Taming Jane

Chapter 10

***Please read info at the bottom***

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Chapter Ten

“Dr Remington,” Daniel growled angrily. “Get out, now.”

Dr Remington fled the room very quickly so that Daniel could attempt to explain their situation to Sabine. He had been hoping to receive a reply from Jane before he had to talk to Sabine about it but now he had to think on his feet.

“You’re my papa?” Sabine repeated, shocked. Sabine was properly sitting up in her bed. She’d pushed her covers away and turned to face him. Her nightgown had risen to above her knees and he could see that her rash was indeed fading.

Daniel nodded. “I am, Sabine.”

Sabine’s lip trembled as she looked at him. Her eyes watered and she quickly wiped her tears away. “Why are you here?” she asked innocently. “You don’t live here.”

Daniel accepted that, of course she would think that. “I haven’t lived here for a long time, but if you’d be alright with it, I’d like to live here again.” He wanted to let her decide. If he was to repair their relationship he wanted it to be on her terms.

Sabine looked at him intently for a long while. “I don’t look like you, how can you be my papa?” she asked curiously.

“You look like your mother,” Daniel replied and stood up from his seat.

“Mama,” she repeated softly to herself. “Mama had light hair like me?” she asked.

Daniel nodded and touched the side of her head softly, testing how far he could go with her before she became uncomfortable with him. To his surprise she tilted her head into his hand.

“Why do you want to live here again?” she asked, almost sounding sad.

“Because I want to look after you, Sabine, you are very special to me,” he replied, smiling down at her.

She pursed her lips before she asked him her next question. “How come you never looked after me before?” she asked.

That Daniel didn’t have an answer to. He couldn’t tell her why he’d stayed away for so long without her feeling like she was responsible for it. She was only five years old; she didn’t need such information swimming around in her head, ill as it was. “Now you can ask me anything you want after you’ve had a nap, you need your rest.” He would be sure to think of something to say to her. He wouldn’t leave her questions unanswered.

Sabine sighed and reluctantly laid back down in bed. Daniel covered her with her blankets but resisted kissing her forehead. He didn’t want to push it too far with her. She was young and innocent but he had no idea where her head was at. She could hate him for all he knew.