Their first week in London went by quickly, much to Rose's dismay, as she wished for time to slow down during their stay with the O'Connell's. With the heavy rains flooding the streets in lower London, making it difficult for anyone to go out and have fun, Rick decided that some time in the countryside would benefit them all.
"Trust me," Rick said, as Rose questioned why they were leaving. "If we head up North, we'll avoid all this rain."
"I understand that," Rose nodded. "But… I don't know if Ardeth will be completely comfortable leaving London. At least here, we would be closer to the docks if we have to return home quickly.
"They have trains, Rose," Rick said. "And if you had to go home due to an emergency, a boat won't get you there quickly."
She sighed, "Ardeth detests the idea of being in anything that goes more than five miles," she shook her head. "If this was your idea, then you will tell him the plan. I can only do so much to bribe him to listen."
He rolled his eyes, " Evie's talking to him now," he said. "She sent me in here to tell you the plan and to escort you downstairs to the sitting room."
"My poor husband," Rose shook her head, as she followed him out of the room. "He was nervous enough about coming to London. Now to move up North for a week or two?"
"Nervous, huh?" Rick teased, as they took the stairs. "I don't believe it."
"Don't you dare tell him that I told you that," Rose warned. "Ardeth may seem like a big, tough man.. but under all that? He's in touch with his sensitive side, unlike many men."
They could hear Evelyn in the sitting room, trying to give Ardeth the best scenario to traveling by car. "Trust me," she said, as they stepped into the room. "It's much safer than a bus!"
Rose headed to Ardeth's side, placing her hand on his arm. "Darling," she said, as he turned to look at her. "Could you give us both a minute?"
"Of course," Evelyn nodded, as she and Rick quickly left, closing the door behind them.
"Rose, I thought we were to spend time in London," Ardeth said, as they sat down on the sofa. "Now we are going to some place in the North."
She sighed, "Rick thought it would be best if we spent some time outside of London," she said softly. "The rain has caused a lot of flooding downtown and the sewage is backing up in some places."
He was ready to protest, when Rose cut him off again. "It's quite up in the North, especially in the countryside," she reasoned. "And if we can escape the rain for a few days, that would be even better!"
"But what if we are called home?" he asked. "If our people need our help, we must be ready to return."
"Ardeth, I know this," she said, taking his hand into hers. "But we wont be too far from London, where we can get back to the docks and onto a ship."
Seeing that Ardeth was unsure about the sudden change in plans, Rose began to pout; her eyelashes batting.
Ardeth groaned, "Do not make the face," he begged, as she inched closer to him. "Rose…."
"It will be very romantic," she nodded. "You and me sitting out by the lake at night, looking up at the stars that wouldn't be covered by smog. We could have a little camp fire and spend evenings outside without having to worry about rain or the smell of… garbage."
Her husband remained silent, "You could finally see real farms and the animals!" she gasped. "English breeds and cows."
"Camels are not cows, Rose," Ardeth said, as she rested her head against his arm. "You know this."
"They are… Egyptian cows," she reasoned. "These are English cows."
He sighed again, "You won't have to walk down any sidewalks and see a bus," Rose said. "And I'm pretty sure we don't have any mummies in the woods."
"Alright," he gave in, earning a squeal from her. "But, I will only go if we can have messages sent to us quickly. We may be on a… holiday, but I'm still Chieftain. I need to be able to return to our people to do my duties."
"And you will," Rose promised. "This should be a relaxing holiday, love. Who knows when we'll be able to have another one of these… especially when we start having children."
Ardeth nodded, "Besides, you'll get to see how my people spend their summer holiday. I think that's fair, considering I've seen how your people spend the summer… all year around it seems."
She leaned up to kiss him, "I'll start packing," she said, once she pulled away. "And I'll let Rick and Evie know that we're going with them."
"I will be up shortly to help," he promised. "I must send word to the camp to let them know that we will be out of London for a few days."
Rose nodded, "If you're quick, I may just have a surprise for you," she teased, standing up. "It will be fun, Ardeth. Trust me."
….
The next morning, the O'Connell's and Bay's were up early to get on the road.
"Why aren't you coming with us?" Rose asked, as Jonathan watched them pack up the car. "Did Rick uninvited you?"
"Why would I want to spend a week with two married couples?" he asked, as Rick and Ardeth loaded the bags into the trunk. "That's the last thing I'd ever want to do for a week."
Rose shook her head, "You better behave, Jonathan," she warned, hugging him. "If you land in a sticky situation, you'll be stuck there until we return."
He chuckled, "I will call later tonight to make sure you've arrived safely," he said, before moving down the steps to hug his sister goodbye.
After spending the previous day packing some of their belongings, everyone ate dinner early before retiring upstairs for the evening to get a full nights worth of rest. Rising before five, Rose and Evelyn rechecked the bags, while Rick gave Jonathan strict rules about who could and couldn't come into the house.
It would be a roughly three-hour drive from London to Nottingham, where Rick and Evelyn owned a summer home. While Evelyn and Jonathan came from old money, the house was bought with the money that came from their work at the museum.
"We better get on the road," Rick said, closing the trunk of the car. "If you want to get there by noon, we need to go now."
"Yes, yes," Jonathan nodded in agreement. "Go before I change my mind and join you."
Evelyn sighed, "Please don't do anything rash, Jonathan," she begged. "And don't burn my house down either."
Saying their goodbyes, Rose and Ardeth climbed into the backseat of the car, along with Alex, while Rick and Evelyn sat up front.
"Are you alright?" Rose asked, as Rick started the car. "Darling?"
"I am fine,' he nodded, as they started down the driveway. "Tell me about the countryside. What am I to expect?"
Rose laced her fingers through his, "Well, it will be very green," she started. "With hills and trees that cover nearly everything."
Alex snorted next to her as she spoke, "We probably won't see another estate for more than three miles, especially where we are," she continued. "But Rick and Evie do have a small farm on the land, along with a pathway that leads down to a lake."
Up front, Rick glanced over at Evelyn, who was smiling into the palm of her hand, as Rose babbled away about all the sights they would see.
"Give her ten minutes," Rick whispered, as he steered the car onto the street that would lead them out of the city. "She will be snoring away by the time we cross the city boarder."
