Two Loves

Chapter 28

I edited this on the phone, so the layout might be weird.

CYMBELINE

The carriage rattles over the gravel path leading up to Illingworth Manor with a sound that reminds me of waves sweeping over broken sea-shells. Ada, already fidgeting with excitement, leans her head out of the small window and joyfully claps her hands.

"Oh, I think I can see it!" she squeals, then trips and promptly falls on my lap when the carriage comes to an abrupt stop.
The goddamned straight out of hell hat with feathers shoves itself in my face, I sneeze, Atticus, all the gallant idiot immediately rises to help Ada stand up again, hits his head on the ceiling, and Isaac, who is so tightly wrapped in scarfs and coats that he looks like a mummy, has to laugh so hard that he starts coughing again.
The door is opened and the coachman looks as if he would rather bring us to the nearest madhouse.

Ada finds her countenance again, clears her throat and gracefully stands up from her half-lying, half-sitting position. Only the fact that she is so small makes her exit look majestic.
She lets herself be helped out of the vehicle, gives the coachman a beaming smile and distracts him with a "Thank you, would you be so kind to help with the luggage?" from the three of us, who try to get out into the fresh air all at the same time.

Carriage rides, dear God.
I had already forgotten how it feels to be trapped in a stuffed wood-box on four wheels for several hours, without a possibility to stretch out your legs without kicking the person opposite to you in the shins, and all the while to get your bones shaken by each and every tiny crump that lies on the way.

Isaac, miraculously, dozed off after a good hour, his head resting on Atticus' shoulder, what also made conversation almost impossible. Atticus didn't mind, he was immersed in reading 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and stroking Isaacs sleeping head. Ada played Noughts and Crosses against me until we both didn't know who was winning anymore, and then we could only watch the charming landscape passing us.

My legs are so numb that I almost fall down the small metal footsteps. Unmajestically, I just jump down and greedily inhale the fresh air. The sun is shining so warmly that one could think it is already June, and the breeze already smells of salt and sea.

While Ada conducts the coachman to unload the trunks and suitcases from the roof of the carriage, Atticus somehow manages to unfold his long limbs from the back of his seat and to lend a hand to Isaac. My brother smiles up to him, and then immediately keels sideways when he stands up too fast.
Just a week has passed since Isaac recovered from the fever and was able to walk again, and now he wants too much from his rescued health.
Which is no problem, because he now has Prince Charming on his side.

Before Isaac can fall down again, Atticus just picks him up bridal-style and carries him out. Isaac grins like the Cheshire Cat. Sometimes I get the feeling that he exaggerates his weakness a bit, just so that Atticus keeps fussing over him. He sets my brother down carefully and, throwing a shoulder-glance over to the coachman, who is struggling to free a portable easel from ist safety harness, presses a quick kiss on Isaacs nose.

"Better?" he asks softly, without letting Isaac go. The asked one dramatically sways into him one last time and then nods.

"Yes, thank you, I can walk."

What a success. Though I don't think that Atticus would have objected to carrying Isaac all the way, but well. We mustn't get in jail on the first day here. Against my will, I notice that I smile amusedly- the two are just too tender with each other.

Now that I finally have steady ground under my feet, I can also examine the surroundings better. A dead straight gravel path leads up the hill to a light grey country manor, surrounded by a lush, green lawn. Shading lime and birch trees almost cover the view onto the vertically tripartite facade and the darker roof, crowned with four chimneys and a balcony pavilion. The majestic appearance is softened by the white  window frames and doors, which seem to wink welcomingly. I can hear how Isaac gasps.