"We are all just unsettled refugees wandering in search of a place to which we may belong, but finding none... Don't you realise that we won't be Home until we're gone?"
December 22, 1908
Tuesday
HollyDale
It was a wonderful sight to see the mother of the household fully recovered and hustling about getting the neat house prepared for coming guests. The previous night had been wonderful followed by the morning when they'd received news of Gabriel Lockwood's arrival that evening.
Merry knew she was giving her excitement away when she felt like a feather floating across the rooms of the cottage, extra giggles escaping her with every comment from her brothers.
"I thought a glass was shattering", said Jesse, placing his cup of tea down, "until I realised it was Merry."
"I do not sound like that!" she demanded, between laughs.
Allen spread his hand over the top rail of his sister's chair, sipping his own drink, before saying, "I presume it is the effect of the visitors we will have this evening."
"Of course not, I am always this happy", she begged, wondering why she felt like her heart was bubbling at the mention of the guests.
"You're a little too happy", Allen pointed out, before sharing a glance with Jesse.
"It's drinking the rest of ours", the boy added.
"Won't you be happy that we are having guests?" Merry asked, feeling like she was always defeated when they banded together against her.
"Has there ever been a day you have been excited for guests?" Jesse posed, blankly.
"Well, perhaps, this is a start."
"It is interesting when we have visitors..." Allen began, rubbing his chin, "when they come with gifts."
"I hope Christian is informed enough to bring cupcakes, Merry", said Jesse, eyeing his sister judgmentally.
"Could you boys be considerate of the man for once", she pleaded, shifting gazes between brothers.
"We're considerate enough to give him our sister", said Allen, giving her a sideway glance and a quirk of his brow.
"We may reconsider if we don't get our cupcakes", said Jesse, resting his palms down on the table.
"Add nut-cake to that list", echoed Allen.
"He isn't your private bakery", replied Merry, in jesting exasperation.
"Isn't that disappointing now?" Allen looked over at Jesse, grazing a knuckle along his jaw-line.
"You're just being unkind", she demanded, giggles spilling.
"We're considering important life decisions here, Merry", said Allen, faking a serious expression. "Would you take a moment to leave your childishness aside?"
"We might even need to hold you back from this marriage", added Jesse, matching Allen's mood.
"Exactly. Who do you think is going to supply us with cakes and cookies if you get married away?" asked Allen, like he was sincere.
"What do you propose?" she asked, unable to keep her feelings in check, at the face of such outright bullying.
"That you bake us something. Naturally", said Jesse, staring at her obvious ignorance.
"Fine, I'll bake you cows something sour", she said, rising from the table.
The boys exchanged the smiles they always shared once they got their way with their sister. It would usually end with her feeling emotionally inclined to giving them something nice when she entered the kitchen and gathered her ingredients.
After some pensive silence, Jesse stared at his cup before beginning, "I think I'm going to miss her too much once she's gone."
Allen watched his brother silently and nodded, "Separation comes with a grand deal of bitterness. She will be happy", said he, with a smile.
Jesse nodded, "That's good to hear."
"She will miss you dearly too. You should write to her as frequently as possible", Allen said, reflecting on how difficult it was when he had first moved to Frostshire.
Jesse nodded silently, his eyes slowly flooding.
Allen rose from his seat and moved close, taking the chair beside Jesse and placed a hand over his brother's shoulder. "Spend as much time with her as you can, whenever she visits."
Jesse nodded again, "I guess the man taking her is truly kind, and will keep her happy forever."
The elder brother nodded. "He is a good man, I have seen him truly considerate."
The child turned to Allen with a smile.
"You will be the Man of the house now", said the man with copper hair, giving his little brother a pat.
A chuckle escaped the boy before he punched a fist against his brother's side, "You can never escape that title. I will only play that role between your visits here." Something about saying that felt calming, like he was still deeply connected to his brother. It was a surreal feeling that he wasn't all alone in this great and vast world. He had someone's shoulder to rest behind.
"If I have any good news to tell you, it's that my visits to HollyDale may not be annual anymore, but more frequently", said Allen farther into a void of his thoughts.
"Really?" came Jesse's voice, like he had unearthed some new-found hope.
His brother smiled and nodded before looking down, "It isn't completely confirmed, but there are chances that-" he began before Merry flounced into the room, a ladle in hand.
"Weren't you two the hogs that finished the Yule log from last night?"
~
Allen and Jesse walked home, bags of their purchases that Charity and Merry had demanded in their arms. "Cupcakes?" asked Allen, and Jesse nodded, "Merry could use some."
The brothers made their way into Mr. Baker's place, to buy to their hearts' content. Allen had always been bent on fussing his siblings as much as he could. Stepping out, the two conversed about various things.
"It hurts that Merry thinks we were the only ones to finish the rest of the Yule log", started Allen.
"And after we made such sacrifices to spare the twins and Claire a bite", added Jesse, trudging along.
"She doesn't even realise how much hard feelings we may have had to have to eat the whole ourselves."
"We suffer in such ways with one ignorant and demanding sister. Imagine Johnathan. He has two", reminded Jesse.
Allen chuckled and nodded, "Ah, but we have Claire on the way."
The brothers smiled, fantasising of what the child may grow up to be. "I must be here in HollyDale to see her to the school-house and stay there until she returns home", said Allen, in dear thinking of his little sister.
"If I haven't already fulfilled that for her before you even have a chance", said Jesse, eyeing him.
A moment's shock took Allen before he looked down to see his brother picking up that protective sass. "How could you say that, Jesse? Why would you hurt a father's heart?"
"You consider yourself her father?" asked Jesse, pausing for a moment.
"Disappointing that you hadn't noticed", replied Allen, a sort of smile rising on his lips.
Jesse let a minute of thought slip by before looking up. "What about mine?"
Allen stopped walking to look down at his brother looking sincere. Balancing the weight to one arm, he held a gentle fist to his brother's chest, "You know I always have been", and he smiled.
Jesse felt like a soft blaze of emotion was choking him, before he smiled, leaning against Allen's side, and the two walked down the pavement. The boy thought back to the things Allen had said on the way out the cottage: about the plantations of tea near HollyDale where the Lockwoods may extend a wing of their business, for their main office of occupation consisted of Tea.
It would be splendid if Allen did, in fact, move closer, but that was only a chance of uncertain likelihood.
~
Merry had been completely bothered by the fact that she was still chained by the shackles of her 'gift'. After all the chaos it had wrecked, she wished she couldn't see all the flashes she did.
Seeing Allen and Jesse return home, she stood by the threshold of the kitchen, hoping to have a conversation with her elder brother. After Charity left to check on the children upstairs, Merry turned to Allen, "I have a problem."
With his entire and undivided attention she looked up and began, "I feel like I have cheated, because Christian doesn't know that I can see the past."
Allen seemed serious, as he nodded. "What if he decides against marrying me?" she asked, a slight shiver in her voice. The man looked down, "Christian is a gentleman. He wouldn't wrong you like that, but we do need to have him informed."
Her heart fluttered at the mention of the man with the scar, whom she would wed the following day, if revealing the 'talent' did not end scandalously. "Would you like me to tell him?" asked her brother, and she gave it a moment of thought.
As much as she would prefer to hide behind Allen and let him handle it, she knew there were things she needed to do. "Thank you, Allen, but I think I should discuss this with him. Otherwise, it would feel foreign."
She could see a ray of pride in his eyes, before he smiled. "You're a full grown lady already, aren't you, now?"
~
It was three quarters past seven when the guests had arrived. There were Natalia, Sir Davies, Christian and Ladye, at the door, when Claire attended. Scooping the child up in his arms, Christian walked into the cottage, following the rest.
Allen and Charity greeted them indoors and Merry appeared, her palms upon Jesse's shoulders. Christian smiled to everyone, a specific moment more when his eyes landed on his bride, leaving her shy.
The men took their seats while the ladies moved to take Merry upstairs. "It's time to try the fitting of her Wedding Dress", announced Ladye, before they whisked his flustered lady away. After a curious glance followed them for a brief moment, Christian turned to see Merry's brothers huddled around him.
Sir Davies made conversation with Allen and the dark haired man looked over to see Jesse seated quietly. He leaned forward and smiled, when the boy smiled back, giving him his attention.
"How would you like it if Merry and I took you to Frostshire?" he asked.
For a minute, Jesse's eyes showed interest, before he chuckled, "Merry would be distressed."
"Is that so?" he laughed, clasping his hands.
"None here has had a Past or a home", said Jesse, his voice heart-felt. "But that was before Charity found us. We are all broken shards with only each other; and with this, knowing a life before this one feels terrible, if having that life would prevent having this family and home."
Christian nodded, with a serene smile on his face. Everything provided under this roof seemed to be so filled with love and warmth.
"Mamma really has shown us all great beauty in life and prays for each of us everyday. She doesn't leave us drift away from her heart even long after we have spread our wings to fly", said the boy with a soft smile on his lips. "Did you know that she cries emotionally to this day, every month when Allen sends us money?"
Christian smiled and shook his head. "Almost makes me wish my mother was still here"
~
The rich white, glistening fabric spread across the bed, chiselled into a beautiful wedding gown. While the elder ladies talked of its beauty, Natalia took Merry's hand and began chattering away. "It's going to feel surreal walking down the aisle wearing that. You will look like a queen!"
"Ah, thank you, Nate", Merry replied, her voice reduced to a happy squeal.
"And I was told to give this to you", said Natalia, handing her the aged and feeble Bible.
"Oh!" her voice halted, a sort of sentiment reaching to her. "This means so much to me", she said, her eyes gazing over everything about it.
Natalie smiled and took a seat on Charity's bed, patting beside her in a gesture for Merry to take a seat, "We have so much we should talk about!"
After about a half hour's time, the ladies gathered around, gushing like they were each the ones that were going to be married.
"You look so lovely, darling"
"Nate dear, would you please hold the train?"
"The veil looks so spectacular"
"Isn't this sheer fabric simply magical?"
"Looks like a diamond drop of sugar!"
"For how wonderful this looks, it's going to be suffocating to wait all the way up to tomorrow!"
Merry was realising with every compliment that ladies as these could have her spirits escalated.
~
Seated around the fireplace, the company talked for a long while about various things. Conversations of the life at Charity's cottage began to unfold and the lady began:
"It was on a cold Christmas Eve, when I heard a frantic and untimely knock on the door and just as I hasten to open it, Allen of about eight close behind me, I saw a dreadful old figure, cold and shivering, with a crying little child in her arms that was about a few months old. I offered to give her bread and warmth, but all she said was 'Thank you for taking the child, I pray your Christmas be merry' and with the last word still ringing in my heart, I heard the church bells chime.
So with her parting word, I named the child 'Merry'. When I had adopted Allen, I'd heard church bells, just as I did when little Merry arrived at my doorstep. Hence 'O'Bell'"
Every soul listened intently to the recounting and shared smiles. The sound of snow descending in a heavy deluge outside reached their attention, making the fire from the hearth and each other's warmth necessary. Christian wrapped the coat draped over his shoulders close over John who was seated on his lap. Allen took Andrew to lie upon his shoulder, so he could sleep peacefully. Jesse shifted to let Claire sit near the fire.
As they talked on, paying no heed to the time that rolled by, Merry rose to set the food at the table. Staying John in Allen's care, Christian followed suit.
"I dearly hope it went to your liking", said Christian, stepping up behind her, before she flinched.
~
Merry turned to see the buttons fastened across a vest and looked up to see the man with the scar gazing down at her, with a slight chuckle. Her heart hammered against her chest, and she hoped he couldn't hear its thundering.
"Oh", she blushed, sweeping her hair behind, "I meant to thank you, it was very thoughtful for you to have gifted me the Bible."
"That's pleasant", said he, unpocketing a hand to rake through his dark hair.
She lifted the book and showed him the handwritten text upon it. "These have always intrigued me" she whispered, tracing a finger across them. There were words that said: "And all those that I was seeing began to flee once I saw my own."
The other scripts upon the pages were undecipherable, but plenty. The couple looked close; Merry couldn't help noticing his long slender fingers hold the pages tenderly.
"I wouldn't say it's understandable", said Christian, his voice hushed and deep.
Merry nodded and looked up to see him. "It isn't, but there's something personal that I have always felt towards it."
"And what is that?" asked the man who'd leaned so close, it was almost threatening, for she could feel his warm breath against her face.
"It's about a certain odd peculiarity that I have had since as long as I can remember…" she began, her voice sinking with uncertainty. Stealing a slow glance, she saw him watching her intensely like he was expecting something. she swallowed slow and wrapped her arms around herself, "It's alright if you don't want to marry me hereforth", under her breath.
A brow shot up as the man paused, before a chuckle, his adam's apple bobbing in tune. "I truly doubt it would take circumstances that far."
"I can look into a person's past when I look into their eyes", she confessed, her voice shivering.
Christian nodded, "I see." He did not seem as fazed as she had anticipated. In fact, he looked like he had expected it.
Merry looked up to as far as his scar, before she noticed his smile. "Is this what you thought would provoke a rejection?" asked the man and she nodded.
"It isn't much to be worried about, we shall see what needs to be done", said Christian and she smiled, placing the Bible down.
"Have you ever been able to see such reflections when you look into the mirror?" he asked further and she looked up, saying, "No."
The man nodded contemplatively and she wondered what he could be thinking. "Has it bothered you that my past remains unknown?" she asked, a lock of her hair toyed between her fingers.
"It appears it has only bothered you", he chuckled, touching a finger to her petite nose. "I assume your Past or the unknown thereof has little to do with what you have now become", said the man holding her absolute attention.
"Is that so?" she asked, receiving a nod in exchange.
"In fact, your brother has a past of being known for picking pockets, but that has neither contained him from becoming an intelligent and hard-working gentleman, nor prevented the opportunities that have flowed to him, testifying that his past deeds were solely to escape hunger and stands to his assets", said the man.
She awed at his observation and nodded, "makes me almost glad my past is unknown."
~
Golden Pound cake, creams, fruits in salads and juices, cookies, fish, buttermilk and tea awaited the families. The snowfall had not ceased, causing the members to wonder if that was what had delayed the arrival of Sir Gabriel Lockwood. With much heart and relish, they dined together, in the light of the burning firewood.
~