For the following few weeks, Pearl found she hardly saw Tom.
Sarcastically, she admitted to Hilda that she figured being a dark wizard
was hard work. Jokingly, Hilda would agree and Pearl soon found that she
had a great friend in Hilda. She was hard-working, but never overworked.
She would sit and listen to Pearl rant and rave for hours about how much
Tom annoyed her. She would listen as Pearl recalled how strongly she had
felt for Tom when they were at Hogwarts together. She said all the right
things in the right places at the right times and Pearl felt incredibly
grateful that she had met someone so understanding.
Bridget waited patiently at the door every evening for Tom's return. When he did return, he would sweep her up and they would go off to his study or somewhere outside, leaving Pearl wondering what they discussed. She knew it was only a matter of time before Bridget would ask her about the man she had known as her father for a long time. Ryan hadn't attempted to contact Pearl, nor if he wanted to, could he find her. Pearl had left a short note, explaining to him that she wasn't ready to be married and she was taking Bridget away. Her heart wrenched every time she pictured Ryan's face, but she knew that in the end, it was for the best. Maybe one day, she would return, when Bridget was old enough to live on her own and they had no use for Tom any more.
"You look tired, Pearl." Hilda's voice was thick with concern and Pearl had to admit that she hadn't been sleeping well in the few weeks that she had been here. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"
"I don't think so, Hilda," Pearl replied with a smile. "I think I'll be okay. I just need some more rest."
"I don't suppose it helps with the master roaming the halls outside your doors every night." Hilda continued to stir the mix in the bowl while Pearl stared at her hard.
"What do you mean?"
Hilda looked up. "Haven't you noticed, my dear? Every night, after you and Miss Bridget go to bed, Master paces the hallway outside your doors. Haven't you heard him?"
Pearl shook her head, shaking with rage and curiosity. Why would Tom pace outside their rooms every night? Was he guarding them? Was he making sure that they didn't leave in the middle of the night? Was he plotting something? The look on Hilda's face said maybe she had spoken too much but Pearl was grateful for the information. It was just another thing she had to get to the bottom of.
Tom returned that evening and before he and Bridget could take off outside, Pearl cornered him. "Daddy and I need to talk, honey. Go see Hilda," Pearl told Bridget without taking her eyes off of Tom. "Go on now."
Bridget ran into the kitchen, mixed between interest and amusement. Pearl cornered Tom into his study and slammed the door. "What are you playing at?" she hissed between clenched teeth. "What is your little plan here, Tom? I'm sick of the games."
"Pearl, have you lost your mind?"
Pearl backed him into the chair at his desk. "I have not lost anything except my temper," she shot back. "What do you want with us? We've been here almost five weeks and so far, I have barely seen you. If you wanted me here, why the hell are you never around?"
Tom looked almost sheepish for a second and Pearl felt kind of bad. She knew that it must get lonely by yourself in the manor. She couldn't picture Tom sitting in the kitchen talking to Hilda the way that she often did. It wasn't a likely picture.
"Pearl, you've always known what you have wanted. All your life." Tom sounded almost envious.
"So have you!" The entire time I've known you, you've told me how you want to be a great wizard and how you want to take over the world and all that crap! Well I'm not afraid of you and I'm standing up to you now, telling you that I don't believe it. I never believed it, Tom. You may frighten some people, but not as many as you want. You will never have full control over anyone in this world, so why don't you just give it up now?"
Tom's mind raced. He had brought Pearl and Bridget here for company. He went to Diagon Alley with Pearl in mind and he debated long and hard what to do with the little girl when he found out that he had a daughter. Taking a big risk, he had let her stay, and much to his disappointment, he felt himself attached to the little girl. He enjoyed the time that he and Bridget spent together. Trying to ignore these feelings, he felt for his wand, realizing that he could kill Pearl with one shot. But her eyes told him different and he knew, deep down inside, that she was right.
He was still in love with her. He couldn't harm her.
Meanwhile, Pearl was debated the very same thing. She watched him squirm in the chair, wondering how she ever could have hated him. She loved everything about him, from his power to his determination. She knew very well that he was extremely capable of taking over the world on his own, but she would never let him know that. Instead, she turned on her heels, deciding against bringing up the subject of him pacing the halls outside their rooms, and fled from his study, leaving Tom alone, pondering his ex-girlfriend's thoughts.
Bridget waited patiently at the door every evening for Tom's return. When he did return, he would sweep her up and they would go off to his study or somewhere outside, leaving Pearl wondering what they discussed. She knew it was only a matter of time before Bridget would ask her about the man she had known as her father for a long time. Ryan hadn't attempted to contact Pearl, nor if he wanted to, could he find her. Pearl had left a short note, explaining to him that she wasn't ready to be married and she was taking Bridget away. Her heart wrenched every time she pictured Ryan's face, but she knew that in the end, it was for the best. Maybe one day, she would return, when Bridget was old enough to live on her own and they had no use for Tom any more.
"You look tired, Pearl." Hilda's voice was thick with concern and Pearl had to admit that she hadn't been sleeping well in the few weeks that she had been here. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"
"I don't think so, Hilda," Pearl replied with a smile. "I think I'll be okay. I just need some more rest."
"I don't suppose it helps with the master roaming the halls outside your doors every night." Hilda continued to stir the mix in the bowl while Pearl stared at her hard.
"What do you mean?"
Hilda looked up. "Haven't you noticed, my dear? Every night, after you and Miss Bridget go to bed, Master paces the hallway outside your doors. Haven't you heard him?"
Pearl shook her head, shaking with rage and curiosity. Why would Tom pace outside their rooms every night? Was he guarding them? Was he making sure that they didn't leave in the middle of the night? Was he plotting something? The look on Hilda's face said maybe she had spoken too much but Pearl was grateful for the information. It was just another thing she had to get to the bottom of.
Tom returned that evening and before he and Bridget could take off outside, Pearl cornered him. "Daddy and I need to talk, honey. Go see Hilda," Pearl told Bridget without taking her eyes off of Tom. "Go on now."
Bridget ran into the kitchen, mixed between interest and amusement. Pearl cornered Tom into his study and slammed the door. "What are you playing at?" she hissed between clenched teeth. "What is your little plan here, Tom? I'm sick of the games."
"Pearl, have you lost your mind?"
Pearl backed him into the chair at his desk. "I have not lost anything except my temper," she shot back. "What do you want with us? We've been here almost five weeks and so far, I have barely seen you. If you wanted me here, why the hell are you never around?"
Tom looked almost sheepish for a second and Pearl felt kind of bad. She knew that it must get lonely by yourself in the manor. She couldn't picture Tom sitting in the kitchen talking to Hilda the way that she often did. It wasn't a likely picture.
"Pearl, you've always known what you have wanted. All your life." Tom sounded almost envious.
"So have you!" The entire time I've known you, you've told me how you want to be a great wizard and how you want to take over the world and all that crap! Well I'm not afraid of you and I'm standing up to you now, telling you that I don't believe it. I never believed it, Tom. You may frighten some people, but not as many as you want. You will never have full control over anyone in this world, so why don't you just give it up now?"
Tom's mind raced. He had brought Pearl and Bridget here for company. He went to Diagon Alley with Pearl in mind and he debated long and hard what to do with the little girl when he found out that he had a daughter. Taking a big risk, he had let her stay, and much to his disappointment, he felt himself attached to the little girl. He enjoyed the time that he and Bridget spent together. Trying to ignore these feelings, he felt for his wand, realizing that he could kill Pearl with one shot. But her eyes told him different and he knew, deep down inside, that she was right.
He was still in love with her. He couldn't harm her.
Meanwhile, Pearl was debated the very same thing. She watched him squirm in the chair, wondering how she ever could have hated him. She loved everything about him, from his power to his determination. She knew very well that he was extremely capable of taking over the world on his own, but she would never let him know that. Instead, she turned on her heels, deciding against bringing up the subject of him pacing the halls outside their rooms, and fled from his study, leaving Tom alone, pondering his ex-girlfriend's thoughts.