Summary:
What starts off as a regular day in the lives of Eglantine and the children quickly shifts into a discussion of what will happen to the children once the war is over, and whether they will stay with her or return to London. With Eglantine fearing the children will leave her, and her anxiety through the roof, she is then forced to ask them a question that can no longer wait. She only wishes that Emelius, off at war, were around to hold her hand throughout all of this.
Movie-verse, post-canon one-shot. Title based off of the song from "Pooh's Grand Adventure."
Posted in loving memory of Angela Lansbury.
Author's Note:
Hello, Readers! KLFWrites here on FF! I'm back with a new story in the B&B fandom, and more than ever, I should let you all know that for the first time in forever (and ever - pun intended), I'm writing a story based off of the movie-verse after years of not doing so, and having all stories I've done so far based off of the musical (most on AO3 as the community for this fandom is more active on there). It wasn't that I didn't want to write with the movie in mind in the recent past; it's especially because the new musical had just taken flight and I was very much inspired by it. For the longest time, I've wanted to return to writing stories based on the movie, and especially after most recent news (very, very sadly so, Angela Lansbury's passing, the first ever Eglantine Price on screen), was inspired to write one...and here we are. This one centres on Eglantine popping a different kind of question on the children...but what? Looks like you'll have to read to find out (unless you've already figured it out, haha). This is for all you readers who have been following my stories. I thank you IMMENSELY for all your support. A special shoutout to my dear reader friends, typewriterandhistory (who gifted me a new B&B story they have written - THANK YOU SO MUCH! I appreciate it deeply, and will comment on your wonderful story accordingly) and MissPrice (a dear friend for the last 11 months since my entry to the B&B fan fiction world, who I keep discussing stories with left and right), who have been endlessly supportive. To all those I haven't mentioned, fellow B&B story writers, this is also for all of you, Thank you for keeping the fandom going. Small as it is, it is quite cozy and supportive, and I truly love it that way. Above all, I dedicate this story to the late, great Angela Lansbury (I still cannot believe I'm saying this :( ). Thank you, Madam, for bringing a phenomenal character-that is-Eglantine Price, to life all those years ago. Thank you for bringing in such depth and nuances to your portrayal of her, therefore, allowing fans of the film to love her as much as we do. Thank you for everything. We miss you, and we love you. I hope you all enjoy this, everyone. With that, my friends, onward. ~KLFWrites
The bell atop the faded grey and white infrastructure of the school building rang loudly and crisply as soon as the clock struck three. Over a year ago, Eglantine never imagined herself growing accustomed to that sound on nearly a daily basis, much less being surrounded by a group of parents, guardians, and fellow hosts of war evacuees all in one area waiting for the children to emerge. Of course, that's what she got in return for having Charlie, Carrie, and Paul in her care.
The three. Her three. The woman couldn't help but smile to herself at the very thought. As always, looking after children had its share of joys and challenges. Never did she imagine that she would fully bask in that reality with an open heart just as she had now. If there was one other word besides guardianship Eglantine Price associated with, it was change. And what a change it was for her to find herself suddenly caring for the young company of three she never knew she needed until now.
The thundering pitter-patter of feet rushing out of the school building and toward the gate broke her out of her reverie. Eglantine tiptoed slightly and raised her eyebrows in an attempt to spot either of the Rawlins children. Any minute now, they would be here and they would all head home together, just the way things have always been from Monday to Friday for the past eleven months they have been together–of course–except for the occasional moments that Eglantine had to run errands in the village and they opted to meet her there. However, she always felt the need to keep her eye on the three as much as possible should a situation arise where their safety would be compromised.
" And here comes William bounding out again," the elderly farmer and fellow evacuee host, Mr. Widdenfield, said with a sigh, turning to Eglantine being the nearest guardian to talk to, "You sure they haven't spent all the school's sugar rations on him?"
Eglantine simply shrugged nonchalantly, her eyes still fixated on the gate, awaiting the children's arrival.
"Little boys will be little boys, Mr. Widdenfield," she said, then turned to him with a curt smile, "It's just a matter of growing AND staying used to it, I suppose."
"You know, for the first time in my life, I'm inclined to agree with you, Miss Price," Mrs. Widdenfield, the farmer's wife to Eglantine's left, responded, turning to her, her response causing Eglantine's eyes to widen in intrigue. However, she wasn't in the very least surprised that hardly anyone in the village agreed with her on most anything, no matter how civil and respectful they all were towards one another.
"Of course, everyone has their own pace in growing accustomed to things…"
The woman then slowly turned to her husband, eyeing him with furrowed brows, "...some slower than others?"
Mr. Widdenfield then widened his eyes at his wife as if he were horrified by her comment.
"Blast it, woman; you're making it sound as if I dislike the boy!"
All Eglantine could do was chuckle and shake her head at the arguing couple. She lost count at how many times she witnessed Mr. and Mrs. Widdenfield bicker with one another–or really–Mr. Widdenfield bicker with anyone.
It was Mrs. Widdenfield's turn to widen her eyes, staring sharply at her husband.
"I said nothing of the sort! I JUST said that while you may like the boy just fine, some people find it easier to care for children right away than others. Even YOU have to admit that you're no expert, expert as you say you are on many, MANY things."
Once more, she turned to Eglantine, and rolled her eyes with a chuckle.
"You see what I have to live with? You're lucky you aren't married."
"Oi, now see here!" the elderly man exclaimed, flailing his arms.
"What?" his wife said loudly with a shrug, "I wasn't serious!"
Upon watching the couple bicker, Eglantine had to admit to herself that this was rather entertaining. Attempting to remain polite, she faked a small laughter, although deep down, the very words, 'you're lucky you aren't married,' sent a small pang toward her heart. She might not have been married, but she couldn't help but feel differently about the prospect of marriage. Indeed, said prospect turned her thoughts toward Emelius. Her man. The man she loved. The man she couldn't wait to marry. With every passing day, Eglantine missed him more than the words in her letters to him could ever express. It didn't help that he had been away, serving the war in London for a few months and nearly a year, his last visit being the first Christmas he, Eglantine, and the children shared together as an almost-family.
"I'm talking about what you said to the young lady!" Mr. Widdenfield exclaimed in sudden defense of Eglantine, "At least show some respect to a woman who's already taken by a chap; that strapping newcomer in town who left suddenly to serve."
Eglantine felt her heart stop suddenly at the elderly farmer's comment. Of course he knew. Of course the village knew. She wasn't in the very least surprised, and that was all thanks to the seemingly omniscient Mrs. Hobday who knew everything about everyone in Pepperinge Eye no matter what.
As for Mrs. Widdenfield, a massive gasp in a gossip-like manner escaped her lips as she stared wide-eyed at Eglantine. Perhaps she was one of the very few people left in town who didn't know that detail in her personal life.
"Miss Eglantine Price, TAKEN?!" she exclaimed in what looked like surprise and delight, but with a touch of befuddlement, turning to her husband, "Now, wherever did you get that information, dearest?"
Then and there, Eglantine decided to play along. She then widened her eyes toward the Widdenfields as if she had heard this news for the first time in her life.
"Yes. Where?"
She stared at the couple, causing a stunned silence between both parties to ensue. After a moment, Eglantine turned her eyes back to the gate, spotting the Widdenfields' charge William as well as the Rawlins children in tow, running behind him. At the very sight of her three, Eglantine smiled widely. She couldn't help it; it was simply second nature.
Before Mr. Widdenfield could respond to Eglantine, the young boy under his care stopped right in front of him, shifting from one foot to another, looking up at him, and smiling giddily and mischievously.
"Hi Mr. Widdenfield! Mrs. Widdenfield! Miss Price!" William addressed all three adults energetically.
All while retaining a firm expression on his face, Mr. Widdenfield simply chuckled at his charge.
"Slow down, boy. You've got a full afternoon of homework to do."
The boy then pouted, planting his arms on his sides, still looking directly up at his guardian.
"Awwww, really?"
Mr. Widdenfield's eyes then widened at him, and gave him a slow nod as if he meant serious business.
"YES, really," he said, then gently ruffled the boy's hair. Despite being the often grumpy man he was, he at least had a tinge of affection for the boy under his and his wife's care.
"You look like you're in need of something to help you settle down that energy. So, homework it is."
"And YOU'RE helping him," his wife said straightforwardly, eyeing him slyly. All at once, Mr. Widdenfield's eyes shot wide open.
"Me?! On a Mathematics day?"
As the somewhat gentle bickering continued, the Widdenfields and William began walking toward the opposite direction of the school. William then turned back to wave at Charlie, Carrie, and Paul, whom he was racing with toward the gate.
"Bye!"
"Bye!" All three Rawlins children called back.
"Oi, next week you owe us a rematch!" Paul hollered toward him with his hands on either side of his face.
A slightly annoyed Charlie turned toward his little brother. "A rematch?! Really, Paul?! I'm tired, an' running is 'ard enough with these bags on our back."
Eglantine chuckled at her boys' antics. Now it was her turn to deal with the children's shenanigans, be it arguments big or small. She had often heard from mothers she waited with at the school gates that parenting could be an adventure. Eglantine might not have been a parent, but truly, what an adventure these last eleven months had been and continued to be.
"Oh, not to worry, Charles; I won't make you run home, especially after–well–whatever this was," she reassured her eldest boy tenderly.
She then eyed the three with a smile and opened her arms to them, a gesture that had more recently become instinctive and very much welcomed by both her and the children. Eglantine held the children tightly in an embrace, Carrie and Paul squeezing their guardian just as tightly. However, Charlie, although caught in the embrace, squirmed within it, being the self-conscious preteen he was. As for Eglantine, she didn't mind how many times throughout the week, or even a single day, she and the children–at least some of them–shared a hug. She knew she would never tire of it; she wouldn't dream of it. Besides, Heaven knew how much they all needed it, especially after her own yearslong deprivation from such gestures of affection.
"Now, how was school?" she asked, pulling away from them.
"Boring," Charlie said, rolling his eyes.
"Fine," Carrie nodded pleasantly.
"Smashing!" Paul exclaimed chirpily.
All three children's responses cascaded the other almost simultaneously like a waterfall.
Eglantine then smirked amusedly. "A chorus of varying responses, I see."
"And how was your day, Miss Price?" Carrie asked her warmly, smiling up at her. There never was a day Eglantine could get over just how big her little girl's heart remained on a daily basis.
"Ah, nothing out of the ordinary, dear; just the usual," she responded plainly, smiling back at Carrie and the boys, "Chores, errands at the village, keeping Cosmic in line."
At her last remark, the four shared a small bit of laughter, Charlie nodding most adamantly. That cat certainly had a tinge of spunk of his own.
"…oh, and we have another letter from—"
"Mr. Browne?!" the youngest exclaimed, all the children's faces lit up excitedly.
Upon hearing that name, Eglantine could only sigh happily and smile at the three once more. She knew just how much Emelius meant to them; she couldn't blame them, nor would she ever convince them otherwise, one bit.
"Indeed it is."
"Is he well?" Carrie chimed in.
"He is," she said with a brisk nod, "At least he said so in his last letter."
"Did you read this one yet?" Charlie asked with just as much curiosity, his demeanour more smug than energetic.
"Not yet, Charles; I wanted to wait until after collecting you three so we could read it together—that is—if it isn't confidential." With what became some sort of traditional correspondence between Emelius, Eglantine, and the children, sometimes he would send two or four separate letters at once. However, he would often just write one collective letter for all four to read together.
"This envelope didn't feel as heavy, so I would imagine there are one or two letters inside."
"Do you think 'e misses us?" Paul asked with his usual touch of innocence. Eglantine couldn't help but be endeared by her little boy's familiar question.
"Oh, everyday, and you know it," she said reassuringly, then gently patted Paul's shoulder.
"Does 'e miss YOU?" Charlie asked with a touch of feigned seriousness, however, with an undertone of cheekiness. It was just like him to wind Eglantine up every opportunity he had–that is–if the time was right.
In return, however, he received an arm swat from his sister.
"Is that even a question, Charlie?!" Carrie scolded with slight frustration, then turned back to her guardian with a smile as if she had never been annoyed, "'E LOVES Miss Price!"
Upon hearing this, Eglantine could only chuckle, shake her head, and blush–much to her lack of control–all at once. There was simply no hiding that fact, especially if the last year had taught them anything. He loved her, and she loved him, and that was that.
She and the children then turned to one of the side streets by a dusty brick building merely a block past the school, a place where she would usually park the motorbike. Except only now, there was no motorbike to be found. The three stared at her in confusion.
"Wait, where's the motorbike?" Paul asked, looking up at Eglantine, then turning his head to scan the area, his siblings following suit.
The only person, however, who showed no signs of confusion was Eglantine herself. The woman simply smiled cheekily, scanning from one child to another while looking them in the eye.
"Oh! Well, I didn't go here by motorbike today, my boy,"
Eglantine then gestured toward the bed sitting just a few metres ahead of where they stood. Upon watching their faces light up at the sight of their personal favourite mode of transportation that only they knew, her face couldn't help but light up as well. It was another one of these things she had grown accustomed to: watching the children smile, yet somehow finding herself smiling much bigger shortly afterwards.
"Everyone on the bed; who's going?" she announced pleasantly, attempting to do so with a flair, as her beloved Emelius often said.
"I figured that the anticipation for Mr. Browne's letter warrants a quicker form of travel, doesn't it?"
The children nodded simultaneously, the expressions of excitement still on their faces as they hopped up on the bed one by one. As always, whenever they traveled, each of them would quickly scan the area, making sure no one was around. Who knows what would have happened had anyone witnessed such a feat before their very eyes, and in a small town setting where everyone knew everything–well, nearly everything–about everyone?
"Paul, you know what to do," Eglantine said with a nod, smiling confidently at the littlest one with every inch of unflinching encouragement she could muster.
Paul smiled back at her, then turned toward the bedknob, raising his right hand and index finger toward it.
"Bed, take us home."
Like he always did, he tapped three times and gave the knob a quarter turn to the left as if he were starting the engines of a motorcar, except enchanted. As always, the bed began giving its slight tremors in all directions, multicoloured lights began flashing around the bedframe's golden bars, and all at once the bed vanished from its spot on the side street, took to the now-technicolour sky, and whizzed past the rest of the village in an effortless yet rapid speed. This was just the way Eglantine and the children liked it. Smooth, safe, effortless, rapid, and quite frankly, all to themselves.
Before they knew it, they found themselves back in the children's bedroom, the landing of the bed ending with a slight thrust forward then back, sitting on its original position in the room as if it had never been moved at all.
The four then gathered their items, particularly the children's backpacks, out of the bed, except for Paul who remained on the bed, bouncing himself and his knees restlessly against the soft and springy mattress, then turning to his guardian.
"O'right, Miss Price! Where's the letter?"
Once again, Eglantine simply chuckled at her youngest. He certainly had a boundless amount of energy even after a full hours-long school day, didn't he?
"Now, slow down, young man," Eglantine said, she and the older two placing the backpacks on the floor next to the drawer by the windows, "Let's get ourselves settled in first."
"Don't tell us we 'ave to do our 'omework first!" Charlie chimed in with his usual scowl whenever it came to the very thought of homework, something Eglantine greatly prioritized for the children the minute they returned from school.
"Well, while that usually is the norm, today is an exception," she said with a smile, earning a smile in return from her eldest boy, "Now, I have the tea kettle ready and a few bites for us in the kitchen."
"Is it peppermint, Miss Price?" Carrie piped up suddenly upon hearing Eglantine mention tea. Once more, Eglantine could only chuckle in amusement and endearment. It seemed, these days, she knew how to–perhaps even unintentionally–make the children smile or at least have a tinge of happiness with the simplest things.
"I know, it's your favorite," she smiled once more at the girl, placing a tender hand on her shoulder.
With that, the four proceeded briskly down the stairwell and into the kitchen, Eglantine allowing the children to enter first, looking back with a quick scan back and forth of the living room to make sure Cosmic didn't run inside. She knew very well how much their cat fancied even human treats to the point that he would leap atop the kitchen table or counter just to snag a bite himself. Surely enough, this wasn't lost on Eglantine, and she made a mental note to prevent this from happening whenever she could.
The children each took a few biscuits from the little plate that sat in the middle of the table, while Eglantine took the teapot delicately, and gently poured the peppermint tea into three cups. As for Paul, who didn't seem to care much for tea, had his usual helping of milk ready for him in a glass.
"Today at school, we 'ad to make drawings!" Paul spoke excitedly, turning to his guardian who set the teapot down and took her seat at the kitchen table, "I left mine at school though."
Eglantine's eyebrows furrowed slightly upon listening to her youngest. "Weren't you supposed to take it home for homework?"
"Yeah, but I finished it," he said with a nonchalant shrug and a smile, "It was easy."
All while Eglantine smiled proudly at Paul, Charlie scoffed at his brother's comment, and shook his head in disbelief followed by a smirk.
"Come on, Paul; 'omework's never easy for you."
The remark, of course, earned Charlie a sharp swat on his arm from Carrie.
"Charlie!" she scolded, glaring at her older brother, then eyeing Paul rather apologetically, and even protectively.
"But this one was! At least to me," Paul retorted calmly as if stating a fact rather than looking for a quarrel, which he didn't seem to be in the mood for at the moment.
Eglantine then eyed Charlie pointedly with a slight yet firm glare, the one she would often give whenever the children–namely Charlie–would get themselves in trouble, or even give her trouble. As much as she loved the children with the entirety of her heart and being, there was no denying that raising and looking after children was no stroll in the park.
"What did we say about underestimating your brother, Charles?" she said sternly.
"Wot? I was just telling the truth," Charlie defended with a shrug, "The world is dis'onest as it is already."
"That's not what I meant," she responded with a shake of her head, then turned to Paul with yet another encouraging smile, "Not everyone masters every subject under the sun, but you have to admit that Paul has quite the knack for drawing."
"Mhmm!" Carrie chimed in in agreement.
All Charlie could do was nod and shrug nonchalantly, without any hard feelings towards his brother whatsoever. It was simply his usual smart aleck self that got the best of his attitude more often than not. "Suppose so."
Noting that Charlie acknowledged her slight lecture, she nodded back at him, then turned once more to Paul, just as eager to hear his often enthusiastic tales about his school day, something he often referred to as adventures. Knowing the boundless imaginations that seven year-olds could have, Eglantine couldn't fault him for that one bit.
"Carry on, Paul. Now, tell me what's in your drawing," she said with genuine interest.
"I'll bring it 'ome tomorrow," he said simply, followed by his eyes lighting up at what he was about to say, "But I got excited when I saw William's drawing!"
His older siblings simultaneously perked up from their relaxed stances and slouches, both eyes wide and small smiles peering from the corners of their lips.
"Oh, that one. I remember!" Carrie said, smiling at her younger brother, "He showed it to us after class before he raced us out."
All at once, Eglantine's curiosity was piqued, her eyes widening. Why was it that the children all of a sudden took more interest in a classmate's artwork rather than Paul's? Surely there was a reason behind it, and Eglantine was not about to lose an opportunity to get to the bottom of this.
"Oh? And what did he draw?"
"So, we were supposed to do drawings on wot we wanted to see after the war, an' 'e did one of 'imself in London!"
As Paul told his story, Eglantine's eyebrows raised once more out of pure curiosity.
"Oh, so he lived in London just like you three?"
"Yeah; 'is mum an' dad live there," Paul responded enthusiastically, waving his arms as he recollected his classmate's drawing, "An' 'e was standing on top of the Big Ben an' waving a flag, an' people were at the bottom looking up at 'im an' cheering for 'im an' all! But that's not it; 'e drew 'imself many times, eating at a restaurant with people, walking on the streets with people, an' 'e was smiling on every drawing. I think 'e's gonna get the 'ighest mark in class; 'is drawing was the best one."
Upon listening to the vivid descriptions Paul made of William's drawing, especially when it came to its seemingly optimistic tone about London, her expression grew darker, and she felt a small lurch at the pit of her stomach. The first thing that came into mind when she thought of London, especially with Paul's enthusiasm in describing it, was the mere fact that it was the children's original home. At this point, Eglantine didn't know what to make of her impression on her youngest's story. All she knew was that she felt her gut speaking volumes.
"I see," she responded in a rather quiet and nervous tone. Thankfully, Paul didn't seem to notice it one bit.
"I didn't wanna bring the drawing 'ome, because 'is was already better than mine," Paul said simply without an inch of regret or jealousy. Once more, it was as if he was merely stating a fact and nothing more.
However, the only ones who seemed to take offense were Carrie and Eglantine, especially as their expressions darkened into more seriousness and concern rather than curiosity.
"But why did that stop you?" Carrie asked gently with a hint of worry.
Eglantine sighed before speaking, giving Paul a gentle yet tender smirk.
"Paul, as good as you say his drawing is, you can't always compare your work to his. After all, they're both unique…and so are you," she said with all the love toward him she could muster, hoping it translated to her actions as she smiled warmly and ruffled his hair affectionately.
"It's not just 'ow good 'e did it," he said, returning a smile toward his guardian, "'E 'as a grander story."
"Oh?" Eglantine mused, then sipped her tea. At this point, she feigned her curiosity; she could somehow see where this discussion was going, hoping and praying hard that it wasn't what she thought it was. However, with Paul's unadulterated enthusiasm, it was bound to go otherwise.
"'E says that once the war is over, 'e can't wait to go back to London."
As soon as she heard his words, Eglantine wondered why returning to London was that grand; after all, it was something most evacuees would consider anyhow, depending on the situation they were in. Without butting in any further, the woman simply chose to listen, even if every inch of her and her already churning stomach were stirred beyond relaxation.
" 'E can't wait to see all the sights again, buy some nice new things, meet some new people—"
"—Sounds like 'im already," Charlie briefly interrupted, however not breaking his brother's train of thought.
"–An' go to all the places, an' do the fun things 'e used to do an' 'asn't done yet with 'is mum an' dad!"
As the youngest boy pressed onward in his enthusiasm, the more he spoke, the more Eglantine's stomach continued to swirl and the faster her heart began to beat. Had she been inside her own mind, she could have been hyperventilating by now. However, her internal manifestations escaped more calmly in small yet inaudible inhales and exhales. What's more, it seemed that no one else in the room noticed her anxious and withdrawn state, except for Carrie, who gently turned to her and gave her an empathetic look as if silently asking, "are you alright, Miss Price?" It seemed that Carrie, ever the observant and sensitive soul she was, always knew just what to say, and often seemed to notice when something bothered someone, especially her mother figure.
"Well, ah, Paul, that sounds just about right for someone so anxious and eager to return to a place they called home after a long time. There isn't much new about it, really," she finally responded briskly, her eyes darting quickly from one corner of the kitchen table to the next, and avoiding eye contact with Paul.
"But still, it sounds like a grand adventure," Paul said with a shrug, then smiled once more before speaking, " 'E says that when everyone comes back 'ome with 'im, 'e wants to take them all on 'is adventures."
Coming back home with him. Those were the very words that gave Eglantine's stomach a larger wallop she swore her heart stopped. Surely this meant that the children's seemingly innocent companion's plans to bring fellow evacuees back to London didn't exclude Charlie, Carrie, and Paul. As much as she didn't want to insert any hint of negativity into the conversation nor to offend Paul in any way, she decided to handle her comment a tad offhandedly, and subtly make it known that she wasn't keen on the idea of any sort of return to London whatsoever.
"Has William ever considered how much time it would take to rebuild a city that has parts of it torn apart?" she questioned in outward calmness, attempting to sound as matter-of-factly as possible, "Surely certain adventures of his can wait—that is—with the knowledge that there is no telling how long it will take."
"No, but 'e's 'opeful everything will be okay," Paul replied with less gusto, but just as big a smile as he had when enthusiastically describing the drawing.
While Eglantine's expression didn't change nor darken any further, the ever-receptive Carrie gently grasped her guardian's hand, then turned to her younger brother.
"We know he's hopeful an' excited," Carrie began, her intent seemingly clear on offering Eglantine the support she visibly needed, "But isn't he, you know, happy here already?"
"Your sister has a point," she added briskly, the high pitch in her tone suggesting an onset of outward anxiety, "Don't little boys have far more freedom to do certain things he pleases when not confined by the city?"
Still, Paul seemed unfazed by Eglantine's nearly defensive demeanour.
"Oh, 'e's 'appy o'right, an' 'e likes the Widdenfields a lot, but as soon as the teacher said that the evacuees could go 'ome, 'e might've changed 'is mind.
Changed his mind. Another somersault swirled in Eglantine's stomach. With the words she heard escaping Paul's lips, the pieces to the puzzle in her mind were becoming all too clear. Indeed, the picture in the puzzle was one she wished she would never see.
"Yeah, I think 'e told us that a lot of the others in your class changed their minds too," Charlie chimed in in what seemed like the first time he genuinely engaged with his brother's conversation all afternoon.
"Cor, they were excited, they were!" Paul piped up with a wide smile toward his brother.
Excited. This was it. This was the last straw. Eglantine couldn't conceal her dismay anymore, her expression darkening further with furrowed brows and gritted teeth. Everything she hoped wouldn't come into fruition in this conversation were in plain sight before her eyes. It wouldn't be long before she put a stop to the subject in due time.
"And I suppose that means that as soon as the war comes to an end, Pepperinge Eye will be devoid of its evacuees," she said with feigned calmness, but a fiercer edge in her tone.
Carrie, clearly picking up Eglantine's tension, quickly shot an empathetic and reassuring look in her direction.
"Not everyone, Miss Price; only those that are leaving."
Leaving. Of all the words she didn't want to hear, this was the most striking one of all. Without a second thought, Eglantine snapped, standing abruptly at the table with teary eyes and gritted teeth, looking each of the children in the eye.
"Like you three?!"
The tone of her voice seemed to strike like a flash of lightning with how pointed and jarring both its sound and implication was. The children's eyes widened as they stared at their guardian in surprise, a long and awkward pause ensuing as the four looked each other in the eye.
Charlie then decided to break the silence, a perplexed expression on his face as if he had just bitten into a sour grape.
"Come of it, Miss Price, wot are you talking about?"
Now turning her eyes away from the children, Eglantine briskly walked toward the kitchen door, bounding straight for the stairwell to the second floor.
"Now, if you will excuse me, all of a sudden I'm no longer hungry," she said plainly yet tensely, rushing toward the stairs without looking back at the children, who were clearly following her with the rapid pitter-patter of their footsteps.
"Miss Price—" Paul's small voice called out. This was the first time simply hearing the little boy's voice was enough to make Eglantine crack.
"—Not now, Paul!" she yelled sternly, finally turning her head toward the children, only to be met with a suddenly shocked and forlorn expression on Paul's face, noticing that he had shrunken back the moment he heard her shouting. Eglantine had never yelled at Paul nor any of his siblings. One look at his face sent a sharp pang straight to her heart, instantly regretting raising her voice at them in the first place.
"Now, please, all of you," she began more calmly, although feeling her voice crack with a massive lump caught in her throat, "I…I would like to be alone for a moment."
With that, Eglantine rushed up the stairs, feeling an all-too-familiar dampness at the corners of her eyes. With every step she took, she hoped that the clip-clopping of her heels against the steps would drown out the voices of the children. But alas, with a carpet over the stairs, no voices were blocked, and she could hear every word each of the children spoke.
"Wot's the matter with 'er?" a little voice asked softly, one that could only belong to her little Paul.
"I think we made her upset," a more feminine voice replied. This was Carrie, no doubt.
"Wot did we say?" Paul asked, sounding more worried than his first question.
"All this talk of leaving…" a much older male voice said.
Before hearing any more from the children, as soon as she reached her bedroom, Eglantine quickly slammed the door shut, and with every step, tried to keep her stubborn tears at bay. However, much to no avail, the few that she had stored in her eyes began to fall. Those were the only tears she had at the moment; she was hardly in the mood for sobbing, but rather, in the mood for much reflection and questioning. The very thought of the children she had grown to love as her very own suddenly taking off and leaving town as soon as the war was over loomed over her head like a stubborn rain cloud that wouldn't depart even long after the rain stopped falling. They wouldn't just be leaving Pepperinge Eye. They would be leaving her. The very notion or even inkling of it was far too much for her to bear.
Deciding not to give into wallowing in self-pity, Eglantine breathed in deeply and exhaled a much-needed heavy sigh. Heaven knows she needed to let it off much sooner than later instead of allowing it to continue festering inside. In moments like these, she wished she weren't the only parental figure in the house. More than ever, she wished that Emelius could comfort her at this very moment and reassure her that all her speculations and rationalizations even after hearing the children's words weren't true. With the very thought of Emelius, she realized that she hadn't opened his latest letter yet, the envelope she had promised to open with the children. The children. As much as she loved them, she never imagined she would be thinking of such a notion, but she wanted to get her mind off of them even for just a moment, especially after everything that transpired in the kitchen.
Transferring her thoughts back to Emelius, she opened her desk drawer to reveal the envelope that had come in the mail for her and the children. Just as she had told Charlie earlier, the envelope was slightly heavier and perhaps held two letters, one addressed to the children, and the other addressed to her. Sure enough, Eglantine decided to go with the letter addressed to her first, then pulled up the envelope from the drawer. However, upon holding the envelope, something else caught her attention, staring her in the face at the spot where the envelope in her hand once sat. It was a document of a few pages that resembled that of a contract. The word that first caught her eye was the word "custody." This could only mean one thing.
The adoption papers.
Once more, her stomach somersaulted and her eyes widened. The adoption papers. This was it. Eglantine breathed yet another sigh, less out of stress and more out of utter relief. The document had been sitting in her desk drawer for who knew how long. She suddenly remembered that she had them since the children's and Emelius' first Christmas in Pepperinge Eye, having discussed with Emelius that both of them were seriously considering adopting the children as their own. However, Eglantine made it clear that she didn't want to push the prospect of adoption on them far too quickly, since at the time, the children had only stayed with her for four months. Now that they were eleven months into living under her roof, and the discussion at hand had stirred up a storm inside Eglantine, if there ever was a perfect time for her to bring up her intent on officially making the children her own, it was now.
Without hesitation, Eglantine gently scurried down the stairwell, and spotted the three children chatting away in the living room. She then gave a big sigh, and approached them with a near-inaudible clearing of her throat.
"Children?" she spoke gently, a tender yet reluctant expression on her face.
All in an instant, the three turned to her, and rushed in front of her, speaking simultaneously, and perhaps even apologetically, if her ears sensed it right.
"Miss Price, if we said anything that upset you—" "I 'ope you ain't mad at us—" "If you think that we're leaving—"
"—No, please, let me speak," Eglantine calmly interrupted, stopping the children in their tracks, their eyes still very much glued to her. She then sighed, and looked them all in the eye, mustering all the sincerity that she could toward them.
"I wanted to apologize for walking out on you three during the conversation. It was quite rude of me; I'm sorry."
"No, WE'RE sorry, Miss Price," Carrie said, eyeing her guardian warmly, "We went on and on about evacuees leaving town; we didn't mean to upset you."
Eglantine smiled back at her little girl just as warmly. It was just like Carrie to be the first to reassure her that everything would be alright.
Within the span of a second, Paul walked up to her and took her hand, gently squeezing it as he looked straight into her eyes. "Miss Price, are you scared that we're going to leave you?"
This was it, The youngest of them all had just singlehandedly voiced her fears all in one short, succinct sentence. Eglantine's eyes then widened at Paul, and gave him a melancholy smile, squeezing his hand gently.
"Well, I suppose you've found me out…yet again," she said with a sad smile and sigh, "You've all become far too clever, you can practically see right through me it seems."
"That's because we know you well enough by now," Charlie said in a matter-of-factly manner, then turned to his guardian with a firmer look in his eye, "An' if you think for one second that either of us is gonna leave you, then you're thinking silly, Miss Price."
As blunt as Charlie's words hit, Eglantine chose to take it in and show no signs of being defensive.
"We would never leave you," Carrie said, nodding in agreement to her older brother's words, and looking at her mother figure tenderly.
"This is our 'ome, ain't it?" Paul said innocently, squeezing Eglantine's hand even more tightly.
Even if the children meant well with their constant reassurance, Eglantine couldn't help but feel herself drifting–in fact–toward the age of not believing. She then sighed, but attempted to put on a brave face for the children with a smirk across her face to mask her inward emotions just waiting to burst out.
"You're saying this right now, but you never know; that could very well change the moment you hear the news," she said in a serious tone, "You saw how excited your friend was when he talked about the prospect of returning to London. When the time comes, it will be up to you, and I can't push that no matter how differently I may think."
Once again, a small lump formed in Eglantine's throat. She bit her lip tightly as a way of keeping her tears at bay. The children clearly noticed this, and inched closer toward her. Their mission of reassurance wasn't through, especially not when they couldn't get through to her completely.
"What if we've already made up our minds?" Carrie said with almost absolute certainty. Eglantine couldn't help but look at the little girl, an intrigued expression on her face.
"We can't leave," Paul said with just as much certainty and confidence, looking straight at Eglantine, "After all, we've got a mum now…you."
Eglantine felt her heart stop once more. Did she hear her little boy right? Had he just referred to her as 'Mum?'
"An' because that's that, let's look at the facts; we ain't going nowhere," Charlie said adamantly, crossing his arms with unflinching rigidity, "We're staying right 'ere."
"It's true, Miss Price," Carrie said tenderly with a warm smile, "You've been like a mum to us all the time when we had none, and leaving you just…just doesn't feel right at all."
The children had spoken so abruptly one after the other that Eglantine hardly had any time to process everything they had said. However, their latest remarks left her in shock. Only processing their words at this very moment, her heart warmed with a churning mix of emotions bubbling up from her stomach all the way up to her throat once again, where an even bigger lump formed.
"Do you really think so?" she asked in a small voice, her mouth agape as she scanned her gaze from one child to another.
"Would we be saying it if we didn't?" the eldest boy fired back bluntly with a question, "So, you better not worry 'bout us leaving you anytime soon. Besides, when Mr. Browne comes back for good, 'e'll wonder where we are an' why we ain't 'ere."
Eglantine then took a deep breath and looked them all in the eye. It seemed that everything she had just heard from the three was enough to convince her that they wouldn't ever give a single thought to leaving her behind in Pepperinge Eye. Only now was the defining moment of truth. If everything they said was true, her next question would be the determining factor above all else.
"If that is so…sit down, children, I…I have to tell you something," she began with a hint of trepidation and timidness in her voice. Eglantine felt everything in the fibre of her being churning from the pit of her stomach to the tip of her toes and even the beating of her heart. She had never felt so anxious in her entire life, perhaps even more than when she had kept up-to-date on the wireless with news regarding the war.
"It's something I should have told you a long time ago, but I gathered, especially after all we've discussed, there's no better time than now."
The four all sat down on the living room couch, the three looking at Eglantine concernedly. She then took another deep breath, then proceeded to talk. There was no turning back. It was now.
"Now, you all have been with me for nearly a year…you've settled yourselves in, you've gone to school, made a number of friends, and without a doubt…kept me on my toes, to say the least."
At that, she chuckled lightly, eliciting a few smiles and chuckles from the three, Charlie most especially. There was no way looking after children wouldn't be a challenge, especially after the last eleven months spent with them.
"Naturally in the process, you've allowed me to take care of you to the best of my ability, a lot more than just food and shelter, of course. Throughout this time, it seems you've all let me watch you grow in some manner almost as if you were my very own, and in more ways than one…you all looked after me, and kept me from being lonesome," she mused, feeling her voice crack with every word she spoke, a few tears already stinging in her eyes. This wasn't lost on the children, and without any desire to interrupt her, they continued listening intently.
"Almost a year ago when we first met, the very idea of us staying together would have been unthinkable, yet here we are, and…I can't imagine life being, in lack of better words, ah, any other way. In other words…"
Eglantine then paused to suck in a breath and exhale. "I hope you don't render me weak being a grown woman, but I can't imagine the rest of my life without you."
She smiled tenderly at the three through glassy eyes, as if her heart could burst at the very thought of them.
"All of you."
"Really?" Paul asked innocently yet again, nuzzling closer to Eglantine's side. All the endeared guardian could do was drape an arm around the little boy and gently ruffle his hair.
"Really, my boy."
Once more, she turned to all three children and continued speaking.
"Now, I never, ever would have imagined myself bringing this up a year ago, but I will do so now… As I've said earlier, in circumstances like these, I can't make this decision for you, nor push you, but I feel it's about time to ask you this anyway…"
As the moment of truth drew closer and closer with every word, Eglantine sighed heavily, and pulled whatever tears she had in the corner of her eyes, however unsure she was at successfully reeling them in with the multitudes of emotions she was feeling at this very moment.
"I know the choice is yours, but if I had to make it, then I would never want you to leave. I've faced a great many fears in my life, but my biggest one would be to lose you, even if it meant you were only cities away. After the battle, I recall making a promise, to you three and to Mr. Browne, and even to Mrs. Hobday, that I would continue to protect you all long after the war was over, and I have every intention of keeping that promise for as long as I live."
She paused for a moment, then looked them straight in the eye. Her heart was now beating more than a mile a minute, and her stomach churning the swiftest it ever had. This was the moment she had been waiting for, and she wasn't about to waste it or back down now.
"Now, I know I will never replace your parents, and I would never try. I may not be the greatest guardian, nor the greatest mother, but I will give everything I have in me to give you the life you deserve, if you'll let me. So, children, if you have it in your hearts…"
Eglantine sighed heavily, now struggling to keep her tears at bay, allowing each and every drop to slide down her cheeks freely as she uttered the words she had waited a year to say.
"Would you three do me the honour of becoming my children, and allowing me to adopt you?"
Adopt. That was the word. Evidently, that was the word the children themselves have been waiting to hear, especially with their expressions of wonder and widened eyes toward their guardian. With tears completely filling Carrie's eyes and a glisten just appearing in Charlie's, as well as a wide grin etched on Paul's face, and with no words spoken at all, all three children launched themselves into Eglantine's arms simultaneously, each clinging tightly to her as if they would never let go.
"Did you even have to ask us, Miss Price?" a muffled Carrie said amidst profuse sniffles.
"'Oo else did you think was gonna be our mum?" Charlie asked, attempting to mask his emotions, yet failing miserably with the evident crack in his voice, "I don't think anyone else could do a better job at it than you."
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to us," the girl spoke sincerely once more, smiling tearfully at her now soon-to-be mother, "You know that, don't you?"
"Oh, Carrie, is that so?" a tearful Eglantine asked, smiling back at her future daughter.
"Mhmm." All Carrie could do was hug her even more tightly in response. Eglantine didn't mind the squeeze one bit, basking in every bit of affection she and the children shared in this moment of pure happiness and nothing more standing in their way.
"Told you we got a mum now," Paul chirped joyfully, the only emotion overcoming him being the joy and excitement one felt when opening a Christmas or birthday present. "It only makes sense that it would be you, don't it?"
Hearing these very words could only make Eglantine's heart soar, all the more elevating her excitement that this little boy would very soon become her son. She then pulled back slightly, not letting either of the children go, but far enough that she could meet the little boy's hopeful eyes and smile tenderly at him.
"My dear Paul, what does make all the sense in the world is that we're together…and we always will be."
"Forever?" he asked excitedly, practically jumping amidst the embrace. Eglantine smiled once more with a sniffle, a few more tears escaping her eyes.
"For however long forever is, my boy, yes."
"And ever?" he asked more perkily, jumping once again, almost as if he were trying to get some sort of laughter out of his mother-to-be. Surely enough, he did.
"And ever. For as long as I live."
"And that'll be forever, right?"
As much as his question was clouded in innocence, Eglantine couldn't help but detect a tinge of melancholy in Paul's voice. She knew very well that this wasn't the first time the three children had lost their family, especially Paul at such a young age, the very idea of childhood being cruelly stripped away from him and his older siblings.
She then teared up more immensely, suddenly remembering that she too was in the children's shoes back in the First World War, having lost her father to its clutches. As much as she wanted to promise the children the moon and more, all while treading as lightly as possible, she had to tell him the truth and the reality of life, even if down the road, it would break their hearts.
"Now, I don't know if I can promise that. But for you—all of you—I'll certainly try my very best."
Eglantine concluded her remark with a smile, and a quick yet gentle caress on her youngest boy's cheek. Still, even with the tinge of sadness in her statement, nothing could wipe away the smile from Paul's face.
"If I can't 'ave you forever, I can at least love you forever," he said innocently yet with all the sincerity of the world in a few words, "An' I love you, Miss Price."
"I love you," Carrie chimed in, hugging her mother-to-be much more tightly.
"Oi, I love you most, you know? I'm the oldest," Charlie said sincerely, yet not without a hint of competitiveness that he always had in his back pocket in case he needed it. Of course, with a statement like that, it was no surprise that he received a swat from Carrie yet again.
A now completely touched Eglantine couldn't hold the rest of her tears and emotions in any longer, deciding to hug the children even more tightly, holding them as close to her heart as possible.
"Oh, you three…I love you all very much, and I always will. Don't you ever doubt that.
With that, she gave them each a kiss on their foreheads, then slightly pulled back. Neither of them knew nor realized how long they had been in each other's arms. Either way, neither of them wanted to officially let go.
"You know, Miss Price, even if we did 'ear that we'd be allowed to go back to London, we'd never want to leave you," Paul spoke once more, this time, less innocently and more matter-of-factly, "I wanted you to be our mum from the start, you know?"
Eglantine pulled back slightly, and turned to Paul with an expression of confusion and surprise.
"Did you really? Even if I was quite the sourpuss from the first?"
All Paul could do was smile up at her, remaining unflinchingly unfazed.
"I knew it wasn't gonna last forever."
"Does Mr. Browne know about this?" Carrie spoke suddenly.
"He certainly does," Eglantine responded with a grin, looking from one child to another once more, "AND he's known for a while. We've been writing about it in a few of our letters, and one of the last ones, namely the one he addressed just to me, says that he would want nothing more than for you to be my children."
"And 'is too, right?" Paul asked enthusiastically. Of course Eglantine hadn't forgotten that the children belonged to Emelius' just as much as they belonged to her. The very thought of it caused her cheeks to blush ever-so-slightly.
"Yes…his too."
"We all know wot this means…" Charlie said with a wide smile, almost all tears gone from his eyes.
"We got a mum an' dad now!" Paul exclaimed, grinning up at Eglantine.
"You certainly do," Eglantine responded, the overwhelming joy in her heart almost too much to take…not that she minded one bit.
"Finally!" Carrie piped up once again, pulling her mother-to-be much more tightly.
"Yes, my darling," she said, reciprocating the tightness of the embrace, and giving her yet another kiss on her forehead, "Finally."
"Does this mean we can call you 'mum' now?" Carrie asked, looking up at Eglantine hopefully. This was more than enough to make Eglantine's already melting heart melt even more.
"Of course, my dear," she said with a confident nod, beaming from ear to ear like she never had before.
"And before you lot get any ideas of what the village will think, I hope you realize that not everyone in town gets to be lucky enough to call themselves the mother of the greatest blessings she's ever known. It's about time I had some bragging rights that I don't have to keep to myself, now don't I?"
With that, the four all share a moment of laughter. Without any hesitation nor reservations, the children nuzzled even further into the embrace of the woman they could now proudly call their mother.
"We love you, Mum," Carrie said, burying her face in her mother's shoulder.
"Love you, Mum," the boys chimed in.
All Eglantine could do now was allow even more tears to fall, unashamedly and unflinchingly.
"Oh, you know I will never tire of hearing that," she said amidst her tears, "And I love you all too."
"'Course you can't tire from it; you'll be 'earing it for the rest of your life," Charlie said rather smugly in an attempt to inject a bit of humour in a moment that he, in normal circumstances, would find rather mushy.
" 'Ope you don't regret it!" he concluded, followed by a laughter, and again, a massive arm swat from his sister.
"CHARLIE!" Carrie yelled, glaring at her brother while still clinging tightly to Eglantine.
Eglantine chuckled loudly at the exchange of her eldest son and daughter, deciding not to intervene. She simply wanted to bask in the moment that she was now, in fact, holding her children in her arms, proud, lucky, and blessed to finally call them her own. Blessed to finally call herself their mother.
More than ever, she couldn't wait to tell this story to the children's father. She couldn't wait to tell Emelius that they would now have and hold these children in their lives and in their hearts…
…forever and ever.
Author's Note:
There we have it! The children are now officially (or at least very close to being) adopted by their dear Miss Price, or should I say, their mother. Of course, there are tons and tons of interpretations on how this scene could have played it, with either the children asking Eglantine to adopt them, or Eglantine asking them if she could adopt them, and in my head, this was how things just happened to play out...so therefore, here we are. I truly hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Yes, I know there was a great deal of tears and, I suppose, dramatic moments (that I hope didn't go overboard; it's just that their emotions seemed to call for it somehow), but to quote Angela Lansbury, "everything [did] turn out alright in the end. You'll see." Please let me know what you thought! Thank you all, and I hope to be back with more stories, both in the movie and musical universes. Onward, and with lots of love, ~KLFWritesII
