Free Little Secrets by Alta Hensley, Allison West Page B

woman or so much as hint at the affection she felt from her papa's touch.
    Charley locked eyes on his little one, and as the door shut and Nanny Agnes stepped outside, she breathed a sigh of relief. They sat for several moments in complete silence before Eliza could not take it any longer.
    "I swear, Papa, I did not tell anyone about what happened after you spanked me." It took every bit of courage inside her to speak the truth. It had not been easy, especially to confess on the discipline that had been well earned. She did not pretend to believe she didn't deserve to have her bottom swatted. Her intent to garner her papa's attention had worked, even if it had not been how she had planned it.
    "Good, because I do not wish to soil your reputation."
    They sat in complete silence again, the awkward muteness once again reaching a level that Eliza could no longer stand.
    She opened her mouth only to hear the squeak of the door interrupt them. Her nanny had not been gone long.
    "I have brought your tea and biscuits," Nanny Agnes said, carrying a silver tray. She placed the tray on the table and pulled back the curtains to allow a bit more of the afternoon sun to warm the room. Quietly, she walked to the opposite end of the room, where a rocking chair was nestled near the wall. Agnes sat down, her hands clasped together in her lap, her eyes on the two of them the entire time.
    "Nanny Agnes, when will I have alone time with my papa?" Eliza did not desire to have her nanny gawking at them whenever they sipped tea, laughed, or had an intimate conversation.
    "When you are well-behaved and have earned it," Nanny Agnes answered.
    Papa smiled warmly, easing her discomfort. "Do not concern yourself with her, little Eliza."
    She found it difficult not to worry when her nanny watched her every move. If she slipped up, would she be bent over her nanny's knee? "Can I ask you something, Papa?" She could not contain the nagging feeling that crept upon her. Her eyes were trained on the tea and she added a bit of sugar before having a sip, unable to look at him, embarrassed that she even felt it necessary to ask.
    "Of course. You may ask me anything, and I will always be honest with you." He reached across the table, resting his hand upon hers. "What is it?"
    "Why were you really visiting Ashby when we first met? You were not invited to the chateau. Had you been, you would not have found it necessary to climb over the gates."
    His eyes widened. "You saw that?"
    Eliza nodded slowly. "Yes. What were you doing here?" She could not understand why he would find it necessary to sneak in if he desired to send his sister to the finishing school. Wouldn't he have been invited to meet with the headmaster? Certainly if he could afford the tuition, why would they not want his sister to be enrolled as a student?
    His voice dropped lower, clearly wishing to keep the conversation solely between them. The room, though, was quiet, and without the chatter of the other littles, she worried for him. What did he desire to tell her that he did not wish her nanny to overhear? "We can discuss it later, if you would prefer?" she said. She did not want to wait to hear his answer, but could see the hesitancy in his hazel gaze. His eyes were alluring, and she found herself unable to break his stare.
    "I will tell you now," Papa said. He continued to keep his voice low. "It is as I said before, little Eliza, I wanted to investigate what type of school this was for my sister. I wanted the very best, and Ashby has a reputation, but it also harbors a hint of mystery, do you not agree?"
    Eliza would not have thought anything at all strange about Ashby before being part of the secret school of littles, but now that she was being trained to become little, it did seem a bit peculiar to her. "You suspected the school of littles?" Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. "Surely if you knew, others may, as well. Oh, this cannot be good, Mr. Lockwood."
    "You are to address me as 'Papa,'"