“I would ask her, and she would say yes?”
“You are full of confidence.” He rubbed her hair. “Where does all this confidence come from?”
Abigail giggled.
“And what has inspired this newfound urge to move here?” Deerhurst asked. “You love the country.”
“But Jeremy said he is moving to London to live with his uncle.”
Ah.The cook’s son. “So you don’t really miss me, you just want to move after your friend, eh?” He poked the tip of her nose.
“If he leaves, who will play with me?”
Well, there you have it.
“Doesn’t Miss Green play with you?”
“Sometimes, but she is busy too.”
“How is she busy? Her entire job is caring for you.”
“Lesson plans.”
I stand corrected.
“What do you want me to do, then?”
Abigail pursed her lips as she thought for a moment. “Let me move here or order Jeremy to stay home.”
Two impossible things.
“How about you make a new friend?” Deerhurst suggested.
“But Jeremy is my friend.”
Deerhurst felt an ache in his temples coming on. He’d have to elicit the help of Miss Green to find his daughter another friend.
“I’ll see what I can do, pet.”
“Thank you!” she cried and hugged him around the neck. “Will you have tea with me and Miss Strumpet?”
Strumpet?
Deerhurst frowned. “Who is that?”
“Miss Strumpet is the newest addition to my tea party.”
“I mean who named her?” Deerhurst asked slowly.
“I did, silly. It’s a pretty name. Miss Green said so herself.”
Miss Green was worse than him. “How about we call her Miss Trumpet?”
“Why?” Abigail asked skeptically. “Isn’t it a pretty name?
“Yes, but I like Trumpet more,” Deerhurst said. He thought on his feet when his daughter scrunched her brows. “I knew a bad—very bad—lady once with that name.”
Abigail’s eyes widened. “Ok, then we will call her Miss Trumpet. It sounds just as pretty.”
