FAITH | Caspian X [1]

Chapter 3

THE OLD PROFESSOR'S HOUSE

The five Pevensies looked around in wonder as they rode in the carriage. Mrs. Macready directed the horse effortlessly and spoke to it much more gently than she did to the children. Within an hour, the carriage turned into an open green field. At the top of a small hill was the biggest house Annabelle had ever seen. Constructed of red brick with gleaming stained-glass windows, the house was less of a home and more of a mansion. Annabelle could not bring herself to look away, even as the carriage came to a halt and her siblings began to make their way down to the ground. She eventually followed her brothers and sisters, but her eyes remained glued to the marvelous construction in front of her.

"Professor Kirke is not accustomed to having children in this house," spoke Mrs. Macready as she led the five children through the front double doors. As they stepped in, the Pevensies could not help but look around in awe, their eyes wide and mouths parted. The house exuded old-time sophistication and seemed to be from a completely different era. Numerous artifacts and expensive paintings decorated the foyer, with a grand staircase finishing off the magnificent look. "And, as such, there are a few rules we need to follow," Mrs. Macready continued, undeterred by the children's slow pace as they took in the interior. "There will be no shoutin'," the older woman said as she suddenly spun around, giving the children a stern glare before continuing up the stairs. "Or runnin'. No improper use of the dumbwaiter." Annabelle wrinkled her nose at that, looking at the woman strangely. What on earth was that supposed to mean?

"No touchin' of the historical artifacts!" Mrs. Macready suddenly shouted with a furious expression on her face and Annabelle looked up, only to see her older sister freeze with her hand raised only centimeters from a marble bust at the base of the staircase. Annabelle bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder, making eye contact with her brothers. The three snickered silently and Annabelle reveled in the short moment of normalcy. This was familiar. Teasing her sister and laughing with her brothers was the old normal, and the girl was glad to realize that it could be integrated into her new normal.

"And above all, there shall be no disturbin' of the Professor," Mrs. Macready finally finished her speech in a whisper, stressing every syllable as she subtly gestured to the door behind her, where Annabelle assumed the Professor currently was. Sparing the door a glance, the girl continued to follow Mrs. Macready up the stairs, with her siblings trailing behind her.

~~~

That night, four of the five Pevensies gathered in the girls' bedroom. Peter sat on the backrest of an armchair, looking out the window pensively. Susan was unpacking the last of her belongings, and Annabelle sat with Lucy on the bed, her arm around her younger sister as the little girl sniffled pitifully.

"German aircraft carried out a number of attacks on Great Britain last night."

Annabelle's head shot up as she heard the radio. She made eye contact with Susan, who quickly made her way away from the dresser and to the radio, turning it off. But by then, the damage had been done. Peter turned away from the window and glanced at Susan before making eye contact with Annabelle, whose eyes were sad. The 14-year-old looked down at Lucy again and all three older siblings could see that the little girl was fighting back tears.

"The sheets feel scratchy," she mumbled, her normally soft voice even more vulnerable. Annabelle squeezed the young girl's shoulder and pressed a soft kiss to her temple as Susan and Peter made their way over to the bed, the boy sitting down at the foot of it and giving Lucy an affectionate pat on the knee.

"Wars don't last forever, Lucy. We'll be home soon," said Susan, her voice comforting as she put on a brave smile.

"Yeah, if home's still there," came a voice from the doorway and Annabelle looked over, only to see Edmund coming out of his and Peter's room in his pajamas and robe. The girl sighed quietly, rolling her eyes up to the ceiling as she silently begged the Lord for strength. She knew she would need it.

"Isn't it time you were in bed?" asked Susan, her voice equally annoyed and tired. She just wanted this day to be over.

"Yes, Mum," replied Edmund sarcastically.

"Edmund," said Annabelle sternly, and the boy shot her a look that could only be described as bratty.

"What? It's not like I'm not telling the truth!"

"Ed!" snapped Peter and Edmund huffed angrily but quieted down. Satisfied, the eldest Pevensie focused back on Lucy. "You saw outside. This place is huge. We can do whatever we want here."

"Peter's right, Lucy," Annabelle spoke up, her eyes soft as she gazed down at the little girl cuddled into her side. "Did you see how many rooms there are in this house? We could probably spend hours exploring. And all the open fields! I bet we could spend hours playing outside. We're going to have so much fun, you won't even realize how quickly time is flying," she glanced up at Peter and Susan as she spoke, and the two shot her thankful smiles as Lucy gazed up at her with wide eyes, taking in every word. "And who knows? This might end up being the biggest adventure of our lives."

Lucy's eyes finally began to sparkle with their usual childish joy and Annabelle smiled, a feeling of success settling in her chest. She wasn't sure if she believed her own words but as long as Lucy did, that's all that mattered.

"We should all probably get some rest," Susan spoke up again and Peter nodded in agreement, getting up off the bed.

"Su's right. It's been a long day," he spoke as Annabelle gave Lucy one last comforting smile before hopping off the bed.

"Come on, you," she said, turning her attention to Edmund. "Time for bed."

"I know how to get ready for bed on my own, you know," the boy huffed in annoyance, even as he allowed Annabelle to place her hand on his shoulder lightly and gently direct him to the door. "I don't need your help."

"Yeah, I know," she sighed, no longer bothered by her younger brother's comments. Most of them were not intended to hurt as much as they were intended to demonstrate his individuality. "You never do."

Even with all his complaints, Edmund did allow his sister to give him a quick kiss on the forehead. He drew the line at being tucked in though, so Annabelle simply wished him a good night before doing the same to Peter. Her older brother smiled at her lovingly before placing his own kiss on her forehead, simultaneously wishing her a good night and silently thanking her for being his pillar of strength once again.

With a small smile on her face and a still-aching heart, Annabelle got ready for bed. She could only hope that tomorrow would be easier for all of them.