Hornsby entered bringing refreshments and spotted Meadow and her grandfather staring at each other. Hornsby clears his throat to signal to Marlow Lark, Meadow's grandfather, that the tea and treats are ready.
The two jump at the sudden noise, but recover quickly.
"Shall we sit and play your game?"
"Yes!"
Meadow follows her grandfather to the seating and starts setting up the game pieces. As Meadow is setting up the game board, Hornsby is pouring the tea. After he finishes pouring the tea he sets a plate of cookies next to Meadow.
"I will be waiting outside the room, my lord."
"Hmm, yes you may go."
Lord Lark responded a bit distracted as he was watching Meadow set up the game pieces on the checker board. Hornsby couldn't contain his smile as he watched the two of them. He backed up and left the room without a sound, happy for his old friend finally trying to make a connection with his family.
"There it is all set up."
Meadow announced excitedly and looked up at her grandfather who was intensely staring at the board game. A smile formed on Meadow's face seeing that her stone cold grandfather seemed to actually be interested in her game.
"I will start by explaining the rules. The ink pieces are your pieces and the wood pieces are mine. All of the pieces are placed on the wooden squares and can only move on the wood squares…"
Meadow continued her explanation of the rules as her grandfather nodded his head through the explanation.
"...And those are the rules. Are you ready to start?"
Meadow asked and waited for a response. Her grandfather lifted his head and looked at Meadow directly in her eyes.
"Where did you come up with such an intriguing game?"
The unexpected question stumped Meadow. She fumbled for words on how to explain how a five year old could come up with such an intricate game. Meadow thought for a bit and realized that the best lies are filled with truth.
"The game isn't something I made up on my own. I played the game in my dream so I decided to make it when I woke up."
Meadow smiled up at her grandfather, confident in her answer. Her grandfather inspected her closely before dropping his gaze back towards the game board. He chose not to pry at her any further on this mater.
"Hmmm… Let's begin."
"Okay! Grandfather, you can make the first move!"
Meadow won the first game fairly easily, but could see her grandfather improve as the game continued. While playing the game, Meadow snacked on cookies and sipped on the tea that Hornsby had brought.
"Would you like to play again?"
Meadow asked her grandfather as she gathered the game pieces.
"Hmmm… Yes, I believe I am starting to understand this game."
Her grandfather was true to his words. He improved immensely from the last game, where Meadow struggled to win the game. Meadow was certain that if it was Harriet playing her grandfather, Harriet would have lost.
Without even asking her grandfather if he wanted to play again, he had started setting up the game pieces for the next game on his own without saying anything.
After the pieces were in place her grandfather looked at her to make the first move. It was an intense game where Meadow did not have time to snack anymore. She had to focus on this game as her grandfather was pushing her to the edge.
While Meadow was think three moves ahead, her grandfather must have been thinking ten moves ahead. Before Meadow could even realize what happened she only had one game piece left while her grandfather had five. In the next turn, Meadow was utterly defeated at her own game.
Meadow was shocked at how fast she lost control of the game and lost piece after piece. It was the first time she lost playing this game. She did not know whether or not to feel sad; however, she knew that overall she enjoyed the match.
Her grandfather watched Meadow's reactions unsure as what to say after beating her. He saw the initial disappoint in her face, so he didn't want to say the wrong thing and upset her further.
When he was about to say something, Meadow looked up at her grandfather. The disappointment he swore he had seen was not visible on her face. Instead he saw an eager little girl wanting to play more.
"That was such a good game! You are such a quick learner, Grandfather."
Meadow said, breaking the silence. Her grandfather looked into her sparkling blue eyes feeling lost for words. Just a moment ago he was planning on how to comfort a crying little girl. Now that same little girl was praising him for his brilliance.
"Your tactics were brilliant. They cornered me before I even knew what was happening!"
"'Cough…' It was a good game."
Her grandfather turned his head avoiding the sparkling gaze.
"It seems that it has gotten late. I see that your maid has come to pick you up."
Her grandfather mentioned changing the subject. Meadow snapped her head to where her grandfather was looking and saw Harriet standing next to Hornsby in the doorway.
"Ah! Harriet, is it time for my lessons already?"
Meadow hopped up from her seat and asked Harriet. Harriet nodded her head at Meadow. Meadow turned back to her grandfather and started to gather up her checker pieces.
"It seems like I have to go Grandfather. Thank you for playing with me!"
Meadow curtsied to her grandfather and ran toward Harriet in the doorway. She gives a nod acknowledging Hornsby and gives her thanks. Then she scurries out the door and down the hallway.
Harriet left alone next to Hornsby gives a bow to Lord Lark and then chases after Meadow who left her behind.
Hornsby watches as two disappear down the hallway, before turning and walking toward Lord Lark to clean up the tea and snacks.
"What are you smiling at?"
"Nothing, My lord."
Marlow Lark asks Hornsby who was looking down at him with an all knowing smile. Marlow glares at Hornsby and grumbles at him under his breath.
"No good, busy body."
"My Lord, I believe you are mentioning one of my good traits."
"I'm not..."
Marlow starts to say but stops as he heard the sound of little foots steps running toward them. The next moment Hornsby and Marlow are looking at Meadow who is peaking her head in the doorway.
"Little Miss, did you forget something?"
Hornsby asks Meadow who just stood staring at them not saying anything. Meadow stepped into the doorway and looked down at her feet. She squirmed awkwardly before looking back toward her grandfather.
"Grandfather, Could I visit and play with you again?"
Meadow waiting in silence giving her best puppy dog eyes at her grandfather. After about a minute passed Hornsby secretly nudge Marlow.
"Cough...Do as you wish."
"Thank you grandfather! I'll see you next time!"
Hornsby and Marlow watched Meadow leave as quickly as she had come.
"My lord, what are you smiling at? Is It Meadow?"
Hornsby asked Marlow after hearing the main doors to the mansion close. Marlow, not realizing he had been smiling, quickly changed his expression as he glared at Hornsby.
"I do not know what you are talking about. She is such a rowdy child lacking basic manners."
"My Lord, you should be more honest with yourself. You like her for those exact reasons, see you are smiling again."
His eyes were slightly crinkled and his mouth was slightly twitching. If most people saw Marlow's face, they probably wouldn't be able to tell that he was smiling at all. However; Hornsby was capable of seeing through Marlow's facade. He had been Marlow's butler for years and his friend for many more,
Instead of refuting further, Marlow turned his head and looked at the portrait of his wife and daughter.
"She is like her mother, but has her grandmother's charm. Now quit with your smirking at me and do your job."
"Yes, my lord."
*************************************************
A week passed since Meadow went and visited her grandfather. Meadow was excited because it was time for Meadow to turn in her plant assignment. She had spent the week nursing a single seed into a flower.
Meadow looks proudly at her flower on her window sill, before she starts to dread the day. The week was over, so it also meant that Gladys was back.
Checking over her body as she got dressed, she saw that her wounds were mostly healed only leaving behind scars. Deciding not to let her day be ruined just by the thought of Gladys, she grabs her plant and skips off to class.
On her way to class she meets Oswald, who is struggling to carry his pot that is overflowing with flowers. She couldn't see her brother behind flowers' bushiness. She figured it was the same for her brother, so she walked by her brother without greeting him and headed to the yard.
It took her brother quite a while after Meadow to make it to the yard with his bushy plant. He set it down and jumped in shock when he saw his sister.
"When did you get here?"
"I passed by you in the hallway."
"No you didn't I would have saw you."
"Yes I did, idiot. Your plant is just so big that you didn't see me."
"Idiot! Is that your plant? Ha! I believe your plant makes you look like more of an idiot than me!"
Meadow was about to make another refute when she saw her professor coming up in the distance. She ignored her brother and walked by him to wave toward her professor.
"Good morning, Professor Greyweather."
Her brother walks up beside her and whispers in her ear. "Teacher's pet."
To which Meadow 'accidentally' elbows him in the gut.
"Oh! I'm sorry Oswald, you startled me."
"You did it on purpose!"
"Did I? I already apologized, didn't I."
Meadow couldn't explain it herself, but Oswald brought out her childish side. They were like cats and dogs--- some times they get along, but other times they are at each others throats.
Samuel watched the two bicker, but decided to ignoring the two little quarrel. So he pretended like he didn't see what they were doing.
"Good morning, Meadow and Oswald. I see that you have both brought your plants."
Her teacher pauses when he sees Meadow's single flower in her pot. He looks at it, not able to hide his disappointment when seeing only one tiny little flower. 'It looks like she is like her older brother, Leopold and is lacking in magical talent. Oswald must have gotten all the magical talent in this family.'
Meadow saw her teacher's disappointed face, but ignored it. She looked down at her plant proudly. 'He just can't see how great you are yet. We will show him what a grave mistake he is making.' She thought to herself.
Samuel interrupted Meadow's thoughts and pointed to an open area in the yard.
"Well, then shall we get started?"