I won't. You're silly."
"I am? Now, why would you say that?"
"Papa's not a'mal."
"He's not! Well, tell me what he looks like, then."
"He's bigger than that," she said, pointing to the parrot-shaped bird. "And strong, and my papa knows everything! My papa's a mar-kiss!"
"Well, he certainly sounds like an interesting person. You shall have to introduce us."
The little girl nodded, her thumb disappearing again into her mouth.
"So, are you playing hide-and-seek with your papa? Shall we look for him together?"
The child nodded again, a grin breaking out from around the thumb stuck in her mouth. Shyly she offered her free hand to Jocelyn. Together they circled a bush cut to resemble a giraffe, then Jocelyn led her new companion toward the parrot-shaped bush. She encouraged Lady Anne to go before her around the bush.
"No. Not here!" Lady Anne declared, then ran back to grab Jocelyn's hand to pull her toward another bush.
"Not here? But—" She pulled away from the child to peek around the bush herself. There was no marques. In confusion she quickly looked around to see if there were other parrot-shaped bushes about. There were none.
"Come on!" encouraged Lady Anne, pulling on Jocelyn's skirt.
"I'm coming," Jocelyn told her, hurrying forward and cursing the stiffness of her skirts that made quick movements feel like running in sand.
Lady Anne scampered on toward the lion-shaped bush. "Papa! Papa! I got a new friend, Papa! Come see!"
Jocelyn followed, wondering if the child could get lost. "Lady Anne! Wait for me!"
Too quickly the child disappeared from view.
"Lady Anne! Lady Anne!" Jocelyn called, panic seeping into her voice. She lifted her skirts above her ankles to quicken her pace. "Lady Anne!" she called out again as she searched behind pyramids and circled other animals. "Lady Anne!"
"Are you looking for us?" inquired a low voice colored with laughter.
Jocelyn whirled about, her breath catching painfully in her chest. Behind her stood Tarkington with Lady Anne in his arms. The little girl had one arm looped around her father's neck, while the other was clamped over her mouth as she tried to stifle her giggles. Jocelyn sagged backward against a bush in relief, only to jerk upright at the feel of sharply cut branches piercing her back.
"Don't do that!" she admonished, frowning at them. She rubbed a spot on her shoulder that had received a particularly sharp poke from the branches.
"Do what? Don't you like playing hide-and-seek?" the marques teased, his eyes laughing.
"I do, but it's not fair to put me in the game when I don't know the playing field," she returned sharply.
Tarkington laughed, and Jocelyn was again struck by the thought that this was not the gentleman Lady Mary had described. Her fascination grew.
"Well, my lady," he said, addressing his daughter, "shall we show Miss Maybrey about our garden playground?"
Lady Anne nodded. She pushed away from her father's shoulder and squirmed. "Down. Down, please."
When she was on the ground, she trotted off on sturdy little legs to another sculpted bush and turned to wait for the adults to follow.
"You joined in the game quite readily. For my daughter's sake, I thank you."
Jocelyn glanced up at Tarkington's suddenly solemn face, surprised by his comment. "Why? I enjoyed myself. At least until Lady Anne disappeared from sight. I was afraid lest she come to harm. I haven't any experience with very young children, you see, so I do not know their capabilities, let alone what I should do or say to them. My experience has been limited to those I've seen in the London parks with their nursemaids and governesses."
Tarkington looked about to speak, but a shrill "Come on, Papa!" interrupted him.
"We're coming right now," he called out to her, then offered his arm to Jocelyn. "You surprise me, Miss Maybrey," he said as they approached Lady Anne.
"In what manner, my lord?"
"Where are your languid manners? Your ennui?"
Jocelyn laughed. "I fear it is too cold and
"I am? Now, why would you say that?"
"Papa's not a'mal."
"He's not! Well, tell me what he looks like, then."
"He's bigger than that," she said, pointing to the parrot-shaped bird. "And strong, and my papa knows everything! My papa's a mar-kiss!"
"Well, he certainly sounds like an interesting person. You shall have to introduce us."
The little girl nodded, her thumb disappearing again into her mouth.
"So, are you playing hide-and-seek with your papa? Shall we look for him together?"
The child nodded again, a grin breaking out from around the thumb stuck in her mouth. Shyly she offered her free hand to Jocelyn. Together they circled a bush cut to resemble a giraffe, then Jocelyn led her new companion toward the parrot-shaped bush. She encouraged Lady Anne to go before her around the bush.
"No. Not here!" Lady Anne declared, then ran back to grab Jocelyn's hand to pull her toward another bush.
"Not here? But—" She pulled away from the child to peek around the bush herself. There was no marques. In confusion she quickly looked around to see if there were other parrot-shaped bushes about. There were none.
"Come on!" encouraged Lady Anne, pulling on Jocelyn's skirt.
"I'm coming," Jocelyn told her, hurrying forward and cursing the stiffness of her skirts that made quick movements feel like running in sand.
Lady Anne scampered on toward the lion-shaped bush. "Papa! Papa! I got a new friend, Papa! Come see!"
Jocelyn followed, wondering if the child could get lost. "Lady Anne! Wait for me!"
Too quickly the child disappeared from view.
"Lady Anne! Lady Anne!" Jocelyn called, panic seeping into her voice. She lifted her skirts above her ankles to quicken her pace. "Lady Anne!" she called out again as she searched behind pyramids and circled other animals. "Lady Anne!"
"Are you looking for us?" inquired a low voice colored with laughter.
Jocelyn whirled about, her breath catching painfully in her chest. Behind her stood Tarkington with Lady Anne in his arms. The little girl had one arm looped around her father's neck, while the other was clamped over her mouth as she tried to stifle her giggles. Jocelyn sagged backward against a bush in relief, only to jerk upright at the feel of sharply cut branches piercing her back.
"Don't do that!" she admonished, frowning at them. She rubbed a spot on her shoulder that had received a particularly sharp poke from the branches.
"Do what? Don't you like playing hide-and-seek?" the marques teased, his eyes laughing.
"I do, but it's not fair to put me in the game when I don't know the playing field," she returned sharply.
Tarkington laughed, and Jocelyn was again struck by the thought that this was not the gentleman Lady Mary had described. Her fascination grew.
"Well, my lady," he said, addressing his daughter, "shall we show Miss Maybrey about our garden playground?"
Lady Anne nodded. She pushed away from her father's shoulder and squirmed. "Down. Down, please."
When she was on the ground, she trotted off on sturdy little legs to another sculpted bush and turned to wait for the adults to follow.
"You joined in the game quite readily. For my daughter's sake, I thank you."
Jocelyn glanced up at Tarkington's suddenly solemn face, surprised by his comment. "Why? I enjoyed myself. At least until Lady Anne disappeared from sight. I was afraid lest she come to harm. I haven't any experience with very young children, you see, so I do not know their capabilities, let alone what I should do or say to them. My experience has been limited to those I've seen in the London parks with their nursemaids and governesses."
Tarkington looked about to speak, but a shrill "Come on, Papa!" interrupted him.
"We're coming right now," he called out to her, then offered his arm to Jocelyn. "You surprise me, Miss Maybrey," he said as they approached Lady Anne.
"In what manner, my lord?"
"Where are your languid manners? Your ennui?"
Jocelyn laughed. "I fear it is too cold and
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