Eliza and Will

Chapter 27

"Eliza, get out of bed," Lydia's loud voice booms through my room, disturbing me from my peaceful state.

"Why?" I mumble, not moving from my comfy position.

"The Gardiner grandparents are here, so stop being such a lazy lump and move!" That is the nickname we use to describe mum's parents.

"You are so generous in your compliments Lydia," I sarcastically remark as I stretch and climb down from my bunk. I quickly head into the bathroom and brush my teeth and splash my face with cold water before going downstairs, rearranging my hair at the same time.

"Ah Eliza, I've missed you," says my granny, getting up from her seat to give me a tight hug.

"Me too, granny," I say, trying not to get choked up as I welcome her comforting embrace and inhale her familiar apricot smelling perfume.

"Have you grown?" She asks jokingly, looking me up and down.

"About a minus inch," I laugh, sitting down in the spare seat beside her.

"Eliza, always remember that the best things in life come in small packages," remarks my Grandad, entering the room from the kitchen.

"I'll remember," I smile at him. I'm very close with my grandparents and love it when they come down from Derbyshire to visit."

"This is so stressful," shouts Lydia as she enters the room. She is running about the house with like a madwoman carrying bundles of clothes, with Kitty not too far behind.

"What is the matter?" Granny asks.

"We're going on a school trip to London tomorrow and can't find half of our clothes!"

"Oh dear, never leave your packing to the last minute." She warns. "How long are you both going for?"

"A few days," they reveal. "We're going to the West End and even spending a night in Liverpool!" Kitty excitedly chants.

"Ooh lovely, how good would it be to be young again, eh Martin?"

"Absolutely, those were the good old days," grandad happily sighs.

"So, Eliza," granny says, diverting her attention back to me. "What have you been doing with yourself?"

"'Nothing really, I'm fed up already and summer's barely began," I moan.

"Well, me and your grandfather have been thinking, why don't you come to Derbyshire and stay with us for a week? We'd love to have you stay."

"I'd love to," I sit up straight, feeling a wave of excitement. A change of scene is exactly what I need.

"Great, we can come down for you the day after tomorrow and bring you back with us. Ask Jane as well if she wants to go, and you Mary are welcome of course," she says, looking behind to her sitting at the piano.

"I'm fine, thanks, I'll stay here," she politely declines, which is to be expected from her.

"I'll ask Jane later when she gets home but she's been working a lot recently with her job so she might not be able to," I inform her. In order to distract herself from her sadness over Charles, Jane has thrown herself into work and has been taking on extra shifts. I feel as though I rarely see her nowadays as she is usually away before I wake up in the morning and returns home after I've gone to bed. I hate the feeling that I'm drifting from my sister as she appears to be avoiding us all as a result of her sorrow, which she hates to admit that she's experiencing.

"No wonder you've been feeling down, you've been without your sidekick and putting up with this terrible weather!" Granny emphasises.

"Never worry though," she continues. "We'll have you cheered up in no time."

I can barely wait.