| |
I was walking down the stairs towards the foyer when Sarah Jane called out to me. “Elizabeth, just the person I wanted to see.” I paused at the bottom of the stairs and smiled at her. “Tristan wants to paint my portrait, but I’ve convinced him to paint us both.”
“Oh, I guess so,” I answered. I wasn’t really wanting to spend time just posing for a painting. I wanted to spend more time with George and hear more about Moonspire. I wanted to ask him if he believed the story of the Great Dragon.
“Please say you will, Mouse, I’m ... I want to, but...”
I caught on. She was feeling shy, and she was killing whatever it was she was twisting in her hands. I put my hands on hers to stop the twisting.
“All right, I will. But only because you asked.”
And that was how I found myself sitting under the shade of a willow tree. Sarah Jane and I had our backs to each other as we sat. Tristan was a few feet away, busy behind his easel.
“The breeze is lovely,” I commented to Sarah Jane.
“I’m glad the weather is nice,” Sarah Jane agreed. “I’m very curious to how the painting is coming. Tristan has been very quiet.”
“Should we get up and look?”
“Don’t you dare!” Tristan ordered with a chuckle.
“We won’t,” Sarah Jane assured him. “We’ll be good and still subjects.”
“Good!” Tristan said with a flourish of his paintbrush.
“I do hope this won’t take too much longer, I am getting hungry.” I grinned at Sarah Jane. “Plus, my legs are getting stiff from sitting on the ground. Could we at least break for lunch?”
“Lunch should be coming.” Tristan looked back towards the castle. “There, our meal is finally arriving.”
“I thought I’d bring food,” George announced as he joined us. He stopped by the easel and frowned. “Tristan ... what is that?”
“It’s called a painting.” Tristan crossed his arms. “What else could it be?”
“When did you take up painting?” George inquired as he looked over and winked at Sarah Jane and me.
“This morning actually. Now give me that basket of food so I can feed my very patient models. I can’t have them fainting dead away of hunger.” Tristan reached for the food basket.
“Are you joining us?” I asked George hopefully.
George glanced at Tristan before he replied. “I accept the invitation,” he said with a smirk to Tristan as he pulled the basket closer to himself. “I had the staff prepare a bountiful feast just in case I might get invited.”
“I was wondering why you were delivering the food.” Tristan set his brush and paint covered palette down.
“I was actually planning on heading over to see how your artistic endeavors were working out. Especially since you were painting Elizabeth too. Bringing the food brought me ample reason to stay.”
Tristan frowned. “I see, you have no confidence in my skills.”
I totally missed the food being unpacked until Sarah Jane nudged me back to attention. George was offering me a plate, quite filled with food. I took in the bountiful array of food around me on the cloth.
“All this was in that basket?” I blurted out.
George looked confused for a moment. “Yes, it did. Why? Did I not bring enough?” The sweet man actually looked concerned.
“There’s plenty, George. I just meant,” I paused a moment to collect my thoughts. “I don’t know. How did you fit all of this in that basket?”
“Oh.” George grinned. “Well, this basket is larger than it looks.”
Tristan coughed on his food.
After lunch, the four of us took a walk. I really enjoyed being able to stretch my legs. Especially as I was with George.
“Hey Tristan,” George said as we neared the willow tree again. “I think you have enough of your painting underway. Sarah Jane, do you mind if I steal Elizabeth from you? I’m finding I’m not quite ready to give up her good company.”
“Go right ahead,” Sarah Jane replied. In a low voice to me, she added, “See if you can see Tristan’s painting.”
“Ok,” I whispered back as I turned to leave with George.
As we passed the easel I tried to get a good look. I didn’t get the best look, but I did see some blobs of paint in the color of our dresses. Sarah Jane was in a very lovely rose colored dress, and I was in a blue one.
***
George led me to the stables. I shooed off help from the stable hand and saddled up my horse Willow. Well, George did help me get the saddle up on and Willow. The stable hand got George’s horse ready.
Willow was a dark brown horse, and George’s horse, Rising Dragon, was black. A sleek black horse too, that was fast on his feet. George said that when you rode it, you’d never fall off. I asked how that was possible, and George winked at me and said, “Magic.”
That was one of the things I enjoyed about the Hodges, and in particular George. They did not mind pretending in such things as magic. Time seemed suspended to me, and I found myself very content.
We rode to a lovely secluded wooded area. “This spot is beautiful!” I said as George assisted me in dismounting.
“It is lovely,” George replied as he secured our horses to a tree, “But it’s the company that is beautiful.”
“You are nuts,” I quipped, finding a spot to sit down on. I killed some time smoothing my skirts over my legs.
“Maybe you are the one that is nuts, Cheonsa,” George said.
“What does ‘chunza’ mean?”
“It’s ‘cheon-sa’, and it means angel or seraph.” George joined me on the ground.
“Oh. So when do I get my wings?” I felt a grin creeping up my face. I couldn’t help it. George always seemed to bring out smiles.
“Don’t you mean halo?”
“No, I mean wings. I would rather fly than have to keep a halo shining.”
“I will be your wings,” George said.
Embarrassed at the serious turn in his voice I turned my attention to the sky. “That cloud there looks like a rabbit,” I commented, changing the subject.
“Which one?” George asked, gazing up at the sky.
“That one, next to those two little smaller clouds,” I said, pointing.
“Little smaller clouds?” George teased.
I grabbed a wad of grass and tossed it at him.
“Don’t make fun of me! Yes, the two little smaller clouds.”
“I like the way you talk, Elizabeth. You are unique.”
“Aunt Pen would say strange, and not like a proper lady.”
“I think it’s safe to say, your Aunt Pen is wrong there too. Don’t change who you are.”
“Thanks,” I said grinning.
We both stretched out and watched the clouds in silence for a while. After a while, I moved my hand closer to his and smiled as I felt his fingers respond and intertwine with mine. It seemed that we were in a magical world that was all ours. I didn’t want the time to end at all.
***
That evening we all gathered in the comfortably furnished room that Mr. Hodge had dubbed ‘the family room,’ because it sounded so much better to him than parlor.
Aunt Pen was nodding off in a comfortable rocking chair. My brothers were playing a game of whist with George and Mr. Hodge. Sarah Jane was working on embroidering a silk handkerchief. I was pretending to read a book, but I was actually watching George. I had a strong suspicion I was falling in love with him.
“May I have everyone’s attention please?” Tristan said coming into the room. “If you would all follow me, I want to show you my painting of the fair princesses, Sarah Jane, and Elizabeth.”
“Princesses?” I choked out, trying not to laugh.
“Why not?” George whispered gently in my ear. I hadn’t even been aware that he had come up behind me.
“I thought I was an angel?” I teased back. George remained silent.
To my surprise, the painting that had appeared as globs of color to my quick view was now a delicately detailed painting. It was as if each strand of hair was painted in. Sarah Jane looked beautiful as always, but what surprised me, even more, was me. Instead of a short plain muffin, I looked remarkably like my older sister.
“Oh!” I gasped.
“Tristan, you are a true master!” Edward said clapping him on the back.
Tristan didn’t seem to hear any of the praises, though, as he chose that moment to kiss Sarah Jane.