Daffodils in Spring

FLORENCE: Arthurton Manor

When Matthew and I were eight, we were both sent to Arthurton Manor for the entire summer. My mother and father had business in America and Marquess and Marquis Faraday decided it would be best to accompany them as they also had shares. We spent our days running around the grounds, playing as many adventure games as we could possibly think of and usually ending up in a pile on the ground, laughter shaking us both until we were exhausted. That was the first summer I had noticed that Matthew and I were different. Sounds so silly thinking about it now, but we had known each other since birth, neither of us had siblings and it had never occurred to me that we were destined for disparate things.

We had laid in the grass together one day, completely alone having gone to great lengths to lose the people who were supposed to be keeping an eye on us, and stared up at the clouds identifying their shapes and telling each other what we thought they could be. I was just telling him that I thought one looked a little like an elephant with its trunk curled under when he had pushed himself up on his elbows and kissed me directly on the mouth. I had been so shocked and astonished that I said nothing. He had stared down at me for a couple of seconds before laying himself back down on the grass and continuing our game from before.

The next day he had been unwell. I had spent the day alone, counting the flowers in the gardens, reading adult books from the library the usually I was not allowed to touch and generally just doing all the things I wouldn't normally do as no one as really paying any attention to me whatsoever. It wasn't until dinnertime that I saw Matthew and when I did, he wouldn't meet my eye. Just kept staring at his plate and mumbling in response to anything that I said. We were always sat on opposite sides of the table and it was almost painful to look up, see him there and feel that he now somehow despised me despite me not realising what I had done to make him detest me so.

For the next week I saw very little of him. Mainly meal times and the odd lesson that we were required to take together but there was no more playing. No more running about the grounds on made up adventures. Overnight that had all gone, never to return. One morning, I was walking down into the hallway ready for a walk in the park with my maid when Matthew came running out of his room. "Florrie, wait up. I need to walk to the park also and they've said that Elizabeth can chaperone." I nodded at him, unsure of how to react to him when this was the most he had spoken to me in weeks.

We walked in silence to the park; Matthew and I up ahead and Elizabeth following us to ensure that nothing untoward was going on. Once we arrived, Matthew walked slightly faster than I did. A space grew between us and I decided to fall back and walk with Elizabeth instead. "Florrie, can you walk up front me with so we can speak?" I looked up, surprised. I had been staring at my feet, and watching my steps for something to do. I sped up slightly to catch up with him and then strolled next to him, our arms brushing together. "You know we are promised to one another." He stated, careful not to look at me and instead looking everywhere but. "We are promised to be married when we are older. My father shared the information with me before he left in case anything should happen to them." I stopped walking and stared at him blankly. He turned his brown eyes and looked directly into mine. "I thought it best you knew too. It is only fair." He said before turning his body completely walking in the opposite direction to what we had been. Elizabeth grabbed my arm and pulled me along behind him.