V. Five Months
Victor was having the strangest dream. He was standing in the garden, and a bunch of butterflies were fluttering all around him. A few started to land on his face. The weird thing was how wet the butterflies were--but they just went on landing, touching on his cheeks, forehead, and mouth before flying away again.
"Victor," he heard someone say. He looked around, but there wasn't anyone there. Just the butterflies.
"Victor, wake up," the voice said. That was when Victor fully realized that he was dreaming. Slowly he opened his eyes, feeling groggy.
As the sleepy haze cleared and Victor managed to focus his eyes, he saw Victoria sitting by his side, bending over him and holding his face between her hands. She was dropping kisses all over his face, trying to wake him up. So that's what those butterflies had been. It was a rather nice way to be woken up, actually. Victor reached up and wrapped his hands around Victoria's elbows. As he did so, he noticed that she was already fully dressed. A quick glance to the dark windows confirmed that it was either ridiculously late or ridiculously early.
"Oh good, you're awake," Victoria said. "You'd best get up and dressed. We need to leave soon."
Victor watched as Victoria turned the lamp wick a little higher, brightening the dim room a bit. His sleep-addled brain needed a minute to realize what Victoria was talking about. Finally he remembered. Today was the day that they were going to visit Hildegarde.
After Victor and Victoria had married, the Everglots had used their new money to hire a legion of new servants. In the shuffle, it was decided that Hildegarde was really no use any more. Despite Victoria's protests, Hildegarde had gone to live with her grandson and his family out in the country. That had happened two years ago. It had been awful for Victoria. She'd tried to convince Hildegarde to move in with them--not as a maid, but as a family member. Victor had been all for it. He rather liked Hildegarde. But Hildegarde herself had said that she was getting on in years, and she'd enjoy living away from the village. She hadn't lived with her own family members for many years, after all. Victoria had seen the truth in that, even though Victor knew that it had been heartbreaking for her to lose the company of the woman who'd been like a mother to her. The two of them had kept up a lively correspondence, however, and Victoria seemed to be content with it. Judging by her letters, Hildegarde was very happy living at her grandson's house.
Victoria had, the month before, told Victor that she wanted to take a day and visit Hildegarde. She'd written and told her old maid that she and Victor were expecting a baby. And now a visit was in order. And it had to be now, Victoria said, because very soon she wouldn't be in any condition to travel.
Victor rubbed his eyes, and somehow managed to pull himself out of bed (it helped that Victoria had yanked the covers off of him in an attempt to get him moving). Still feeling a bit bleary, he wandered into his bedroom to dress. It was going to be a long day. Victor looked at the clock. Four-thirty in the morning. Only mad people get up before seven, Victor decided as he pulled on his shoes.
Finally he was ready to go. Victoria was waiting downstairs. As soon as she saw him coming, she pulled the front door open. One look at her face told Victor how excited she was about seeing Hildegarde. It had been a long time. Letters weren't really any substitute for actually seeing someone you cared about. With a smile Victor allowed Victoria to head outside before him. Mr. Reed was already waiting with the carriage, and soon enough they were off.
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The ride out to the country passed uneventfully enough. Probably because Victor slept his way through most of it. Victoria was quiet. The few times that Victor woke up a little he noticed that she'd brought a book along. It was a rather slim volume, bound in blue leather, and it looked as though it had been through the laundry wringer. Victor recognized it as the book that Maudeline had given Victoria a few weeks before. "Given" meaning sent parcel post without a card or telegram--only a note that said, "Read this, you need all the help you can get." Apparently it was a book of advice for new mothers, which left Victor on his own when it came to parenting advice. From what Victoria had said, though, the book was singularly uninformative--it was nothing that Mrs. Reed hadn't already told her. Besides, the fact that the book had been written at least seventy years before didn't help all that much.
"Good morning again," Victoria said when Victor at last managed to wake up and stay awake. "I was just about to wake you. We're almost there, I think."
Victor stretched, his spine making some slightly unsettling cracking noises. He was rather cramped from sleeping slouched over in the carriage. Victoria slipped her book into the little traveling case she'd brought along, and then leaned back in her seat with her hands folded in her lap. Only her frequent blinking and happy smile gave away that she was terribly excited.
Judging by the sun, it was almost noontime by the time Victor and Victoria arrived in the little farming community that Hildegarde now called home. There was a town center of sorts, with a few shops, a small church, and a livery stable. Everything was tiny, it seemed--clean and bright as well, with flowerboxes in the windowsills of the few houses that clustered around the square. Victor liked the place immediately.
Mr. Reed stopped the carriage in front of the livery. There didn't seem to be that many people out and about. Some faint noises came from the blacksmith's shop, and the birds were easy enough to hear. Other than that, it was very quiet for a weekday morning in June.
"Which one of these houses does Hildegarde live in?" Victor asked, looking out of the carriage window. There were only four to choose from. This really was a tiny village.
Victoria shook her head. "Hildegarde doesn't live here in town," she said, leaning in over his shoulder to look out the window. "Her grandson is a farmer. He has little place about a mile away." Victoria sounded absolutely enamored with the idea. In the back of his mind, Victor found himself hoping that Victoria wouldn't propose that they become farmers as well. Awfully dirty work. Animals were interesting, but the picture of himself shoveling out horse stalls and digging potatoes was one that wouldn't form in Victor's mind. The mental image of Victoria feeding chickens and milking cows was a rather amusing one, though. Victor chuckled to himself.
"What are you laughing about?" Victoria asked.
"Oh, just the idea of you milking a cow," Victor replied. He looked over his shoulder at her. Victoria looked rather puzzled. It suddenly occurred to Victor that his reply seemed to come out of nowhere. He often forgot that Victoria couldn't read his mind and discover how he was making his thoughts connect. She was always sweet about his non-sequiturs, however.
"I...suppose that is a rather funny idea," Victoria said with a bemused smile.
Suddenly there was a tapping on the roof of the carriage. Both of them looked up, then at each other, wondering.
"Oh, that's right," Victor said. "Mr. Reed's here, isn't he?" They'd sort of forgotten.
Victor pulled open the carriage door, propped up the little set of steps, and climbed out. As soon as his feet landed on the ground, they sent up little clouds of dust from the dry dirt of the street. No cobblestones, even, Victor thought, looking at the ruts that years of wagons had made. There was even some grass here and there popping up from the dust. How rustic!
"Victor, I'm coming with you," Victoria said from inside the carriage. Victor turned and reached up to take her hand. As she began her descent down the little set of collapsible stairs, Victor put his other arm around her waist to steady her. After all, people were collapsible too--and Victor didn't want to take any chances.
"Thank you," Victoria said, smoothing a wrinkle out of her skirt.
"My pleasure," Victor replied. The two of them looked up at Mr. Reed, who was climbing down out of the driver's seat.
"We stopping here, Mr. Van Dort?" Mr. Reed asked when he was on the ground. Immediately he put up the collapsible stairs and shut the carriage door again. "I'll put the carriage away someplace, spend the day here...You've got someone to meet you?"
"Er, actually, I'm not sure," Victor replied. He glanced at Victoria. She'd been the one who had made all of the plans. Victor had just been told what day and the time that he was supposed to wake up. Beyond that, this was Victoria's outing, and he was more than willing to take the backseat. "Have we got someone to meet us?" he asked.
Victoria took a moment to look around. "Someone is supposed to," she replied. "Hildegarde's great-grandson is supposed to be here. He should be along. John, that's his name," she added.
"I suppose we're fine then, Mr. Reed," Victor said. "We'll meet you back here this evening, if that's all right."
Mr. Reed nodded and tipped his hat. After making sure that Victor and Victoria would be all right waiting alone, he climbed back into the driver's seat and pulled the carriage around to the back of the livery stable.
Once Mr. Reed was gone, Victor and Victoria just stood there for a while in the dusty street. Both of them were busy taking in the surroundings, and keeping an eye out for this John person. Victoria said that he'd be easy to spot, since he'd be the twelve year old driving a wagon.
"How many children does Hildegarde's grandson have?" Victor asked, curious. Victoria thought for a moment, as though pulling information from past letters from Hildegarde to the front of her mind.
"Eight," she finally said. "John is the oldest."
"Eight?" Victor repeated. He took a discreet look at Victoria's abdomen. If one didn't know she was expecting, it would be hard to tell. Eight...That would be a little village on its own.
"Yes," Victoria replied, placing a hand on her stomach. "Can you imagine?" she asked, looking up at him with a small smile. Victor just smiled back, gave her waist a squeeze, and shook his head a little by way of answer. On one hand it would be rather nice to have a whole brood of children, just for the reason that they would all be little pieces of himself and Victoria mixed together. On the other hand, the logistics of that many children were mind-boggling. He and Victoria didn't have any experience with siblings, both of them being only children and all. It would be...interesting, at least, to have more than one child. One at a time, though, Victor thought.
Suddenly Victoria nudged him gently with her shoulder, and pointed down the road that led out of the town square. Victor squinted, and saw that there was a wagon coming at them, driving rather quickly past the few houses and shops. While he was still rather far away, Victor could still tell that the driver was a young boy. That must be their ride.
"Going rather fast, isn't he?" Victor remarked, watching the dust fly around the wheels and the horse's hoofs as the wagon practically hurtled toward them.
"Yes," Victoria replied, sounding a little nervous.
Within seconds the wagon was almost on top of them. Instinctively Victor pulled Victoria out of the way to a safe distance as the horse came to an abrupt halt beside them. It took a minute for the dust to settle. No son of mine would drive a wagon like that, Victor found himself thinking.
The boy driving, who must have been John, was very young looking, with a round face and a shock of brown hair that was half-hidden under a felt cap. He clambered down from the wagon seat, keeping one hand on the horse's bridle as he turned to face Victor and Victoria.
"Morning," he said, putting out a hand for Victor to shake. "I'm John. You must be my grandmama's visitors. Ma'am," he added, tipping his cap to Victoria.
"Pleasure to meet you," Victor said, as Victoria smiled. "How did you know who we were?" he asked.
John grinned. "You're the only people I've never seen around here before. Plus, your clothes. And," he continued, looking at Victor, "Grandmama said I'd know Mr. Van Dort because he's a very tall, very skinny man with black hair and little feet."
Thanks a lot, Hildegarde, Victor thought. But all he said was, "Oh."
There was an awkward silence before Victoria said, in a quiet voice, "Shall we go, then?" Victor could tell that she was working very hard to contain her excitement.
"Oh...of course, ma'am," John said. He climbed up onto the wagon seat and picked up the reins. "We'll all three of us fit on the wagon seat. But you can ride in the wagon bed if you'd really like to. Just move the grain sacks over a bit. It's awful fun, riding back there."
Victor took a look into the bed of the wagon. There was a layer of dirty straw, plus a couple of full sacks of grain. Then he thought of the sight of John's driving a few moments ago. The seat would probably be safer. Cleaner, too.
"No, I think the seat will be fine," Victor said. He'd only ever ridden in carriages. He began looking over the wagon, trying to figure out exactly how one climbed up to the seat. That little bit of wood there could be a foothold...
"Here, let me help you," John said, offering Victoria his hand. She took it, and smiled over her shoulder at Victor. He could read her thoughts perfectly: What a little gentleman!
"Just mind the splinters," John warned. "Put your foot just there, ma'am, on that little piece of wood there."
Victor felt quite proud of himself for correctly identifying the wagon's foothold. He pointed it out to Victoria. Putting his hands on her waist, he gave her a bit of a boost, John pulling her up the rest of the way. It was quite something to see, Victoria clambering up the side of a wagon. She lost her balance a little as she maneuvered herself past John. As Victor's heart jumped up into his throat, John managed to get a firmer hold on her forearm. Victoria managed to half-sit and half-fall onto the middle of the seat. Victor let out a sigh of relief. He was rather tempted to say something along the lines of, "Be careful with my wife!", but changed his mind when he saw that Victoria was fine. Within moments Victor himself climbed up onto the seat, and settled himself on Victoria's other side.
"You're all right?" he asked, just to make sure.
"Oh, yes," Victoria replied with a smile.
"All set?" John asked, picking up the reins. Victor looked at him. He decided it was time to try out a fatherly-type tone, just to see how it felt.
"Yes, we're ready. And please, could you drive a bit more slowly this time? You have got a lady on board," Victor said, feeling quite authoritative. No problem. Victoria had a funny little smile on her face. Victor knew that she knew what he'd been trying out, because she leaned over and whispered,
"That was quite fatherly of you, darling." Victor grinned down at her.
John, though, looked unimpressed. He had obviously heard it before from his own father. So he just nodded and replied, "Of course, sir."
With that, John slapped the reins to get the horse going, and in no time they were headed out of the tiny village square.
