Chapter 13

There were many tasks regarding the running of the house that fell, or were supposed to fall, to me. I had to return calls on everyone who came to call on Kiamo Ko, which I dreaded even more than receiving calls; fielding insincere invitations to stay to tea. Fiyero rarely came with me on these calls, he was usually busy dealing with estate matters. He and Avaric had decided to renovate some of the cottages on the estate, which kept him working long hours, as he wanted to personally supervise much of the work.

It wasn't just the nobility that I had to call upon, I also had the duty of calling upon homes of tenants on the estate. This I found less awkward than calling upon the nobility, and I didn't mind it as much.

One morning, when I had been at Kiamo Ko for about six weeks, meaning Fiyero and I had been married for almost two months; a large parcel arrived in the post addressed to me.

It was the first bit of mail I had received since the note from Nessarose, and I was utterly confusified as to who would be sending me anything. It was a large parcel, wrapped up in brown paper and string. When I first read the return address, I couldn't think why it looked familiar. Then it clicked- it had come from Beria Fa, Galinda's house.

No less confusified, I fetched scissors from the desk and carefully opened the package. I drew my breath in softly as I pulled the paper back to find three large books inside. There was a note on top in swirling, large handwriting in pink ink that even after only meeting her once, I knew could belong to no one but Galinda.

Dearest Elphie,

I absolutely just had to sent you a wedding present, to officially welcome you to the Tiggular family! Considering my brother was so rude as to deny me the opportunity to do so by actually witnessing such a blessed event!

Of course, I don't yet know you that well, but hearing you love reading and music was enough to find this. I hope you enjoy it.

My offer to come for a weekend still stands.

Love, Galinda.

The books were beautiful leather bound volumes, all on the history of music throughout Oz and different composers and instruments. I immediately settled in to look through them and read them, and it was in the morning room that Fiyero found me at noon, completely engrossed in the first volume.

"What's this?"

I jumped at his voice.

"Do you have something against announcing your presence before you scare me half to death?"

Fiyero grinned. "My dear, when you are that engrossed in a book, I could stand here doing cartwheels before you notice me."

I flushed. He had never called me 'dear' before, and I wondered what the meaning was… if there was a meaning.

"What are you doing home?" I asked him.

"I came home for lunch, of course."

"Lunch?" I repeated.

"It's nearly noon."

I looked at the clock in surprise. "Is it? Oz, I hadn't even noticed."

"Clearly," he smiled teasingly. "You never answered me, what are you reading? That can't be Jayne Eyre still."

I showed him the books, and the note from Galinda. He rolled his eyes lightly as he read it.

"She's subtle, isn't she? But she is right. You should go for a weekend, although I feel I should apologise for whatever torture she'll subject you to."

I smiled faintly. "I'd like to. It's just a matter of timing, I suppose."

"What about next weekend?" Fiyero suggested. "You could go over on the Friday afternoon and return on the Monday."

I went to nod, and then paused mid-way through agreeing. The following weekend was our two-month wedding anniversary. Not a huge occasion, and we hadn't really festivated for the one-month anniversary, but we had at least spent the day together.

"Oh… that would work," I said quietly. "How are the renovations coming?"

"Fine, fine," he replied absent-mindedly, flicking through the second volume Galinda had sent me.

"I'll write Galinda this afternoon and make sure the dates are convenient for her."

Fiyero nodded, but said nothing.

Galinda replied the next day, agreeing with the dates I had proposed. I was looking forward to seeing her again, and Boq; but I was still perturbed by Fiyero's either ignorance or indifference towards our anniversary.

It left me feeling rather restless, and as it was a fairly nice day, I decided to go into the garden. As much as I loved the library, the gardens were my favourite part of Kiamo Ko. Perhaps it was the fresh air, but the garden was the one place I never felt like I was walking in Sarima's footsteps. Even in my bedroom, although I knew Sarima and Fiyero had never used the rooms before.

As I inspected the blooms, trying to decide which ones to cut, I was deep in thought. Perhaps it was because the blooms I saw today were not the same blooms of a year ago. The plants were the same, but the flowers from last year had died. The flowers I smelled and touched now were new; and that was what I liked about them.

When I returned from the garden with my arms full of acacia, I went into the morning room, looking for a vase. Finding none, I rang the bell. I was expecting Dillamond to come, but instead I was surprised as Madame Morrible entered the room. I couldn't help but stiffen, and I suddenly wished I hadn't rung. Madame Morrible always made me feel as though everything I was doing was completely wrong.

"Can I help you, Madam?" she asked formally.

"Um, yes. Madame Morrible, do you know where I might find a suitable vase? I thought these would brighten up the morning room."

Her eyebrow arched ever-so-slightly. "Mrs Tiggular always put lilacs in the morning room," she replied.

I faltered. "Oh. Well… I just… I thought these looked nicer than the lilacs at the moment…" I explained hesitantly.

"Well of course, if Madam wishes, I can fetch a vase. I'm sure the acacia will be… fine enough."

There it was again. Her tone that always inferred that I was doing things wrong. And of course I was. I was changing things. I was reminding them all- reminding Fiyero- that I was not Sarima.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

Madame Morrible left the room to get a vase, and I looked at the acacia in my arms. They had seemed so warm and bright only a few minutes earlier; and I had been so pleased at how well the yellow blossoms would look in the morning sun. And now they seemed cheap.

Hop entered the room and presented me with a vase, already filled with water. I thanked him, arranged the flowers in the vase and half-heartedly set it on an end table, standing back to look at the effect.

I frowned critically, unable to decide if it looked appropriate enough. I bit my lip as I debated, hating that I was doubting myself after only a few words from Madame Morrible. Finally, I shook my head. I was not Sarima- that was clear to everyone. Perhaps it was time I stopped trying. And what would it really hurt if I brought in different flowers?

Resolved, I defiantly left the flowers where they were and returned to my reading.

Fiyero came home from the office for lunch that day, and as per the custom he had developed, he came and found me in the morning room.

"I heard back from Galinda this morning," I said conversationally. "She's happy for me to come stay next weekend. She said she's very excited."

He didn't look up from the paper he was reading. "She must have written as soon as she received your note and sent it with the second post."

I'd already arrived at the same conclusion. "Yes, I imagine so."

Dillamond cleared his throat, announcing his presence. "Lunch is served, sir," he said.

Fiyero finally looked up. "Thank you, Dillamond."

He folded his newspaper and rose to his feet. "I'll just wash up and be in in a moment," he told me and I nodded.

"Ok."

He was almost at the door when he turned with a frown. "Is something different in here?"

I looked around. "Only the flowers I think," I replied.

My heart was beating faster as I watched him carefully.

Fiyero gazed at the acacia, realisation in his eyes. "Oh, yes. Of course."

"Do you like them?" I asked hopefully.

"Nice," he said vaguely. "The room does look different. I think we usually have lilacs in here."

Fiyero left the room, leaving me feeling as though I'd been punched in the stomach.

I barely spoke all through lunch, and Fiyero didn't seem to notice at all. Once he'd cleared his plate, he said something about a meeting with a contractor and left, leaving me alone at the table.

I pushed away my mostly full plate and strode back into the morning room, ringing the bell. Zeldha scurried into the room after a moment, curtseying.

"Madam?"

I indicated the vase on the end table. "Will you please take this upstairs and put it in my dressing room?"

Zeldha nodded. "Of course, ma'am."

After she hurried away with the vase, I was at a loss for what to do. I don't know what I was feeling. I was hurt, but I wasn't really sure why. Hurt Fiyero hadn't noticed, or hurt that he had seemed to dismiss my efforts to change even something as small as flowers.

The books from Galinda were still sitting on the writing desk, waiting until I decided the best spot for them. Impulsively, I grabbed them and shoved them on the top of the desk. They swayed unsteadily and then toppled over. As they fell, they knocked over a small china cupid which usually sat atop the desk, which fell to the floor and smashed into several tiny pieces.

I cringed. I didn't have to know anything about the ornament to know that it was very valuable- everything in the morning room was valuable. Slowly, I lowered myself to the floor and picked up some of the fragments. It was beyond repair, that much was obvious.

I didn't know what to do. I couldn't face the idea of ringing for Dillamond or Madame Morrible and telling them what I had done and asking them to fix it. The idea of telling Fiyero seemed far worse. What if the ornament was an antique? I knew there were many pieces in Kiamo Ko that had been in the Tiggular family for generations… I just didn't know for sure which pieces they were.

Not sure what else to do, I grabbed an envelope from the desk and placed the pieces inside. Then I shoved the envelope to the back of the desk drawer and left the morning room, feeling guilty.