Chapter 2 June 29
Three weeks later, the Williams family were on a flight to London. Lucas of course, had to pull major over time at his job, moving the center of his firm to London, so he could manage it. There was also some heartfelt goodbyes from his mother and siblings. All of which were saddened that once again Lucas was moving so very far away.
Charles had to arrange the flight and the shipping of their belongings as well as having all of their paperwork and passports in order. Daniel helped his father in any way that he could, from keeping track of all the papers, to trying to do some heavy lifting when the movers came by to collect their stuff.
A long flight later, the family was driving behind the moving trucks on their way to Grandmother Edith's estate. While Lucas and Charles squabbled over who would drive the rental car, Daniel people watched. He found it fun to make up stories about the people who they passed. The man in a suit, that chatted on the phone was a shriek and he was dealing with patient that saw dancing pink elephants everywhere he went. The patient would call at all hours of the day, nearly driving the shriek crazy himself. The teenage girl dressed in all black was a model but secretly a vampire, that's why she need the black laced umbella.
Soon after the family were on their way, Daniel watched as the tall skyscrapers of the city turned into the rolling hills and farms of the English countryside. He half listened to his dads as they squabbled after losing sight of the moving trucks.
Daniel was actually looking forward to the move. It was a chance to see things he couldn't remember seeing. The chance to start over. A place where there were no other kids to make him feel isolated, where he could be alone in peace. Charles had told his son about the estate, how it was far off from the neighboring villages, the only neighbors were an older couple in a manor up the hill. The estates included a small forest and creek over a couple of acres, and Daniel was looking forward to the whole summer of exploring the ancient manor.
After a small nap, Daniel woke to the sound of the tires of the rental car crunching over the gravel driveway. The trees marking the driveway were immaculate, not a branch out of place, the gravel did not have one weed poking through the rocks.
"We're here Danny," said Lucas opening his son's door. The manor was a large building made out of tan masonry with ivy vines stretched over the walls. The many glass windows were clean and clear as they gleamed in the late afternoon sunlight. Daniel swore he could make out the silhouettes of each maid and butler that scurried around.
The front doors opened with a loud groan as a butler with greying brown hair walked out and down the front steps. "Master Charles, Master Lucas and Young Master Daniel. It is good to see that you all have arrived. " greeted the man; his suit was pressed perfectly, no spec of dust or lint dirtied the dark material.
"Frederick it has been too long," Charles embraced the man and Lucas in turn gave him a firm handshake.
"Your mother has been on pins and needles awaiting your arrival." said Fredrick. "Follow me, she has taken to having her lunch in the back patio."
"Shouldn't we tell the movers where to put our stuff?" inquired Lucas, looking back at the waiting workers.
"Nonsense," Frederick clapped his hands, three maids and three servants quickly rushed out the front door and began to direct the movers inside. "They will be well directed under those six. Let us be on our way, you know how your mother does not like to be kept waiting."
Daniel followed the other men, his backpack hung over one shoulder. The walls of the manor were tall, and decorated in old paintings; most that the Williams family had collected over their long history. The family crest of two hawks holding up the sun was hung on a tapestry over the massive fireplace in the entryway.
Frederick led them through the maze of hallways, before finally arriving at the back of the manor. The back porch looked over the mass garden of flowers, the plants were ranged from every color of the rainbow and were placed in beautiful arrangements.
"Mother," Charles smiled happily announcing their arrival. Edith was sitting in a wheelchair a maid standing off to the side as she ate her lunch. Edith smiled wide seeing the men's arrival. While her body showed her age, her eyes were those of a woman thirty years younger. "It is so good to see you Mother," said Charles as he embraced her.
"My son you have finally come to visit your old mother," proclaimed Edith, taking a look at her son. "And Lucas," Lucas walked over and hugged the old woman as well.
"It has been too long Edith," smiled Lucas kissing the old woman's forehead.
"Hello Grandmother Edith," greeted Daniel embracing her. The old woman squeezed her grandson, taking him by the chin and giving him a once over. "Charles are you starving this poor boy!"
Charles and Lucas jumped back in surprise, Lucas going so far as to hide behind his husband. "Mother we can assure you we feed our Daniel regularly." replied Charles.
"Sometimes Father and Dad are in such a hurry in the morning, they send me to school with just a pop tart," sniffed Daniel, purposefully looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet.
"Don't worry Daniel, grandmother will make sure you have proper meals while you live here," Edith ruffled Daniel's hair pulling some chocolate from the side of her wheelchair. Daniel happily accepted,
"Traitor." Lucas hissed at his son, still hiding behind his husband.
The next few days were spent getting their belongings sorted into their rooms; Daniel got his things sorted out easily, finding himself with more free time he found himself exploring the estate. The ancient building held many secrets, and the servants were more than happy to point out things they thought would interest Daniel. During the first month he found some old jewelry, a hidden passageway from the main manor to the front gate, even an old pocket watch.
While it was fun for Daniel to explore, he could not shake the odd feeling that there was something following him everytime he went outside. Everytime he went off to explore the neighboring forest and creek, he jumped at every snap of a branch, or crinkle of leaves. He screeched whenever he would kick a rock across the ground, only for it to fly back a few moments later.
Finally he grew tired of hiding in fear. The next time Daniel traversed around the grounds, he crept around every corner, a toy water gun in hand. He hid behind bushes, ducked under archways, even going so far as to hide in a fountain. After almost an hour of this game of cat and mouse, Daniel finally catches a glimpse of what he assumed was another child. Which perplexed him, as there were no other children living on the estate. He gave chase, sprinting to keep up with the shadow.
As he ran he swore he caught the sound of ecstatic giggles.
Daniel slowed down at the front driveway, out of breath and sweating in the summer heat. He looked around, no longer seeing the shadow he had been chasing, and the only sounds he heard were the bustling of the servants making the day's lunch. It's probably some stray cat, he thought bitterly, Frederick said Grandmother kept them around to catch the field mice. Daniel had seen the cats a couple of times in the first weeks he had been at the manor. H turned to go back inside, wanting to get out the sun.
Though his path was blocked by a gap toothed, girl.
