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call you Aunt Beth?”
    Her father answered. “I think ‘Miss Beth’ is a better choice.”
    Kathleen smiled. “Miss Beth is a nice name, too.”
    To Beth’s surprise, the little girl then suggested the three of them go to the zoo. “Pa-pa says I might not see the animals for a long time.”
    “ That’s true,” her father said, “but there are zoos in America as well.”
    “ But not the same ones. I have given these elephants names, and I want to say goodbye to them.”
    “ Very well. If it’s all right with Miss Beth, we will do that.”
    The afternoon visit ended, and two days later, they went to the London Zoo. On yet another day, they sailed little boats in the pond in Hyde Park.
    “ Do they have parks in Yew Nork, and may we sail boats in them?”
    Beth laughed at Kathleen’s mispronunciation. “Oh yes. There is a very large one in New York. They call it Central Park, and you may sail boats, or even take a ride in a boat.”
    “ Is Yew—New York as big as London?”
    Beth wasn’t sure which was larger and didn’t answer the question. She described some of the sights of the city the little girl would see, hoping to lessen any anxiety she might feel at the loss of her usual surroundings.
    “ Besides zoos and parks, New York has libraries and many other tall buildings just like London.”
    “ Does it have a building with a big clock like Big Ben in the tower?”
    “ Not exactly like that, but it has a giant railway station with a huge clock.”
    “ May I go to see it? I love clocks. I can tell time, you know.”
    “ Yes, of course, you may see it.” She thought of something else. “New York is close to the ocean and you may go to the beach.”
    “ A beach in the city? How very strange.” She turned to her father. “Is that true?”
    “ Indeed it is. I shall take you there soon. When the weather is warmer. It might still be too cold in April.”
    Kathleen grinned, as if any doubts she’d had about going so far away had been dispelled by hearing of the unexpected glories of her new home.
    Those pleasant interludes prevented Beth from feeling resentful about her status in Graham’s eyes. She reminded herself that once they’d crossed the Atlantic and settled into a home in New York, someone else would take over for her, either one of Graham’s relatives, or a different governess. She would then return to England, free to pursue a new career. She might even meet young men who would not think less of her for having once been employed as a governess. Yet, she couldn’t help wishing that Richard Graham could be that young man. Aside from his social position, she admired him for his exceptional good looks, his demeanor, and, especially, his obvious love of his daughter.
    * * *
     
    Her vacation drawing to a close and the date of sailing drawing near, Beth spent more of her time with her own family. In spite of her eagerness to return to New York, she felt ambivalent about the journey. Once she completed her duties for Lord and Lady Wheatly and the agents rented their house, she would be on her own again. She would return to England and have to find a new position and an affordable flat. She didn’t relish staying in her parents’ house anymore. During her three years in America, she’d been able to send money home, but perhaps such an arrangement would no longer be possible.
    Those thoughts aside, she especially enjoyed spending Easter Sunday at home, going to the same church she’d attended since she was two years old, and visiting other relatives and old friends. She also savored what amounted to her mother’s gourmet Easter feast, even though it bore slight resemblance to the culinary delights whipped up by Lady Wheatly’s chefs in New York over the past three years.
    Her mother barely succeeded in hiding the occasional tears at the thought of her daughter leaving home again. Beth’s father spoke of their mother’s sadness as the two sat together one evening before the unlit fireplace: