Chapter 5 #2
“This is your home now, Miss Witherington,” he said to her, his tone almost gentle, as if he was trying to help calm her.
“No doubt, the weeks ahead will be confusing, and I doubt that they will be easy. I do not intend to control you, nor do I intend to make you a prisoner. But you must realize that I have a way of doing things.”
“I just want to know where I stand,” she said with a desperate sigh. “That is all.”
“That will depend entirely on you.”
She was about to follow up on that. Getting a straight answer from the Duke was proving impossible. However, before she had the chance to question him, she heard movement coming from somewhere within the library.
“What was that?” She turned to find the source of the scampering feet. It was light, quick, darting between the aisles.
“What was what?” he asked her simply.
“It sounds like…” She listened closely, no longer able to hear footsteps. But then, she thought that she heard giggling; it echoed throughout the stacks and bounced off the high ceiling. “Is someone else here?”
“Besides myself, you mean?”
“It sounds like…” Slowly, she crept forward, toward the first row of shelves. The giggling stopped, the footsteps were gone, but she knew that she had not imagined it. “Is someone there?” she called out.
Behind her, she thought that she heard the Duke chuckle.
“Come out…” She stepped to the first row, peering her head down. “Whoever you are, come—”
A loud crash came from right behind Arabella. She jumped in fright, screamed, and spun about to find… Well, to be honest, the very last thing that she expected. Especially in such a home as this!
The cause of the crash was a pile of books, pushed off a shelf and now splayed across the ground. But as to who pushed the books? He stood beside the Duke, grinning mischievously, so very proud of himself that he had managed to get such a reaction out of Arabella.
At first, Arabella thought that she must have been seeing things. There was just no way… what on earth have I gotten myself in to?
It was a child, no more than eight years old.
He had hair the same color as Caspian’s, and eyes that were similar in color.
But his face was round, he was skinny and short, and while he looked like he might have been Caspian’s son, there was something about him that belied that assumption.
Even if Arabella could not say what that was.
“You look as if you have seen a ghost,” Caspian said simply.
“I…” Arabella blinked. “So, you see him too?”
Caspian rested a hand atop the child’s head. It was not done with warmth, and the child flinched, but did not pull away. “I am sure he did not mean to frighten you…” Caspian looked down at the boy, who continued to grin with mischief. “Although, perhaps that was his exact intent. Knowing this one.”
“Who is…” Arabella blinked through her confusion. “Forgive me, but I do not think I have ever been so confused. This child is yours?”
“In a fashion.”
“What does that mean?” she cried.
“His name is Timothy,” Caspian said as if that answered the question. “Timothy, I would like for you to meet Miss Witherington.”
Timothy scrunched his face, the mischief vanishing.
He looked at Caspian again, as if seeking approval, and a nod from Caspian allowed the young boy to slowly creep closer.
He was cautious but not scared, and those big eyes of his, wide and eager, showed intelligence in a way that suggested he was taking everything in, assessing it, and then deciding what to do with the information.
“Who are you?” Timothy asked as he took a step toward her. And then another. “I have not seen you before.”
“Nor I you,” Arabella said. She had little experience with children, so she did not know how to act. But she crouched forward, doing her best to appear friendly. “Timothy, was it?”
“My name has not changed in the last thirty seconds.”
“Timothy,” Caspian said sharply. “Behave yourself.”
Timothy flashed his eyes with menace at the Duke before turning back to Arabella. Once he did, that menace vanished, replaced again by caution. “What are you doing here? Who are you?” he asked again.
Arabella did not know how to answer that. So, she looked at Caspian for help, but he offered none. Rather, he watched as if this were a test, and he wanted to see what Arabella would do.
“I am the woman you nearly gave a heart attack to just now,” she said with a smile.
“That is not an answer.”
“It is the best you are going to get,” she responded. “At least for now. I do not know you, so why would I share my secrets with you?”
Timothy appeared delighted by the response. “I have secrets too!”
“Oh?” she laughed. “And is it too soon to ask for them?”
His wicked grin returned. “You may try, but I will not give them.”
“Ah, so it is up to me to get them from you.” She pumped her eyebrows. “How fun.”
“Timothy, that will be all,” Caspian spoke up before Timothy had a chance to say anything else. He spun about, and Caspian raised an eyebrow at him. “Go and find Miss White; no doubt she is looking for you.”
“She will never find me.”
“Which is why you will find her.” He fixed the boy with a look that gave no room for argument. “Go. Quickly now.”
Timothy nodded his head. He turned and looked at Arabella one more time, then ducked down and hurried out of the library. It all happened quickly, in the blink of an eye, and Arabella suspected that was common for the young child.
“That was well done,” Caspian said, nodding his head as if impressed. “He is not good with new people, but he loves games, as he loves proving how much smarter he is than everyone. I suspect the two of you will get along rather well.”
“Get along?” Arabella cried. “What is going on? Who was that?”
The Duke frowned. “I told you, his name is Timothy.”
Her face dropped. Anger flared inside of her. He was playing with her, testing her patience. Worse, he seemed to be doing it on purpose!