Symphony of Lilacs

14. Les I'm Miserable

"I hope our guising efforts will be fruitful." Henry and I takes long strides across the street. He rubs some dust off the old coat we found at the bottom of his closet.

"I assure you it will be more fruitful than having to learn dead languages at Harrow." A shiver runs down my spine at remembering the countless hours wasted at them.

Henry laughs and adjusts his hat.
"Learning Greek and Latin was not that difficult."

"Says the person who can easily switch between five languages in five minutes." I shake my head, while a vendor's last wail of the day makes me jump.
"As for the guise, that is only to make us not look like snobs. Our accents give away that we're not from here."

Henry nods, as my feet stop on their own accord in the middle of the street. Two children go back into their homes after their father calls them out.

Henry looks at me.
"Is this our destination? Because all I see are people fleeing a street that smells pleasanter than your socks."

"Is the Lilliputian already tired?"
I squint an eye at a gap between two houses.

"You're just five inches taller than me. Just five!" Henry grumbles.

Through the gap, music echoes with laughter.
Something that seems like a delightful addition.
There's a turn in the street next to the left house.

"Come on." Turning towards the corner, we walk into a dark corridor before a brightened plot of land greets us.

Both Henry and I look around ourselves.
This plot is only a space left between two houses with darkened grass.

But music from a violin, violoncello and a treble violin strolls about, played by patched musicians sitting on the same grass.

"Well, these people enjoy parties much more than we do." Henry smiles.

I nod, but my gaze notices a person with bright brown eyes and in a dress of a warmer colour than I've seen before. She puts a hand on her face at something her fellow has said, unable to contain her laughter.

A smile comes onto my face, but I look away before staring.
Henry grins at me with a raised brow.

I shake my head, spotting Mrs Penrose sitting with the elders.
She notices me through the crowd and smiles.

Turning to Henry, I gesture to him to follow me. He shrugs but follows me.

Beside Mrs Penrose, two more figures come about.

"Doctor Knightley!" Jacob Trevor waves at me. He says something into his dance partner's ear and she accompanies him to us.
"So glad you could honour us!"
He takes both my hands and jubilantly shakes them.

"Honour's all mine," I say, returning the shake and also nodding to Mrs Penrose.

Jacob Trevor then turns to the woman on his side, a wide smile on his face.
"And this is my fiancé, Susan Weathers."
Miss Weathers bows and says the same formalities as before.
Henry and I return them.