Tess turned back for a second to the boy sitting alone at the table. It was almost as if she’d imagined the house which was made of confections and tea sandwiches and had white drizzled snow made out of Devonshire cream. The entire concoction had disappeared and everything was back in its place, the sandwiches laid out on the silver platter and set out on his plate as they had been at first.

The waiter arrived again, causing Tess to turn back to their table, as he wanted to know if everything was to their satisfaction and they didn’t want to order anything else.

“No, it’s lovely,” said Aunt Evie, “absolutely perfect.” Tess obediently took a bite of an egg salad sandwich this time and declared it, “Delicious.” And Max just nodded as he had a mouth full of éclair.

After the waiter left, Tess couldn’t help it, she turned back around to catch a peek at the boy at the other table, who she was starting to think was quite mysterious and funny.

Now, he seemed to be staring at her, except he wasn’t really. His eyes were looking in her direction and she was looking at him, but it didn’t seem like they were making eye contact. Maybe he was just spaced out. Max got that way sometimes when he was tired. She’d felt that way right after they’d unpacked. She recognized the mood. The silver three-layered tray was still on the table with more sandwiches piled high and petits fours, scones, jam, and cream, in addition to the amazing assortment already laid out on his plate, not constructed just laid out for eating. But he really didn’t seem to have eaten any of them. Not a bite. Maybe he was waiting for his parents. That must be it. He was waiting for his parents and he’d been taught to be polite. There was something so strange about the way he stared.

“Do you see that boy, Max?” Tess asked, staring in the boy’s direction.

“It’s not nice to stare, Tess,” said Aunt Evie.

“I know, Aunt Evie. I’m sorry.”

“What boy?” said Max.

“That boy sitting over there.” Tess nodded her head back in the direction without looking, as Aunt Evie had admonished her for staring.

“What boy?” said Max again.

“That one,” said Tess and turned around to look at him, but there wasn’t anyone there.

No one, at all. Just a white tablecloth and four settings, as if no one had been there at all.

The waiter was hovering again, wanting to know if they needed more hot water for their tea. The waiters were very attentive at the hotel. Maybe they’d cleared the table in a snap. Maybe.