Chapter1
The winter in 1867 was extremely cold. It had not snowed since the start of December. Sitting on the train from Berkshire to London right before Christmas, I quietly looked at the sullen sky outside the window and the thin white frost on the glass. The cold wind formed into a strange pitch like the scream of little animals when it leaked into the carriage from the crack on the train window. When I heard my mother cough a little behind me, I drew the curtain to block the icy wind. The light in the kerosene lamp flashed while the whole coach seemed much warmer than before.
"Thank you. Johnny." My mother's face creased into a smile as she patted her chest slightly. I watched her apprehensively. She had not been so healthy in recently years.
My father poured a cup of water for her, wrinkled his brows and uttered, "Ailie, your cough seems worse."
"I think we should move back to Australia. The weather is warm there and good for mother. I prefer the fresh air and sunshine in Melbourne to the terrible damp frost in Britain," said my brother Henry, as he looked up from the book on his knees.
Smiling indulgently to Henry, my mother said, "Honey, I guess you just don't prefer Wellington College.".
"I am not the only one." Henry leaned against to the back of the chair. "John doesn't like there either."
The three turned to look at me suddenly, I quickly waved my hand, "I never said that."
My father stroked my mother on the back tenderly. He thought for a moment and said slowly, "Henry's words are not unreasonable…your health is most important, Ailie."
I saw Henry's eyes lit up, "Will we go back?" he asked eagerly.
My mother glanced at my father, "There's no need, George." She turned to us and said earnestly, "Don't listen to your father, you should finish your school here."
My father tapped her shoulder lightly as he grinned, "Ah, Ailie. You should not tell the boys to ignore my words to my face."
My mother chuckled at what she had just said, the dimple creeping back onto her cheek brightened her pretty face."You should know that, Mr. Watson," she smiled naughtily like a young girl as she replied, "If I can refute you to your face, I can also refute you behind your back…" She coughed a little when she finished.
"Ailie, you'd better have a rest. Ok, boys, do your mother a favor, she needs a rest." said my father to Henry and me.
Henry put his book on the seat and stood up, "I can take John around to the dining car." said he while he straightening his collar. My father agreed with a nod.
"Take care of your brother, Henry." The voice of my mother came across the carriage when we walked to the door.
"I am 15 years old, mum." I turned red and shouted back, "I can take care of myself!"
My father patted my head gently and smiled, "Be careful, my boy," he urged in a soft voice.
The bright light disappeared as the hatch closed behind us slowly, Henry and I stood in the dim corridor for a moment. The crash-crack noise of metal collision ran into my ears as the train crushed the rails.
"So finally…our Johnny can take care of himself. Is that right, my little bro?" Henry drawled in his world-weary way as he put his arm on my head.
The half joke and half tease annoyed me a little. I slapped his hand away. "Don't speak to me like mother." Then I walked to the dining car.
He followed me behind and murmured, "Who don't you let mother know your real feeling about the school then." I rolled my eyes back to him in a not very nice way.
"Save it. I never said I dislike our school. As for you, you are not willing to take me around sincerely…I've seen your friends in seniors grade when we got on the train."
"Really smart, little Johnny!"
"Don't speak to me like that!" I gave him a stern look and pushed the door of the dining car.
In full light, the red woods ornamented on the wall and the floor of the dining car were shining like gold. There was a mountain of copies of The Times on the little square table near the door. Two lines of dinner table by the window only left one narrow passage for people to go past.
Almost no seat was free, full of ladies and gentlemen who talked softly and enjoyed their tea and cookies. In the corner, I saw a group of boys sitting with their head together, I was curious about what they were studying. One of them looked up and found us, he moved to Henry happily. "Here, Henry! We've waiting for you for a long time."
I followed Henry. The boy looked at me and smiled, "Bring John again?" said him to my brother.
Henry shrugged his shoulder and turned to the boys sitting in a circle, "Vincent is running find-the-lady again?" I followed his eyes, there were three poker cards laid face down on the table, a friend of Henry's looked at the cards grimacingly.
I knew this kind of game, one shuffled the three cards with face down in a high speed, and made the others guess where is the queen. Although it was a definitely simple game, it really needed high qualities of observation and sharp response capacity.
Henry's friends smiled and whispered, "Vincent is good." He flicked his chin to motion the boy sitting face to face with Vincent, "But he met his match today."
I started to look at the opponent. His curved black hair was the first thing that caught my eyes, below were two dark eyebrows and a pair of sharp and piercing eyes with a twinkle which looked like eagles circling in the sky. The thin hawk-like nose mixed the innocence of a teenager with the inborn persistence. So thin as he was, his chin seemed more square than it actually was. Although he could be no more than fourteen, he was extremely tall in his age. When he leaned against the back of the chair, his body formed an angle with the desk which made him thinner.
While Vincent was still stared at the poker as if he could burn a hole on the cards, the tall boy sat there quietly, tapping the desk with his fingers. His mouth was compressed into a thin line of impatience.
"Have you done?" his voice was lower than I thought.
Vincent bit his lip and put his hand on the right card, "Lady's on the right."
The boy didn't say anything, but his eyes blinked smugly. "In the middle." he said at last.
"No way!" Vincent turned over the card in the middle, the crown on the figure seemed waved to him happily. "Owl…" he uttered a groan of upset and sat back, "I quit, you win." The other boys hooted with laughter. Vincent looked around and soon found my brother.
"Henry, here you are." He stood and smiled, "Thank god, I've lose three bouts."
"Losing to some even younger than my brother. Bravo, Vince." Henry grinned mischievously. Then he winked his eyes, "I remember you said you have the thing, what we are waiting for?"
Exchanging conspiratorial glance, all the other boys stood and about to leave the carriage. I finally realized and pulled Henry by his sleeve. "Are you going to drink?" I asked.
He stroked away my hand, raised his eyebrow. "Are you going to be the informer?"
"Of course not!" I raised my voice. The other seniors busted into laughter, my face turned red. Henry pulled me into the seat where Vincent sat before and patted my head.
"Enjoy yourself, little bro." he whispered to my ears, and then went out with his friends from the other side of the dining car. I was in a daze for a moment then I realized that only the curved boy and I were left. The three cards laid on the table pitifully and the boy sitting opposite me looked at me with a poker-face.
What the hell? I thought to myself.