Page 79 of A Touch of Charm
Mary beamed. “What does it mean?”
“You can do anything you set your mind to.”
“Even though I am a girl?”
“Especially because you are a girl.”
“You’re a girl, too! You have to marry and have children soon.”
“That’s what my father wanted, Mary. But it’s why I ran away.”
“Did I run away to learn languages and be free like you without a husband and children?”
Thea choked. If this was how Mary saw her acts of defiance, she had many amends to make. “Mary, darling, you didn’t run away. We were kidnapped, then saved, and I sent a message to your parents to let them know that you are safe until they return to London. It’s a bit like an excursion with me.”
“My princess.” Mary hugged Thea.
Now, she couldn’t stop the tears from coming anymore.
“Why are you crying?”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter.” Thea forced a smile and wiped another tear with her free hand while she held Mary on her lap.
“But it’s your feelings! Of course, they matter!”
“To you, perhaps, not to my father.”
“He is probably too busy and will have more time when the deals are all in order.”
“Is that what your mother tells you?”
Mary nodded.
“It’s also what my mother told me. But then I grew up, and I realized that when my father had time for me, it was to ensure that I learned well, practiced the dances, that my posture was straight, and my teeth white.”
“He loves you and wanted to see you growing up.”
“He loves what I can do for him and what I can manage as a grown-up. That’s why I had to learn all these languages.”
Mary squinted as if she tried to sense what Thea was saying. Thea knew she shouldn’t tell a child about all this, but even just thinking it, she felt ungrateful. Who had ever heard of a princess who didn’t appreciate her station?
“Let me try to explain this.” Thea took Mary’s hand in hers and looked at her. “It is indeed important to invest in your education. Languages are important, but so are arithmetic, geography, and water coloring.”
“Why?”
“So you build a foundation for what you will learn later.”
“Is that what you’re doing now?”
That stumped Thea for an instant.
It was indeed a lesson she was learning. She had no guidance or set assignment, but figuring out where she belonged did require all the training, knowledge, and heart.
And it had taken a little girl a few minutes to put it together.Could it be that simple when one prioritized love?
“Languages, for instance, show people you are interested in their country, culture, and etiquette.”
“So you learned Hungarian before you liked the culture?”
