Chapter 3. Missing Father

“I promise I will always protect you and be here for you. I promise you.”

“So you won’t send me away again?”

She smiled warmly.

“No, never.”

The events following the meeting with Madame Lupita and my uncle in is office was some sort of preparation for me to transition into “womanhood”. According to Madame Lupita I was getting older and there was so much for me to learn. How come everyone suddenly realized I was getting older?

I was asked to visit the kitchens often to learn the process of making certain meals and setting the table for dinner, supper or lunch.

I was also asked to walk with the maids to the garden and see how it’s tended to. Madame Lupita invited tutors to the house to teach me how to walk properly, talk properly, literally breathe properly. I wasn’t permitted to play around the house anymore because I had to preserve my skin and look presentable at all times.

I also noticed that my uncle barely spoke to me again. He didn’t come to check up on me in my room again, not like he came visiting often initially anyway. But I could tell he was growing more distant.

Madame Lupita spent more time with me too. Some of my tutorials happened in my room upstairs and all the while my nanny was with me. I could tell something was wrong with the way they were acting around me and treating me, I wanted to tell my nanny countless times that knew she was up to something and I would find it out but I decided to be mute and observe. They didn’t want me to know about what they were doing obviously and that was why they were having hushed conversations and not giving me straightforward answers. Well since they wanted to be secretive with me, I would be secretive with them too.

So today was like every other day after the meeting in my uncle’s office. Madame Lupita had come to tell me earlier on in the morning that someone was coming to see me, another tutor. I was in my room all day like I was demanded to be and just lying on my bed waiting for another freaking tutor. I looked out my widow and saw that it was evening already. The room was beginning to get chilly and Madame Lupita hadn’t yet come to close my windows. I got up and went to lock the windows by the side of the room that was facing outside, leaving the one facing the trees open like I liked it. I was going to sit down when I heard muffled voices from outside my room. Someone or rather some group of people were coming up the stairs. Obviously the tutor had arrived. I rushed over to smoothen my bed and take off all the empty packs of snacks that I had consumed. I threw them underneath my bed then jumped on and straightened my gown, waiting.

I heard a soft knock on my door and Madame Lupita opened the door and walked in.

“Lovette darling, are you looking decent? You have a guest…………….”

“Yes nanny I’m decent enough do come in.” I cut her off impatiently and rolled my eyes. I felt like she was betraying me by bringing this several people to see me without wanting to tell me exactly what was going on. I remembered trying to get her to tell me what the discussion with my uncle was all about and she just kept telling me that I was too young to understand. Too young to understand what exactly? Obviously whatever they were planning had something to do with me. The least they could do was at least tell me what was going on.

My nanny smiled and nodded her head for the tutor to enter the room. It was a woman, clearly older than my nanny. She was scrawny and her brows were way too bushy. I took a deep breathe and stood up.

“Hello ma’am.”

“Hello Lovette. Its nice to finally meet you.”

I smiled dryly.

“Please come.” Madame Lupita smiled and gestured for us to go to my study that was in another section of my room. We followed her and took seats around the table. I helped my nanny clear out all the books that I had been reading earlier on. It was all I did asides eating snacks to maintain my sanity. The study was a birthday gift from my father, he wanted me to have access to the books I loved reading and right there in my room. I was excited when I got to my room and noticed the study had been set up for me. I was elated and it made me so happy.

I didn’t let any chance to use the study pass me by. I explored all the books that my father had provided and he often restocked them for me…………when he was still around………..I missed him so much. I had tried to get across to him by speaking to the guards at the gate but they didn’t have an idea of where he was. And I didn’t want to ask my nanny or my uncle. I couldn’t trust them right now.

Though I was sure the guards had probably told my uncle that I was asking questions, but I didn’t care. I needed answers to my questions.

“Lovette I want you to meet your new tutor. Her name is Lady Getrude. She will be in charge of tutoring you on how to behave like a proper woman and………….”

Her voice faded in my head and all I could think of was how annoying all of this was getting. Could I run away? I didn’t want to learn all this crap. I wanted to read all the books in my library and have them restocked every week and play with my friends and talk to my father every night and have him read me bedtime stories every night.