A Father's Love, Chapter Three
#3 of A Father's Love
The next morning I received a letter from Mr. Bridshaw. He sent his personal assistant. I believe his name was Will.
There was a knock at the door and Miss Bailey answered it. I watched from the top of the staircase.
"I was told to give this to a Miss Camile Dane," Will said, holding out an envelope to Miss Bailie.
"I am Miss Camile Dane," Miss Bailie said quickly.
Will looked her up and down, then smiled and said, "Funny, Mr. Bridshaw described Miss Dane as young and pretty, and much shorter, with a softer voice."
He was a tall and thin aardwolf, dressed in a black suit. I covered my mouth to hide a high pitched giggle.
"Well maybe Mr. Bridshaw needs his eyes checked, I assure you I am Miss Camile Danes," Miss Bailie said.
"May I come in?" Will asked.
"No! Just give the letter to me," Miss Bailie said.
She reached for the envelope and I quickly hurried down the stairs to the door.
"I'm Camile Danes," I said.
I smiled innocently up at Miss Bailie.
"I have a letter from Mr. Bridshaw to you," Will said.
I accepted the envelope.
"Thank you," I said.
"Mr. Bridshaw told me to stay and make sure you got his letter," Will said.
I inspected the envelope. It was so pretty, creamy yellow in color with a scarlet seal. I slowly opened the envelope, not wanting to rip it, and unfolded the envelope and read,
"Dear Miss Dane,
I'd like for you to come to tea tomorrow afternoon around one o'clock, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Sincerely yours,
Mr. Richard Bridshaw"
November 30th, that's only a few weeks away.
I looked back at the letter.
"P.S.
You may choose to bring a guest if you like."
"Thank you again," I said.
Will smiled and tipped his hat to me, then Miss Bailie pulled me back inside and slammed the door in Will's face.
"You're not going," Miss Bailie said.
"Yes I am, Mr. Bridshaw expects me," I said.
"Give that to me!" Miss Bailie hissed.
"No! It's mine," I said.
Miss Bailie grabbed my wrist and reached for the letter but I kicked her and she let go.
"You horrible child!" she shouted, holding her knee.
I hurried upstairs to my room and locked my door.
A few moments later I heard Miss Bailie's footsteps.
"Open this door!" she screamed.
"No," I said.
Miss Bailie pounded the door with her fists.
"Open this door! Oh wait till your father hears of this!" She shouted.
"I don't care," I said.
Then I quickly hid the letter under my mattress.
"Absolutely not!" Daddy shouted.
"Please Daddy," I said.
"I forbid it," Daddy shouted.
"Nanny could go with me," I said.
"No! You'll tell him you're sick and can't leave the house," Daddy said.
"He'll likely pay us a visit, besides he may tell everyone about me. What will everyone say, especially the constable," I said.
Daddy's lip twitched.
"Please Daddy? You can send Nanny with me," I said.
Daddy said yes, as he couldn't bear the thought of someone leaking that he had a daughter. He sent Miss Bailie with me. She took so long with her hair.
"Miss Bailie please hurry! Mr. Bridshaw will be offended," I said.
And Mammy had insisted I wear a corset, and Miss Bailie had laced it up so tightly I could barely breathe let alone move. I dropped my purse while walking down the stairs and the maid had to pick it up for me.
"Come on then, we'll be late," Miss Bailie said.
While in the car Miss Bailie snapped at me several times, "Sit up straight!" and "Stop making that sound, it's frightful!" and "Stop crying, ladies do not cry in public!" I couldn't help it, each time the car went over a bump I felt the corset cut into my skin and I'd wince. I wanted so badly to take the corset off.
"You'll get used to it," Miss Bailie said.
Mr. Bridshaw's mansion was beautiful. It was white with lots of windows and dark green vines creeping up its walls, the grass was emerald green and the grounds were surrounded by a wide bronze fence.
I took a moment to catch my breath. My fur was wet. I worried I was bleeding and it would show through my dress. Miss Bailie didn't say anything, so I guessed all was well.
At the door was a stout old striped hyena. He was snoring loudly, until Miss Bailie cleared her throat loudly.
The old hyena awoke with a loud snort.
"Oh, good afternoon Madam," he said.
"We've an invitation from Mr. Bridshaw for tea," Miss Bailie said.
"Oh splendid!" the old striped hyena said.
Then he stood up and gave the door three hard knocks. Will answered the door.
"Well hello again Miss Dane, so nice to see you again," he said.
"Hello again," I said.
"Mr. Bridshaw is in the parlor," Will said.
Then he turned to Miss Bailie and said, "Mr. Bridshaw's set up a special place for you in the dining room."
Those words lit a small light inside me, and as Will led me to the parlor a broad grin crept across my face.
Mr. Bridshaw was seated in a large red chair.
"Good afternoon," he said.
"Good afternoon I said," I said.
"How was your trip?" Mr. Bridshaw asked.
"It was nice," I lied.
I sat down in the chair across from Mr. Bridshaw.
"Your house is lovely," I said.
"I hate it. It belonged to my mother, she left it to me, along with a few other things, when she died," Mr. Bridshaw said.
"I'm sorry," I said.
"I'm not, she was a horrible woman. Not a kind bone in her body or a kind word to say," Mr. Bridshaw said.
"Oh," I said.
There was a knock at the door and a young brown hyena poked her head in.
"Sir, your tea is ready," she said.
"Thank you," Mr. Bridshaw said.
Then he turned to me and asked, "Milk or sugar?"
"None thank you," I said.
"Just tea for Miss Dane, and milk for me," Mr. Bridshaw said.
"Yes sir," the hyena maid said.
"I don't know if it's the lighting, but one of your eyes appears to be lighter than the other," Mr. Bridshaw said.
"Mammy and Daddy don't like it," I said.
"I think it's lovely," Mr. Bridshaw said.
The maid brought our tea. Mr. Bridshaw took a sip and then said to me, "I would like to paint you."
"I don't know if Mammy and Daddy would approve," I said, fingering a lock of my hair.
"Don't worry about them," Mr. Bridshaw said.
"I don't know," I said softly.
I looked up at him.
"I won't have to take my clothes off will I?" I asked.
"Not unless you want to," Mr. Bridshaw said.
"I don't want to," I said.
"Then you don't have to," Mr. Bridshaw said gently.
He stood up.
"Excuse me for a bit," he said, and then disappeared through a hidden door by the fireplace.
He returned a few moments later with a black book and a long wooden box.
He took out a pencil and a knife. He sharpened the pencil, then he stood up and walked over to me. He put his hand under my chin and his other hand on my neck and gently lifted my head and turned it to the side, then he put his hands on my shoulders.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Nothing, just making sure everything's right," Mr. Bridshaw said.
He took one hand off my shoulder and put his hand under my thigh and turned me to the right. He moved me so easily but he was tender.
Then he sat back down and picked up his book and pencil.
"Now just hold still, look just above the fireplace" he said.
I nodded.
For the next half hour everything was silent but for the sound of the clock ticking and Mr. Bridshaw's pencil scratching on the paper. Every few minutes he'd look up at me and smile.
"I'm sorry Ma'am but you can't go in there," the muffled voice of the maid said.
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Mr. Dane's put me in charge of her," came the screechy voice of Miss Bailie.
She pushed the door open and grabbed my wrist.
"Come, your father wanted you to be home before nightfall," Miss Bailie said.
"It's still light out," I said.
"Don't argue," Miss Bailie said.
I winced and bit my lip as she pulled me up. She dragged me out into the hall and out the door.
"Nanny stop, You're hurting me!" I said.
"I wouldn't have to if you'd just walk on your own," Miss Bailie said.
"We've only been here less than an hour," I said.
"Plenty of time for tea and chat," Miss Bailie said.
She pushed me into the car and then we were gone.