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Chapter 8 - Games

I strolled across a sun drenched piazza in Rome in complete euphoria. I admired the beautiful architecture of a centuries old church, listened to children shrieking with laughter as they chased pigeons and felt the warmth of a hand in mine. "Look!" I marveled, so thankful to finally be seeing these landmarks. "Isn't it all simply amazing?!"

"I don't know about that," the person hesitated before turning me to take in his dark  eyes smoldering with desire. "I usually only reserve that term for you."

Dear God.

"AGGHHHHH!"

My eyes flew open to see Wammy standing over me, his face alarmed. "Grace! Are you all right?!"

I stopped screaming and frightfully took in my surroundings. I had fallen asleep in the library, wonderful, and now Wammy thought I was in distress. I forced the images the twisted dream had given me out of my head and stood up quickly. "Oh yes, sir, I'm fine. I must have just dozed off last night, pay no mind to it."

Wammy gently reached for my elbow and sat me back down in the armchair. "I gathered that, dear, I'm asking why did you just wake up so terrified?"

I reddened and tried to smooth the wild mess my hair was after snoozing in a chair all night. "A bad dream, more a nightmare. But it's no matter. It's over now."

Wammy was still worried. "Your father again?" he asked carefully.

I shook my head. "No truly, sir, don't worry, I overreacted." I heard more screaming outside and jumped up with a start. "What was that?!"

Wammy chuckled and set me down again. "Just the usual celebration when there's an unusually warm day. I must say, Gracie, you are truly jumpy this morning."

"I don't see why the lot of them have to scream like banshees when there's a fine day, that's all." I answered, waiting for my heartbeat to slow. "They always take it to extremes."

Wammy closed his eyes as he listened to the carrying on outside and smiled. "There won't be any lessons today. We could never keep the children at their studies when the great outdoors is beckoning so."

I stood up and stretched my back. It was going to ache like the dickens all day and that was no one's fault but my own. "It'll be races and tug of war, ring round the rosy and rugby on a day like today, I'm well aware." Anne would be thrilled with the light. She'd be painting feverishly until the sun went down.

"Correct as usual." Wammy opened his clear blue eyes and let them twinkle. "Now, Grace, while I have you here, I must ask, regarding L..."

Lord, not him! I considered the possibility of fleeing the scene but knew that would be detrimental to any dignity I had left. I raised my chin high and prepared for the worst. "Yes, sir? What about him?"

"He told me last night that he's going to look after Jude. Did you convince him of this? I truly can't see him coming up with this on his own."

I smirked before I could control it. "Neither can I, but he did and if he wants to be a martyr that's no concern of mine."

Wammy chuckled and put his hands behind his back. "L is a great many things, but I doubt he'll succeed as a child minder."

"It might do a power of good for him to fail at least once." I returned lightly, kissing his cheek and moving toward the door. "I am in desperate need of a shower, sir. May we finish this conversation about L's child rearing competency later?"

"Certainly." He agreed, pausing to watch the chaos outside the window. "We still do have much to discuss."

"Right," I knew I was coloring again and hurried into the hallway. "Till then."