Rhythm and Rhyme by Dixie Carlton

Author:Dixie Carlton [Carlton, Dixie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Authority Authors
Published: 2019-04-12T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Marija was easily able to see just how unhappy the children were, but something had changed. Suddenly, they were less fractious and miserable; more secretive somehow. Something certainly was different in the household. Leonora had noticed it too. Something was off, and she seemed unable to talk with Maureen these last few days without noticing a smirk, or a shrug indicating that she really didn’t care much to hear anything Leonora might say. It was as though the children had decided to close ranks against everyone and stand together with their backs to a wall.

“That girl - she’s trouble. She just won’t listen. I’m tired of trying so hard to get her to like me.” Leonora lamented her latest efforts with Marija and the house keeper, Sally. I just don’t understand her at all. Lewis on the other hand is a delight. But even he seems different. He looks at his sister before he says anything at all, as though he needs her permission to speak.”

“At least the dramas seem to have stopped for a while.” Marija was referring to the constant and noisy battles between Maureen and Sybil. “I’ve not heard a door slam since Tuesday.”

“Yes, it’s quite strange. Still, I’m expecting that I’ll have to talk with the Mister before he goes, so maybe he will be able to explain.”

“Ahem…”

At that, they turned to see that Nathaniel himself was standing a few feet away and had presumably heard their conversation. “Leonora, I wonder if we might speak privately for a moment.”

He turned and walked into his own rooms, a sitting area with a bedroom through an open archway. He turned and sat in one of two straight backed chairs, each on either side of a low table, indicating that Leonora should sit opposite him.

She fidgeted uncomfortably, wondering what could possibly be wrong. He looked nervous.

“Leonora, I heard you just mention to the others that you felt something was amiss with the children. Are you concerned about something?”

“Oh, well no, Sir, just that I’ve noticed the children both seem somehow calmer this week. Everything else is fine.” She had a strange thought that he was feeling his way through a sensitive matter, but unable to quite bring the words forward. He hesitated, and leaned forward to pick up a fountain pen on the table, capping it and uncapping it, fiddling and fussing over it, before finally leaning back and looking at her long and hard for a moment.

“I’m about to tell you something, that must not leave these four walls. Leonora, can I trust you to be very discreet about something of utmost importance?” He knew that holding his breath was absurd, but he also felt that trusting much of his future plans to a stranger was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do in his life. A lot was at stake, and yet he was certain of his need of this woman’s support for things to go as planned.

“Certainly, Sir. I mean, whatever it is, I’m sure I’ll be well able to keep my own counsel on it.

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