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Could Cleb read minds? Did he have a secret ability I didn’t know about?
Now what did I say? I had to think on my feet. Should I tell the truth? Or should I continue with the lies?
No, I decided. I wasn’t good at lies. The truth had to be enough. There were already too many lies.
“Yes,” I said. “She knew him.”
Cleb nodded and gently swung his feet back and forth.
“Then she really was a governess?” he said.
“Yes, she was.”
“She was the most fun governess I ever had.”
“I’ll try to find another governess like her,” I said, knowing there wasn’t another governess like her anywhere.
Cleb nodded. He didn’t look convinced.
“Why did she go away?” he said.
Yes, why?
“Because she lied,” I said. “She lied and you got kidnapped.”
“Oh.”
He frowned and kicked his legs harder.
“But it’s not her fault the bad man kidnapped us, is it?” he said. “We were happy until he came along.”
“Yes. But she led him here.”
“Not on purpose.”
“No, not on purpose.”
“Then it’s not her fault, is it?” Cleb said. “She was nice. She wouldn’t have brought him here on purpose.”
“No,” I said weakly. My voice was barely a croak.
“I should get dressed,” Cleb said.
He slipped off the sofa. He was about to turn and leave when he stopped and turned to me. He extended his arms to me. I leaned forward and he hugged me.
“It’s okay to be sad, Uncle,” he said.
“I’m not sad,” I said. “I’ve got you.”
“Yes,” Cleb said. “But you’re still sad.”
He planted a kiss on my cheek. It was the first time he’d ever done that and it made me beam.
“It was nice though,” Cleb said.
“What was?”
“Being part of a family,” he said. “Even if it was for a little while.”
