"Like this?" Calista asked.
Calista and Sofia were sitting at the pianoforte in the schoolroom. Calista started to play a five note scale. Sofia listened half heartedly. It had only been a few days since the strange conversation with Mr. Sebara in the drawing room but it still had Sofia very distracted, trying to figure out why he made such a big deal about the books she had.
'Maybe Violet knows something about this strange behavior,' Sofia mused to herself.
"Miss Balthazar, did I play it right?" Calista asked.
Sofia shook herself out of her musings.
"Oh I'm sorry Calista," Sofia said. "I wasn't listening."
Calista looked at her governess and raised an eyebrow.
"Your face is red," Calista said.
"It's very warm," Sofia said. "I think we'll get our shawls and go for a short walk outside then resume lessons."
Calista jumped up and grabbed her shawl. Sofia smiled to herself.
"Can we perhaps bring our drawing pads and draw a bit while outside?" Calista asked.
"I don't see any reason not to," Sofia said. "Wrap your shawl around you then grab your pad."
Moments later, the two were on a bench outside that had a view of the yard and its sprawling landscape. Sofia heard a couple of voices and glanced out into the yard and saw Mr. Sebara talking with one of his tenants.
"Uncle Ceddy is going to leave again soon," Calista said. "He never stays this long. I miss him when he leaves."
"Perhaps," Sofia said. "It is his choice to stay or go."
Calista sulked then smiled brightly as if she had an idea.
"Miss Balthazar, you're good at drawing," Calista said. "Can you draw me a portrait of him so I don't have to miss him so much?"
Sofia made a small grimace but turned to a blank page in her sketchbook. She took a quick glance at her employer then set her pencil to paper. Sofia could almost feel Calista's excitement as she sketched a side view of her employer, taking occasional glances up at him.
As Sofia was about finished with the sketch, she glanced up to find that Mr. Sebara had disappeared from the yard.
"Your gaze is very direct, Miss Balthazar."
Sofia jumped from her spot on the bench at the sound of Mr. Sebara's voice behind her. She stared wide eyed at him, trying to figure out how he got there so fast and without her noticing.
"Do you think me handsome?" Mr. Sebara continued on.
"No Sir," Sofia said, forgetting to not call him sir.
Mr. Sebara laughed.
"My, my, how very cool," Mr. Sebara said. "You're quiet and grave until someone says something to you that requires a response then you rap out a reply that's as blunt as it is brutal. What do you mean by it?"
"I meant no disrespect Mr. Sebara," Sofia said. "I spoke too plainly."
"You did no such thing," Mr. Sebara said. "So tell me, what faults do you find with me?"
"None Mr. Sebara," Sofia said. "Beauty has no meaning to me."
"Hmph, spoken like a true naive schoolgirl governess," Mr. Sebara said. "So what have you been drawing there?"
Sofia felt her cheeks heat a bit as she held her sketchbook out to her employer. Mr. Sebara took the sketchbook and looked at its newest addition.
"Well, well, well, you've got me," Mr. Sebara said, pulling the page out of the sketchbook, crumpling it.
Calista snatched the page from her uncle.
"No," she said. "That's mine."
Sofia gave a quick half smile at Calista as she showed mild annoyance at her uncle.
"Come with me Miss Balthazar," Mr. Sebara said.
Mr. Sebara walked a few steps then paused.
"Calista, go back to the schoolroom," Sofia said softly. "I'll be there soon."
Calista got up and went inside like she was instructed. Sofia turned and walked with Mr. Sebara. He didn't say anything as they walked along.
"If you don't mind my asking, Mr. Sebara, what happened to Calista's parents?" Sofia asked.
"Ever the direct person, Miss Balthazar," Mr. Sebara said. "Calista's father was in a coach accident and my sister, her mother, got very ill the following winter."
"That's very unfortunate," Sofia said.
They continued walking along, quietly.
"Indeed it was," Mr. Sebara said after a moment of silence. "I was abroad when it happened. Returning to Hexley Hall after so much time away was difficult. It was what needed to be done though. As much as I've come to dislike the place, I think I can learn to like it again."
"Hexley Hall is a very fine place," Sofia said. "I do not see how anyone could dislike it."
"Merlin's mushrooms, you are naive," Mr. Sebara said. "Just because a place is nice, it doesn't automatically mean it is good. You've had no experience of such finery, I imagine. So your claim that no one would dislike a fine place is not valid."
Sofia thought back to living with her aunt. Her aunt's home was very fine, as befitting her late uncle's status of a magistrate. But it hadn't been a pleasant experience so the house was less than great in her mind.
'No, a pleasant exterior doesn't automatically mean a pleasant place,' Sofia thought.
"Mr. Sebara!"
Sofia recognized the voice of the older butler. Mr. Sebara turned to face Baileywick.
"A Mr. York is here to see you," Baileywick said. "I've shown him to the drawing room."
"Thank you Baileywick," Mr. Sebara said. "Let Mr. York know I will be there in a moment."
"Right away Mr. Sebara," Baileywick said before walking away.
Mr. Sebara watched Baileywick fade away.
"You've done good work with my niece," Mr. Sebara said. "Thank you Miss Balthazar."
With that, Mr. Sebara strode away, not giving Sofia much of a chance to say anything in response.