Chapter 7
After dinner, Meredith asked if the children would take her on a tour of the grounds. “The gardens look so pretty, and I noticed you have a swimming pool as well as a pond out there.”
Katerina still seemed to be studying Meredith with a dubious expression, but she agreed to take her outside. Perhaps with a diabolical plan to take her into the woods and leave her there?
“Great. You too, Mishka?”
“Let Kat take you if she wants to,” he said abruptly. “I have something to attend to inside.”
Meredith wanted to ask him what he had to “attend to” but thought better of it.
For the most part, she trusted the boy. He seemed inclined to please her.
But she was surprised he was excusing himself from the grounds tour.
Perhaps it was because Kat had agreed so readily.
“Okay then.” She smiled at him. “I’ll see you later. Maybe we can play a game or something.”
He brightened. “Okay.”
Kat was already heading out the French doors from the dining room, probably impatient to get this tour done with. Or perhaps she was eager to drown the nanny in one of the water features.
“My baby brother doesn’t like to go outside,” Kat said in a rather calm way as they walked through the garden, pausing by the pond.
“That’s too bad. It’s lovely out here. Especially this time of day.” She looked at the pond. “Any fish in there?”
“Yes. Not koi. Not anymore. Raccoons kept taking them, and Papa got fed up. So we have just regular goldfish now. But they’re getting big.
” She knelt by a metal bucket, opening it to scoop out a handful of what looked like fish food.
Piece by piece she dropped it in, watching as fish bobbed up to eat.
And even calling some by name. It was the first tender thing Meredith had witnessed in this girl. And it gave her hope.
“They’re pretty,” Meredith commented. “They seem to know you.”
“Yeah. I guess.” Kat tossed the remnants of food into the pond then stood.
“I’m not surprised your family likes to come here for summer holiday.” Meredith looked around. “It’s so peaceful and beautiful.”
“It’s different than our island house. I guess it’s okay.”
“Is the reason Mishka didn’t come out here because of the pond? And the swimming pool? Is he really afraid of water?”
“Terrified.”
“Do you know why?”
She shrugged. “Not really. Papa has tried to teach him to swim, but George just freezes up in the water. And that makes him sink like a stone. He’s hopeless.”
“I’m guessing you’re a good swimmer.” Meredith studied Kat’s sturdy build. “You’re probably good at a lot of sports.”
“I am.” She stood taller. “Not George though. He’s such a baby. And a coward.”
“Have you always been like that with him? At odds I mean?”
Kat’s brow creased. “We used to get along okay. He used to do what I told him to do. But lately he’s turned into such a brat that I can’t stand him.”
“That’s sad. I always wished I had a brother or sister.”
“But you don’t?”
“Nope. It was just Dad and me when I was growing up. Well, I mean, after my mom died.”
“Your mom died?” Kat shot her a sideways glance as they walked past a fragrant bed of blooming roses.
“Yeah. When I was ten. How old were you when you lost your mother?”
“Eight.”
“About the same age as Mishka is now.”
“George,” Kat said sharply.
“You don’t like that I call him Mishka?”
Kat shrugged with a scowl. “It’s a silly baby name, but I don’t care.”
Meredith did the mental math. “Mishka must’ve been young when your mother died. About three?”
Another shrug.
“Were you on good terms with your little brother then?”
Her countenance softened slightly. “He was a baby, so of course I took care of him. Papa said it was my job as the big sister.”
“I bet Mishka appreciated that. You were like a little mother.”
“I guess… But he was a lot nicer then. Now he’s an abominable brat.”
“Do you think he’s outgrown your mothering him?”
“I don’t know.” Kat stopped next to the swimming pool now. With arms crossed in front of her, she kicked a soccer ball with vengeance.
Meredith jumped to avoid the splash. “Maybe he wants to grow up now.”
“Nobody’s stopping him.”
“No, of course not. But maybe it’s hard making this transition—to go from him being the baby who needed you to being independent. He probably respected and minded you, like you were a parent. Maybe he sees you more like a sister now.”
“Are you trying to psychoanalyze me?” She glared at Meredith.
“I’m just saying Mishka may need more autonomy and independence now.” Meredith pointed to Kat. “Like you have. You seem quite independent and strong, closer to adulthood than childhood. You’re your own person. Maybe Mishka wants to be more like you, but it’s not easy.”
“Maybe.” Kat’s pale eyebrows drew together. “What are you anyway? Some kind of child therapist?”
Meredith laughed. “Sorry. I did take some child psychology courses in college and considered becoming a counselor. But, really, I just want to figure out why you two are fighting so much. Why you’re so angry at each other.”
“Good luck with that. Maybe it would help if George stopped acting like a spoiled brat.”
It was time to change topics. “I’m guessing you’re a good swimmer. What other sports do you like?”
She began to rattle off a list that seemed inclusive of almost every sport. “I’m like Papa. He was athletic too.”
“That’s nice. I always enjoyed sports.”
“Really?” Kat looked dubious. “You don’t look athletic to me.”
“Looks can be deceiving.” Meredith pointed to the soccer ball floating in the center of the pool. “If you hadn’t kicked that in, I’d show off some of my moves.”
Kat’s eyes lit with a twinge of interest, but her arms were still crossed in front of her. This girl would be a hard nut to crack.
“I get the impression Mishka is not athletic,” Meredith said as they continued walking. “He may resent that you are.”
Another shrug. “That’s his problem.”
“Have you ever tried to help him? You know, coach him?”
“Look!” Her eyes flashed with anger. “Just because he’s my stupid little brother does not mean I have to show him how to do everything. Besides, he’d rather have his nose in a book. And that’s fine with me.” She turned and ran straight into the woods.
Meredith was a tiny bit concerned but reminded herself this was Kat’s holiday home. She probably knew exactly where she was going and what she was doing. And, really, Meredith shouldn’t have kept pushing on her. Good grief, she barely knew these kids. She probably just needed to give them time.
Curious as to what Mishka was up to and looking forward to a child who wouldn’t treat her like a pariah, she headed back inside to find him sitting in a leather armchair in the library, peacefully reading a book with a pair of elephants on the cover.
“Want any company?” she asked from the doorway.
His face brightened into a big grin. “Yes, please.”
She took the chair opposite him and sat with a sigh. “Elephants?”
“Pachyderms.”
“Oh, yes. Of course.” She nodded. “Another name for elephants.”
“Not just elephants. A pachyderm can also be a rhinoceros or hippopotamus. It’s a large mammal with thick skin.”
“Impressive. You’re quite the expert.”
“I like to read about animals.”
“Tell me something else.” She pointed at the book. “About elephants. Something unusual that I may not already know.” She grinned. “Not that I’m an expert. Not like you anyway.”
He began to recite facts about how much they could eat, how long they lived, how far they could travel in a day…and more. “And they have eyelashes.”
“You really are an expert.”
“I have a good memory.” Probably realizing he had a captive audience, he began to tell her about other pachyderms. She tried to appear interested as she listened, but she was actually having a hard time keeping her eyes open.
“You know that it would be about five o’clock in the morning for me in the place I was living just a couple of days ago? I’d be getting ready to get up in a couple of hours, but I still haven’t even gone to bed yet.”
“Really?” He closed the book.
“Yep.”
He looked puzzled. “I thought you lived in America. And our time here is sooner, like it is for England, where our other grandparents live.”
“You’re right about that.” She was really impressed now. This eight-year-old actually understood the world time clock?
“Where did you live?”
She explained about being a teacher in Papua New Guinea and felt slightly relieved he didn’t know where the island was located, but he quickly located a world atlas and, with her help, figured it out.
“What animals live there?” he asked with genuine interest.
“Not all that many. Although they do have a lot of different beautiful birds. And crocodiles.”
“Crocodiles?” His eyes widened. “Did you ever see any?”
“As a matter of fact, yes.” It was getting dusky outside. She had better check and make sure Kat had come back in. “But it’s getting late. What time do you and Kat usually go to bed?”
He shrugged.
“I’m sure you know. You must have a bedtime.”
“We’re supposed to be in our rooms by eight-thirty in the summer. With our teeth brushed and pajamas on.”
“Looks like we’re running late.” She moved over to the window. “Kat took off into the woods. Do you suppose she’s back yet?”
“Who knows.” He stood. “I’ll go get ready for bed. Will you tuck me in?”
“Yes, of course.” She smiled. “But I need to make sure your sister is back.”
He paused by the door. “She may be hiding.”
“Really?”
“I don’t know.” He started to go, calling over his shoulder. “Maybe.”
“Well, you look for her upstairs, Mishka. Just holler down if she’s up there, okay?”
He grinned. “Okay.”
“And I’ll look in the playroom and down here.” As she walked through the downstairs, looking here and there, she heard Mishka’s voice yelling that his sister was not upstairs. Great. Meredith groaned. Her first day here and she’d already lost track of a child. Really?