Daddy's Girl

In a grand home on Belgrave Square, the quiet of the nursery belies the sharp exchange between Philip Ogilvie and his wife. Eight‑year‑old Sibyl, whom the family calls their "Angel," is absorbed in the simple pleasure of arranging fresh buttercups, daisies and violets on her own bright forehead. She watches herself in the mirror, wondering whether a bouquet makes her prettier and hoping to earn her mother’s kiss, while noting that her father seems to love her no matter what.

Sibyl’s thoughts wander to a child‑sized theology that places her parents and Jesus on a pedestal of perfect love, a comforting view that steadies her when the adults’ words turn sour. As the clock strikes seven and the household readies for dinner, the little girl darts from the governess’s desk, eager to present her floral crown and savor the fleeting moments of attention before the evening’s inevitable tensions resume.