AN: Finally! This one is more than 2x the size of the last chapter. I hope I managed to weed out all weird errors, but if you see something obviously idiotic, please let me know.
####
Mina sighed, heaving up the rolling suitcase to put it on the tiny porch.
"You know what..." she felt her voice tremble. "Even... even if this doesn't work out. Even if we are found out in like a week time. We will still have that August."
"And a bit of July, and a bit of September" Rose corrected.
"Less poetic. But yes. And we still have phones and e-mails. They can't stop us from talking."
"And I suppose, well, that once we are switched back, even if they don't want to meet, for whatever serious grownup reason there is, maybe we could use aunt Jane and uncle Charles to meet. I mean, if they go on vacation with all five of their children, don't they need babysitters? And you've been doing this anyway all along, so it should be even easier with both of us."
"And on next holidays we'll be almost fifteen, which means we'll be, like, responsible and stuff."
They sat for a moment, looking at each other, then snorted in laughter.
"So... go and meet Mom. The buses will be stopping at the parking lot of one of the nearby gyms. She should be there to pick you up, but you will have to really look for her."
Rose frowned in suspicion.
"Why?"
"Because we're not the shortest ones in the year without a reason. Mom is, like, barely two inches taller than us. You won't see her over the crowd, so stay alert."
"Ah. Well. You will probably get picked up by aunt Georgiana, as she's the one who mostly has free time in the middle of the day. But whoever it is, will probably call ahead, so just pull the right photo up on the tablet and focus on it."
"I just hope it won't be Anne" Mina grimaced, pulling on her jacket.
"Aunt Anne, remember. All proper and respectful to your elders. And try not to make fascinated noises when you get closer to the house. All our guests do, but I am not supposed to, you know."
"Really. What else am I supposed to remember to do? Wipe my nose, brush my teeth..."
"That would be good, but it's your business. Your teeth to rot" Rose rolled her eyes. "Just... let's make an effort, OK? I don't want to be riding back north in a week."
"Same for you. And don't go too weepy on Mom if she tells you some hard stuff about Dad. I will try not to be overtly outraged if someone talks about Mom, too."
Rose sighed in exasperation.
"Yes. Remember to be cool. You belong there. It's your home - as much as mine. So. Basically. Go home to your father, Mina. And I will go home to my mother."
Mina felt her eyes tearing up, sighed, blinked and nodded. That was it. That was the day. Just a short bus ride and she'd be meeting the unknown part of her family. The aunts, the great-aunt (the witch, she added) and the father. She swallowed with a shudder.
"Yes. I will go to the wilderness of Derbyshire, and you will go to the best city on the entire planet. Tell Mom... God. Tell her that you want to go shopping in Camden Market because you missed it. Or... whatever. Be clingy. I'm always clingy after the school trips, she even complains about it. You have right to be clingy for a week at least after this summer. Use that time. Who knows when you will get a chance again."
Rose nodded sharply.
"You can be clingy, too. Dad always acts surprised when I hug him, but I suppose it's because aunt Georgiana isn't really one for touching people, and who would want a hug from aunt Anne or aunt Catherine...? But he likes it, so, you know. If you are a bit too clingy, he won't notice, because, well. Camp, time, stuff. Anyway" she sniffed a bit. "Let me know when you arrive, OK? And if nobody shows up, or..."
"I will. Big sister. You call me too if Mom doesn't show up for some reason, clear? Or, well. Call her, she's the one you are supposed to be calling, anyway."
They slowly descended the stairs, dragging the collected luggage behind them.
Considering that camp staff left them more or less alone in their cabin outside of organised activity hours, it was a bit of a surprise when they found Miss Sarah waiting for them at the end of the little path linking their "house" with the main camp road.
"Now, ladies. I hope - I see - you found a common ground and managed to not kill each other, either on purpose or by simply making the other explode from frustration. Your behaviour - and I mean both of you - had much improved and I hope you too saw the benefits of this, rather drastic, solution."
They exchanged looks and smiled in perfect sync.
"Yes, Miss Sarah" Mina finally said. "Mina and I... We will be the very best friends, I think."
"Stop it, Rose" Rose poked her in the ribs. "We already are, you idiot."
"Who are you calling an idiot, idiot?"
Miss Sarah smothered a chuckle.
"Now, I came to tell you the hours for your busses. London group will be leaving at noon exactly, and it's supposed to be no more than two hours ride - but, you know. End of hols and who knows. The one going to Derbyshire and stopping in Lambton is scheduled for half past eleven, so you two..." she glanced at her watch. "Have at least half an hour more before this group is called. Everyone who is ready is coming down to the cafeteria, there are some sandwiches and sweets there, or if you need to take something for the road, there will be boxes and water, too. You sure you packed everything?"
"We even checked under the beds" Rose nodded. "Rose? Help with the suitcase needed?"
"Nah. You go, I'll pull this monster somehow. Next time I'll know that backpacks are better."
"Sure you will. Come on, miss Darcy."
"Coming, miss Bennet. Coming!"
####
She had to pack everything carefully and in order. Most of the job was done, but she still had to finish the actual quilting of both pieces and sewing on the matching borders - yellow on the green one, and green on the yellow one.
She still had to make a choice, but there was a whole month left to do that.
Once the work table was cleaned and the corkboard stored behind her wardrobe, the flat looked at least normal - if not perfectly clean. The smaller bedroom was aired and the bed was made with fresh sheets, all the clothes were washed and repaired - and a small heap of "too small" was waiting for Mina to review it before handing them over to younger cousins.
Nothing ever got wasted in the Bennet family. There was always a younger cousin who would happily take the unneeded clothes off Mina's hands.
She sighed. If only Mina wasn't the oldest, they wouldn't have to buy everything as the first ones. Sometimes it annoyed her that she was the one that others inherited stuff from.
Her laptop chimed with the new e-mail signal, so she wrapped up the last scraps, stuffed them into the dedicated bag and opened the screen to see if the last version deployment went through correctly. She dearly hoped there would be no errors because the next paycheck depended on the quality of the piece of software she had been writing in the killing heat of the summer.
The smell of baked apples slowly filled the flat.
It seemed like the version was accepted in full and there were no code quality issues. She clicked the automated invoicing form and filled in the working hours, planned working hours, a list of design changes raised during the coding and testing process and a nice, satisfactory '0' for the number of major issues.
"Very nice" she said into the darkness of the flat. "Very nice, Bennet. Let's just hope they want another piece, soon."
She clicked "generate" and reviewed the outcome quickly. The sum was satisfactory, for a job of that size, but not every company was as generous in their freelancing contracts.
"Now, time to get at least a nap" she yawned. "Also, talking to myself in an empty flat. Sign of definite lack of socialisation. I'll have to take Mina... Note!" she said loudly.
A soft beep answered.
"Check movies for tomorrow and day after, find something reasonably appropriate for Mina. End note."
####
The cafeteria was full of girls, shouting over each other and exchanging e-mail addresses, telephone numbers and Facebook invitations. After six weeks of semi-isolation - all on their own, except for seldom group activities and trips - they felt a bit overwhelmed with the noise.
Mina pressed her lips together and parked Rose's suitcases in the small alcove with other luggage. Her own backpack quickly thumped to the ground next to it, and the guitar was carefully hung on one of the cloakroom hooks.
"Wow" Rose whispered. "I don't think we've seen that many since the introduction day."
"Yep. I think that isolation cabin was the best thing that had ever happened to us."
"Definitely. For more than one reason, girl."
"Oh, yes, miss Bennet. For more than one reason."
"Shall we, miss Darcy?"
"We absolutely shall."
They made their way towards the tables, where the tired kitchen staff were handing out the packets of sandwiches, cookies, apples and bottled water so fast they seemed to have four arms each. Mina snagged two and handed one to her sister, whom she now followed to the open table where food to be eaten immediately was offered.
Most of the girls were moving around, jostling each other, poking ribs, slapping shoulders, shoving and hugging, but at the table, carefully wedged into a corner, one thin, tall girl sat, her head hanging low over a piece of paper.
"Hey... Joana?" Mina tapped her shoulder. "Joana, what's wrong?"
The girl looked up and pushed her glasses up.
"Nothing" she said, shrugging. "I'm just..."
Mina sighed.
"You want water?" she asked finally. "Or something? I know you go on the same bus as me, but I'm guessing more than two hours farther north, right?"
"Rose? What's wrong?" her sister showed by her elbow, chewing on a small tortilla wrap. "Joana? All right?"
Joana looked at them, frowning.
"Why are you suddenly so interested?"
Rose made a non-committal grunt.
"Because you look like you're worried about something, and everyone else seems rather happy. So it's unusual. Come on?"
Joana took off her glasses and carefully stored them in her breast pocket.
"I just got this" she weaved the piece of paper. "Saying my Mom is not allowed to pick me up at the bus station. My parents..." she swallowed hard. "They divorced. When I wasn't there. And Dad won the custody. I... I had no idea there was something wrong! Why did they do this?"
She sniffed, rather ineffectively.
"Here" Rose handed her a package of tissues. "Take it, I won't need them for the next few hours. At least until I get back to London, I suppose."
"Thanks" Joana blew her nose and dabbed at her wet cheeks. "I don't get it. Like, I never saw them fight. Or argue, or whatever. Dad travels a bit, Mom stays at the office a lot, but... I didn't think it was something..."
"Shh. Don't worry" Mina patted her shoulder. "You will go home and talk to your Dad. If he is OK, he should be able to tell you everything."
"He's... He's cool. But still!"
"So, they just... went behind your back, like?" Rose asked, frowning now, too. "You didn't know, they never told you and... and the judge didn't like, ask your opinion, who you want to be with?"
Joana nodded, miserably.
"I would have said Dad, you know" she said finally, after blowing her nose again. "But... but I would actually want both of them. Because this doesn't make any sense."
Mina and Rose exchanged a worried glance.
"Rose, take my lunch, for Joana, OK? I will get myself a new box, but your bus is leaving in like, ten minutes, so you should probably get going."
"Thanks" Joana whispered and sighed. "I... I just wish they told me. Maybe I could have done something to make them stay together."
"They are grownups" Mina finally said, slowly and haltingly. "I mean, they make decisions. For themselves. They..."
"But these decisions also hurt kids, sometimes" Rose added smoothly. "So I think you should ask for their explanation. A proper one."
"Yep. And remember that they did this without you there, so it's not your fault."
"Not like you did anything specific to make them split, right?"
Joana shrugged and finally stood up.
"Gonna have to talk to Dad" she took a breath and steadied herself. "Thanks for the lunch, Mina. I know you two mostly kept to yourselves, but" she shrugged "you're cool, I suppose."
"Don't worry" Rose patted her shoulder. "I'll help you two with the luggage. She has suitcases, so she will be no help at all. Come on."
Mina took both their packaged lunches and they pushed through the crazy, milling crowd back to the entrance.
"You know, we both live with single parents" Rose said suddenly. "So, well. Not that I remember my parents divorcing, but..."
"Yep" Mina added. "So, we kind of maybe know a bit of what it feels like."
Joana pulled on her denim jacket.
"Yeah" she said slowly. "This will be... different. I mean, Mom was mostly there in the mornings and late at night, but always there, every day. And Dad travels, so sometimes he's away for two, three days. But if he is at the office, normally he is back by five and works in the kitchen, so..." she trailed off for a moment, blinking. "I wonder where I'm going to live" she said finally, softly. "Oh, God. I suppose we'll have to move. Or something."
Rose picked up her suitcases and handed them over to Mina.
"You will see in five hours, yeah? Maybe..." she glanced at her sister. "Maybe we could give you our numbers? I mean, if you want to call someone and just, you know. Rose has my number, so you can copy it from her on the bus. If you want to, I mean."
Joana blinked.
"I... sure, thanks. I mean, I thought you two were like, you know. BFF and nobody else. Especially with you looking almost the same. Even worse, once Rose cut her hair, you know?"
"I hated that braid" Mina said with feeling. "This was the first chance to finally get rid of it. And nobody at home will be able to do anything about it because hair doesn't grow on command!"
"She basically wanted to be able to just wash it and be done, instead of spending like, an hour, combing it" Rose added cheerfully. "Now, your stuff? Where is it?"
Joana shouldered a small backpack and a duffel.
"Just this. I think I'll manage. But thanks for offering."
"No prob. Now, come here, miss Darcy" she hugged Mina. "You will call?"
"Sure. Text me once you're in London. Take a pic of something nice."
"Let me know when the class trip is scheduled, OK? I'll be there to annoy your classmates."
"Our bus is being called" Joana tapped Mina's shoulder. "Come on, Rose. Thanks, Mina!"
They nodded for the last time.
"Hug Dad for me" Rose whispered, trying to stop tears.
"Kiss Mom for me."
"Derbyshire! Everyone to Derbyshire and north, the buses are ready and leaving in five! You know your numbers, please get into lines for the right buses!"
"Bye, Joana" Rose squeezed her arm. "Get my phone number from Rose and text us if you feel like you need to vent."
The taller girl nodded and followed Mina out of the cafeteria.
God, that was weird. But, I suppose, good for a dress rehearsal.
"Mina, where is your lunch?" one of the aides tapped her shoulder. "Don't you at least want some water?"
She shook herself out of the reverie.
"Yes, right" she licked her lips. "I gave mine to one of the girls who were leaving earlier, she didn't have time to fetch her own. I'll pick something up. Thank you."
"OK. Make sure to get water at least, because today is promising to be rather warm. And the traffic is going to be bad, so I don't think you'll get there in less than three hours."
She smiled and walked over to the kitchen station, getting another bag of food.
"Your sister already left?" the woman unloading the crates of water bottles asked. "I thought..."
"I don't have a sister" Rose smiled blandly. "We are just friends. We look alike."
"No way" another helper interrupted her. "I mean... no way."
"Well, we have different parents" she answered.
"I thought you were, like, twins" the cook cocked an eyebrow.
"But we were even born on different days" Rose shrugged. "Just a weird coincidence. Happens."
"If you're sure..." one of them made an uncertain noise.
"Yeah. I'm from London, she's from the north. She'd never even seen a big city, you know? And this is my first time ever in actual, like, countryside. We have nothing in common, except for the noses and hair colour."
"If I were you I'd ask my Mum some questions" the package was handed to her with the advice. "I mean, maybe you're cousins? Or something? Wouldn't it be nice to find out you have some more family?"
"Sure. Yet another cousin to add to the bunch I already have" she snorted. "I definitely plan to ask everyone at home who she might be to us."
"Ah, you see. Great idea. Now, you should run, of your bus will leave and what would you do then?"
I have to text Mina. She should know...
She wasn't really quite sure what it was that she felt Mina should know. It wasn't as if the kitchen staff knew their names or could track down their parents, right?
Right?
####
The architect of the team seemed reasonably optimistic. Also, he was already after a call with Charles, which usually put people in good mood, even if they had to deal with William immediately afterwards.
"It is a bit of a challenge, I must say" the man surveyed a bit of land they chose. "I mean, we can absolutely do it. And with Charles' suggestions, and using the terrain itself to facilitate some aspects..." he hummed to himself for a moment. "Davey! Come here and tell me if the ground is drawn at the correct angle."
His partner checked the instruments and compared to the plan draft.
"Seems so. The slope is rather flat, but depending on the planned area..."
William tuned them out for a moment as they discussed the appropriate usage of support to avoid loose dirt being flushed down into the building site during rain. He carefully surveyed the small spot - a bit farther from the main road, a bit more in the gardens - the part not covered by the heritage conservation agreement - and tried to map the future house in his head.
"Do you have the general idea as to the number of rooms, the setup of the house? Anything specific you want me to include? We could put the garage on the sub-level and use the slope to make the ground floor entrance directly from the ground, too. And put a bit of a terrace over the garage, to allow additional area there, if you need it for storage or whatever else you come up with later on."
William frowned.
"I didn't really think that far, Jonathan" he smiled slightly. "But I think that this arrangement you're suggesting has merit. The house should be able to provide for... Let's say, five, no, six people. Plus guests. Add shared ensuites to that, and make ground floor mostly kitchen, functional areas and lounge. A fireplace. I'll ask Charles later if he can suggest some reasonable solution - we all love an open fire, but if I want this to be eco-friendly and energy effective, then the setup for fireplace needs to be adequate, too."
"There are some nice new solutions for that, or you could go for a custom design. You could capture the heat from the fire, use it to heat water and use that to warm up the bathroom floors, or something like this. Or even add a split heating on a thermostat - if the fire from the fireplace is big enough, the water will not be additionally heated, but if it's not, then electric backup will turn on. Plus you can install air conditioning programmed separately for each room, and that, with insulation on the walls and between the rooms, will allow you to turn off the heating in the parts of the house that you don't use. There is this new fancy system that allows you to manipulate setting separately for each room, add the windows opening and closing as triggers for a change in heating - no sense to run it full blast if someone opened the windows and is now heating the outside while airing the room. You can also program the heating to start on a timer, for example if you leave for a few days and want the house to be warm by the time you get back. It's rather well configurable, with a possibility to plan the whole day cycle of warming and cooling, some nifty default settings and really advanced capabilities if you dig into it. There are whole schools running on it, where they program the lessons plan, the weather, add window tracking and yearly schedule, so after winter break classes are heated before the kids arrive, stuff like this."
William blinked. Jonathan was normally a man of few words - a sentence here, a remark there.
"You seem to be rather enthusiastic about this" he smiled slightly. "And I must say, it does sound promising. Is it possible to combine several sources of heating?"
"I suppose so. We could ask the company if you want to use the solar panels, the fireplace and additional electricity..."
"I suppose whether the power comes from the panels or the power plant, it's still the same electricity. But it would be good to have the fireplace water thermostats added in the same system, just to make sure we don't have to oversee more than one and to ensure they are working together correctly. I'd rather not spend half of my next winter fiddling with the controls to make sure two systems cooperate."
"We can definitely contact them for details. If you make this house a pilot project and promise to consider using their systems in future buildings..."
"Ah, ah. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. First, ask them if they have appropriate modules of that system ready. Maybe they do, you never know. Then, once I have your design proposal, we can budget the system, plus the panels, taking into account what kind of installation it has to be - brands, specific models, etc. Let's put it plainly, Jonathan" he bit his lip for a moment. "Basically, there are no limits. This is supposed to be a model, well-planned, eco-friendly but also human-friendly house. I don't want to compromise the heating, insulation or power efficiency, but on the other hand, all the installations and needed special infrastructure must be placed in such a way that they don't interfere with everyday life and they aren't overly challenging for everyday usage. No main power switch behind a screen in the smallest cellar room, or stuff like this."
The architect nodded in understanding.
"Of course. I will have a proposal draft ready day after tomorrow. Please text me if you have any specific requests as to what I should add - a book room? A gym? What kind of kitchen plan do you want - open, or separate?"
William frowned.
"I will check with Mrs R. She may have some input regarding the setup of the kitchen, laundry and so on. Can't annoy one's housekeeper by not consulting on such vital details, after all."
"Well, with separated kitchen, most bad smells will be contained - if you add appropriate ventilation. But on the other hand, if you have something nice being done, the open plan makes the whole house smell of baking. My daughter wanted baked apples yesterday, and by the time they were done, we were salivating just because of the smell."
"Well, with a closed kitchen you can always open the door. With the open plan, there is no way to isolate it."
"That is definitely true. Go, ask the woman what she wants in her kitchen. And you should consider carefully any other functions you want covered. A music room? Your sister, she plays the piano, right? You could consider adding soundproofing, too. Stuff like this. The kid, doesn't she have some messy hobby? Maybe a storage closet for her stuff? Bike shed? Whatever else you can think of. Remember, William" he patted the taller man's shoulder. "If you want to build that house from scratch, it's better if you include everything you can think of possibly needing. Living in the mansion is very exciting and romantic, I suppose, but it's a house that was designed two hundred years ago, with completely different people in mind. Don't limit yourself to just making this a nicer and brighter version of the old house."
He frowned.
"You... are right. Definitely. Actually, if you don't mind - could you send me a few examples of what you did recently on a similar scale? Not anything detailed, but having a look at what people do include may give me some new ideas."
"Sure. There are visualisations that the office stores just for occasions like this. I'll put together a portfolio and send it to you in the evening. You could have a look at it with Mrs R and the kid, you know. Youngsters have ideas that we old men wouldn't even consider. Also, think of the furniture you want to use and all the stuff you have right now, where to put it, what in storage, what should be available for everyday use... If we want this house to work correctly, the people inside must be comfortable with it."
"Rose..." he chewed the inside of his cheek. "Yeah, I can ask Rose. Sure. Maybe she will think of something that I missed. Definitely, yes."
"See? That's the spirit. Now, go. Go and pick up the kid. You've taken the day off and I'm sure it wasn't only to meet me."
William snorted and clasped Jonathan's hand.
"Thank you for the help" he offered. "I mean it. This thing... this has to be done just so. And I trust you to be the one to make it happen for me."
"My professional reputation depends on it."
####
The bus was stuffy and smelled vaguely of mold, as many such buses usually did. Mina and Joana quickly stored their bags in the luggage compartment and boarded, taking seats in the third row.
"Take the window seat" Mina suggested reasonably. "This way, if you fall asleep, I won't wake you up in Lambton."
Joana slid by her, smile a bit tremulous, and Mina dropped heavily on the aisle seat.
"It's only two hours, but unless they tell everyone to sing, I should be asleep in twenty. I just hope I'll wake up in time for Lambton" she smiled. "Now, do you want our numbers? I really mean it, and Mina too. And we both know how weird people are when they find out you live with just one parent."
Joana finally pulled out her phone and allowed Mina to add both numbers to her contact list.
"Thank you" the taller girl said, pocketing it. "I mean, I have no idea what is going on. Maybe..." she sighed. "Thank you, anyway."
"No problem. Anytime you want to rant or whatever, let me know."
They settled into a silence from that point, Joana nodding off to the rhythm of the bus movements and Mina, wide awake despite the silence, staring nervously ahead, counting the minutes and quietly checking her location on google maps to ensure she wouldn't miss Lambton. The minute she saw the town name appearing on the phone screen, she felt small shakes starting somewhere in the general vicinity of her heart.
This is happening. This is really happening. There will be someone picking me up, and this is happening. My new family. Old family. Whatever. Family. Father.
She swallowed, forcing her breath to calm down, looking at still-sleeping Joana and trying to ease the shaking to avoid waking her companion up.
Finally, finally, the dot marker of the town zoomed in and became a street map. And then it zoomed in a bit more, and the streets were there, all around her. The bus was going down one of the main streets, straight towards the town council parking lot.
She inhaled and refrained from waking Joana, quietly freeing herself from the seat, picking up her small bag and the lunch package. As the driver herded the local kids out, checking their names on a long list, she found herself saying: "Rose Darcy" in slightly trembling voice.
This is happening. My God.
And then someone was handing out their suitcases, and she had to say: "Rose Darcy!" yet again, to get them to give her the big purple rolling case and the smaller, fuchsia one.
I'm so going to kill Rose for using suitcases for a camp.
And then there was one of the local council staff, checking the list again, and again she said: "Rose Darcy" and this time her voice didn't tremble, or break, or squeak.
I am Rose. I'm Rose, I also answer when called 'Darcy' and I am the daughter of William Darcy. The landowner. William Darcy, of Pemberley. Rose Darcy, of Pemberley. Yes, ma'am, that big house outside of town.
Breathe, Mina. Breathe.
Breathe, Rose.
She was herded with the others to some benches set on the side of the parking lot, where more water bottles were being distributed and last contacts were being exchanged, last photos taken. The buses went past them and at the last moment she raised her head to see Joana waving at her, so she waved back, feeling the new reality settle around her more and more solidly.
Dammit, I am Rose and I will be Rose to the best of my abilities.
She shortened the handle of her suitcase, combined her luggage into one elegant (purple) pyramid and sat back. Soon there were passenger cars spilling into the parking lot and kids were jumping up, running towards their parents.
Ssshhhugar. I have no idea who is coming and what the car looks like!
She checked her phone, but there were no messages - either from Rose or from any of the grownups of the family. She laid her head on the top bag of the luggage tower and tried to relax, but cramping in her stomach told her that the forgotten lunch and the nerves were doing a number on her.
Suddenly there was a hand, combing through her short hair, and a rumble of voice asking "So, you cut off your braid, you little imp?"
And she was raising her head, looking into the bluest crystalline blue eyes, surrounded by tiny wrinkles - He has crow's feet! - and there was an arm, pulling her in, into the soft cotton of his shirt, and someone was crying and saying "Dad!" over and over again.
He sat down next to her, holding her to his side, his other hand - armed with a handkerchief - over her eyes, wiping the tears from her cheeks, and there was the rightness of it all, and she sat there and whispered finally "I missed you."
He dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
"I missed you, too" he said finally. "Was it that bad? You could have called, you know? I would have picked you up and spirited you away to the seaside..."
"No, no. It was... it was fine, Dad. I'm just so tired and I kind of forgot to eat anything in the morning, and now..."
"Now you're dying from starvation. Don't worry. Mrs R spent whole day yesterday cooking 'a proper meal for that poor girl, finally!'. There is a bit of everything, so you can choose whatever you like."
"Oh" she said, because there wasn't much else she could say.
"Now, come on. Let's get these cases in the car and go home. Georgiana is waiting for us, so we'd better get there soon. I just have to pick up the papers from the office and we'll be home in twenty minutes."
Home. Pemberley. Rose Darcy, of Pemberley.
She nodded and started picking up the collection of luggage, trying to organise it in such a way that she could drag them all together, but that same big, gloved hand pulled the biggest piece away from her, freeing her to deal with the smaller ones easily.
"Come on, ducky. Can't annoy Mrs R by being late for your welcoming party, now can we?"
"We definitely should not" she agreed quickly, and picked up the rest of the baggage, trailing carefully behind her father to avoid giving away the fact that she had absolutely no idea what their car looked like.
#
She really, really tried to keep it cool. It was her own home, the historical house of D'Arcys, blah, blah, blah.
And it was beautiful.
There was a long ride coming from the main road to the house itself, with poplars on both sides, with small bushes between them and a hedgerow just behind them, with a walking path between the trees and the hedges and...
...and the house at the end of it.
She heroically smothered the gasp of surprise. No photo on Rose's tablet could have prepared her for that.
Well, no photo on Rose's tablet and none of Rose's stories had prepared her accurately for father either.
#
The car was big, sleek and had sinfully soft seats.
The man behind the wheel smiled at her at the red lights, his blue eyes brightening as she prattled mindlessly about the activities at the camp - carefully replacing "Rose" with "Susan" - and widening at the crazier stories she shared. He combed his slightly wavy hair back a few times, as it kept falling into his eyes, and she noticed a small patch of silver going from his temple and back. Otherwise, his hair was as black as her own and suddenly she felt a new, fascinating thing.
Belonging.
In London, she was the dark sparrow of the family. The all-blonde, all-fair Bennet family. And now, here, was the man responsible for her being other in that bright crowd and her heart fluttered.
"What's wrong, Rosie? You're looking at me... do I have something on my face?"
She shook her head.
"I mean, I have to confess - just don't tell Mrs R - I did eat a pastry during a meeting in the morning, so I was kind of afraid..." he smirked.
"No, no evidence of the terrible sin of eating pastries on the sly. Just... it's so good to finally see you. Again. I mean."
He smiled and started saying something but the lights changed, so they drove on in silence.
#
And now they were at the top of the small rise that separated the main grounds from the road and she was trying to breathe in a controlled way, blinking away the tears.
I'm Rose. I'm just going back home. No biggie. Just going home, like every day.
"Hey, imp. We're home. Just five minutes and you'll be properly back."
She inhaled and managed a crooked smile.
"Let's go home then, Dad. It feels like ages since I've left. I hope I won't get lost trying to find the dining room."
He snorted and restarted the car. Picking a button on his steering wheel he smiled at her.
"William?"
"Georgi, we're at the start of the drive. Be home in three, maybe less."
"William Darcy, don't you dare try speeding on our own drive! With your kid in the car!"
"Sheesh, little sis. I'm warning you we are almost home and you have to make everyone think I'm crazy."
"Get my niece down here in one piece, you git. I want to hug her."
#
The house seemed to grow unnaturally as they progressed down the main drive. Now, once they were off the main road, father drove much more slowly and the car rolled quietly, the crunching of the gravel and the delicate purring of the engine not loud enough to drown out the birds singing in the trees on both sides.
There were people walking across the fields, and people working on them. She could see a few small tractors pulling some farm machinery, two people on horses - not doing anything she could identify, a bit of something very complicated with a number of interesting blades stuck in it and a small herd of sheep.
"Is it true that grass grows better when it's eaten by sheep than if it's just mowed?"
He shot her a glance.
"If we believe the groundskeeper, then yes. They supposedly crop it at the optimum level. Also, they provide natural fertilizer. Why?"
She shrugged.
"Just asking. We were talking about random stuff and this one kind of stuck."
"You were talking about sheep during a summer camp?" he looked at her in surprise.
"At some point" she shrugged. "One of the girls was from Yorkshire, somewhere near Keighley. There was a lot of stupid talking between girls from the country and ones from the big cities, and some of the 'big city' girls said that the cities are better, because you can learn stuff that you'd never see in the 'wilds'. And she talked about museums, cinemas, schools, unis and whatever. And the girl from Keighley started spouting completely random sheep facts. I have no idea if she was making it up or not, that's why I'm asking."
William rubbed his face, hiding a smile.
"And what were you, imp? The city girl or the country girl?"
She sighed.
"A small-town girl. Boring enough to get both groups to leave me out of their discussions."
#
"What is that?" the cold, rather imperious voice croaked the moment Mina exited the car.
Wicked Witch of Derbyshire, totally.
"That is our traveller, coming back home!" father hugged her shoulders. "Now, ducky, go say hello to your aunts and I will take your cases inside."
"That is... unfortunate" voice somewhat congested, maybe allergic?
And this is the Wicked Witchlet...
The oldest of the three stood at the bottom of the stairs in a full woollen costume - dark green skirt and jacket, plus a high-collar blouse. And a pair of enormous, scaly-leather designer shoes.
Aunt Catherine. I'm sorry, Rose, I didn't believe...
"This haircut is terrible" the nasal voice intruded. "This is... we have to do something about it!"
Happy to meet you too, aunt Anne.
She smiled widely.
"I'm afraid we can only wait" Mina said happily. "Hello, aunt Catherine. Aunt Anne."
"This is a deliberate act of..." the older woman sniffed.
"Removing chewing gum" Mina interrupted flawlessly. "There was no other way."
"What did you say?" aunt Anne squinted down at her. Very much down.
Well, we obviously got the colouring from this part of the family, but the height is all Mom.
"I said, someone stuck a wad of chewing gum in my hair and it had to be cut off" she reiterated. "We couldn't wash it out."
"What kind of people were you associating with at that... camp?" aunt Anne sounded as if word "people" was actually "maggots". "I knew, I knew this was a bad idea. If this was her nearest social circle..."
"Indeed you did, darling. You always have such a good insight into these things."
"Actually, the girl who did this was not in my social circle. That's why she did it."
A pair of slender, tanned arms hugged her suddenly.
"You look fabulous" a kiss on her cheek. "Come inside. Standing here is asking for a sunstroke."
"Hi, aunt Georgiana" she managed finally. "How good to see you again!"
#
The rest of the day went quietly and without any additional arguments - or discussions - except for the comments on the state of Rose's clothes, over which Mrs Reynolds was shaking her head for the whole time she unloaded them into the right hampers, with Mina's help.
"Grass is the worst, little one. If you got any on these beige trousers, we'll be better off dyeing them to match!"
"I tried to only trip in dark trousers, Mrs R."
"I'm sure you did, darling, but summer camps are summer camps and dirt gets everywhere. Now, separate your socks into colours, I'm not even going to touch them. Now, the first load. And you will be doing this yourself today, so pay attention. All the whites now, and make sure it's only cotton, because this will be a warm one..."
They sorted the mound of white and pale and beige into types of textiles, carefully checked the washing instructions on some and finally loaded the machine. Washing liquid added, Mrs Reynolds instructed Mina how to set the program and temperature and watched with slight surprise as her charge did it without really paying attention.
"Good girl. Did you learn that at the camp, too?"
Mina shrugged.
"It's not that hard. Just two knobs here. There are machines with waaay more options."
"M-hm. I wonder why I'm always the only one even touching these two knobs."
"I can do it" Mina offered absently. "I mean, I will need help with the dryer, but I can start the washing. If..."
A rough hand patted her cheek.
"Dear girl. Thank you. I'll take you up on that - at least in the area of your own clothes. I'll be the one to deal with your Dad's shirts for the time being, hmmm?"
"Would not dare to risk them, Mrs Reynolds. I'll get this started and... how long this will take?"
"Two and a half hours, darling. You can come back after six and I will show you how to load the dryer."
#
Rose's room looked different. She had the photos on the tablet, but the furniture had apparently been moved and replaced. She stood in the door, trying to understand.
"Ah" her father stopped just behind her. "I... I thought it needed updating. We can't do much about the walls, but I thought sleeping in that huge, old, creaky thing might have been annoying. So I might have overdone it a bit, but" he pushed her slightly forward, inside. "I replaced most of the really ancient things. I mean, if you want anything to be moved back, it's all still in the house, but..."
Oh. He is afraid I will not approve because he didn't ask me - Rose. Oh.
"No, Dad. That's fine. I mean, I... I like it" she managed to smile honestly enough.
"I refrained from buying you a new desk chair because at the shop, fortunately, they asked me at the last moment whether I wanted some... unrelated detail. Anyway, it stopped me early enough so I put that one on hold. We can go there tomorrow evening and you will pick one that you like, would that be OK with you?"
She blinked.
"Yes, Dad. I'm sorry, it's not like I don't like, I... I was just surprised."
"Ah. I was... I went a bit overboard, didn't I?"
She smirked slightly.
"You might have. But it's not bad. And it will definitely be better to sleep on a bed that doesn't make suspicious noises."
She saw him relax. As in, visibly relax, shoulders back again, face losing tension, eyes opening wider.
Ouch. Note to self: Dad is worried. A lot. About my/Rose's opinion. Check with Rose if it's normal or just right now.
"I didn't want to wait to order the furniture when you'd be back, you see" he explained, patting the obviously new wardrobe. "Didn't want you to spend first days in sawdust."
"Dad. It is fine. I'll go with you tomorrow to pick the chair, yes. Everything else is fine. All my stuff is inside, right? Nothing was thrown away quietly when I wasn't looking?"
"Wouldn't dare to" he pressed a small kiss to her forehead. "But, actually, anyway this is a bit of a temporary solution. I will need your help with the final one, ducky."
"Dad...?"
"Tomorrow. I'll show you everything tomorrow."
#
The dinner was opulent and slightly tense, but Mina happily ignored the atmosphere and focused on filling her stomach with a wide assortment of all manner of good food. Apparently Mrs Reynolds didn't stint on preparation of this feast, and there were mounds of vegetables (some of Rose's favourites and some to which she only admitted tolerance), a stew (which Mina almost inhaled), baked potatoes and two bowls of salad (which she very much would have liked to devour, but found herself lacking the capacity to).
The stares from the aunts - Catherine and Anne - were endless. And derisive. And accompanied by whispers and vague gestures aimed at her. She focused on eating until aunt Catherine put down her cutlery and leaned towards her.
"So I suppose you would want to go to a similar... experience, also next year?" she smiled, her lips tight and thin.
Mina frowned. The only discussion they had regarding the future was the vague plan of using Jane and Charles as...
"Child! Answer when spoken to!"
She shook herself out of the promising vision.
"No, I suppose no. I was one of the oldest kids there and I don't imagine it would be that funny in a year. But if there was some sports camp, with..."
"Sports camp!" aunt Anne sounded appalled. "What do you mean?"
Mina carefully chewed the piece of carrot she had just bitten into.
"I don't know. Gymnastics. Or swimming. Or maybe cycling. There are many kinds. Girls were talking about them. Or a foreign language camp - one of the..."
"Impossible" aunt Catherine pronounced with disdain. "You will not be going to any sports camp. This is not something a proper girl would do."
"There are even horse riding camps" aunt Georgiana provided suddenly. "This would be something quite appropriate for Rose, wouldn't it, Will?"
Dad frowned and looked at her in speculation.
"I think Rose gets a lot of horse riding done at home. But a cycling camp sounds interesting, doesn't it, ducky?"
She nodded mutely, as her mouth was again full of food.
"William, you simply cannot say things like that!" aunt Anne protested feebly. "It isn't proper for her to go to... to such..."
"Why?" Mina managed to swallow and ask, finally. "Everyone goes."
"Exactly!" aunt Catherine's eyes seemed to light up, which in itself was a scary thing. "Everyone. You would be mixing with some very, very inadequate company."
Mina shrugged slightly and cut off another piece of the fluffy, buttery baked potato.
"She can't stay isolated from her peers all summer" father said calmly. "I'd say a two, or even a mixed-discipline camp would be the best so that it doesn't focus overly on one area. Maybe cycling, swimming and some kind of interactive sport? Tennis maybe?"
Mina nodded slowly.
"We still have time to discuss it, though" aunt Georgiana soothed the atmosphere slightly. "There may be other ideas by April, and then we'll pick this up again, right?"
Aunt Catherine looked as if she wasn't going to let the topic go at least until Christmas, but father asking aunt Georgiana some quick question prevented her from speaking.
Thankfully!
#
The room was cool and dark as she entered, and finally, she had time to explore it a bit. Having started the second round of washing, loaded the dryer under Mrs R's supervision and collected the dry clothes, she ran upstairs to put them away. Which she wanted to do quietly and alone.
Finally.
The wardrobe was full of various clothes she quickly checked - dresses, OK, school uniforms, OK, a drawer of panties, another of socks. All OK. She set the mound of white on her bed and started sorting it, trying to match the object with the right container or shelf.
Having successfully dealt with the laundry, she checked her surroundings carefully. A bookcase. Some overlap, some new things, good. Just like when they made the comparison of their reading and musical tastes, she felt relief - doubly so - that they weren't either identical or too different. Too similar would have felt unnatural - they were separate people and they had been raised by different families. It would have felt like some creepy magic. Or even creepier, destiny. On the other hand, too different would have been... disappointing. Also, hard to deal with when playing the other person.
Hopefully, Dad wouldn't make any literary allusions that would quote the 'unknown' part of Rose's bookcase. She pulled the first promising-looking volume from the top shelf - visibly well-read, at least judging by the state of the spine - and dropped it on her bed. Some light bedtime reading, planned.
The desk was wide, heavy and had four drawers full of random school-related objects - pencils, a pencil case, pens, ink cartridges, brushes, rulers and crayons. She really hoped it wasn't Rose who kept that kind of a mess and that it was simply the outcome of someone repacking the content from the old desk to the new one. Otherwise, she was planning to have a few words with her sister.
She checked her phone, but other than the short exchange of texts that communicated to each other that they had arrived (and been picked up), nothing.
I wonder what Mom is doing right now.
####
It wasn't something she had ever consciously noticed, but the moment Mrs Bennet - grandma - said it, she saw it herself, too. Due to the simple fact that they practised a very different set of sports, she and Mina were built differently. With the most importantly different parts being her arm and leg muscles, which were quite appropriate for a horse rider and very much not for someone who mainly swims.
She shrugged, after a little pause.
"We did a lot of exercise. And there were kayaks. And a lot of climbing."
Grandma frowned at her.
"A climbing wall?" aunt Kitty leaned in curiosity. "Or just rocks?"
"Both" Rose bit into her cookie to avoid providing more details.
"That's not very ladylike" grandma pronounced.
"But useful" Mom said with a sigh. "I remember being the shortest in my class. Muscles are a good thing."
"Elizabeth!"
#
Mom was lovely. Tired, a bit nervous, but lovely.
When the long, annoyingly slow bus ride was at its end - when they had passed by various interesting buildings she had no knowledge of, but would love to - and when they finally turned into the parking lot, all the girls were very, very much fed up with each other.
Not only did the bus smell. Not only had several of them been sick. Not only had someone placed their bag on the overhead shelf, but forgot to close it properly, so all of the contents spilt on the girl directly below. The aide that rode with them decided that the best way to manage restive campers would be to get them to sing.
Kids' songs.
Cartoon tunes.
Even commercials.
Rose sat there, her jaw tense, her nerves on fire. Not only was she supposed to go to a strange city - strange, big city - to a family she didn't know, to the mother she only knew from photos, to a school she had no idea how to find. But. They. Were. Singing.
Also, the aide made sure everyone participated.
The one single blessing that Rose could count was that all the buses were going to the same place, so unlike Mina, she wouldn't have to pay attention and look for her stop. However at some point, she actually wished she would.
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried breathing slowly, calming herself and preparing for...
"Bennet! Sing with us!"
My God.
#
The hot, empty and uncomfortably sunny parking lot was like a blessing. She was ready to kiss the soft asphalt even as she shouldered Mina's backpack and dragged the guitar strap over her head. She could have hugged a tree or the nearest fence post. Anything that wasn't moving, lurching, throwing up or singing.
She found a spot on the edge of the crowd and leaned on the wall of the small building, trying to get her breathing under control. Whatever happened next, she had at least managed to get off that bus without any further injury, losing her phone, forgetting her bag or having someone sit on her guitar (although barely). Crowds of people around her prevented her from seeing anything, so she resigned herself to waiting until most of them were gone before she would be able to at least reasonably search for her mother.
Mother.
She would be meeting the woman from the photo. The person that apparently liked her father well enough to do we-all-know-what with him and to leave one of the children with him, but didn't love him enough to stay. The one person who could explain why, for all these years, Rose had felt incomplete.
Her phone buzzed angrily and she nearly dropped it.
From: Susan
To: Mina
Arrived. All OK. At home. WOW. Also, Wicked Witch of Derbyshire unhappy with your current haircut. Phone died, couldn't text you earlier.
She snorted. If not the haircut, aunt Catherine would have found something else to complain about, it was a law of nature. She managed to complain about Dad almost every day, and he was pretty much perfect. Still, even the fact that he ate toast for breakfast could, on a bad day, become the reason for aunt Catherine's complaints. And did, more than once.
The phone buzzed again.
From: Mom
Her fingers suddenly clenched around the small device. Yes, she had read all the texts between Mina and Mom before - they had to, to learn how to text as the other one - but this, this was the first text ever she had received.
I'm at the end of the lot, opposite the gate. You?
Slowly and carefully Rose typed her answer.
From: Mina
To: Mom
By the building. I'll find you.
Beep.
From: Mom
To: Mina
Stay where you are, I'll help you with the luggage.
Rose's heart skipped a beat.
She's coming.
Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply, trying to focus.
Mom is here. She's here, she's...
"Oh, Mina, come here, darling" said the loveliest voice Rose had ever heard. There was something slightly musical about it. The simple sentence sounded like a phrase from a song. It sounded like love.
After a few more breaths, Rose finally managed to look up.
Her mother was barely taller than her - just like Mina said. Her hair was done up in a large, messy bun, with strands falling everywhere. Her eyes were luminous hazel, verging onto gold. She was absolutely and without a doubt the prettiest person Rose had ever seen.
"Mom" she managed to whisper.
"Oh, ducky, was it that terrible? I'm sorry, but Jane was so sure, and..."
She could only shake her head.
"I just... just missed you. That's all."
Elizabeth Bennet was smiling and relieving her of the guitar. And then Rose found herself held securely, pressed into a soft shoulder - already soaked with her tears, after barely a second - and kisses were being pressed all over her face.
"My big, brave girl. That was an awful summer. We're not doing that again. No way. I'm never parting with you again."
Oh, Mom. If only you knew!
"Now, give me your bag and... is that lunch? OK, we'll reuse it somehow... And we're invited to grandma for dinner. I hope there will be something edible, but I suppose after that ride you're not very keen on food, are you?"
Rose swallowed with distaste.
"Wow, no, not at all. At least until my stomach recognises the fact that I'm on firm ground, no. That was nasty. And they told us to sing."
Mother frowned at the last remark.
"But you like singing..."
"Mom, the only directive was 'louder'. Nobody can like that."
"My poor girl. Come on. It's just two tube stops and there shouldn't be a crowd right now, so we should be there in no time. Now..." she smiled finally and Rose found herself quite ready to focus on that smile and nothing else. "Judging by the fact that the zipper on the guitar bag is still tied with the same piece of ribbon I used - and in the same way - am I guessing correctly that you didn't manage to practice...?"
Rose groaned.
#
The Tube was terrifying, in a way. Maze of twisty tiled corridors, all alike, branching into unexpected sub-corridors, passages, corners and weird arches. Platforms which apparently were something you just had to learn by heart, as there was no logic in how they were related to the trains on them.
It was a good thing she could cover fumbling with her Oyster card by having problems with her backpack and one of the bags, or Mom would have spotted her confusion immediately before they even descended to that lower, scary level. And lack of crowds inside helped immeasurably, as she had time to get her breathing under control. The short ride was deafening and exhilarating, and they smiled at each other, unable to talk over the noise. The ride up the long escalator was fun, too - and she didn't even trip at the top - and the city outside was now vastly different.
The family was... something else.
The number of fair-haired children was astounding and despite all the photographic preparation, Rose had problems with recognising them in better detail than 'aunt Jane's', 'aunt Kate's', 'Jimmy' and 'Adele'. Adele was the easiest due to age, and Jimmy was helpfully keeping to his mother's lap.
Grownups were, on one hand, easier, as she had managed to learn the faces better - and knew two of them already - but, on the other hand, inquisitive. And criticising.
Starting with grandma.
She would have gotten on famously with aunt Catherine. God, they have the same exact way of making me miserable. Well, aunt Cathy is a tiny bit more superior. Grandma just points stuff out and asks in such a way that I feel only like a slob, and not like a lower species of humanity.
"Because, really. How will these arms look now in a dress?"
"Like well-muscled girl's arms, Mamma" aunt Jane to the rescue. "And Lizzy can redo any that don't fit anymore, can't you?"
Mother barely raised her eyes from her tea to smile at aunt Jane.
The whole meeting was weird. The dynamics that Mina had told her about were even more warped than she had described. Aunt Kitty seemed to be OK but never opposed grandma directly. Aunt Mary focused mostly on Jimmy, who was rather fussy at the moment. Aunt Lydia either fixed Adele's dress, pouted or spoke loudly about completely unrelated stuff.
Grandfather - grandpa - sat in the corner, smiled silently from time to time and read his newspaper, ignoring the noise in the room completely.
Rose's eyes strayed to aunt Jane and uncle Charles, the only two persons present she actually knew. As uncle Charles carried the sleepy Jonathan around and the girls were running in circles on the grass, Rose had to immediately squash her desire to give aunt Jane a hint that the ruse with the camp had worked. Because she might not have planned it, but she had to at least guess what they would do, didn't she?
Finally, aunt Jane actually decided to strike up the conversation by herself.
"So" she moved closer to Rose on the long bench. "Did you make use of the hammer I gave you?"
Rose nodded slowly, trying to phrase the next sentence as innocently as possible.
OK, if she didn't want us to switch, she wouldn't have done this all. So, Rose. Jump.
"Yes, definitely. I had to hammer in a couple of nails at some point and didn't have time to go to the workshop for a big one. But still, I could have used some good pliers. I bet there are some that would match this hammer..." she smiled at aunt Jane's widening eyes and rolled hers, just a bit.
"I think there might be" aunt Jane's voice squeaked, just a tiny little bit, and mother raised her eyes to check on them.
"Everything fine, Jane? You sounded a bit weird just now."
"Perfectly. Just talking to Mina about her birthday present."
"You should take her to a beautician, Jane. God knows the girl needs it" grandma's voice made aunt Jane wince.
"Aaand this is our cue" Mom was suddenly up and pulling the guitar strap over her head. "Come on, Mina. We should get you home and start washing. I'm quite sure this backpack had no clean thing left inside. Bye, mother. Dad. Jane, thank you, darling. I'll call you later today."
"But..." grandma frowned and moved uncertainly. "Why are you leaving already? The food is just heating up..."
"And Mina had spent three stinking hours on a bus and she deserves some rest. And definitely doesn't deserve hearing your remarks about her looks."
"But I was just saying...!"
"You were saying that Jane should take her to a beauty salon, because you think Mina needs it. No. No fourteen year old needs a visit to a beauty salon. None. Come on, Mina. We'll pick some food on the way home."
"Elizabeth!"
Grandma's screech is almost exactly the same as aunt Catherine. I hope they are not related...
"Mom, I don't mind, really..."
She saw Elizabeth sigh.
"But I do, Mina. I hoped that at least for one afternoon... Come on. Let's go home and deal with your luggage, or you will have to wear your winter clothes tomorrow."
#
The bus ride back home was much more comfortable than the one to London - much fewer children, obviously more Mom's presence and, on the upper deck, some rather fascinating things to see. Rose tried not to gawk too overtly, but managed a look now and then, reassuring herself that she was, in fact, really in London.
"So, were there some nice kids at the camp? Or was everyone basically dreary?" Mom pulled her closer and kissed her temple. "What were you doing for these eight weeks? I was expecting at least a phone call a week, and you went offline for more than a half of the camp!"
"We were... busy" Rose explained distractedly. "Kind of... a lot of stuff happened and... maybe I got distracted."
"That sounds ominous. What were you doing?"
"Kitchen chores, garden, a lot of sports - and I mean some I'm not sure I know names of - and trips, and crafts... well, a lot. And mostly I forgot to power my phone every day, because taking it anywhere outside was always risky, and everyone was any way leaving their electronics in the cabins."
"That is actually a very good explanation for radio silence" Mom laughed softly. "Now, do you want anything specific? Chinese? Thai? Indian? Because at home we mostly have milk, toast bread, almond butter and eggs and I don't see how we could make it into a dinner."
"Shouldn't we go shopping?"
"Definitely. Who knows how your eating habits had changed during the camp! But I hope you still like crepes. We'll have time in the morning to make a bunch, but we need something to put inside them. I'm thinking bilberries and whipped cream, or Nutella and fudge. I think we may also have a jar or two of the blackcurrant jam I made last year. So?"
Rose swallowed and smiled hungrily.
"All of them?"
#
Out of the array of options, Rose decided on something that seemed the least threatening and picked Indian, counting on at least not being obliged to use chopsticks. Fortunately, Mina apparently had some definite favourites, so Mom didn't even ask for details, but simply ordered, got handed two huge styrofoam containers and a big package in a bag and they strolled home.
Home turned out to be a tiny, but very bright flat in a rather old building. Despite the fact that outside looked slightly tired with age, inside it was well maintained, with a well-lit hallway, colourful walls and wooden stairs covered with a reasonably clean carpet.
The flat itself was white-on-white, with beiges and creams and a random splash of feisty orange or rusty red - vases, dried flowers, a huge silk fan pinned to the wall over Mom's bed, a crocheted runner across the white kitchen table - and black, especially the computer equipment. It wasn't something Rose would have chosen for herself, should she ever had a chance to decide on the colour scheme of her own flat, but it made sense. It absolutely suited Mom, with her brown jacket, dark orange straw hat - with a brown band - and chocolate brown trousers. And freckles. Rose was already extremely jealous of Mom's freckles.
Surprisingly, Mina's room was different. Much cooler combinations prevailed, yellows, greens, teals with occasional purples making, curiously, a very consistent whole.
And there was the Merida duvet cover, with its slightly unevenly sewn sides and wonkily attached buttons.
From: Mina
To: Susan
Home. Party at grandma's weird. She said I'm so ugly I'll need to visit a beautician. I might have kind of told aunt Jane about us. She looked a bit surprised. How is it on your side?
From: Susan
To: Mina
Still trying to understand how Aunt C survived until now and avoided being brained by someone in a dark alley. Aunt A kind of absent. Aunt G is a marvel. Dad is... Dad.
From: Mina
To: Susan
I hope any essays you write in my name will be kept to a higher standard of literacy and vocabulary.
From: Susan
To: Mina
Yeah, yeah, sista. I write your essays OK. No worries, yeah?
From: Mina
To: Susan
Gonna kill you if you try to submit something like this...
"Mina? Are you going to finish this, or should I put it in the fridge?"
She blinked awake again.
"No, I'm full, thank you. I'll eat the rest tomorrow."
"Now, go take a bath, because you still stink of the bus - sorry, but that's true - and you absolutely have to wash that hair. You can use my Rehab if you wish, it may help after two months of sun and dirt."
Rose tried not to show her incomprehension, but simply handed the container with remainder of - whatever that fiery dish was - to her mother and collected the cutlery.
"Don't wash it, I'll run the whole cycle when I take a break later on. Now, go."
#
She located the teal towel in the basket in her bedroom, as per Mina's instructions, and picked one of the 'sleeping t-shirts' from their box at the bottom of the wardrobe. Still, before she followed her mother's request, she sat for a moment at the desk and tried to understand her sister's way of thinking.
Whatever they learnt about each other during the camp was a good base - but only a base. Now, here, in that room, in that chair, she saw Mina with new eyes.
There were dried, pressed flowers arranged under a piece of glass on a colourful cardboard hanging over the door. There was a small glass ball with a snowed-on figure inside, but instead of a Santa or a snowman, it was a small girl in a blue and white coat and a tall white hat. She turned it upside down and back again and the glittery snow fell quietly.
The floor was covered by rugs in vastly differing styles - a cool, blue-white round one made of thick braided strands, a tiny and very furry brown one and a fluffy purple thing that looked almost alive. There were stained glass ornaments suspended from hooks screwed into the window frame, a constellation of flat-white plastic stars in one of the corners, glued to the ceiling, a poster from Raiders of Lost Ark on the side of the wardrobe and what looked like a tiny space shuttle with two LEGO figurines next to it, on the top shelf of the bookcase.
Mina was, apparently, tidy. Obviously, the amount of space she had in her room was much more limited than what Rose enjoyed back home, so she was, by necessity, much more disciplined. However, what Rose noticed above all were the personal touches.
The wardrobe almost papered with postcards.
The wall by the door, painted in tiny flowers.
The lampshade, stained dark purple and blue, with glittery silver dots.
The set of quietly whispering bamboo wind chimes.
The room was so full of Mina. The only thing that was missing was Mina herself.
Suddenly, Rose wished she was back at the camp.
####
Having fallen asleep after her bath and awoken by the most basic need of having to use a toilet, Rose felt a bit disoriented. Wrong room. Wrong home. Wrong parent. Wrong everything. She shook a bit, thinking about Mina. Wishing for Mina's presence.
Get up and stop pitying yourself. You've been a single kid all your life. Eyes on the prize, Darcy. Do your job, and Mina will do hers. If you do it well..
She sneaked quietly to the bathroom, checking on her mother on the way. Two huge black screens on the wall, covered with multicoloured text, a shining highlighter keyboard and a sleek white mouse made the desktop setup look like the control room of some weird spaceship. Mother was sitting in a deep, black chair, barefoot, legs crossed. A pint mug of coffee sat on an empty shelf next to the right monitor and a bowl of nuts opposite.
She looks like a magician with a spellbook. Spell-e-book.
"Go to bed, Mina."
"I just..."
"The water is in the fridge. Add lemon to it, you need vitamins. Especially with the way the city smells this year."
Rose wished there was something she could say to make her mother sound less tired.
"Night, Mom."
"Night, ducky. I will have to sit here for some time more, so when you wake up, just eat some cereal and read quietly, hm? And we'll go to the park later. Or a movie?"
"Movie. Movie will be cool."
"Cool."
When she was coming back, huge cream-and-teal headphones were isolating her mother from the world around her.
23:15. Time to check in with Mina.
####
A quiet buzz woke Mina up.
SUSAN
She shook away the sleepiness and pressed the green button.
"Hey" she croaked softly.
"How are you doing?"
"Reasonably. You? All OK? Can you talk?"
"Mom is listening to music right now, so I suppose we have a few minutes."
"Good."
"So."
"Yeah."
"She. Is. Lovely."
"So is Dad."
"I mean... she is so..."
"Mom. Yeah, I know."
"She said she will be making crepes tomorrow!"
"Bilberry or fudge?"
"Both."
"I hate you."
"No you don't. I'm sure Mrs R cooked a ton of food."
"She did, but suddenly I can't stop thinking about a crepe with fudge filling. Mm..."
"How is Dad? Aunt Georgiana?"
"They are fine. Oh, God, aunt Georgiana is so sweet! And, you know, she actually seems a bit more feisty than you described. Aunt Catherine wanted to discuss my - your - plans for next year and both aunt Georgiana and Dad told her, more or less, to shut it. Dad suggested some multi-discipline sports camp, and she was livid."
"Now you know what I've been living with..."
"Well, you know my side, now, too."
"Yep, grandma is... weird?"
"Not news to me, but... what did you write, she said you needed a beautician?"
"Yeah, that aunt Jane should take me to one, because I need it."
"And what did Mom do?"
"She just stood up and said we're leaving."
Mina sighed heavily.
"That's what she usually does. I don't know how she can be so... so different."
"What do you mean?"
"Completely different person. Like, she writes a lot of women rights articles, and she meets with women who organise various actions, and she is, like, involved. I mean a lot. Charity auctions for underprivileged, donations to places that help abuse victims, providing computer classes to women who want to find a new job after being out of work... and that One Billion Rising dancing, too. But when she is at grandma's..."
"Ah. I see what you mean."
Mina stared into the darkness of Rose's room.
"Yeah. So. Any chance for something from our list?"
"No, we had to go shopping, do the laundry, we went to grandma and that didn't exactly help..."
"I get it. Buuut! Did you really tell aunt Jane?"
"Kind of. She asked me if I had used the hammer, and if that wasn't an opening, I will eat my - your - Oyster card. So I told her that yes I had and that what I was missing was a pair of matching pliers."
"Oh, you're bad. What did she say?"
"Just squeaked and then Mom asked her something, and grandma interrupted... and we left."
Mina yawned.
"Mina?"
"Yeah?"
"I really like Mom, you know?"
"She's our Mom, you should like her, I suppose."
"But..." Rose sniffed. "But why did she leave me?"
"We'll find out, OK? I'll try asking aunt Georgiana. It looks like I'd have better chances with her than with anyone else."
"I suppose so. I don't really see Dad divulging suddenly how it happened that he had split with Mom, but aunt G may spill, if you play it correctly."
"I hope I can. Wish me luck. And be quiet in the morning, if Mom is pulling an allnighter."
"M-hm. Where is the cereal?"
"Top shelf by the oven. Blue box is muesli, green container is puffed rice."
"Thanks. Didn't want to look weird in the morning."
"Rose?"
"Yes, little sister?"
"I really want this to work. So, you know. Keep it cool."
"You too."
####
The morning started rather early, as Mina managed to wake up before six and couldn't find a place for herself since. She fetched the second round of her laundry from the laundry room (apparently Mrs R had put it in the dryer later in the evening), started yet another washing cycle, this time for 'reds' and sorted the dark clothes in her room. She was on the verge of pulling the drawers out of the desk and starting to sort the mess they contained - had already two on the table top - when Dad knocked on her door, calling her downstairs for breakfast.
Full of cereal, scrambled eggs and cocoa she watched the strange spectacle of Anne (she couldn't call that ridiculous creature an 'aunt' in her thoughts) moaning over every bite or her toast, discussing in detail what it would do to her sugar levels, blood pressure and digestion.
No wonder Dad eats his as quickly as possible. I wonder where...
Aunt Georgiana entered and sat next to her, smiling. The moment she reached for the milk, the other two women fell silent.
"What in the name of God have you done?"
Aunt Catherine sounded as if she was going to either die or cast a curse on Aunt Georgiana.
Mina frowned and looked at the woman next to her.
"Wow" she squeaked.
Georgiana looked... different.
"I'm following the trend."
"How... How could you..."
"The hair salon in Lambton opens at seven" Georgiana answered calmly. "And they were very happy to find me a last minute opening when I said I wanted to donate my hair to the cancer wig organisation."
"Georgiana! What would your dear mother have said?"
"No idea. But I hope she would have been happy that I provided some poor sick kid with a good wig. What did you do with yours, Rosie? Kept them? They accept even hair cut by yourself, as long as it's more than seven inches. Your braid was at least twice that."
Mina blinked and almost agreed. She managed to stop herself at the last second.
"No, they would not be useful. You know? The chewing gum? Had to throw them away."
"Aaah, right. Well, there is always the next time."
"I wonder what your brother..."
Mina tuned the oldest generation out.
I wonder how Rose managed to stay reasonably sane, living here. I'd have chosen a boarding school over them. Probably aunt Georgiana and Dad make it a bit better. And Mrs R. I hope.
####
Aaaand that's chapter 6. I'm afraid next one will not show up quickly, as it's less than 1k words at this point (and the target is ~10k).
Let me know what you think :)