Chapter 4 : Charlie Gardner

I pondered a bit whether to open the door or not, but finally, decided to give in. No matter what, I couldn't possibly let a starving child standing outside the door so late.

With a clicking sound, I opened the door slowly. The girl in front of me showed an astonished expression, but she quickly switched her expression to a neutral one and flashed me a smile. "Good evening, big sister. Thank you for trusting me enough to open to door."

She sounded polite and her gesture was very ladylike. She was almost like a little princess.

I couldn't believe such a girl can be an accomplice for a thief or the thief itself. However just to make sure, I glanced around the garden a little. After making sure the girl was alone, I crouched down in front of her.

"Hello, I'm sorry for doubting you. Would you like to come in first?"

"Thank you, big sister. I take you up on your offer, then."

I made a way for the girl to come in and shut the door. I could finally put down the golf stick in my hand.

"Please sit down first. Let me make something for you. Do you prefer milk or tea?"

"A tea, if you may."

I nodded and made my way to the kitchen. I let the girl inside, now what? Using the corner of my eyes, I observed the girl while I made a cup of tea and a plate of quick sandwiches. She was sitting obediently on a sofa. This girl seemed mature for her age, proven by how she talked like an adult. I assumed she is around 10 years old? Her dress was simple but looked expensive. She must came from a wealthy family.

I brought a tray of a cup of warm tea and a plate of sandwiches. The girl looked at me calmly, but I could detect a hint of expectation in her eyes. I put them on the table in front of the girl.

"Please help yourself. You haven't had dinner yet, right? It's not much, but I hope you like it."

The girl's eyes glistened, and I heard a gulp before she thanked me. She reached out for a sandwich and started to eat it slowly.

Now I took a closer look, this girl had a beautiful pair of blue eyes. Carla's eyes are blue too, but the girl's eyes are several shades lighter than Carla's. Her milky-white skin looked glowing under the light. Her brown colored hair was braided and laid lazily on her shoulder. I bet she will grow up into a stunning beauty in the future.

After finishing her sandwiches, she took a sip of her tea before letting out a sigh of relief.

"That was so good, big sister."

"I am glad you like it." I curved my mouth in a friendly smile (hopefully), "What's your name?"

"My name is Charlie. Charlie Gardner. What's yours, big sister?"

"I am Eirlys Williams. Nice to meet you, Charlie. I need to be honest, but I haven't called the police yet. I lied to you."

"It's okay, big sister. I don't blame you for being cautious since you are alone at home."

My eyebrows lifted in surprise. "How do you know I live here alone?"

Charlie's eyes curving delightfully. "So, big sister lives alone here. I was just guessing actually. I saw only one room with a light turned on from the outside. And big sister bravely confronting a suspicious person outside alone, which shouldn't have been the case if there were other people in the house. It's usually a role for a male or older family member, so I just assumed you are currently alone, or you live alone here."

Her reasoning sounded plausible. I couldn't help but admire her analysis. She was still so young, yet she already had such a sharp mind.

"That is brilliant deduction, Charlie. I heard a loud noise from the garden and thought it was a thief. Speaking of which, how come you were lost to my garden?"

"I was accompanying my brother this afternoon, but we got separated. I didn't have money or a phone so I wandered around for some time until I arrived on the dark street. It's getting late and I started panicking. Then I saw your house's gate was unlocked and decided to try my luck. Since it's dark outside, I tripped and fell on the garden."

I tilted my head in confusion. Strange. I was pretty sure I had locked the gate properly, or did I remember it wrong?

I brushed my doubt aside and gave an understanding nod. "So that's what happens. You must be scared." I pulled out my phone from my pocket and gave it to Charlie, "You can use this to contact your family. Let them pick you up here. They must be worried about you."

Charlie received my phone happily, "Thank you very much, big sister. You are a lifesaver!"

I just pulled the corners of my lips before taking the empty plate to the sink, giving Charlie some privacy.

"Brother!... Yes, I am fine... I am at a kind sister's house... No, she is not like that... What?.."

I put the dishes that had already been washed into the cupboard. At the same time, Charlie approached me with a hesitant look. She handed me the phone, which I noticed still connected to the other person.

"Big sister, my brother said he wants to thank you directly."

I placed the phone on my ears. "Hello?"

From the other side, I heard a deep yet warm voice answering me, "Hello, is this Miss Williams speaking? I am Charlie's brother, Alex. I want to say thank you for helping my sister, and I also apologize for all the trouble she caused."

"No, it's not a trouble at all. Charlie is very polite and well-behaved. Are you going to pick her up now, Mr. Alex?"

"Please, just Alex is fine. It may be brazen of me, but can I ask for one more favor from you, Miss Williams?"

"What kind of favor?"

Alex explained with a hint of helplessness in his voice. "Unfortunately, currently there is a situation at our home, so there is no one available to pick my sister up, including me. However, I am reluctant to let her go home by herself using a taxi at this hour. I am ashamed to ask this from you after you've gone through trouble helping my sister, but can you let her stay with you for a night? I promise I will pick her up first thing in the morning tomorrow."

"How about I send her home? You can send me your home address and we can ride a taxi together."

"That's very kind of you, Miss Williams. But then I will feel worried letting a young lady like you go home alone."

Alex's voice was full of warmth and very soothing to the ear. I was very used to the cold and rough tone of voice directed at me, so his voice sounded very pleasant to hear. In addition, his consideration for me made me feel warm inside. What a nice person.

Unknowingly, I smiled as I answered, "Thank you for your concern. Then, Charlie can just sleep here tonight. It's safer that way."

Alex answered happily. "It's a relief to hear you say that. Once again, thank you for your understanding. Please don't hesitate to scold my sister if she misbehaved. Tell her I will pick her up tomorrow morning."

I bid a farewell to Alex then hung up. I lowered down my upper body so my eyes are on the same level as Charlie's. "Your brother asked me to let you stay with me for tonight. Are you okay with that?"

Charlie nodded her head enthusiastically. "Of course I am okay with that! I am worried I will become a bother for you, so I am very happy now."

Whoa, what a bright smile. Such a cute girl. No wonder Alex was so worried about her. If I were a kidnapper, I would also go for a cute girl like Charlie. Wait, what am I thinking?

Brushing off the weird idea from my head, I let Charlie came with me to the second floor where the guest room is. It's a medium-sized room Grandpa prepared in case his family came to visit him, but I never saw this room being used before, so the furniture and wallpaper still feel new. Fortunately, this room was clean enough to be used immediately.

"You can sleep here tonight. The bathroom is on the first floor, near the kitchen. You can take a bath first if you want. In the bathroom cabinet, there is a spare toothbrush for you to use. Make yourself at home. There are also frozen food and drinks in the fridge, so feel free to take them if you feel hungry or thirsty at midnight. Oh, let me fetch a blanket for you."

I opened the cabinet and found a white blanket inside. Fortunately, I regularly washed every blanket in the house, so it didn't smell funny. I gave it to Charlie with a smile, "Here is your blanket. Oh right, you just feel uncomfortable wearing that dress to sleep, I will see if I have any clothes your size."

"Thank you, big sister!"

I came back to my room and rummaged through my closet for my smaller size clothes. Not long after that, I found a green shirt with long training pants. This should be okay.

I gave them to Charlie then left him to rest. She must felt tired after wandering around for hours. I bid her a good night before returning to my room again.