Page 264 of Naughty Nelle

Gallant’s eyes do not leave mine. “Please, Jane, I beg of you to talk to her.”

“What do you want me to tell her?” I ask, my tone softening.

“Tell her that I am sorry for everything and that I shall buy her a new doll. A hundred of them, if she wants.”

“I’ll do what I can.” No matter how much I want to stay mad at him, I can’t.

Calla’s chamber door is locked. Muffled sobs seep through the thick slab of wood. I knock gently.

“Calla, can I please come in?”

“No!”

“Pretty please with a cherry on top?”

“Maybe.”

I take that as a “yes” because I hear the door unlock.

Back on her bed, Calla is curled up with Lady Jane, her face soaked with tears. She caresses the doll’s cracked face.

“Your father feels really bad about today,” I say, sitting down beside her.

“All he cares about is Marcella,” she wails.

“That’s so not true. He loves you more than anyone in the whole world.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I just do.”

We share a stretch of silence. Calla’s sobbing reduces to whimpers.

“Your father told me he’ll buy you a new Lady Jane,” I continue.

Calla bursts into tears again.

“I don’t want a new Lady Jane. I only want this one!”

I examine Lady Jane. The doll’s once perfect porcelain face is now lined with a maze of cracks. Its close resemblance to my reflection in my cracked “magic” mirror sends a shockwave through me.

“I wish she was still beautiful,” sobs Calla.

“She is,” I say, calming down.

“I don’t believe you.”

“I’m going to prove it to you.” I pull out Shrink’s mirrored locket from under my dress and snap it open.

Intrigued, Calla stops crying. “Who gave that to you?”

“Someone special. It’s magic.”

That really gets her attention.

“Now, I want you to let Lady Jane take a look at herself in my magic mirror.”

Calla props her dolly up in front of the mirror, then peers at Lady Jane’s reflection. “What’s so magic about that?” She frowns. “Her face still looks all cracked.”

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