Oh yes, I see it now. The child has not said a word, but those eyes tell me all I need to know. He is lively, mischievous, and just a little wild. Worse still, he knows it, just as he relishes the fact.
Octavia smiled warmly as Aaron was nudged into the room. He played at being nervous, with his hands folded before him, hishead bent. But every few seconds, he would glance up, catch Octavia watching him, and his eyes would flash with a not-so-hidden menace.
“Master Aaron…” Octavia started across the room toward the child. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” When she reached him, she crouched forward to match his eyeline. “I have heard so many good things about you, and I cannot wait to see which of them is true.”
Aaron said nothing, still playing at being shy.
“Master Aaron,” Miss Spencer nudged. “Is there something you would like to say?”
“I – it is nice to meet you,” he said quietly. Miss Spencer cleared her throat, and Aaron sighed. “Miss Finch.”
“Now that we have that taken care of…” Miss Spencer clapped her hands together. “I doubt that today is one where you might wish to start your lessons. With all that has happened this morning, the day already getting away from us, perhaps the two of you could use the rest of today to become better acquainted?”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Octavia agreed. “What do you think, Master Aaron?”
He said nothing, offering a hidden smile to show that he agreed.
That’s interesting… I have met enough scammers and tricksters to know a mask when I see one. No doubt, as soon as we are left alone, the mask will come off.
“I will leave you to it,” Miss Spencer said. “If you need anything at all, send for me. And Master Aaron…” She looked down at Aaron, waiting for him to turn and look at her. “Behave yourself, young man. Remember, your father is watching.”
Aaron grimaced and nodded his head.
With that, Miss Spencer left the two of them alone, and Octavia counted down the seconds until Aaron let that mask slip and began to act as she was sure he would do. Why, if even half of what she had heard about the boy was true, she doubted this meek appearance was anything close to his true nature.
Not that Octavia was worried. She could handle a seven-year-old. Even if she could not, this opportunity was too good for her to waste, and now that she had been welcomed into this home, she would bury herself in like a tick. She had to, for herself and Henry.
“Right.” Octavia exhaled loudly. “How about we start with a game?” She turned and crossed the room, sitting herself on the couch.
Aaron eyed her skeptically. “What game?”
“It is one I used to play as a little girl, and I find it is a fun way to get to know one another. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together, Master Aaron, so best that we get all this boring stuff out of the way quickly. Don’t you agree?”
Still, he looked at her with extreme wariness. “Maybe…”
“The game is simple,” she continued. “It is a game of lies and truths. I am going to tell you three things about myself, and you have to guess which two are the truth, and which one is the lie.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “If you guess correctly, I go again. If you fail, you have to do the same for me. How does that sound?”
Already, she saw his calm reservations starting to slip. Fidgeting with his hands, he stepped back and forth on his feet, his eyes starting to flick about. Excited energy began to seep from him, a devilish smile worked up his face, and before he said anything else, Octavia knew this game she had planned was unlikely to happen.
Here we go…
“No,” Aaron said.
“Excuse me?”
He flashed his eyes at her. “I don’t want to play.”
“Oh.” She looked at him flatly. “And what do you want to do?”
“I don’t know…” He walked across the room; his eyes trained on an antique vase that sat precariously on the mantle. “Something else.”
“That’s awfully vague.”
He reached where the vase sat, watched it for a moment, and then snatched at it. His little hands grabbed the vase and lifted it from its perch.
“Maybe you shouldn’t pick that up.” Octavia hurried across the room. “Here, let me – oh!” Octavia yelped as Aaron dropped the vase. Luckily, she was close enough to grab it in midair, her hands just managing to grab hold before it smashed to the ground.
Aaron giggled and then raced across the room.