Sacha was late for dinner. It was quarter past eight and he was panicking. Even though Lacey had made a point of showing him, he couldn’t remember where the dining room was and had gone wrong a couple of times.

On the third attempt, he found himself in the kitchen. It wasn’t as grand as the rest of the house, more utilitarian; simple and modern, with an island in the middle. The work surfaces and floor were granite and Sacha found the natural stone comforting.

“Well, hello there,” Emma said, looking up from the saucepan she was stirring. “I thought you’d be in with Lacey and Mr. Prosser. Aren’t you hungry?”

Sacha considered, inhaling a nose-full of delicious smell. Oh yes, he was hungry. “Yes, very.”

“Well, off you go. What are you waiting for?”

Blushing furiously, Sacha whispered. “I forgot where the dining room is.”

Emma’s face softened, “It is a bit of a rabbit warren if you’re not used to it. I don’t suppose the house you lived in was much like this one.”

Sacha shook his head. “Not at all. My room here is almost as big as the whole house, the downstairs at least. I…” Dare he? Dare he tell her the truth; how he was really feeling. But if she told Lacey or Frank they might be angry that he’d spoken to her. Better not. “I’m very grateful. It’s just…big.”

“That it is. You’ll get used to it in no time. Don’t be afraid to explore. There are all kinds of nooks and crannies.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Emma beamed, although Sacha thought she looked a bit sad. He couldn’t imagine why. “The dining room’s next door, honey. Go out the door and turn right.”

“Thank you.”

The dining room was as grand as the rest of the house, with panelled walls painted white, high ceilings and chandeliers. The table dominated, running down the centre of the room with space for a lot of people. The dining table back at the farm had been big. It could have seated ten at a pinch. This one was surely double the length.

Lacey and Frank were sitting right at the other end, Frank at the head and Lacey to one side. They both looked up. “There you are,” Lacey said. “I was about to come looking for you. I thought you might have got lost.”

“I did. I ended up in the kitchen. The…um…lady told me where to go.”

“Emma? She’s an angel. Come, sit down. We were waiting for you so we haven’t started yet.”

“I’m sorry. You didn’t have to wait for me.”

“Not a problem,” Frank said as Sacha sat opposite Lacey.

“I see you took my suggestion and had a bath, or rather, I smell it.” Lacey giggled.

“You smell me?”

“Minty,” Lacey said. “I like your hair like that. Can you show me how to do it?”

“Do what? Braid your hair? But it’s easy.”

“It may be for you but I’ve never got the hang of it. My braids are always so messy.”

“Your hair’s different lengths, so you won’t be able to do a smooth braid.”

“Hm. You could still try.”

“Of course, I’ll try if you want to.” Sacha got to his feet, worried he’d said the wrong thing.

“Not now,” Lacey said laughing. “Maybe after dinner.”

“Oh, okay,” Sacha said, bowing his head over his plate.

“I told you I’d slap you if you said that again.”

Sacha’s head snapped up and his eyes widened. 

“I’m teasing,” Lacey said. “You’re going to have to get used to that pretty quickly.”

“I do?” Sacha trembled. Another thing to remember. How could he learn to tell when Lacey was teasing? What if he got it wrong and laughed at her when she wasn’t teasing? That would be even worse.

“Stop it, Lacey,” Frank rumbled in his deep voice. “Sacha’s been through enough, without having to put up with your teasing. Don’t forget, he isn’t used to being in a family like ours. He’s not used to people saying things they don’t mean.”

“Sorry, Sacha,” Lacey said, sounding unrepentant. “I’ll try to be good.”

“Don’t hold your breath, Sacha,” Frank said, reaching for a bread roll from the little mound in a basket at the centre of the table. It smelled amazing when Frank broke it in two and Sacha’s mouth began to water. He felt as if he hadn’t eaten in days.

“Go ahead,” Frank said, nodding toward the bowl. “We don’t stand on ceremony here. Help yourself to anything you want.”

Sacha swallowed and his eyes flicked from Frank to the bread. Slowly, half expecting to be stopped, Sacha reached out and picked up a bread roll. It was warm. Sacha sniffed it and closed his eyes with a sigh. It smelled so good, better than any bread he’d ever had. Without opening his eyes, he broke it and took a nibble. “Mmm.”

“That good?” Lacey drawled. “Why not try some butter?”

Sacha’s eyes snapped open and he blushed deeply. “I-I’m sorry. I just… I haven’t…”

“Lacey, stop teasing the poor boy. How are you settling in, Sacha? Is your room okay?”

“Yes thank you. I mean, the room’s wonderful, Sir.”

“There’s no need to call me sir, Sacha. No one else does.”

“He did try once,” Lacey said, “but no one bothered so he dropped it.”

Sacha stared at Frank. “They disobeyed you?”

“They disobey me all the time,” Frank said, with a gentle smile. “Nothing bad happens when they do, although they know how far to push it. I’m a big pussy cat but all cats have claws.”

“Did you just say you’re a pussy?”

“Lacey, please.”

Sacha watched the banter between father and daughter, filled with confusion. How could Lacey speak to her father like that, and why did he allow it? His hand shook as he tore the bread into crumbs.

“Sacha,” Frank said, “are you alright? Can I do anything?”

“I… No. I just… I don’t understand.”

“What don’t you understand?”

“Anything. Why… Why does she say such bad things, and why do you let her?”

“It’s the way things are between us. Lacey's a tease, simple as. I suppose she’s been indulged too much, as she’s the only girl. She’s a complete spoiled brat but we love her.”

“Hey. I’m not a spoiled brat.”

And they were off again. Sacha put his head down and nibbled the bread. Fortunately, they were interrupted by Emma with the food.

The rest of the meal passed in pretty much the same vein, with Frank and Lacey bantering and Sacha keeping his head low, joining in only when directly addressed.

At the end, Sacha sat quietly, head bowed over his plate. He felt odd. He’d eaten more and better than he ever had and part of him was sleepy and comfortable, the rest was scared and confused. He was trembling, inside and out, on the verge of tears. Would he ever get to grips with this family thing?

“You’ve been very quiet, Sacha. Is everything alright?”

“I’m sorry.” Sacha’s automatic pilot said.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. You can be as quiet or loud as you like. Everyone tends to be quiet when Lacey’s around. No one else gets a chance.”

Lacey sighed and rolled her eyes, but not before Sacha caught her and Frank exchanging a look, which he knew was about him. He couldn’t read what it was. What were they thinking? What were they planning? His heart fluttered wildly in his chest. This was all just too good to be true. The bad had to come sooner or later and he wished they'd get it over with.

“Today’s been a bit too much for you, hasn’t it? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you on your own. I should have shown you some quiet spots where you could relax.”

“I… It was okay. I had a bath.”

“What do you think of the bathroom? It was put in years ago, but you’re the first to use it.”

“F-first? I… I’ll try not to… I mean, to…”

“Relax, Sacha. The bathroom’s yours now. If you break something we’ll get it fixed. If you run out of something we’ll get more. Please don’t stress over things like that. It’s yours to do what you want with. You can’t get it wrong.”

“I-I splashed water on the floor.” Sacha blurted, just managing to stop himself from flinching. He was learning that these people—his family—didn’t like it when he did that.

“We can get Lucy up there to clean it if you like.”

“I…wiped it with a towel.” Sacha took a breath and gathered his courage. “I made it dirty. It was so white, but I couldn’t think of anything else to do. I was afraid the water would come through the ceiling and it would… I’m sorry.”

Sacha turned his face away so he wouldn’t see the anger and disappointment on his father’s face.

“Look at me,” Frank ordered and he quickly obeyed. “I don’t know what more I can say to reassure you. I suppose you need time to get used to us, and it will come. There’s nothing you can do that will make me angry, unless you deliberately try to damage the house or harm someone in it. You’re my son. I love you. This is your home. Nothing you say or do will change that.”

Sacha chewed nervously on the end of his braid Maybe he meant it. Maybe it wasn’t all a set up. Maybe it wouldn’t come crashing down the first time he screwed up. “You’re not mad at me?”

“For a drop of water and a dirty towel?” Sacha nodded. “No, Sacha. Not at all. If you put the towel outside your door, the maid will collect it when she’s doing the rounds and have it laundered. The same goes for clothes and bedding. Usually, the maid just goes into our rooms and changes whatever needs changing but I haven’t given them the key to yours. I thought it would make it easier for you if you had privacy. We’re used to it but you’re not. I hope you see we’re trying our best to make you as comfortable and secure as possible. This is your home, Sacha and we want you to feel at home in it.”

“It’s all… It’s really…big.”

“Yes, it is. I felt a little like you do when I first came here. At that time, it belonged to Mary—your mother’s—parents. I felt like a fish out of water. My family aren’t poor. They live comfortably enough, but this…” Frank spread his arms. Sacha smiled. He knew exactly what Frank meant.

“Not long after we got married, Mary’s grandparents were killed in a car accident. Their house was left to Mary’s parents, and when they moved to somewhere smaller, they signed this house over to her. It didn’t take her long to make it a home. By then we already had two children and it’s impossible to live in a house full of children and it not be a home.”

“There aren’t any children now.”

“Oh, there will be. James is coming home in a couple of days and whenever he’s around the house is always full of kids, making a noise and driving the staff insane. Enjoy the peace while you can.”

Lacey frowned. “Dad, James is almost sixteen. Don’t call him a kid or he’ll get upset.”

“He’ll get over it.”

Lacey rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I think you deliberately wind him up.”

“Sometimes I do.”

“Then stop it. He’s already angry with you, and with Sacha. Don’t make it worse or he’ll take it out on Sacha. You know he will.”

“Not if he knows what’s good for him, he won’t. He’s almost a man and it’s time he started behaving like one. I’m fed up with all this nonsense about him being abandoned. Being sent to one of the best boarding schools in the country is hardly being abandoned. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get a place there? Besides, he loves it there.”

“Maybe he does and maybe he doesn’t, but he still feels you abandoned him and he still blames Sacha for it. There’s no point saying he should man up and get over it because you know as well as I do that it’s not as simple as that. You and he can go at it as much as you like. Frankly, I don’t care. But I know James and he won’t do that. He’ll be nice as pie to you, then he’ll go for Sacha, and Sacha won’t be able to handle it.”

“James will do as he’s told, and if I have the slightest concern about how he’s treating Sacha I’ll stamp it out straight away.”

“Father,” Lacey said, “sometimes you can be such a stupid, blind, idiot. Come on, Sacha, let me show you the terrace. I think you’ll like it a lot.”

Wide-eyed, Sacha glanced at Frank, waiting for permission to leave the table. Frank wasn’t even looking at him, he was glaring at Lacey.

“Sacha, what are you waiting for. Come on.”

Sacha glanced nervously between Frank and Lacey. Frank seemed to be absolutely furious and Sacha was scared to ask for permission. Maybe this was a test. Maybe they were trying to see how obedient he was. If he asked for permission, would Frank turn his blazing eyes on him, and what punishment would he have? Back home it was forbidden to walk away from the table without permission, especially when Ryland was there. The last time Sacha had done so—because he was going to be sick—he hadn’t been allowed out of the cellar room for a week, other than to work, and was only allowed to eat whatever left-overs the others were permitted to bring him.

“Sacha, what’s the matter with you? I thought you wanted to see the terrace room. It’s really nice in there, peaceful. Isn’t that what you need right now, some peace and quiet.” 

Lacey glared at Frank, making a point, and Sacha quivered. Things were going from bad to worse all the time. Lacey was mad at him and Frank was still scowling and he had no idea what to do. Well, he couldn’t just sit here.

Maybe he could do what they both wanted? “Yes, I’d like to see it, please.”

“Well, come on then.”

Oh no, he’d said the wrong thing. Sacha looked to Frank for permission but Frank was still glaring at Lacey and didn’t even glance at him.

“Sacha, what’s wrong?”

Finally, Frank looked at him. He didn’t seem mad anymore, only surprised. “Is everything okay? Why aren’t you going with Lacey? Is something wrong?”

He sounded so nice, so…safe. Maybe he wasn’t testing. He’d been told he was allowed to ask for things so maybe… “Can I…” He swallowed. His voice had squeaked and that made Frank frown. He made an effort to sound calmer. “Can I have permission to leave please?” Despite himself, Sacha winced in anticipation and cringed when a look of shock and dismay passed over Frank’s face.

“I’m so sorry, Sacha, I didn’t think. It’s been a long time since any of my kids have waited for permission to leave the table. Of course you can have it. Go with Lacey. Have a good time. I’ll see you at breakfast.”

Frank’s voice was so warm, it made Sacha smile, but, when he looked over his shoulder as he followed Lacey through the door, Frank was frowning and that made him scared all over again.

“You should have said, silly,” Lacey said to him as she opened the door of the next room. “Why did you just sit there and wait?”

“I… Because I thought… Back home it wasn’t allowed.”

“What? Not even to ask?”

Sacha shook his head. “No. He told us when we could leave. It was up to him.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize. I’m sorry.” Lacey looked sorry. She also looked sad. Sacha wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. The tension that had been building all through dinner thrummed inside him until something snapped and the tears came, great gasping sobs that came from deep down inside.

Lacey pulled him into a hug and he clung to her until the storm passed and he was calm again.

“You poor thing. We’ve got a lot to learn about each other, honey. The first thing you have to learn is that if something’s wrong, or if you’re scared or confused about something, you must tell us or we won’t know. You’ll never, ever get into trouble for asking.”

“Really?”

Lacey pulled back so she could meet his eyes. “Absolutely. I promise.”

Sacha bit his lip and nodded. “I’ll try to remember.”

Lacey gave him the strangest look, then smiled and took his hand, drawing him further into the room.