We Who Are Jaded

Chapter Seventeen

By the blue eyed inspection of the girl before me, I wasn't a specimen of much awe. I played with my fingers, aware I had been caught red handed.  

"I'm sorry, I was just leaving," I muttered, trying to somehow get around her and out of the door as fast as I could. She blocked me whilst raising one finger and wagging it. 

"Not just yet, I was raised better than to not introduce myself." I took a step back, a little bemused by the forthrightness of such a small person.  

She was the perfect incarnation of a cherub, a poster child for all that was innocent and pure. I supposed it was her white pinafore , lavender blouse and golden ringlets that did nothing to distract from her cuteness. In fact, if I didn't know any better I would have thought she had stumbled out of a fairtytale.

Not that that would surprise me considering... 

"Are you deaf or do you just not understand English?" Goldilocks questioned. Butter wouldn't melt, not even under the cruel curl of her smirk.   

"Sorry...I..." I licked my lips, an unflattering shade of scarlet colouring my cheeks and a sudden inability to converse making me appear more of a fool than previously decided .  Goldilocks raised a brow. I turned away, desperate for composure to swoop in a save the situation.

"I'm Roslyn, Roslyn McGuire." She offered me a demur hand which I, by complete comparison, rudely ignored it and stared at her. 

"You're Roslyn? I imagined you'd be-eh-older," I said. Part of me had supposed there was something of Kieran's immortality in her, even if her eyes were blue. Roslyn cocked her head and examined me like I'd presented her with something foul in sight and smell.

"Well I imagined you with a bit of wit and grace about you but reality never ceases to surprise me," Roslyn said, lowering her hand. 

That made two of us. 

"Sorry to be so absurdly disappointing," I replied. Roslyn's brow arched and she twirled a ringlet between her fingers. 

"Perhaps she can articulate after all," Roslyn pondered, flicking away the curl with an elegant wave of her hand. I was taken aback by her forwardness, seeing behind her appearance of sunshine and loveliness the traces of a cold and sinister Sophia.  

"I'm Christine Evans." I didn't fail to mark the mischievous malice that glinted in her appraising eyes. Even if my first impression had not been of interest, my name certainly was. 

"Oh I know who you are Miss Evans, you are quite the causer of commotion in this household." I didn't trust her smile in the slightest. "And of course my Uncle Kieran has told me so much about you." 

Uncle?

"All bad I'm guessing?" I retorted sharply. Although determined to return her cutting banter I was left riddled with yet more question. Busty Barbara had said 'father', not uncle and the difference was one of the deal breaking kind. 

"He said you were funny. I've not fully grasped concept of sarcasm, though nanny uses it a lot and says that I'm quickly learning the ways of it." Roslyn rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. "Do excuse me if I digress, it's a rather disagreeable habit of mine." 

The kid couldn't be for real, surely she was aware of how ridiculous she sounded? Or perhaps I was the ridiculous one for being overwhelmed by a seven year old. 

"I don't mind," I said, peeking to see if I could somehow sneak out of the door unnoticed; it was grossly unlikely.  Roslyn, in the meantime, strolled over to Kieran's desk and placed herself upon his chair. Concluding I wasn't going anywhere, I took to a rung of the ladder and eyed the peculiar child.