Just going down the front steps had her terrified, but with Max holding her steady, she managed without tumbling headfirst down the stairs.
“See? Easy as dancing a jig.”
She had no idea what a jig was. Neither would she be dancing anytime soon. But she didn’t argue. He was too happy with his gift for her to dash his excitement. Plus, it felt good to have the sun on her face though she had to tilt her head back to a ridiculous degree to feel it beneath her bonnet.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to relax into the situation. They already had drawn attention from servant and dignitary alike.
“We’ll walk down the lane a ways. Let you get the hang of sitting astride.”
She nodded as if she understood. She did not. Instead, she focused on the sun in his hair, the light in his eyes, and the grin on his face. The man was excited to be walking with her.
“Tell me about this rickshaw thing. Do people really run in front of carriages like a mule?”
She spoke slowly, working for the English words.
“Horses are costly. Rich men pay for people to pull them in a chair.”
She started to explain more about the lives of wealthy men, but he seemed more interested in the runners. He was fascinated by the idea of old men run to exhaustion. He grinned when she spoke about young men strutting in their strength.
“I should love to see it one day.”
She would enjoy showing it to him, but that would never be. She would not return to China. By now her father would have figured out that her brothers did not know nearly as much as they pretended. He would know, to his shame, that he had traded away the one child who could run his business.
If she returned to China, he would find a way to capture her again. And as much as she missed her mother and her younger brothers, her duty to her ancestors was done. When she was sold to the Wong patriarch, she had cleared her father’s debts. No child could be expected to do more. She would not return and risk falling under her father’s thumb again.
“I hope you get there one day,” she said.
“You will not show it to me?”
“I will never return.”
“But why?” he gestured about him. “Don’t you long for home?”
She looked at his bright eyes and happy smile. He truly did not understand his fortune.
“Not every home is as pleasant as yours.”
His expression sobered. “I am sorry.”
His statement took her by surprise. His words were said with a good heart and a kind face, but the disparity between them had never been larger. He was a leader among his people, a man who was respected simply for breathing. Even now, people all aroundthem were angling for a way to speak to him. She could see their intrigued looks and their prancing about to get his attention.
She was nobody. Even her own father had no idea of her worth. And yet, looking into his gentle eyes, she felt some of her fury fade. It was like looking at the sun and being annoyed that he did not understand she was a shadow.
She wanted to be in his light forever.
Then she lost the chance to respond. A couple walked up to them with bright words and false smiles. Max greeted them with matching brightness, bowing over the lady’s hand and saying things like, “What ho” to the man.
What did “What ho” mean?
She was introduced next and with Max’s help, she returned the welcome much as the other lady had. Her hand was kissed and when she turned to the woman, she said what he had said to the man.
“What ho, my lady?”
Laughter greeted her words. Clearly, she had made a mistake. She looked nervously at Max, but he patted her hand.
“What ho, indeed.”
There was more conversation which she could not completely follow. Something about the weather, she thought. And a party? There were several surreptitious glances at her feet, but Max had made sure that her gown covered them.
