"What's wrong, sweetheart?"
Lily glanced at Victoria.
The woman smiled.
It was the same smile she used at charity dinners.
Lily looked at her father and shook her head.
"Nothing, Daddy."
Adrian kissed her hair and promised to take her to the park that weekend.
Then he went downstairs to answer a business call.
Victoria waited until his footsteps disappeared.
Afterward, she crouched in front of Lily.
"You see how easy it is to upset your father?"
Lily began crying.
"If you tell him stories about me, he will think you're being unkind. And then he will be disappointed in you."
Victoria touched the child's cheek with two fingers.
"Do you want Daddy to be disappointed in you?"
Lily shook her head.
"Then you will stop doing things that make me angry."
That night, Lily did not mention the broken photograph.
She did not mention Victoria's grip on her wrist.
She did not mention the way the woman had looked at her as though the existence of a dead mother were a personal insult.
She climbed into bed beside Adrian and asked him to sing Eleanor's lullaby.
He did.
He thought his daughter was simply missing her mother.
He did not realize that Lily was trying to memorize the sound of his voice before someone convinced her that she no longer deserved it.
***
On the morning of the incident, Adrian had left the mansion shortly after seven.
He was scheduled to attend a meeting with the board of Blackwood Industries, followed by a lunch with an international investor. Before leaving, he had stopped outside Lily's bedroom.
She was still asleep, her favorite stuffed rabbit tucked beneath her arm.
Adrian sat on the edge of the bed and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.
"Have a wonderful day, little star."
Lily opened one eye.
"Will you be home for dinner?"
"I'll try."
She frowned.
"You always say that."
The words were innocent, but they hurt.
Adrian smiled apologetically.
"Today I'll make sure I am."
She sat up.
"Promise?"
He held out his little finger.
"Promise."
Lily hooked hers around it.
"Can we read Mommy's book tonight?"
"Of course."
The book was an old collection of fairy tales Eleanor had read to Lily before she died. Its blue cover was worn, and several pages were loose, but Lily refused to let anyone replace it.
Adrian kissed her forehead and stood.
As he reached the door, Lily called after him.
"Daddy?"
He turned.
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Can I stay with Miriam today?"
Adrian glanced at his watch.
"Victoria is coming over. I thought you two could spend some time together."
Lily's expression changed.
Only slightly.
A small tightening around the mouth.
A brief glance toward the floor.
Adrian noticed, but his phone vibrated before he could ask a question.
"What's wrong, Lily?"
She looked at him.
Then she shook her head.
"Nothing."
He told himself she was still adjusting to the idea of having a stepmother.
He told himself that children sometimes resisted change even when the change was good for them.
He told himself that Victoria had always been patient.
And because he wanted all three things to be true, he did not question them.
"Be kind to Victoria today," he said gently. "She's trying very hard to make you happy."
Lily nodded.
"Yes, Daddy."
He left.
At the bottom of the stairs, Miriam watched him go.
She had been standing near the kitchen entrance, holding a tray of breakfast dishes.
For a moment, she considered calling after him.
She wanted to tell him that Lily had begun waking from nightmares. She wanted to explain that the child had recently started asking whether bad people could look beautiful and whether adults could love someone while still hurting them.
She wanted to say that something was wrong.
But she remembered the conversation she had had with Victoria two nights earlier.
The woman had stood in the kitchen doorway after midnight, wearing a silk robe and holding a glass of water.
"You've worked here a long time, Miriam."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Long enough to understand how important trust is."
Miriam had said nothing.
Victoria smiled.
"I know you care about Lily. Everyone knows that. But caring about a child doesn't mean you should interfere with the decisions her parents make."
Miriam lowered her eyes.
"Of course."
"Adrian is already under considerable pressure. His business is expanding, and the wedding preparations are becoming complicated. The last thing he needs is someone encouraging Lily to become more difficult."
"I'm not encouraging her to do anything."
Victoria's smile thinned.
"Then we understand one another."
She turned to leave, then paused.
"And remember, Miriam, there are many people who would be grateful for your position here."
The threat had been quiet.
That made it more frightening.
Miriam had worked hard for the money she earned. She had a son studying engineering, and her salary helped cover his tuition. Losing her job would not destroy her life, but it would make it much harder.
Still, she could not bear the thought of Lily being left alone with someone who frightened her.
That morning, Miriam watched Adrian's car disappear through the gates.
She decided that she would stay close to Lily all day.
Whatever happened, she would not look away.
***
Victoria arrived at nine thirty.
She wore a cream-colored suit and carried a large shopping bag containing a new dress for Lily. Her perfume entered the hallway before she did.
"Good morning!"
Miriam greeted her.
"Good morning, ma'am."
"Where is my future stepdaughter?"
The words sounded affectionate.
The expression on Victoria's face did not.
Lily was sitting at the breakfast table, pushing small pieces of fruit around her plate.
When she saw Victoria, she stood.
"Good morning, Miss Victoria."
Victoria's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
"Good morning, Lily. Come and see what I brought you."
Lily glanced toward Miriam.
Miriam gave her an encouraging nod.
The child approached.
Victoria opened the shopping bag and produced a beautiful purple dress with a satin ribbon around the waist.
"Isn't it lovely?"
Lily touched the fabric.
"Yes, ma'am."
"You can wear it to the engagement dinner tonight."
Lily looked down at her own clothes.
"I thought Daddy said I could wear Mommy's blue dress."
The room became very quiet.
Eleanor's blue dress had been made for Lily's third birthday. It was simple, with embroidered flowers around the hem, and Adrian had carefully preserved it after his wife's death.
He had promised Lily that she could wear it for special occasions.
Victoria had never liked the dress.
"It looks old," she said.
Lily pulled her hands away from the purple fabric.
"But Daddy promised."
"Your father wants you to look presentable."
"I think Mommy's dress is pretty."
Victoria set the dress on the table.
"Your mother is not going to be at the dinner, Lily."
Lily's eyes filled with tears.
"I know."
"Then why do you insist on bringing her into everything?"
Miriam stepped forward.
"Perhaps we could put the dress away for now, ma'am. Mr. Blackwood will be home this evening, and he can decide what Lily should wear."
Victoria turned slowly.
"I did not ask for your opinion."
Miriam stopped.
Victoria picked up the purple dress and held it against Lily's shoulders.
"You will wear this tonight."
Lily looked at the floor.
"Yes, ma'am."
"And when guests ask about your new family, you will tell them how excited you are to have me as your mother."
Lily's lower lip trembled.
"But you're not my mommy."