Sirene (Wattys 2014 Entrant)

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Scotland, November 1902

“Callum, I’m home.” Oceana’s voice rang out through the little house as she burst through the back door. She stopped short when she saw Miss Patterson sitting at the table with Callum.

“Ah, Oceana, as ye can see we hae a visitur. Go an' put yer school books in yer room.” Callum gravely stated. Oceana nodded her head and scampered off to do as she was told.

“Ye see, Miss Patterson, th' lassie is perfectly healthy an' happy an' in good hands.”

Miss Patterson shook her head. “I said I’m here to take Oceana back with me to the asylum and that is exactly what I shall do. I didn't make the trip all the way up here to come back empty handed. If we hurry now, we should make it for the evening train.”

“I'm sorry, ma'am.” Callum firmly stated. “Oceana *isnae gonnae anywhere, she is stayin' right here wi' me.”

“Where does Miss Patterson want to take me?” Oceana came out of her room and took a seat at the table.

“I’ve come to take you back, Oceana.” Miss Patterson replied.

“How ever did you find us, Miss Patterson?”

“It wasn’t easy, but I finally hired a private detective and we started trying to trace Chandler’s tracks. I knew once I found Chandler, I would find Oceana, and I proved to be right.”

“Oooh, how very smart of you.” Oceana was very impressed. "Did you come here all alone?"

"Certainly not. I brought a servant with me, he's sitting waiting for me outside, didn't you see him in the little wagon?"

"I took a short cut that led through the fields and came in through the back, so no, I didn't see him."

“Oceana, run ootwith an' play while I speak wi' Miss Patterson here.” Callum firmly ordered. Oceana sighed but obeyed. How annoying that she wasn’t allowed to sit and listen to what they were talking about.

“Callum, sir,” Miss Patterson said once Oceana had left. “Whoever you are, you have no idea how to properly raise a child. Remember her when she came to the orphanage. She was nothing short of a calamity. The girl was constantly disobeying the rules and told everyone she had a right to do so. She had no respect at all for her elder, put on public arguments, openly talked back, refused to follow orders and did things her own way. She would make the other girls cover up for her faults and it took a lot of work from Miss Morgan, Miss Grey and dare I even say, myself, to try and bring to a semi normal behavior. I will not stand to have her go back to the way she once was. If Oceana will be so kind as to pack her things, we will leave immediately back to London and the orphan asylum where she belongs.”

“Miss Patterson, I feel I must *inf'rm ye that an orphan asylum is where orphans belong, but Oceana isnae an orphan an' so there nothin' fur her to do there.”

“Is that so? And pray tell, what do you base that on?”

“On th' fact 'at I have officially adopted th' bairn. I have papers provin' she legally belongs to me, we e'en share th' same last name.”

“And what name is that?”

“Whatever th' name is, it’s not one I’m gonnae give ye. No offense, ma’am, but I dinnae troost ye enough to give ye my last name.”

Miss Patterson was so surprised, she didn’t know how to react and for a moment just sat there staring at Callum. Finally she tore her gaze away from him and looked about the very simple surroundings that were Callum’s home. “Callum, sir, surely you understand that this is no place to raise a child.”