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“Dearest Graham and Jamie,” Elinora began her letter. There, that part is done at least, she silently congratulated herself. She stopped writing and tapped her ink pen on the blotter, struggling to find the words to explain to her cousins what she and Tillie had discovered over the course of the past several months. She had been putting the task off for weeks, but the O’Conors were due to arrive soon and she couldn’t delay any longer.
Tillie had written to them shortly after they had found Henry, but Graham—not quite half a year older than Elinora—was wise beyond his years, and a relentless skeptic. He had replied that while he thoroughly enjoyed her creative writing, he knew he and his younger brother, Jamie, were on the receiving end of an elaborate scheme with one Ottilie Wolton’s fingerprints all over it. “A talking dog? You’re an award-winning fiction writer! Next you’ll be telling me that Velvet is singing opera. It sounds like Tillie is even more bored than I thought! But don’t worry, we will be there soon enough to entertain you,” he had written back.
Elinora knew he was teasing, but she wanted to follow up to make sure he understood Tillie wasn’t just dreaming up a fanciful story. She tapped again a few more times, then exhaled. The flame of the candle sitting on the desk flickered as she began to write.
I hope this letter finds you both well. Tillie and I cannot wait until you arrive! It really does send me into a giggle fit thinking what your faces must have looked like as you read Tillie’s last letter. I know it sounds ridiculous and like something she would invent, but you must trust me, this is not the case. We have so much to share and to show you.
You remember the stories about Kellandale Wood? Well, we have found there is some truth to them, but overall, what we have been told is a very misleading version of the truth. I do wish you would just believe us, but I know the only way is for you to see for yourselves. I at least wanted to prepare you so it wouldn’t be such a shock when you arrive. Things really have been quite abnormal lately—the strangest you could ever imagine, but in a good way.
Nobody knows about any of this except for Tillie, me, you, and Jamie, and also Abigail, with whom we have shared everything. And would you believe, she knew more about the forest than we ever realized?
I am writing again now as other curious things have occurred since Tillie’s last letter. But you must promise to keep to yourselves what I am about to share with you.
She paused to underline the word “promise” a second time, then recounted their discovery of the amphitheater and the council of animals, their ability to communicate with them, and even what little they knew of the Lady of the Forest.
Elinora groaned when she read what she had written. That they were empathically connected with the dog they had found by the side of the river was far-fetched enough. But she also expected them to believe in a forest full of animals they could talk to, an unseen growling monkey, mythical creatures, and tropical weather in the middle of winter. Why would they believe it? It was the stuff of dreams and fairy tales.
But her letter would have to do. She folded it neatly and sealed it in an envelope, then set out to find someone to deliver it—someone she could entrust it to. She closed her bedroom door and headed down the staircase, passing by Albert at the bottom. “Good evening,” she said looking up at him with a smile. Albert, a very tall, older man with greying hair, was energetic beyond his years. A resident at Kellandale for three generations, he had become steward when James and Camille were children. Elinora and Tillie looked to him like a grandfather and she knew she could go to him in confidence with such an important matter.
“Good evening, Elinora, dear,” he replied warmly, glancing at the envelope in her hand. He could always tell when she was on a mission.
“Albert...is there any way this can be sent to my cousins right away? It’s urgent they receive it before they arrive here.”
He smiled. “I’ll have Emil and Simon deliver it when they take your father to the Waterbridge train station first thing tomorrow morning,” he said reaching out his hand and taking the letter from Elinora. His skin was tinged with a few age spots, and slightly wrinkly—the only visible signs hinting at his age.
“Thank you.” She sighed. “My father will be gone for a long while, won’t he?”
“It would seem so, but don’t worry. From what I understand Graham and young James will be coming to stay, something to look forward to, I’m sure.”
“Yes, you’re right. You always know how to help me feel better, thank you,” she said.
“Of course, Elinora, dear,” he replied, heading down the hall toward the back of the house.
Just then Henry approached her, anticipating where she was headed.
She patted his head. “You’re always one step ahead of me. What would I ever do without you?”
He nudged her and wagged his tail, then led her to Tillie.
“Ottilie! It’s done!” she called triumphantly as she and Henry entered the spacious library. It smelled of old books and the smoke of the crackling fire. She plopped down on the soft plum-colored sofa across from her sister, who was surrounded by heaps of books strewn about on the couch, the carpet at her feet, and the large table in between them.
Henry walked to the back of the room. Velvet was already there, napping by the fire. He playfully nudged her with his nose before curling up beside her in his favorite spot. She lifted her head and greeted him with a chirp.
“I finished the letter. Albert is sending it off tomorrow,” Elinora continued, then waited for a reply, but she was met with more silence. “You’re welcome.”
Tillie’s face was buried in a large book she had plucked from one of the many towering shelves lining the walls of the library. “I can’t wait to see their expressions when they realize this isn’t a practical joke,” she finally responded, peering over the top of the book. “I had to climb the ladder to the very top to find this one. I wish I could have sat up there while I read, but it’s so big and heavy I probably would have fallen over trying to hold it up. It’s a book about nature and wildlife in this part of the country, and there’s another about animals from around the world. I’m reading about the species of fish and birds and animals that are native to our area.
“Indigo water buffalo and Bekanan tigers definitely do not belong here, but we know that already. And that one animal we weren’t sure about? It was a giant sienna capybara. They’re from the rainforests in Pedora, can you believe it? A lot of the animals we’ve seen in the forest are from countries in completely different continents from ours, like the Debarian okapi, and the Myarian grey serval. And our bear friend Pipe? He’s a ghost bear from all the way in Northern Auria,” she reported. “No mention of monkeys supposed to be living here in our part of the world. Or Ladies of the Forest, for that matter.”
She and Elinora had been intrigued by this bit of information Mister had shared, but he was an enigmatic little squirrel, as mysterious as the forest itself, and he had said nothing more about the Lady of the Forest after that first mention.
Elinora scanned the pile of books in front of Tillie. “A sienna capybara?” she asked with interest.
Tillie flipped through the book then turned it toward her sister to show her an illustration.
“That is certainly what we saw. Jamie and Gray really are going to be absolutely stunned, aren’t they?”
Tillie grinned with delight. “Better than that. They’re going to completely faint!”
The big arrival came a few weeks later when a small fleet of carriages—one full of people, the other stuffed with their belongings for the long visit—approached Kellandale Manor. As they turned onto the long gravel drive, they left tire tracks and hoof prints in the fresh dusting of snow.
Tillie and her mother were already waiting for their arrival at the entrance of the manor house.
Emil was also there, ready to assist the O’Conors, stepping forward to help with the horses when the carriage stopped.
“Jamie!” Tillie shouted when she saw a shock of red-blonde, wavy hair appear in the carriage window.
“Tillie!” he yelled, stepping out with a large case.
She ran to greet him. “Your viola! Will you finally be playing for us?” she asked when she saw it.
“We’ll see,” he said, which was his typical reaction to that particular question. He grinned at her, his dimples showing on his fair-skinned, freckled, round cheeks. A budding, talented musician, he was not shy except for when it came to his musical talents. Somehow self-doubt reared its ugly head, making him uncharacteristically self-conscious when he was asked to play.
“Oh, please, I hope you do. I won’t stop asking until you finally do.”
He scrunched his nose, brushing off the request with a roll of his blue-grey eyes. “Come on, let’s go say hello to the horses,” he suggested when he saw she was holding a bunch of carrots. He waved hello to his aunt, set down the case, then followed Tillie to the front of the carriage. Emil was already helping the driver to unhitch four beautiful horses.
“Thanks for the ride, Peachy,” Jamie said to the chestnut mare as he gently rubbed the white blaze that ran down her velvety nose. She nickered contentedly and nibbled on the white embroidery on the lapel of his blue tweed coat.
Emil grinned, peering over Peachy from the other side. They ran a hand over her beautiful ginger mane that was almost the same color as their own hair. “It’s good to see you again, Jamie. The horses sure worked hard the last two days to get you here,” they said. Emil removed the bit from her mouth and put on her halter, readying her to be taken into the stable to rest with the other horses when they noticed the carrots Jamie and Tillie were holding. “Go ahead,” they nodded. “I’m sure Peachy will appreciate that very much.”
Jamie nodded back at Emil, held out a flattened hand and set a carrot onto it, and offered it. Peachy took it gratefully. Then Jamie and Tillie did the same for the other horses.
Graham and his mother, meanwhile, had stepped out of the carriage. Anna approached, greeting them warmly. “You must be so tired, but we’re all so happy to see all of you. James left for the city yesterday morning and I’m sure he and Miles have met up by now.”
“Yes, indeed! Hello, Anna, love,” Camille said, stepping out in a lemon-hued linen traveling dress. Her hair was dark blonde like Tillie’s, but cut short, and she possessed Tillie’s demeanor as well—fiery and energetic.
Graham stretched his legs, pulled off his cap, then brushed his floppy, dark brown bangs out of his face. “Hello Aunt Anna,” he said with much charm, breaking out in his signature broad, infectious grin, his pale cheeks flushing from the cold air.
As they continued to talk, Elinora emerged from the manor house with Henry by her side. “Gray! Aunt Camille!” she called out and bolted down the steps toward them.
Henry stepped out from behind her to get a glimpse of the new members of his pack. His tail wagged fiercely.
Graham lifted Elinora off her feet when he saw her.
“I’m so glad you’re here!” she laughed. She always felt like nothing could go wrong when her cousins were around.
Tillie and Jamie rushed back to join them when they saw everyone gathered.
“So, you’re Henry,” Jamie gasped when he saw him. He rushed over to meet him.
Henry didn’t let any of his thoughts and feelings come through though—not yet—but he knew without a doubt he could trust Jamie. He wagged his tail again and brushed against his legs playfully. Then he jumped up and rested a paw on his shoulder. His weight was so great that Jamie’s knees buckled, pushing him down into the snow-covered cobblestones.
“He’s huge! I love him already,” Jamie laughed. He continued to fuss over Henry before pulling himself back up and dusting the snow off his trousers.
“Gray, you’re here!” Tillie said as he grabbed her and gave her a bear hug, his hazel eyes sparkling along with his wide grin.
Elinora stood quietly observing for a moment, full of great anticipation and excitement over the extended stay. None of them realized it yet, but this was one of those subtle moments—an instant in time which would eventually come to be remembered as the start of a fantastical adventure.
“Hello, Henry,” Graham said warmly. He paused and looked intently at him, and Elinora wondered if he was waiting for Henry to talk. Tillie wondered, too, and smiled amusedly.
“Wolfhound then, eh?” he asked, though that detail hadn’t been mentioned in their letters.
“Yes,” Elinora said, smiling.
“Morlish Wolfhound to be exact. I’ve read all about them and they’re really smart.”
“Exactly right! He’s incredibly smart, and very gentle, despite his size. But he needs lots of exercise; Elinora and I take him on walks every day to make sure he’s content. We’ll take a walk after you’re all settled in, if you’d like,” Tillie offered.
“I would love that,” he replied with a wink.
Elinora felt her hear skip a beat, but still Graham said nothing about the letter she had written.
Everyone began picking up the heaps of luggage to bring their belongings inside. “Are you planning to stay here a while or something?” Tillie teased, picking up two bags.
Graham and Jamie did likewise.
Jamie grinned. “A long time. You’re going to be very sick of me soon!”
“Come on, follow me,” Tillie said laughing, leading them inside.
“I’ll join you in a moment, I’m going to help Aunt Camille get settled first,” Elinora called after them.
“All right; let’s take Graham and Jamie for a stroll with Henry when we’re done!” Tillie shouted back, then she turned to her cousins. “They usually put the luggage on the service lift to carry it up, but my way is much faster. You get to bunk together,” she said as they hauled the heavy bags up the grand staircase. She led them to their room—a spacious bedroom with two beds and a view out a front window. They followed and set their haul down.
A young man entered with the rest of their luggage and placed the bags on the floor. “Here’s the rest. You’re doing my job better than I am again, aren’t you Tillie,” he laughed.
“Never!” She replied to the dark haired, tan-skinned young man who looked to be slightly older than Graham by only a few years. “Simon,” she said, “you’ve heard of Graham and Jamie, my cousins,” she introduced them. Simon nodded hello.
“Graham, Jamie, this is Simon. Simon has been here with us for almost a year now. He helps Albert, and is studying with my father while he’s staying here. And he knows how to play Knaves...tiered Knaves!” she said to Graham excitedly. She turned back to Simon. “Graham loves to play. Obsessed, really.”
“Regular Knaves...but, really? You know how to play the tiered version? Where did you learn?” Graham asked with eagerness.
“I do! My parents are from Idi. My grandfather was a tiered Knaves—tiered Helijot, that is—champion back in the day.”
“Whoa!” Jamie exclaimed.
“I would do anything to learn how to play Helijot. I’ve only heard about it; it sounds really intriguing—and very hard!”
“It’s definitely a challenge; I’d be happy to teach you,” Simon offered. He reached out a hand and he and Graham shook.
“Really?” Graham replied excitedly.
“Anytime; come find me when you’re ready. I’ll leave you all here to get settled for now,” Simon said with a smile before leaving the room.
“I’ll be right back,” Tillie said to Graham and Jamie, stepping out into the hall. “I’m going to Aunt Camille’s room to give her a proper hello.”
Elinora was already in the bedroom next door with her mother, helping Camille unpack.
“This lovely old view—it brings back so many memories. So many things from my childhood are still here,” Camille said, looking out the window overlooking the drive as Tillie entered.
Anna and Elinora smiled.
“Oh, Aunt Camille, I am so glad you could come stay, we’re so happy you’re here,” Tillie said approaching her and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Just then she heard hoofbeats outside. She moved to the window to look out in time to see another carriage pulling up. “Who is that now? Are we expecting someone else, Mother?”
“Oh, yes, I meant to mention it. Everett Meade is helping your father and your Uncle Miles in the city,” she replied. “We had invited him to send Penelope and Madelina to come stay with us while he is away, too, and they decided to take us up on the offer. The Meades live so far away now, it will bring Penelope and Lina much closer to Everett so they can visit easier now and again. It will be wonderful for us all to be together, don’t you think?”
Elinora’s eyes darted to over to Tillie.
“Oh, Mother, why?” Tillie moaned. She smothered her face with her hands.
“What? Oh, don’t tell me the two of you never settled whatever happened between you the last time.”
“No, we didn’t and nothing happened. Lina just decided she didn’t need me as a friend, and I have no idea what made her feel that way suddenly!” she said, twisting her face. “It’s probably because I’m not living in as modern or fancy of a house as the rest of her friends or something dull like that.”
“Maybe not, though. It could be a misunderstanding. I certainly hope you can work things out now that she’s here. It’s been a long time since you last saw her. I’m sure things will have changed. You used to be so close.”
Tillie shook her head. “She would never; she’s too stubborn.”
Elinora turned to Tillie with raised eyebrows. She stifled a snort.
“Well, I would like all of us to go downstairs together to greet them,” Anna replied.
Tillie took a moment to reply. “I can’t, not right now.”
“Tillie,” Elinora scolded. “Be reasonable. Whatever it was that happened, don’t forget you were just as disagreeable as she—possibly even more so, if you ask me.”
Tillie glared at her. “Well, that’s what you think. And like I said, nothing happened. She doesn’t like me and I can’t do anything about it. Anyway, we promised Graham and Jamie we would take them on a walk in the garden with Henry right now, remember?”
“Yes, I suppose,” Elinora replied.
“Come along then, we should find Henry,” she said, grabbing Elinora by the arm. “See you at supper,” she called to her mother from the hall, rushing away as fast as she could.
“Tillie!” Anna called back, but they were already gone.
“Oh dear,” Camille said.
Anna exhaled deeply. “Tillie and Lina were so close—just as close as you and Penelope have always been. It’s very upsetting to learn they’re still in a quarrel. Has Penelope ever said anything about what might have gotten into the two of them?”
Camille shook her head. “No, she’s been just as perplexed as we are.”
Anna sighed. “And these long walks...Tillie and Elinora of course have been told to stay close to the manor house and away from the deep woods, but sometimes I wonder if they’re listening. I do feel a bit silly because I don’t want to stop them from enjoying the grounds, but they are out there even more than ever now that we have Henry. And James and I get so worried that, well...” she drifted off.
Camille nodded. She, too, had grown up at Kellandale with the legend of the forest hanging over her head. As children, she and her brother, James, were frightened by the stories and made a pact they would not go anywhere near the woods. They had never broken this promise. “Trust me, I know,” she said. “Graham and Jamie of course know as well. We can only hope they listen. James and I never wanted to find out if the tales were true or not. I hope for their sake they are sensible and do not try to find out, either.”