“I was, I promise you,” Olivia said, embarrassed to be speaking so frankly about herself. “I can tell you about every nook and cranny of this place. I know that the best perch is at the very top, in the attic, where you can see the street from above, and that the best place to hide is in the cellars, near the potato sacks. I used to eat brown bread and soup just like you and be happy, on Christmas, when we would get a pudding.”
“Zounds! You really did live here,” said a tiny girl with red hair.
“We get a pudding every week now,” said a boy, “But a special one on Christmas.”
“I am very glad to hear it.”
“But then how did you get so fine?” said the same older girl, her tone still skeptical.
Olivia paused, unsure of how to explain her trajectory. “First, I worked as a maid for an old widow, which was very hard work. And then I worked in a very large house, in the same house Lady Willa lives in, cleaning for the family. Then, I was hired as a lady’s companion by a woman who lived in France.”
“Have you been to Paris?” said the older girl, her eyes wide. “Lady Willa told us about Paris.”
“I’ve lived there.”
The girl gaped at this revelation.
From the crowd, a very tiny boy approached Augustus and pulled on his leg.
“Up!” he exclaimed to him. Olivia laughed at this familiarity—the boy must be quite bold to approach a strange man so imperiously.
Augustus scooped him up and the boy climbed on his shoulders.
“Me too! Me too!” The crowd of children began to shout. Soon, Olivia was watching as Augustus lifted the children onto his shoulders and twirled them and held them upside down in the cavernous space. The time passed without her realizing it. As the children completed their meals, she watched as they formed themselves into groups for little games on the stone floors. Many pulled out tidy sets of marbles, showing that this activity was a common pastime.
“It is snowing, Augustus, we should leave.”
Olivia turned and realized the words had been spoken by Willa.
“No!” cried the little boy who had been next to ride atop Augustus’s shoulders, “Please, sir, don’t go yet.”
Olivia and Augustus looked out the window at the same moment. Snow was falling gently.
“Surely, we can stay a bit longer,” she said to Augustus.
He smiled and turned towards his sister. “Let us stay for another half hour. We are so close to home.”
As Augustus continued to amuse the children, Olivia leaned towards Miss Fairfax.
“I must admire what you have done with this room, Miss Fairfax. Willa tells me it was your doing.”
“Willa is too kind. While I will admit that it was my design, it never could have been done without the support of Lord Montaigne. He is here often with Lady Willa and he provided the funds.”
Olivia startled. Augustus had told her that he had never set foot in the place. There must be some mistake.
“He told me that he has never before come to the orphanage.”
Miss Fairfax laughed. “You must be mistaken, Miss Watson. While I will admit that he is not here as frequently as Lady Willa, he has been here many times. You see how the children know him well.”
Olivia did not understand. Why would he have lied to her about such a thing? He certainly couldn’t think that she would have thought worse of him.
“Of course, it was Willa who first came here and who convinced her brother,” Miss Fairfax continued, oblivious to her distress. Olivia noticed the way her eyes shone when she mentioned Willa.
“Lord Montaigne and the Dowager Countess say that they can hardly keep Lady Willa away from the place. She seems quite devoted.”
“Willa is a marvel. Quite a few Mayfair aristocrats give donations to our cause here, but only the Carringtons ever visit. And I am sure that, as good as her ladyship is, we wouldn’t receive half as much attention from them, if it weren’t for Willa. She has a rare heart. She is a special person, although many in her world don’t see it.” Miss Fairfax paused and seemed to catch herself. “Of course, I don’t know anything about that. My work is here. I shouldn’t blather.”
Olivia merely smiled in response. She was very certain Miss Fairfax spoke of what she understood quite well. She and Willa were clearly good friends—but Olivia was beginning to suspect something more than friendship between the two women. Augustus had mentioned that Willa did not like to attendtonevents, preferring her charitable endeavors. Olivia had to wonder if she also preferred the company of Miss Fairfax to that of society suitors.
