A LITTLE TWIST OF FATE

Chapter 23

Danielle led Henry to the ruins of her father's greenhouse. A fire destroyed the greenhouse before she had been born and was never rebuilt. Danielle often went there when she was alone or to play with Gustave, even if her father had made it clear that he didn't want her or her friends to enter.

She never did listen to him and ran in there every time he was gone on some business trip against his advice. After his death, she had taken to sleeping in there, to get away from Rodmilla. It was the only place she could go where she could read the books her father brought her. She wanted to remember Auguste in her own way.

Since the ashes were still there, Danielle always seemed to smell of them. Rodmilla disapproved and often referred to her as the girls who loved the ash and cinders. It was almost a blessing when Thérèse had called her away, even though she had been nervous about leaving.

Now, she was back and more nervous than ever about being here.

So she did as she always had done and gone for that walk in the garden.

Or had attempted to at least.

"Who wants to go first?" Danielle asked.

Henry smiled. "Perhaps we should shoot for it. You know, Rock, Paper, and Scissors? "

"Three times as usual?"

Henry nodded.

Danielle smiled back. "You know I always win."

Henry laughed. "Your luck might change. Who knows? I might beat you."

"Feeling lucky then? Want to make a wager?" she asked.

"Why not?"

Now it was Danielle's turn to laugh. "You're on."

Henry did win the first round, but Danielle won the next two.

"Well, I suppose I'll start first." "No, Henry," Danielle said shaking her head and putting her finger to his lips. "Let me go first. I've got some apologizing to do.

Henry frowned. "What for?"

"For speaking to you the way I did yesterday. You had every right to your opinion and I'm sorry I've been such a fool."

Henry looked at her a bit confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I guess I've always had this childhood notion that we would marry someday." She turned toward him. "We did promise each other that we would, you know."

Henry stood up and looked at her. He took her hands in his. "Funny you should mention that, Danielle, I.."

"No, let me finish," she said. "I've got something important to tell you."

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