Collapsing her umbrella, Ada gave it a little shake, scattering the rain drops in a pinwheel of flying crystal. She cast a glance to the darkening sky as another wave of thunder rolled overhead. With a smile to herself, she turned back to the impressive front door and pulled an ornate metal handle to ring the bell.
Ada was in high spirits. Her last interview must have gone better than she thought, for here she was at Caledon Hockley's estate on "Millionaire's Row" about to meet his daughter, Evelyn. The gentle thunderstorm only made things better, exciting Ada -as storms always did- and fueling her confidence with its energy and ambiance.
The door was answered promptly by a broad, older gentleman with kind brown eyes. "How may I help you, Miss?"
"Hello," Ada said with a smile, "My name is Ada Kruger, I'm here to see Mr. Hockley about the governess position."
"Of course, Ms. Kruger, please come inside."
Once in the foyer, Ada was relieved of her umbrella and coat and escorted to a nearby drawing room. There she was asked to wait, as Mr. Hockley would soon be down to receive her. All alone in the grand room, Ada's curious gaze swept from floor to ceiling, taking in every bit of affluent charm. The house was clearly very new, in fact, she thought she recalled reading about its construction only a year or two ago. Given its fresh, pristine state, she wondered how recently Mr. Hockley had moved in. It certainly didn't feel lived-in, at least, not like the homes that Ada was accustomed to. It was the lack of personal items, she thought. Even the books, upon close inspection, were clearly purchased as a uniform set, their matching spines perfectly arranged on shelves so well-polished, Ada imagined they must repel dust completely.
As the minutes passed by, the ticking of the mantle clock seemed to grow louder and louder. Ada checked it. Was everything alright? She'd been waiting almost ten minutes and Mr. Hockley hadn't come down yet. Not sure if she should sit or not, Ada wandered over to the window, taking in a quick view of the back gardens before something caught her attention. There was a soft flicker of lightning, a light rumble of thunder and then the quiet, yet unmistakable sound of someone crying on the floor above. Ada looked up, following the sound. Through the otherwise silence of the house, she could just make out the muffled sobs of a child, soothed by the low baritone of a man's voice. She couldn't make out what either was saying, but a clear picture was forming in her mind.
Not long after, she heard footsteps cross the ceiling, followed by a soft padding coming down the stairs. Her gaze met him in the doorway as Mr. Hockley appeared, looking just as weary and handsome as he had the day they met. Here, in the comfort of his home on a Sunday afternoon, his attire was far more relaxed. Wearing a simple stripped cardigan over a linen dress shirt, Caledon Hockley looked almost human.
"Ms. Kruger, my apologies for keeping you waiting but Evelyn is unwell."
"I'm so sorry to hear that, Mr. Hockley. Nothing serious, I hope."
"It's the thunderstorm, they make her feel uneasy. She'll be fine once it passes but in her current state, I'm not sure now is the best time for an introduction." Mr. Hockley had yet to enter the drawing room, holding his ground in the hallway as if he meant to bolt up the stairs at a moment's notice.
"Well, perhaps I could help." Ada offered, careful to sound kind and not too pushy. "If I'm to be responsible for Evelyn's well-being, I'll need to know how to comfort her. Why not start now and see if I'm up for the challenge?"
Mr. Hockley looked like he wanted to protest, but several seconds passed without rebuttal and he sighed, taking a half step to the side and gesturing with his hand.
"Very well. She's in the nursery, I'll take you there."
Ada nodded and followed in stride. Up the stairs and to the left, they made their way silently through the immaculate mansion. "You have a beautiful home, Mr. Hockley," Ada said, doing her best to ease the air of tension that hovered around her host. "Have you and Ada lived here long?"
"No. We only just moved in after returning from New York." His answer was terse, his eyes fixed straight ahead. Before Ada could respond he added, "We're here." and strode into the warm light of the nursery. Ada followed suit, taking in the first room in the house to have any personality. It was charming, and completely overflowing with every toy and doll a little girl could wish for. The only thing missing was the child herself.
"Evelyn?" Mr. Hockley called, the creeping urgency of surprise and alarm evident in his otherwise controlled voice. He went to the closet and looked inside then quickly made his way to the window seat, checking behind the curtains and lifting the cushioned lid. Cursing under his breath, he spun on his heel. "She's hiding. I shouldn't have left her alone, I should have brought her downstairs with me. Damn!"
"Children often hide when they're afraid, I'm sure she's alright. Where are her usual places? I can help you look." Ada's voice was calm and steady, a stark contrast to Caledon's agitated state as he anxiously paced around the room, checking behind every chair and sorting through the piles of stuffed animals in case Evelyn had burrowed beneath them.
"What?" He said distractedly. "I-I don't know, the maids found her in the linen closest last Wednesday."
"Let's start there. Is it far from this room?"
"It's downstairs, we would have seen her coming up." Mr. Hockley was headed for the door. He hadn't looked at her since they entered the room.
"Perhaps we should split up, then we can find her faster." Ada called after him, following quickly behind.
"Fine." Caledon consented, though the remark felt more like he was waving her off. Without another word, he deliberately made his way down the hall, opening every cupboard and closet along the way, softly calling for his daughter.
Ada let out a breath and rocked back on her heels. This was certainly not the introduction she had hoped for. But with Mr. Hockley gone, he took his agitation with him. The quiet stillness of the house returned, interrupted periodically by the purring thunder of the persistent storm. Since her host chose left, Ada went right, and calmly made her way down the carpeted hallway. She looked for signs of a hasty retreat and kept her ears tuned for the same soft crying she had heard earlier. Sure enough, a few paces down the hall, Ada heard the sound again, and slowly followed it to an open doorway. With a gentle nock, she peered inside. Peeking out from under a plush red comforter on a large bed in the middle of the room was a tuft of blond curls and a pair of wide blue eyes.
Ada gave a kind smile and said, very sweetly, "Hello there."
The blue eyes blinked at her, a tiny hand appearing from under the covers to wipe away their tears.
"My name is Ada. I'm a guest of your father's. Is it alright if I step inside?"
"Papa?" She asked quietly, revealing more of her face as she studied the unknown woman in the doorway.
Ada's smile grew, "That's what I call my father too. Yes, your Papa invited me to your beautiful home but I'm afraid it's so big, I've gotten myself a little lost. Maybe you could help me find my way back? Do you know your way around?"
Evelyn nodded and scooted closer to the edge of the bed as if intending to hop down, but a hesitant look at the window stopped her.
"May I?" Ada asked, gesturing into the room. Evelyn nodded again and Ada stepped inside, walking toward the bed. This is clearly the master bedroom, she thought, Evelyn must have come here looking for her Papa. Ada neared the bed but didn't go all the way up to it. As this was their first meeting, she wanted to respect Evelyn's space. If she wanted to get closer, that was her call. Ada was just a stranger after all.
"What's your name?" Ada asked.
"Evelyn." The little girl shyly replied.
"That's a beautiful name." Ada said, her voice warm with kindness. "I believe it means, 'island in the water.' So you must be very brave." At this remark, Evelyn sat up a little straighter, the fear in her eyes dimming as the corners of her mouth turned up ever-so-slightly. "What do you say, Evelyn? Want to be my guide?"
Ada held out her hand. Evelyn stared at it for a moment, but after another glance at the nice woman's smiling eyes she wiped her nose on her sleeve, took her hand and hopped out of bed. Together they left the master bedroom and made their way back toward the nursery, Evelyn holding Ada's hand the whole way. There were a couple sounds of thunder along the way, but even though Evelyn flinched and squeezed even tighter at every rumble, Ada squeezed her hand back reassuringly and the brave little girl continued on. Honestly, Ada was quite impressed.
Turning the corner, they stopped. Ada had just a moment to lock eyes with Caledon Hockley, taking in the look of clear relief and surprise that washed over him at the sight of them. Then, in a blink, Evelyn was off, bolting toward her father and jumping into his open arms.
"There you are, sweet pea." He breathed, hugging her close. "Evelyn, you can not run off like that. How many times have I told you?" Pulling back, he somehow managed a charming balance of loving concern and firm insistence. "It's a good thing Miss Kruger found you, otherwise she'd have no one to look after."
For the first time since she arrived, Mr. Hockley genuinely looked at Ada, not with scrutiny or fleeting politeness but with a hint of clarity and curiosity.
"Actually, it was Evelyn who helped me. I would have never found my way back if she hadn't been such a brave leader." Ada's smile was warm and knowing, conveying separate messages to father and child. Evelyn grinned bashfully as she nibbled on her thumb, her head resting on Caledon's shoulder. A glance between them and his mind was made up.
"Thank you, Miss Kruger. How soon can you start?"
