Chapter 3
Kate smiled as Grace raced around the nursery with a toy plane held high over her head. "I fly like Dandy," she told her mother proudly.
"Yes you do," Kate agreed. "Dandy would be very impressed with how well you fly." Grace giggled as she continued to make zooming noises.
It had been a week since the infamous breakfast scene. Kate had talked to neither her father or her sister in that time. Her mother had ventured into the nursery twice to try to convince her of the necessity of using the 'highly recommended' Miss Jones, but Kate wouldn't listen, so she finally gave up. Since then Kate and Grace had seen only James, Matilda, and the maids as they silently went about their work. Occasionally they would walk to Central Park if the weather wasn't too sweltering, but for the most part they played in nursery. There were more toys then Grace knew what to do with, but she was doing her best to work her way through them.
"I want Dandy," Grace said plainatively, standing next to her mother. Kate hadn't noticed that the plane noises had stopped as she gazed out the widow. She looked down at Grace, seeing her lower lip beginning to tremble. Picking her up, Kate hugged her tightly. "I know, sweetheart. Mama misses him too," Kate told her as she blinked her eyes rapidly trying not to cry.
"We go home soon?" Grace asked.
Startled, Kate looked at her daughter. She had never considered China to be home, they were just bidding their time, but she had forgotten that it was the only home Grace had ever known. "No, sweetheart. We're not going back."
Graces eyes filled with tears. "But I want Dandy!"
"I know, Gracie," Kate told her, hugging her tightly again. "But we can't go back. Dandy's coming to us."
"He come here?" she asked excitedly.
Kate shook her head, hating to disappoint her daughter again. "No Grace. Not here. He's going to meet us somewhere else," she paused. "Do you remember the stories Dandy would tell you about the farm where he grew up and his friend Rafe?" Grace nodded. She loved Danny's stories. "That's where Dandy is going to meet us."
"Now?"
Kate shook her head sadly. "Not yet."
"Soon?"
Kate smiled at Grace's persistance. "Maybe. I don't know. China is a very long way away, Grace. Remember it took us a long time to get here."
That didn't seem to bother Grace. She smiled up at her mother. "No problem," she declared, sounding heartbreakingly like Danny. "Dandy can fly!" she wiggled out of her mother's arms and ran accross the room.
"Where are you going?" Kate called out after her, laughing at her sudden exhuberance.
Grace turned to look at her, her head cocked to the side. "I get ready to go."
Kate looked puzzled. "Go where?" she asked. "It's raining. We can't go to the park today."
Grace shook her head. "No. No park," Grace told her. "Get ready for the farm."
Kate quickly caught up with her daughter and knelt down in front of her. "Grace, I'm sorry sweetie. We can't go to the farm yet. But soon," Kate promised as she saw the tears forming again. "We'll go soon. I promise, okay? Mama doesn't know how to fly, so we'll have to go by train. Okay, Grace?" Grace nodded sullenly, her lip pouting, obviously not happy. "Dandy might not be there for a while, though, Grace," Kate warned her daughter. "He might not be able to find a plane. It could take him a long time to get to us."
Crossing her arms, Grace stared stubbornly up at her mother. "Dandy will come!" she declared.
Kate smiled, stroking Graces hair gently. "Yes, he will," she agreed, wishing with all her heart that she had the same strength of her beliefs as Grace. Kate knew that Danny would come home to them - or die trying, and that was what scared her so much. "Why don't you play some more, then we'll go down and see what Matty made for lunch," Kate suggested.
"Can we have sketti?" she asked.
"We'll have to ask Matty, but I think it will be okay," Kate replied.
"Okay." And once again Grace was flying about the room.
Oh, to be young again, Kate thought. To believe wholeheartedly that your parents would do what they promised. To know that their love was unconditional and unbreakable. She only prayed that Grace would know that for the rest of her life and never be disappointed as she had been.
Kate smiled as Grace raced around the nursery with a toy plane held high over her head. "I fly like Dandy," she told her mother proudly.
"Yes you do," Kate agreed. "Dandy would be very impressed with how well you fly." Grace giggled as she continued to make zooming noises.
It had been a week since the infamous breakfast scene. Kate had talked to neither her father or her sister in that time. Her mother had ventured into the nursery twice to try to convince her of the necessity of using the 'highly recommended' Miss Jones, but Kate wouldn't listen, so she finally gave up. Since then Kate and Grace had seen only James, Matilda, and the maids as they silently went about their work. Occasionally they would walk to Central Park if the weather wasn't too sweltering, but for the most part they played in nursery. There were more toys then Grace knew what to do with, but she was doing her best to work her way through them.
"I want Dandy," Grace said plainatively, standing next to her mother. Kate hadn't noticed that the plane noises had stopped as she gazed out the widow. She looked down at Grace, seeing her lower lip beginning to tremble. Picking her up, Kate hugged her tightly. "I know, sweetheart. Mama misses him too," Kate told her as she blinked her eyes rapidly trying not to cry.
"We go home soon?" Grace asked.
Startled, Kate looked at her daughter. She had never considered China to be home, they were just bidding their time, but she had forgotten that it was the only home Grace had ever known. "No, sweetheart. We're not going back."
Graces eyes filled with tears. "But I want Dandy!"
"I know, Gracie," Kate told her, hugging her tightly again. "But we can't go back. Dandy's coming to us."
"He come here?" she asked excitedly.
Kate shook her head, hating to disappoint her daughter again. "No Grace. Not here. He's going to meet us somewhere else," she paused. "Do you remember the stories Dandy would tell you about the farm where he grew up and his friend Rafe?" Grace nodded. She loved Danny's stories. "That's where Dandy is going to meet us."
"Now?"
Kate shook her head sadly. "Not yet."
"Soon?"
Kate smiled at Grace's persistance. "Maybe. I don't know. China is a very long way away, Grace. Remember it took us a long time to get here."
That didn't seem to bother Grace. She smiled up at her mother. "No problem," she declared, sounding heartbreakingly like Danny. "Dandy can fly!" she wiggled out of her mother's arms and ran accross the room.
"Where are you going?" Kate called out after her, laughing at her sudden exhuberance.
Grace turned to look at her, her head cocked to the side. "I get ready to go."
Kate looked puzzled. "Go where?" she asked. "It's raining. We can't go to the park today."
Grace shook her head. "No. No park," Grace told her. "Get ready for the farm."
Kate quickly caught up with her daughter and knelt down in front of her. "Grace, I'm sorry sweetie. We can't go to the farm yet. But soon," Kate promised as she saw the tears forming again. "We'll go soon. I promise, okay? Mama doesn't know how to fly, so we'll have to go by train. Okay, Grace?" Grace nodded sullenly, her lip pouting, obviously not happy. "Dandy might not be there for a while, though, Grace," Kate warned her daughter. "He might not be able to find a plane. It could take him a long time to get to us."
Crossing her arms, Grace stared stubbornly up at her mother. "Dandy will come!" she declared.
Kate smiled, stroking Graces hair gently. "Yes, he will," she agreed, wishing with all her heart that she had the same strength of her beliefs as Grace. Kate knew that Danny would come home to them - or die trying, and that was what scared her so much. "Why don't you play some more, then we'll go down and see what Matty made for lunch," Kate suggested.
"Can we have sketti?" she asked.
"We'll have to ask Matty, but I think it will be okay," Kate replied.
"Okay." And once again Grace was flying about the room.
Oh, to be young again, Kate thought. To believe wholeheartedly that your parents would do what they promised. To know that their love was unconditional and unbreakable. She only prayed that Grace would know that for the rest of her life and never be disappointed as she had been.