Admonition
(This was part of the previous scene, following on Esperanza’s desired visit to the bazaar in disguise, but didn’t quite fit into the narration owing to loose continuity requirements in this particular game. It’s good enough to include on its own, though, so here you have it.)
“That is an excellent idea,” said Margaret, “and with your colouring it should not be difficult. Mr. Addam, will you help us to make her appear native?” Margaret looks almost as mischievous as Esperanza.
Shirley looks scandalized. “Me? I rather think not! Have a care, Margaret, for pity’s sake; her honor is your responsibility now.”
At that Margaret laughs outright. “I meant only that you should advise us, not that you should help her with dressing, of course! Really, that was a most absurd conclusion to jump to!”
Shirley flushes under his tan and stares at the ground. Caught. Indeed he ought not have assumed the worst; it looks odd, unsavoury. But Margaret has a free cast of thought — or she’d have nothing to do with him, rightly enough — and she knows just where to have him. More fool he for letting her. His flush deepens.
His discomfiture cannot but be droll; the look of surprised shame on his face, perhaps not so. Margaret sees the shift of emotions across his face, and sobers. She wants to apologize, but fears that if she acknowledges his embarrassment, she will only make matters worse.
He brings both hands to the bridge of his nose, willing the physical signs of his embarrassment to subside. “Yes, of course it was; I do apologize,” is all his response.
And that gives her an opening. “I am sorry, also. I did not mean to cause you distress, truly. We will manage.”
Esperanza looks a bit confused, as if she almost, but not quite, figured out the meaning behind the apparent impropriety. However, she holds her tongue and puts it down to her imperfect command of English.
“Ah, and while I am in an admonitory frame of mind,” Shirley adds, as the moment passes, “Miss Garcia, in future do not leap down from whatever transport we are in until one of us tells you it is safe to do so. The obvious places to reach us are the endpoints of our journeys — the train station, and Government House. If there had been trouble, we should likely have had to drive off in haste, and where would you have been then?”
Margaret sobers suddenly and completely. It is her change in manner that catches Esperanza’s full attention. “He is right, my dear. I know it is hard to keep always in mind, but this journey is most dangerous to us just when safety is in sight. Remember? That is why we must be your aunt and uncle when we travel.”
Esperanza nearly flinches at Shirley’s tone of voice, and both he and Margaret can see the light go out of her eyes at once. She looks down and folds her hands her lap. “I am terribly sorry, Mr. Addam, Señora Doctor,” and she does indeed sound most sincerely contrite. “I… let my excitement get ahead of me and did not think. I forget — forgot — my place; I shall wait for instructions in the future.” She falls silent, and her head remains down, looking at her entwined fingers.
Margaret gives Shirley a quick glare; such a harsh tone was not necessary with a child so eager to please. Shirley knows his own shame and irritation caused a greater harshness than he meant. Still, he cannot quite regret it. As precocious as Esperanza is, she is sixteen, and she comes from a safe, protective family. A kinder warning might not have broken through her youthful self-confidence. If casting him as the villain of the piece will keep Esperanza safe, so be it.
Margaret hastens to reassure Esperanza. “No, dear heart, it is not that. I am not at all concerned with ‘place.’ Frankly, I think it’s a lot of nonsense most of the time. It is that we are concerned for your safety. It would suit those who wish to harm us very well, to hurt you in order to force us to stop. You did not make us angry. We were frightened of what might have happened to you. We were lucky; it was all right this time, and it was good to see you so happy. But please, you must indeed more careful in the future.” Somewhere in the middle of that she has gotten up and gone over to Esperanza, putting an arm around the girl’s shoulders. Now she gives her a gentle hug. “Do you understand? And do you have questions?”
Shirley leaves his chair to kneel on one knee before the Spanish girl. So arranged, he cannot seem terribly threatening. “Escuchame, Esperanza,” he says, the faults of his accent in no way hiding the mildness in his low voice. “Lo que dije fue demasiado brusco, y esto siento; pero como dice la señora doctor, todo es para mantenernos — nosotros todos — en salvo. No quiero que nada en el mundo prevenga lo que tú y la señora doctor esperen. Por eso dije lo que dije. Solo por eso, me oyes?”
Esperanza nods, and apologizes again, in Spanish this time. Switching to English, she says “I understand, but it has been such a grand adventure — so much to see and do — that I feel as if I haven’t a moment to spare. I shall try very hard to be more careful.”
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