[A/N. Still sore, and should be working on a take home exam for uni (poo
postrgrad courses, why do I do it?), but clearly I am not! Also I know I
normally take the time pretty fast in this story, but I was enjoying what I
was writing, so that's why this is longer, but I promise it won't last
forever. And then time will go as fast as it had been going previously.]
Yorkshire, England, April 1958.
"Hey Mama, how was your trip? It would have been a lot easier driving up with Richard and I last night you know." Margaret said as she and Richard met Eliza and Edward at the small train station which served the small town.
"But we wouldn't have been able to see anything of the lovely countryside in the dark." Eliza explained.
"But Mama it would have all looked the same once you got out of London. What a boring way to spend all those hours." Margaret said shaking her head.
"I don't know." Eliza argued. "I was delighted to see a castle- although it was in the distance. I'd like to live in a castle. I remember when you were little you were obsessed with them when we went out to the country."
"I doubt it." Margaret said haughtily as the train left the station and they were the only four people standing on the platform.
"Well don't doubt it, it's true." Eliza said. "Edward, remember what she was like about castles?"
"Definitely. And her big thing was if the German's dared hit a castle and ruin it she was sending Ben over to Germany to get them." Edward related.
Richard laughed as they walked out into the road where the car was parked. "Send Ben over? How noble of you Margaret." He teased and she hit him.
"Well he wanted to go, so I didn't think there was anything wrong with it." She admitted. They got into the car and drove towards Richard's family home.
"If you want Mama, we can go into York tomorrow and have a look around, it's only about an hour's drive and it's lovely. It's got a gorgeous cathedral." Margaret offered.
"We'll see." Eliza replied.
Richard told them a bit about his family home. "It's been in the family since 1717 which is when it was built. There was a house there before that, but there was a fire and it was destroyed and then the new one was built. It's basically got the main wing in front of the driveway, and there are wings on either side of that jutting forwards so there's sort of a semi courtyard. It's got it's own pool, it's own tennis court, and it's own stables. It's really quite nice, but it's a bit big when you think that there's only a few of us in the family, but it's not the done thing to give up your country estate because it's too big. And Mama loves it up here because she prefers the peace and quiet of the country to the hustle and bustle of the city. And she's a big horse nut." He explained as they drove along small country lanes.
"Sounds lovely." Eliza said. "We live sort of in the country, but it's only a fifteen minute drive into the city. I've always thought it would be lovely to live out in the real country."
"Sure, but I think it can get boring sometimes." Richard agreed.
"Boring wouldn't bother me, especially not if it was equated to quiet." Eliza said. "And it's better for us oldies."
"Mama, you're not old." Margaret protested. "And you better stop saying you are. When we were on our trips around London she kept complaining about being old when she was getting tired Papa."
"Well lucky it wasn't me then since I'm older." Edward replied, and he squeezed Eliza's hand fondly.
"Ah, now when we round this corner you'll see our place come into view. Whenever I've been away for a long period of time, like at school when I was a kid, and even long times at Uni now, I love the view." Richard said.
The car rounded the corner of a large hill and there was the Monksfield estate. Eliza couldn't help but gasp. The house was set in the middle of the lush English countryside, and even from this far away Eliza could tell it was even larger than she had imagined.
"Home sweet home." Richard said, as they turned into the long driveway leading up to the house.
When the car drew up in front of the house Richard jumped out and hurried to open the door for Margaret. Edward followed his lead and opened Eliza's door for her. As they walked up to the front door Eliza's eyes went up to the coat of arms which was carved on top of the doorway. And the door was opened by a butler who smiled at them all. "Mr. Richard, Miss Margaret, and this must be Miss Margaret's parents. Welcome to Monksfield Estate."
"Thank you." Eliza said softly as Edward added his thanks behind her.
"My parents will be waiting in the sitting room, probably with brandies." Richard said, and he and Margaret led the way.
Eliza looked around as she walked through the hallway. It was similar to theirs, but it was filled with artworks and other old, expensive looking knick-knacks. Apart from the size of the entire house it wasn't much different to their one at home, which instantly put her at ease.
When they walked into the sitting room Lady Monksfield hurried to get up. "Did you have a nice trip up? Sit down, please."
Eliza and Edward sat down and Edward and Richard were instantly handed a brandy from a butler, and Eliza and Margaret cups of tea.
"So, how was the trip?" Lady Monksfield asked, sitting down with a cup of tea herself. Edward and both Richard's started talking about politics.
"Good." Eliza replied. "The countryside is so beautiful. I mean it's beautiful at home, but there's something about the English countryside. Until we came over here for business back in the thirties I'd never been here, except overnight in Southampton."
"Southampton?" Lady Monksfield raised an eyebrow.
"We were catching a ship to America from where I was born in Sweden." Eliza explained.
"Sweden? What was it like there?" Lady Monksfield asked.
"I don't remember much." Eliza admitted. "I was only very young when we left, but we wanted to make a new life for ourselves in America."
"A new life?" Lady Monksfield asked. "Why would you want to do that?"
"I.um..I don't know.I was young like I said, so I don't remember the details." Eliza said, beginning to get a bit flustered. She didn't want to tell this elegant, rich, Lady that she'd been dirt poor and offered a chance at life by someone who was rich, and it was only through his charity that she had managed to live and then meet Edward.
"Mama was on the Titanic." Margaret blurted out.
"The Titanic?" Lady Monksfield asked. "My god! How horrific for you."
"Oh I don't know, I don't remember much about it." Eliza said.
"But you were lucky to survive." Lady Monksfield said. "It was lucky you were first class otherwise your chances would have been a lot smaller wouldn't they?"
"Mama-" Margaret began, but Eliza interrupted sure that Margaret was going to tell her about what had happened on the Titanic.
"Listen Margaret I don't really want to talk about it." Eliza said. "It was a pretty terrible thing."
"Oh, of course." Lady Monksfield said. "Tactless of me, even after all these years. Later on I must show you my horses."
"Oh god, did I hear her mention her horses?" Richard called over. "Now you've got mother started on her horses you're never going to hear the end of it."
"I don't mind." Eliza replied, and she didn't. In fact it was a far more welcome topic than the Titanic and what had happened on it.
Yorkshire, England, April 1958.
"Hey Mama, how was your trip? It would have been a lot easier driving up with Richard and I last night you know." Margaret said as she and Richard met Eliza and Edward at the small train station which served the small town.
"But we wouldn't have been able to see anything of the lovely countryside in the dark." Eliza explained.
"But Mama it would have all looked the same once you got out of London. What a boring way to spend all those hours." Margaret said shaking her head.
"I don't know." Eliza argued. "I was delighted to see a castle- although it was in the distance. I'd like to live in a castle. I remember when you were little you were obsessed with them when we went out to the country."
"I doubt it." Margaret said haughtily as the train left the station and they were the only four people standing on the platform.
"Well don't doubt it, it's true." Eliza said. "Edward, remember what she was like about castles?"
"Definitely. And her big thing was if the German's dared hit a castle and ruin it she was sending Ben over to Germany to get them." Edward related.
Richard laughed as they walked out into the road where the car was parked. "Send Ben over? How noble of you Margaret." He teased and she hit him.
"Well he wanted to go, so I didn't think there was anything wrong with it." She admitted. They got into the car and drove towards Richard's family home.
"If you want Mama, we can go into York tomorrow and have a look around, it's only about an hour's drive and it's lovely. It's got a gorgeous cathedral." Margaret offered.
"We'll see." Eliza replied.
Richard told them a bit about his family home. "It's been in the family since 1717 which is when it was built. There was a house there before that, but there was a fire and it was destroyed and then the new one was built. It's basically got the main wing in front of the driveway, and there are wings on either side of that jutting forwards so there's sort of a semi courtyard. It's got it's own pool, it's own tennis court, and it's own stables. It's really quite nice, but it's a bit big when you think that there's only a few of us in the family, but it's not the done thing to give up your country estate because it's too big. And Mama loves it up here because she prefers the peace and quiet of the country to the hustle and bustle of the city. And she's a big horse nut." He explained as they drove along small country lanes.
"Sounds lovely." Eliza said. "We live sort of in the country, but it's only a fifteen minute drive into the city. I've always thought it would be lovely to live out in the real country."
"Sure, but I think it can get boring sometimes." Richard agreed.
"Boring wouldn't bother me, especially not if it was equated to quiet." Eliza said. "And it's better for us oldies."
"Mama, you're not old." Margaret protested. "And you better stop saying you are. When we were on our trips around London she kept complaining about being old when she was getting tired Papa."
"Well lucky it wasn't me then since I'm older." Edward replied, and he squeezed Eliza's hand fondly.
"Ah, now when we round this corner you'll see our place come into view. Whenever I've been away for a long period of time, like at school when I was a kid, and even long times at Uni now, I love the view." Richard said.
The car rounded the corner of a large hill and there was the Monksfield estate. Eliza couldn't help but gasp. The house was set in the middle of the lush English countryside, and even from this far away Eliza could tell it was even larger than she had imagined.
"Home sweet home." Richard said, as they turned into the long driveway leading up to the house.
When the car drew up in front of the house Richard jumped out and hurried to open the door for Margaret. Edward followed his lead and opened Eliza's door for her. As they walked up to the front door Eliza's eyes went up to the coat of arms which was carved on top of the doorway. And the door was opened by a butler who smiled at them all. "Mr. Richard, Miss Margaret, and this must be Miss Margaret's parents. Welcome to Monksfield Estate."
"Thank you." Eliza said softly as Edward added his thanks behind her.
"My parents will be waiting in the sitting room, probably with brandies." Richard said, and he and Margaret led the way.
Eliza looked around as she walked through the hallway. It was similar to theirs, but it was filled with artworks and other old, expensive looking knick-knacks. Apart from the size of the entire house it wasn't much different to their one at home, which instantly put her at ease.
When they walked into the sitting room Lady Monksfield hurried to get up. "Did you have a nice trip up? Sit down, please."
Eliza and Edward sat down and Edward and Richard were instantly handed a brandy from a butler, and Eliza and Margaret cups of tea.
"So, how was the trip?" Lady Monksfield asked, sitting down with a cup of tea herself. Edward and both Richard's started talking about politics.
"Good." Eliza replied. "The countryside is so beautiful. I mean it's beautiful at home, but there's something about the English countryside. Until we came over here for business back in the thirties I'd never been here, except overnight in Southampton."
"Southampton?" Lady Monksfield raised an eyebrow.
"We were catching a ship to America from where I was born in Sweden." Eliza explained.
"Sweden? What was it like there?" Lady Monksfield asked.
"I don't remember much." Eliza admitted. "I was only very young when we left, but we wanted to make a new life for ourselves in America."
"A new life?" Lady Monksfield asked. "Why would you want to do that?"
"I.um..I don't know.I was young like I said, so I don't remember the details." Eliza said, beginning to get a bit flustered. She didn't want to tell this elegant, rich, Lady that she'd been dirt poor and offered a chance at life by someone who was rich, and it was only through his charity that she had managed to live and then meet Edward.
"Mama was on the Titanic." Margaret blurted out.
"The Titanic?" Lady Monksfield asked. "My god! How horrific for you."
"Oh I don't know, I don't remember much about it." Eliza said.
"But you were lucky to survive." Lady Monksfield said. "It was lucky you were first class otherwise your chances would have been a lot smaller wouldn't they?"
"Mama-" Margaret began, but Eliza interrupted sure that Margaret was going to tell her about what had happened on the Titanic.
"Listen Margaret I don't really want to talk about it." Eliza said. "It was a pretty terrible thing."
"Oh, of course." Lady Monksfield said. "Tactless of me, even after all these years. Later on I must show you my horses."
"Oh god, did I hear her mention her horses?" Richard called over. "Now you've got mother started on her horses you're never going to hear the end of it."
"I don't mind." Eliza replied, and she didn't. In fact it was a far more welcome topic than the Titanic and what had happened on it.