| |
London was a busy and somewhat exciting place. It was hard not to notice the energy that surrounded everything. Yet, I was often lonely and homesick. I felt like I was trapped in some sorcerer's spell.
Mr. Throckmorten would arrive most mornings to go to Hyde Park. At first, we took a carriage and Aunt Pen would come along as a chaperone. Later, Aunt Pen hired a lady's companion for me. Some days we rode, other days we walked. I found I often had a headache after these excursions.
We had stopped on a bridge and I was gazing into the water when I thought I heard someone call my name. My heart gave a leap of joy—it was George and Mr. Hodge.
"Lord Moonspire," Mr. Throckmorten nodded curtly to Mr. Hodge. He ignored George.
"Elizabeth, what brings you to London?" Mr. Hodge inquired.
"Aunt Pen actually," I said.
"I shall have to pay your aunt a visit," Mr. Hodge said.
"Please do." I was happy. I smiled at George. It was so good to see him. I was glad I was wearing the garnet hair sticks he had given me and touched one of them. One thing I really loved about them, besides the fact that George gave them to me, was how only two of them could secure my hair.
***
The next day I was pouring chocolate into cups for Mr. Hodge and George’s visit. Aunt Pen was sitting in the parlor, and she did not look pleased.
"Is not Mr. Throckmorten joining us for tea today?" Aunt Pen asked pointedly.
"He is not.” I smiled inwardly, and carefully stole a glance at George.
"Good heavens, why ever not?"
"I believe he said something about having some business to attend to."
"It's a pity. Well, I'm sure, Elizabeth that he'll come by later to see you."
"I hope not," I muttered.
"Don't mumble, Elizabeth."
"Yes, Aunt Pen," I replied. I turned to Mr. Hodge and asked him if he would like a finger cake with his hot chocolate.
"Yes, that would be lovely," Mr. Hodge said.
"Thank you, Elizabeth," George said quietly as I poured him chocolate. He let his fingers touch mine as I handed him his cup, and I drew comfort from his touch. My heart felt like it was singing, and I had gratefully noted the lack of a headache.
"I'd like to take Elizabeth to the museum tomorrow," Mr. Hodge said.
"Elizabeth has her voice lessons in the morning, after which we are scheduled to have tea with Lady Edgehill, and-"
I interrupted. “I would love to. Aunt Pen, I am sure missing one lesson won’t hurt."
"I'm afraid not. You need the lesson. I will not have it said that a Pendry cannot even carry a tune in gossip."
"No one would dare say that.”
"Not at the soiree, but behind your back, most surely," Aunt Pen said.
"I'll be by to fetch Elizabeth right after the lesson then. What time would you say, Mrs Pendry?" Mr. Hodge said.
Aunt Pen relented. "Come by at noon. I'll serve lunch and then you can go."
I smiled at George over my cup as I sipped my chocolate.
***
Mr. Hodge sent his condolences the next day along with George, but something had come up. Aunt Pen wasn't too happy about that, as I had given my lady's companion the day off. I, however, was delighted to be going to the museum with George.
"Why don't you come as chaperone, Aunt Pen?" I suggested.
"Apparently you've forgotten I am having tea with Lady Edgehill. I will tell Harriet to get ready to go along as a chaperone."
"Yes, Aunt Pen," I replied as Aunt Pen bustled off to speak with her personal maid Harriet.
"I am looking forward to seeing something out of ancient Egypt. Imagine, items that were around in the days of the Old Testament." I told George as I was tying on my straw bonnet. It was lined in burgundy, which matched the burgundy dress I wore.
"I am glad then that I get to take you, Elizabeth," George replied with a smile.
"Afterwards, I would like to stop for ice cream." What I really wanted though was more time with George.
"Whatever you would like." George's eyes were sparkling. "You know the Ancients often left spells and curses behind on the artifacts."
"Really, Mr. Hodge?" Since we were in London, I felt it was important to stick to some propriety, even though George had given me leave to use his name.
"Yes, they did. The Egyptians, in particular, were well known for it and their superstitions. You should wear something blue if we are going. Blue protects you."
I thought of the embroidered blue hair ribbon that was the last gift I had from my mother before she died.
"I think I have something. Just give me a moment and I'll get it."
I took off my hat as I arrived in my room. I kept the ribbon in my keepsake box, where I also kept my dragon pendant when I wasn't wearing it. I set my hat down and secured the ribbon around my head, taking a few moments to adjust my hair.
Aunt Pen was standing by George when I rejoined him in the foyer.
"Everything ready?" George asked, holding his arm out for me. His smile made my heart skip a beat. Did his smile not reach his eyes anymore?
"Yes,” I said with a genuine smile. I hadn’t felt this happy since I learned I was being banished to London. I didn’t see Harriet. “Shall we depart, Aunt Pen?"
"Might we come along?" My smile faltered when Mr. Throckmorten arrived with his sister. "I hope you don’t mind the intrusion, Elizabeth. I heard you were going to the museum and Adelaide has been wanting to go."
"Of course, I'm sure Elizabeth would be delighted," Aunt Pen said with a satisfied smile. I had a sudden suspicion she had sent word to him and not Harriet. I really didn't want them to come.
We took the carriage to the museum. George sat across from me, as was proper. Mr. Throckmorten sat next to him. Adelaide sat next to me.
"That ribbon is lovely," Adelaide said after watching me for a while. I had pretended to not notice by staring out the window. "Where did you get it?"
"It was a gift from my mother," I answered. "I thought I'd wear it today for luck."
"How quaint," Adelaide said.
"Adelaide," Mr. Throckmorten said, his tone hard.
Adelaide merely smiled and looked out the other window.
"Oh no!" I gasped.
The men looked at me quizzically.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm wearing burgundy," I replied in dismay. I was going out, in London of all places, and I did not match. Aunt Pen would scold me for it.
"Does it matter?" George asked.
"Aunt Pen said a lady should always take utmost care of her appearance."
George leaned forward and whispered, “You look fine, naui aleumdaun (my beautiful)."
At the same time, Mr. Throckmorten said, "If you must wear it, tuck it under your hat. You did bring your hat?"
"Oh!" I looked about the carriage, as I remembered I had set it down in my room and not picked it back up. "No, I'm afraid I left it."
"Tsk," Mr. Throckmorten said. “For your aunt’s reputation, you do need to be more mindful of your appearance. Take the ribbon off."
"I really couldn't, it's securing my hair.”
"Adelaide, assist her please."
"No don't," I protested as Adelaide turned and studied my hair a moment, and removed my ribbon.
"I believe your hair will remain well enough," Adelaide replied as she coldly handed me my ribbon. "If it starts to come loose, I will fix it. You needn’t worry."
I turned and looked out the window and blinked back tears. Why hadn’t George intervened on my behalf? Did it have anything to do with the twinkle missing from his eyes? What had happened while I was upstairs?
***
The carriage pulled to a stop in front of the sandy colored museum. Mr. Throckmorten was first out of the carriage, and Adelaide nudged me to go next. I accepted the offered hand from Mr. Throckmorten, and once on the ground, I let go of his arm and clasped my hands in front of me.
The outside of the museum was the color of dark sand. Maybe the color of untreated clay. I imagined much of Egypt must be that color. The inside walls were covered with colorful hieroglyphics. Plants and still animal life from that foreign region was the centerpiece in the main hall, and displays in cases lined the walls. The animals in the center caught my attention first, as I suppose the designers had wanted. I was gazing at a large gray elephant, imagining what he might have looked like when alive. It was sad to think that this once majestic animal had once been living, and now, here it was, still and lifeless. But still majestic. It did much to lighten my spirits.
"May I see your ribbon?" George whispered for my ears alone as he stood next to me.
I pulled the ribbon from my pocket and handed it to him. He gently tied it around my wrist and held my hand for a brief moment longer than necessary.
"That should do it." The warmth in his dark eyes brought a fresh batch of tears to mine. I would not turn into a watering pot!
“You’re so good to me,” I said.
“I had hoped to talk with you today, but it shall have to wait.” George glanced at the Throckmorten’s, who were conversing quietly. Mr. Throckmorten seemed agitated.
We walked quietly by a bunch of clay jars, adorned in gold. One had a cat like head on it.
"Elizabeth, do you like the elephant?" Mr. Throckmorten asked as he approached and saw what we were looking at.
"It is pretty amazing," I said. I wished he’d just go away. "It is also very large. And gray."
"Why yes," George said, hiding a grin behind his hand.
"Do be careful about what you utter, Miss Pendry," Mr. Throckmorten admonished.
"I would think that having one of those step on your foot would hurt much more than a horse," I continued, remembering the time my horse had stepped on my foot and bruised it. I was very fortunate it had not been broken. I needed to shut up, before everything came tumbling out of my mouth, like word vomit.
"What is this one called?" I asked, drawing their attention to the other large dark animal. It was not as big as the elephant, but it had a large horn on its nose.
"Perhaps that is a unicorn," George said.
"Unicorns are horses, which clearly this animal is not," I countered.
Maybe we could secretly talk of magic by code. If George agreed it was not a unicorn, then that was proof that he hadn’t embellished his story. While I believed he was half mythical, I didn’t want to believe in gumihos. I pressed my hand to my side as if to check for my liver. It did not help that I had been begun feeling like a quarry.
"Don't be silly. Unicorns are simply the fancy of young girls. This is a rhinoceros. A black rhinoceros to be precise," Mr. Throckmorten said.
"George, it appears to have two horns. So that would mean it is not a unicorn." I said, pointing to the horns. "Uni means one does it not?"
"Ah, that it does." George locked gazes with me and said, "Perhaps someday I can show you a real unicorn."
"One out of a story?" I felt an excited thrill at the prospect. I trusted his sincerity.
"Yes."
"Please address people accordingly, Miss Pendry. We are in public," Mr. Throckmorten's voice was low in warning. Possessive.
"Well," I said hoping to stop any argument, "I would like to believe a little in fantasy."
"Of course," George said.
"By all means, that should make things, how shall I say, more interesting.” Adelaide smiled at her brother.
"I don't want h—you hurt," Mr. Throckmorten said, as Adelaide patted his arm.
Adelaide whispered something to him and then touched his temple. The lighting made it appear that Mr. Throckmorten had the slightest touch of gray.
"Tell me more about the rhinoceros," Adelaide purred, as she moved and took George's arm. He looked surprised, but ever the gentleman did not cast her off.
Mr. Throckmorten began to fill us in on what he had read about such animals. Every now and then George would interject something, like how the horn was thought to possess magic by the local peoples of Africa.
I could not imagine a world with real magic, but it certainly was fun to entertain the thought that perhaps, a unicorn was real. It certainly beat things like witches, werewolves, or gumihos. Those had to be fiction, right?
That night a carved wooden unicorn figure was left on my writing desk.