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Chapter Three

Chapter Three

In the short time that he had been left alone, Oswald had taken time to assess the school. He had noted that it was mostly clean if not a little bare and cold. He didn't like the building much; it was in a little too urban an area for his taste. His hand gripped the long wooden cane he had brought with him even tighter. The smells which met his nose from the direction of the kitchen weren't overly unpleasant and, the girls he observed passing by the open door to the office, seemed well cared for. He was about to start looking through a few papers which were piled on the desk in front of him when he heard Miss Ferris on her way back down the stairs. He didn't hear a second voice but he assumed the child would be with her. Miss Ferris hurried through the open door, a small girl in front of her, loose curls tumbling in front of her face.

"Mr Carter," Miss Ferris addressed him as she returned to her desk, "I would like to introduce you to your niece." The girl's already large eyes widened as she looked up at Oswald. "Her name is Lyndsey."

"Hello Lyndsey." Oswald said gently, smiling kindly down on the small girl. As she moved out of her corner and relaxed a little, he was able to see her properly. If he hadn't already been sure when he arrived, then he could now be certain that she was his niece. The big dark eyes, looking out from the small pale face were identical to her mother's and her hair was much the same shade his brothers had been in his younger days. He noted she was much shorter than he would have expected but, having seen where she was living, he was in no doubt as to why.

"Hello Mr Carter." Lyndsey said politely, looking curiously as the well-dressed man sat in front of her. "Are you really my uncle? Are you going to take me away from the school?" She couldn't stop herself from asking this. Miss Ferris had to glance quickly over at Oswald as she spoke and he gave her a curt nod to show that, yes, that was indeed his intention. "I didn't know I had an uncle." Lyndsey added.

"I didn't know I had niece either until not that long ago." Oswald laughed. The sound was rich and deep and Lyndsey felt a kind of warmth spread into her that she had never experienced before. Oswald leant forward a little so his face was more on a level with hers. "I would very much like if you would come to live with me. Do you think you would like that?"

"I expect I would like that." Lyndsey said making Oswald chuckle at the thoughtful tone in her voice. "Would I have a room to myself?" She asked, "And new clothes?" She glanced down at the dress she was wearing which, like her other clothes, was a touch too small and well mended.

"Of course you would." Oswald said, a wide beaming smile lighting up his face. "I have a very big house and there are only three of us who live there, so you could have almost as many rooms as you could wish for. And clothes will be no issue. My wife and I have no children of our own so I am sure she will be delighted to take you out and dress you up. Goodness knows she takes pleasure in it with her niece who lives with us." Lyndsey couldn't believe what she was hearing, and when she turned her head she could tell that Miss Ferris was also in awe.

"You would do all that for me?" Lyndsey managed to say, "You don't even know me. What if you don't like me? None of the girls here like me. I heard Miss Ferris say they are scared of me. They all think I'm abnormal." Miss Ferris flinched as the girl spoke. She did not know the Lyndsey had heard her say this. In fact, she wasn't sure how she could have.

"Well I don't scare very easily. I am very brave, as I'm sure are you." Oswald grinned, sitting up straight in his chair. He leaned forward a little as he began to speak again. "I promise you that, no matter what, I will not return you here." He said this seriously, having realised quickly that this was what Lyndsey was most afraid of.