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the hall to greet him.
    "Little Eliza, you are to come back to the playroom and not bother this fine gentleman." The older woman held out her hand.
    Eliza's green eyes sparkled as she smiled. "I am sorry, but I have to go. I hope you will visit again, Mr. Lockwood."
    "I would be delighted to, little Eliza," he said, trying the words out on his tongue. He had never harbored quite such a fantasy before but seeing the smile and eagerness to please him, Charley knew without a doubt he had done the right thing. "From now on, you will call me 'Papa.'"
    Her eyes widened and the smile grew upon her face before she clutched her nanny's hand and skipped back into the playroom.
    Nanny Agnes shut the door behind them and pointed at the other young women, probably instructing Eliza to go back to playing and ignore him.
    Charley found it difficult to hide the swell in his chest or bulge in his trousers. Eliza stirred a desire inside of him he had not known existed. Such a school of littles sounded scandalous but was it as bad as it seemed? Part of him felt conflicted as he considered whether to write about the chateau or not. Was it as shameful as he first believed it to be, based on her dress? His eyes scoured the playroom and he caught sight of all the young women as littles, dressed in short skirts with stockings all the way up past the hems of their dresses.
    He did not want to ruin the perfect opportunity to visit Eliza again, while doing a bit of research on his own. His boss, James, at the Daily Times had been insistent on finding the story, not just telling the news. Charley had not known what it meant until he set eyes upon Eliza. What was her story? Would she allow him to tell it? Charley had been unable to let it go, desiring answers, and to spend more time with the young woman who was to call him papa.
    Stepping further from the door and back down toward the headmaster's office, he waited outside until Philip returned. "I would like to sign the papers to enroll my sister into Ashby. I would also like to further discuss the matter of Miss Eliza."
    "Her father will be here soon. I will need to speak with him, but if you would like to come back on Monday with your sister, I can have the papers ready for you to sign. Just be sure to bring a check for the amount due for both tuitions. Let me walk you out."
    Charley did not feel ready to leave, but he also did not wish to overstay his welcome. The last thing he wanted was to meet Eliza's father, especially right now. He was still getting his head wrapped around the littles' school and what it all meant. "Of course," he said, glancing one last time at little Eliza in the playroom before he headed down to the first floor, through the front door and across the lawn for the main gate. He had gotten the answers he was searching for, but he was not sure what to make of them. No doubt he would be back on Monday. He wanted to see Eliza again soon.
     
     
     

Chapter V
     
    Was he really going to be her papa? Eliza had difficulty containing her excitement as the weekend crawled by. She did not want to get overly eager only to feel disappointment when he did not come to visit her. Headmaster Philip had yet to inform her about the new marriage arrangement. Would he give her the news any time soon? She had felt a bit disappointed at not having had the opportunity to speak with her father when he had visited. Eliza had caught a glimpse of him in his waistcoat, stalking down the hall, a frown crossing his features. Nanny Agnes had unfortunately kept her from leaving the room and running after him. In truth, her father was not a man who would have cared for any dramatics or affection anyway. He never gave more than a passing glance on occasion, and Eliza really could not recall any real signs of love or tenderness being given by the man. Such things were not the ways of her father, and she had long ago accepted that.
    It had been three days since she had laid eyes on Mr. Lockwood, the man who had