Chapter Four

Sometimes excitement is like climbing a mountain; perseverance along with budding euphoria guides you to a climax that you eagerly await. Other times it is a fleeting fancy that changes with the wind. Hokuto's laboured breaths, agreed with the former statement. She was positive that one more moment in the manor would leave her insane and was optimistic that her grandmother's news might hold an escape. Lady Sumeragi noted with due satisfaction and a raised eyebrow that her granddaughter was even dressed modestly, formally and most of all to her liking. Regardless of the child trying to appease her she took smug satisfaction in the fact that she would speak nothing of her news till they had eaten.

Lady Sumeragi firmly believed in the statement 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'. Well, on consideration, only in respect to food. Consequently she had hired a cook, Hannah. Hannah was the motherly type and few could escape from her coddling. Having grown up in Yorkshire she had retained some of the accent and consequently conservations between herself and Lady Sumeragi were few and far between often leaving the both of them confused. Lady Sumeragi had been taught nothing but Received Pronunciation, the Queen's English, and that was many years ago hence she had many problems with the language and had to revert back to Japanese many a time. Still, her grandchildren enjoyed Hannah's company at dinner time and she had her dine with them every night they ate at home.

"Good afternoon lass. How are you today? Hope you're in the mood for a good meal!" Hannah chortled as her blond-brown hair sprinkled by the grey of age bounced on her shoulders.

Before she had chance to whittle on as the elder Sumeragi had learnt she would, Lady Sumeragi spoke, "What is for dinner today Mrs Hannah?"

"Roast spuds, veg and roast beef and aye you don't have to address me as Mrs you make be sound like a teacher! Glad you aren't calling me Mrs Brown any more...that I am" With that she went to call the children to eat and prepared to serve the meal.

Regardless of how the elder Sumeragi enjoyed silence she had accepted that with Hannah and Hokuto around the only peace she would get was when the both of them took a breath simultaneously. Those moments were scarce. She had related to Hannah that she should speak to the children as often as possible so they got more comfortable with the language. Now however she realised that Hokuto was as animated in English as she was in her mother language.

"Aye Hokuto, there are plenty of children in the village about your age, teens and such. If your grandmother doesn't mind I'll introduce you to my neighbour's daughter tomorrow. She's a good girl but a bit shy you know nothing like her mother!"

"Oooh what's her name? How old is she? And what is her mother like?" Hokuto asked amused by Hannah's face contortion as she mentions the girl's mother.

"Oh she's a right Hyacinth Bucket. You'll be a good friend for her daughter. Martha is her name and she's about fifteen now I think. She goes to one of those snooty boarding schools round here but she's as polite as you'll meet them. I'm sure you'll like her. You know the local lads round her aren't so bad either..."

She noticed how Hokuto's eyes brightened at that statement and how Lady Sumeragi stiffened. Smiling she said, "Oh not for you, naughty lass! More for your brother. Subaru, I'm sure you're interested in making some friends like your sister is right?"

At his hesitant nod she continued, "There not a bad bunch you know. Bet I can find you some as serious as you!"

Hokuto giggled, "No Subaru can't be friends with someone as serious as him! They'd have no fun..."

At Subaru's blush Hannah seemed to acknowledge this, "umm now I think about it I'm sure I spoke to a boy, came into my bakery last week... foreign too, if you don't mind me saying so but I can't for the life of me remember his name. Ah don't worry it'll come to me later."

Subaru hoped she might not find the name as he was already beginning to get butterflies of apprehension fluttering amongst his internal organs. It was most uncomfortable.

After the meal and an especially delicious apple crumble for desert, the Sumeragi family was seated in a small family room with an abundance of rugs on the oak floor. The fireplace was carved with influences from the renaissance period. The children didn't dare utter a word until their grandmother had spoken. Around Hannah she may be lenient but in privacy she expected her ideals of etiquette to be maintained.

Finally she spoke, "Children I have something to tell you".