The Apothecary's Daughter

Chapter 9

Pictured above: the stream

~

"Good morning Lord Daniel. How is my friend doing?" Emmeline asks as she steps across the entryway of Mooreland Park.

"She is doing well. You made quite the impression on her last week. She hasn't removed the apron you gave her and insists her hair be put in braids. You will have to teach me how to do so. The one time I tried her hair ended up in knots."

"Of course my lord. It can be quite tricky if you haven't seen someone do it before. I would happy to teach you. Is Matilda in her chamber?"

"Yes, I shall take you to her."

"Please do not trouble yourself my lord. I can find my own way, and if I get lost I am sure Matilda's laughter shall guide me."

"Of course. If you need anything please do not hesitate to come get me."

"Thank you sir." Emmeline curtsies before going to find Matilda. Sure enough she could hear the young girl's laugh from down the hall. She tentatively entered her chamber.

"Emmy you're late." Matilda says, running up to her, "You were here at breakfast last week."

"I know I am, I am sorry my dear. I needed to help my papa." Emmeline tells her, giving her a hug, "How can I make it up to you?"

"Can you braid my hair again? Papa doesn't know how to do it right."

"Of course," The pair goes over to Matilda's dresser and Emmeline plaits her hair into a simple braid. "Do you want to go exploring today?"

"Where would we go exploring?"

"Outside of course! I believe we might even find fairies if we're lucky."

"Fairies?" Matilda exclaims.

"Yes, it is the time of year for fairies, but you need to put on your apron first. We wouldn't want to get pixie dust on your dress, right?"

"Right!" Matilda runs to her bedside table and removes the apron from her chest, "Will you tie it for me please Miss Emmy?"

"Come here and I shall." Matilda returns to Emmeline's side and Emmeline quickly ties the back of the girl's apron. "Are you ready to go find fairies?"

"Yes!" Matilda says, pulling on Emmeline's arm. The pair races out the door. "Where will the fairies be?"

"I believe I saw some by the brook. Shall we go and see?" Emmeline wanted to get away from the house as quickly as possible to avoid the dance that was about to take place between Lady Margaret and the Earl. The dance of the gentleman and the mother desperate for a good marriage. The dance was one her father had ensured Emmeline would never have to partake in had she not desire to. She experienced it a bit during her time in town but it was never anything she consciously partook in. Her studies kept her occupied and she never wanted to trouble Dr. Keller with the idea of her having male suitors. He and his wife were kind enough to allow her to stay with them while she attended classes. Having them guard her purity was something she never dared to do. It wasn't that Emmeline didn't want to meet someone, but she refused to marry for the sake of marriage.

"How do we catch fairies?" Matilda asks as they arrive at the brook.

"We aren't trying to catch them my dear. We wouldn't want to take them away from their fairy friends now would we?"

"No, then how can we find them to look at them?"

"Fairies love to laugh. Do you know any funny stories that you could tell them?" Emmeline asks, taking a seat on a nearby log.

"I can't think of any. You tell one. You know what they find funny."

"How about we tell them one together? With both of us creating one I'm sure the fairies will come out."

"Okay, you start Miss Emmy." Matilda says, as Emmeline lifts her into her lap.

"Oh all right. There once was a dog named Victor. Victor was a very bad dog. He absolutely disliked the cat Holly. He would chase her around the house and out into the barn. He chased her through the pig pen, through the chicken coop, and even out into the cow pasture. Holly was a smarter cat than Victor thought and ran towards the pig pen. She jumped up on the fence as Victor landed into the mud." Matilda bursts into a fit of giggles.

"Do you see any fairies yet?" She asks once she recovers.

"Why don't you go and look?" Matilda gets down from Emmeline's lap and starts looking under the leaves of the trees. "Do you see any?" Emmeline asks from her place on the log.

"No, maybe there are some down by the creek. I'll go check." Matilda toddles down to the water slowly. Emmeline rises and follows behind her. "Miss Emmy I see one! I see one!" Matilda gets closer and closer to the water's edge.

"Don't go in the water Matilda. We don't want to scare it away." It was too late. Matilda had gone into the water. Emmeline couldn't judge the girl. She had done the very same thing when her mother took her fairy hunting when she was a young girl. "Matilda come out, you will slip." It was if Emmeline could predict the future, as soon as she said that the young girl slipped. Emmeline rushed to Matilda's side.

"I'm alright Miss Emmy." Matilda says as she is pulled out of the water.

"I'm glad but you scared the fairies away." Emmeline says, removing her apron and wrapping it around Matilda, "Matilda if I tell you something you must listen to me. I may not be able to come visit you if you don't. Come now, we have to take you back to the house."

"But what about the other fairies?" Matilda asks, looking up at Emmeline.

"We will have to come back another day to find them. They have all been scared away. Come we need to go back to the house. You cannot catch another cold."

"I'm sorry Miss Emmy, I promise to listen to you. Don't let Papa keep me from you."

"Don't worry, I won't let that happen." Emmeline says, hugging Matilda tight. The pair walks back to the house, Emmeline's arm draped around her shoulder.

As they approached the house Emmeline saw a carriage she knew quite well. Lady Margaret had arrived.

~