CHAPTER THREEStartled, the girl looked up quickly and her eyes met Elvina’s gazing down at her.
“Is it you?” she demanded. “Are you the new governess, because if so, I won’t have you. Go away. I don’t want you.”
Elvina climbed down the ladder and faced her. The girl glared back. She was small and pretty with large glittering blue eyes and an air of fury. In fact, she resembled nothing so much as a dainty, infuriated wasp.
“I don’t want you,” she repeated.
“It seems that nobody wants me,” Elvina replied.
“What are you saying?”
Elvina thought quickly.
“I am saying that I need your help,” she confided in a low voice. “Nobody else must know what I am about to tell you.”
The girl stared at her in astonishment.
“My help?” she exclaimed.
“Please, please help me,” Elvina pleaded. “If you
