Amelia realized she did not know whether she should answer. Then again, she did not know where she was or who he was either.
“My name is Amelia,” she said cautiously. “And who are you?”
The boy straightened proudly. “I am David Warring.”
Amelia smiled despite her confusion.
“It is lovely to meet you, David.”
“It is lovely to meet you too.”
His answer came so earnestly that she couldn’t help but like him.
David continued examining her as though she were an interesting specimen. He studied her face with open curiosity. “Are you my new governess?”
Amelia blinked. “What?”
“My governess,” he repeated. He wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve. “You do not look like a governess.”
“I am not certain what a governess is supposed to look like,” she said with a smile.
He considered this carefully. “Older and grumpy.”
Amelia laughed. “Thank you very much, I suppose.”
“You are welcome.” The sincerity of his response only made her laugh harder.
David looked delighted by her amusement and climbed onto a nearby chair. Amelia found herself relaxing for the first time since waking. Children possessed a remarkable ability to make frightening situations feel less frightening.
“So,” Amelia said, folding her arms, “have you had many governesses?”
“No, but Uncle Gabriel says that I will need one soon because I’m all grown up,” he said satisfactorily.
For a moment, Amelia almost forgot her circumstances. Then reality returned. She still had no idea where she was. The room was clearly part of a wealthy household, but beyond that, she knew nothing.
“David,” she said gently, “whose house is this?”
“My uncle’s.”
“I see. And you live here with your parents too?” she asked.
“Well…” David frowned. “I lived somewhere else with my sister and papa, but now, I live here with uncle.” The boy continued talking. “My papa died.”
Amelia’s smile faded. “Oh.”
“Then Uncle Gabriel became my papa.”
Amelia blinked several times. “What?”
David nodded confidently. “He looks after me now.”
“I understand,” she said.
Amelia rubbed her temple. A dull ache remained from striking her head. The conversation was not helping. Children truly lived by entirely different rules.
“I should very much like to meet this uncle-papa of yours,” she said.
David smiled. “I can take you.”
