, not wishing to disturb them. He realized that this was the first time he had seen the girls so focused on something, which wasn’t destructive in nature.
Madeline’s little lips pursed occasionally, as she found herself struggling with something, but then her face would light up when she realized she’d managed to do it. Cecilia, on the other hand, was the calmer of the two. She never found it difficult to focus, and in fact, welcomed quiet times. She was more like her mother.
The girls shared so many traits with their parents that it was sometimes too painful to observe. Suddenly, he remembered how he and his brother used to be exactly like that when they were little boys - so different, yet so alike.
His older brother, George, was always the one pulling all the strings, initiating all the mischiefs, which would drive their mother, and all other house staff for that matter, mad. Madeline was so much like him.
“Are you all right?” He suddenly heard Miss. Blake ask.
“Excuse me?” He didn’t hear her.
“Are you all right?” she repeated politely. “You seem miles away from here.”
“To be quite honest with you, Miss. Blake, I was,” he admitted. “The girls remind me of my late brother and his wife so much. Sometimes, I’m simply overwhelmed by it.”
“It’s all right to be overwhelmed,” she replied kindly.
“I know,” he smiled. “I tend to forget that sometimes.”
“It’s good that you have them to remind you.”
As he gazed at her, he realized that he hadn’t paid much attention to her eyes before. Everything about her was so extraordinary, so exquisite that it was hard to focus on one thing alone. Now, he looked deeply into those eyes, the strangest, loveliest amalgamation of purple and blue he had ever seen.
“We’re ready!” The girls interrupted their moment, but Edmund didn’t mind.
“Then, let’s go,” he nodded, extending his right arm towards the door.
The two girls rushed outside but stopped right after the doorway. They turned to Edmund and Miss. Blake, with a hesitant look on their faces. Madeline approached Miss. Blake. She gestured at her governess to bend down a little, so that she could whisper something in her ear.
