A Question for Harry by Angeline Fortin

shouldn’t like to think that you would consider Fiona to be some sort of compensation.”
    “Please have no worries there . I have an honest affection for her.”
    Eve frowned . She didn’t quite like the sound of that either. She wanted something more for her sister-in-law than something so blasé as “honest affection.”
    “What are you doing here?”
    They both looked up to find Fiona standing above them with Lela propped on one hip. Her expression, which had been sunny all morning, was as dark as a thundercloud.
    “Lord Aylesbury just happened by,” Eve told her . “I invited him to join us on our picnic.”
    “Uninvite him.”
    “Fiona!”
    “No, Lady Glenrothes,” Aylesbury jumped to his feet, smoothing down the sleeves of his jacket as he considered Fiona steadily . “It is quite all right. I’ll go.”
    “No,” Eve insisted firmly . “You will stay. Fiona, please sit down.”
    Fiona shook her head stiffly.
    “Fiona …”
     
    A child’s bawling nearby had them all turning as a girl of about six or seven stumbled across the grass. “Nanny?” she cried. “Na-a-a-nny?”
    Happy for a diversion and escape from Aylesbury’s unwelcome company, Fiona set Lela in her mother’s lap and hurried over to the lost child, dropping to her knees in front of her . “Hello, there,” she said soothingly. “Are you quite all right?”
    “I-I,” the little girl babbled between sobs, “c-can’t find my nanny . I l-lost her.”
    “Or rather she lost you,” Fiona said calmly. “Don’t worry, we’ll find her . What is your name?”
    “Darcy,” she said with a sniff . “Will you help me look for her?”
    Smiling down at the grubby little girl before her who looked more like a lost street urchin than a child from a family with means enough to employ a nanny for their child, Fiona stood and held out her hand to Darcy. “Yes, I shall. Where did you last see your nanny?”
    Darcy pointed to a thick copse of trees some distance north of them and tugged her hand once more . While there was quite a bit of traffic around them – riders like Aylesbury and carriages passing on Rotten Row despite the unfashionable hour, families and children all rushing about near the water and the adjoining lawns – the grouping of trees was rather off the beaten path, Fiona thought. Hardly the area of Hyde Park where a nanny might take her charge for an outing. “Are you quite sure, Darcy? Perhaps you’re mistaken. It is a very large park.”
    “No, that’s where we were,” she insisted, tears miraculously gone . “Will you come with me, please?”
    Glancing back toward the blanket, she saw that though Eve was watching curiously, she was still sitting with her girls, however Aylesbury had started toward them . “I shall come with you.”
    “No!” both Fiona and Darcy said at the same time . The child tugged her hand impatiently, eager to be gone.
    “I’m sure we can do without your assistance, can we not?” Fiona said and Darcy beamed up at Fiona gladly, perhaps a little too gladly.
    Fiona hesitated uneasily . Something didn’t seem quite right. Hating herself for it, she looked to Aylesbury for some reassurance but he was frowning as well. “Perhaps we should just call upon the authorities to help her?”
    “No!” Darcy wailed . “I want to find my nanny now!”
    “Cease!” Aylesbury commanded and the girl silenced immediately, glaring at him balefully . “No more crocodile tears either.”
    Darcy’s lower lip trembled and Fiona’s sympathy prevailed . “Harry, please. I’m sure it would do no harm to help her look.”
    Aylesbury couldn’t help but think that the girl seemed almost satisfied by Fiona’s offer . “Then I will come along. No, no arguments,” he added when both of them opened their mouths.
    “Very well,” Fiona sighed and squeezed Darcy’s hand . “Shall we?”
    But surprisingly Darcy stood firm, glaring at Aylesbury.
    “Darcy?”
    To her amazement, the little girl yanked her