he lived, her mounting curiosity about his niece momentarily abated, replaced by fascination with the mansion she glimpsed through the trees as they wound up the drive.
“You have a beautiful estate. This fits the image I had of you much more than the doting uncle you are.”
“I need to change some of your preconceived notions about me. We’ll get to know each other. I’m looking forward to it.”
“That’s not on this agenda. I’m here about Caroline and I think that’s the second time already that I’ve reminded you.”
“Relax and lighten up. We can get to know each other while you meet and learn about my niece. One doesn’t rule out the other. They’re both going to happen.”
“You’re not paying any attention to me,” she said.
“Not true at all. I’m paying a great deal of attention to you and I’m slipping, if you haven’t noticed.”
“Will you stop flirting?” she asked, amused and unable to be really annoyed with him over harmless flirting, yet afraid of her volatile reaction to him intensifying.
“Not on this night. Why should I? Flirting is fun, harmless and I like the exchange when I’m with a gorgeous woman. You’re not interested in anything serious and neither am I. We should make a good pair.”
“Thank you for the compliment. And we’re not going to be ‘a pair.’ I think this conversation needs to shift to another topic. Your palatial home is magnificent. You live here with just Caroline and her nanny?” Ava could clearly see the elegant mansion. Sunlight splashed over the gray slate roofs and gave a warm tint to the pale stones.
“We’ll come back to the conversation we were having, but to answer your question—it’s a comfortable house built to suit me. It’s big enough for all of us and my staff. A partial staff is on the third floor.” She turned to watch him, listening and thinking at the same time that she hadn’t had a clear concept of his wealth.
“The head gardener and his staff have homes on my grounds. So does my cook. My chauffeur has a house near the garage.”
She barely heard him as she stared at the sprawling three-story home built in the style of an English country manor surrounded by landscaped grounds and sprinklers watering beds of colorful flowers. More flowers surrounded a large circular three-tiered fountain with sparkling water tumbling over each tier.
“A little girl will be lost in this,” Ava said without realizing she had spoken aloud.
“Caroline’s accustomed to it. The house she lived in with her dad was very similar to mine. I doubt if she gives it a thought.”
“All this wealth, yet you can’t accomplish the one thing you want to do,” she said quietly and he glanced her way.
“You’re right. At least it gives me options on getting help for her. I can’t stop thinking that if I keep trying, I’ll find that perfect person who’ll get her to open up.”
“I hope you do,” she said, touched again by his concern for his niece.
At the front they climbed out of the car to cross the wide porch. The massive door swung open and a butler greeted them. Ava entered a three-story-high walnut-paneled entryway where a huge French Empire chandelier hung overhead.
“Ava, meet Fred Simms. This is Ms. Barton, Fred.”
“Miss Caroline is in the library with Miss Rosalyn,” Fred said after greeting Ava.
Will held Ava’s arm. “This way,” he said. She was as aware of his fingers resting on her forearm as she was of his palatial mansion.
Ava carried two of the books, each in colorful sacks from the bookstore. They entered the library, where a child sat drawing at a table. Her nanny sat nearby, also drawing.
Pausing, Caroline turned to look at them, sliding out of her chair while the nanny came around the table.
“Look who’s here, Caroline,” the nanny said cheerfully.
Ava looked at a beautiful child with long curly black hair, thickly lashed big brown eyes and a facial structure bearing a clear family resemblance to her uncle. She was a feminine version of him.
Caroline gazed solemnly at Will in silence as he picked her up gently to kiss her cheek. “How’s my girl?” he greeted her, smiling. “I want you to meet someone.” He turned to face Ava.
“Caroline, this is my friend, Miss Ava. She’s a teacher.”
Caroline stared in silence at Ava.
“Ava meet Caroline.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Caroline, and I’m so glad to meet you,” Ava said.
“Ava, this is our nanny, Rosalyn Torrence. Rosalyn, meet Ava Barton.”
“I’m glad to meet you,” Ava said, shaking hands with the nanny. She turned her attention back to Caroline.
“I’ve missed you, sweetie,” Will said in such gentle tones Ava’s heart lurched. “I’m glad to be home. We’ll stay with her now, Rosalyn.”
“Thank you. If you want me, I’ll be upstairs.”
“Thanks,” he replied. As Rosalyn quietly left, he set Caroline on her feet.
Ava held out two of the sacks. “Caroline, I brought you a present.”
Caroline stared at the sacks, eyeing them and making no effort to take them.
“Look at the presents, sweetie,” Will urged
Caroline obediently took the bags and pulled out the first book, looking at it intently. “Thank you,” she whispered so softly Ava barely heard her. She pulled out the second book.
“Thank you,” she whispered again.
“You’re welcome,” Ava said, kneeling so she would be on the same level with Caroline. “I’ll read them to you whenever you want to hear them.”
Caroline nodded, looking at Will.
“You can whenever you want,” he said. “I’ll get out of the way. Want to read them now?”
Caroline shook her head no.
“I’ll go unpack then,” Ava said far more cheerfully than she felt. She was not a child psychiatrist, but it seemed to her that Will had just as big a problem as he had described. The child seemed remote, cold and unresponsive, as if she wanted to shut herself away from all human contact.
“I’ll stay with Caroline, but first,” he said, picking up Caroline again. “Let’s go show Miss Ava where she will be sleeping.”
Upstairs, they turned to the east wing and passed beautiful rooms until he led her into a suite. “How’s this?” he asked. “You’ll be near Caroline’s room.”
“This is gorgeous,” Ava exclaimed, looking around a suite lavishly outfitted with an antique rose silk sofa, Louis XIV–style furniture and a thick rug on the polished oak floor. Through the open door she could see the bedroom. “I’ll unpack, which won’t take long. I can find my way back to the library.”
“Leave your things to unpack later. C’mon. We’ll give you a brief tour so you know where you are.”
Noticing how silent Caroline was, docilely letting Will carry her without wiggling or the usual chatter of a child her age, Ava was more aware of the child than her surroundings.
“Here’s Caroline’s suite,” he said, pausing at a doorway a brief distance down the hall. “Rosalyn is in an adjoining suite, although she has a bed in Caroline’s room.”
They entered a child’s room that was a dream room to Ava. Murals of nursery characters decorated one wall. White clouds were painted on the pale blue ceiling. The furniture was painted white, or covered with pink