‘Er…yes?’
The dark eyes shifted to Alessandro, who was smiling down at her.
‘You must besoexcited about going to Disney World.’
The serious eyes lit up and she clasped her hands together as if standing to attention. ‘I’ve seen all the Disney films.’ She reached for the colouring book and handed it to Georgie.
‘I’m seriously impressed.’ Georgie’s voice was warm. Was this too much chat? Just the right amount? She didn’t know how she could avoid talking without seeming rude.
‘I teach kids and some of them are your age and I’ve never known any of them to colour as neatly as this.’
‘Really?’
‘Really. I’m a pretty good artist. Maybe I could teach you how to draw one of your favourite Disney characters.’ She felt the hand on her back deliver a tiny prod. ‘Time permitting. You’ll probably be all wrapped up going on rides with…er…your dad.’
‘With us both,’ Alessandro’s voice said smoothly from behind her. ‘Flora, why don’t you carry on with what you’re doing? We haven’t got long before the flight’s called. You can finish up colouring…’
‘Elsa fromFrozen.’
‘Quite.’
She sat down and reached for one of the felt tips that she had arranged neatly in a row of ten on the table.
Georgie had no idea what to make of their brief conversation. For a minute she looked at the little girl as she took her time with the lines, shaking her head now and again when a colour strayed over the edge.
Next to her, Alessandro had flipped open his laptop and was scrolling through it, losing himself in work, occasionally glancing at Flora but, basically, he had returned to business.
He adored her. That was obvious in the unguarded expression on his face when he looked across at her. Now and again, he murmured something encouraging under his breath and Flora’s eyes would light up.
That said, they were so formal with one another!
Was that because he had been messed around with custody? Because the times when he had seen his daughter had been inconsistent?
If Flora had been caught in the middle of a vengeful mother and a father who had ended up finding himself sidelined, then, yes, that would explain the hesitancy between them.
She’d seen that before on the slopes.
One thing she’d clocked from all her time working with kids was that it was usually the very obedient, quiet ones who came from difficult situations and were hesitant when it came to being too loud.
Or complaining too much.
They had learnt that to be quiet was the safest way to deal with inconsistent parenting.
She felt a tug on her heart watching their interaction.
When she looked at Alessandro, slanting, concealed glances when he wasn’t looking, she didn’t see the open, joyful, delighted expression her father wore whenever he was with her and her sisters. There was a restraint that made her heart constrict, although she knew that that was none of her concern and certainly nothing she should ever think of voicing.
And Flora?
So beautiful and quiet, engrossed in her colouring, barely glancing around her. There wasn’t a single six-year-old she knew who wouldn’t be making a complete nuisance of him or herself in this first-class lounge.
Or maybe she was thinking about her and her sisters, who would have raided that buffet bar several times over and would now be nagging their parents about something or other. They would have been too excited to keep still.
‘What are you smiling at?’ Alessandro murmured, snapping her out of her thoughts.
She turned to look at him. ‘I was wondering whether I should help myself to something from that buffet bar. Looks pretty amazing.’
‘Be my guest.’
