Taking care of the children wasn't as hard as I expected. They listened to me just as much as they listened to Miss Peregrine. I fed them a lunch of our regular goose sandwiches and I also whipped up some chocolate pudding. I had packed it in a basket so they could eat outside, as they enjoyed. I was half-tempted to join them. I was still a ward, after all, but, I knew that I had a job to do. When dinner rolled around I had Enoch, Hugh, Fiona, Emma, Jacob and Horace help me prepare the food. The children who were left were normally the kitchen crew, but I chose the ones who had not done it on account of fairness.
After the supper, I asked the children to bathe. After they all had I allowed them to romp around on the second floor until lights-out. I then took Miss Avocet and Miss Peregrine a platter of dinner. Both human and bird ymbryne ate quite a bit and I took pride in that.
"You are instructing the children well, Miss Raven," said Miss Avocet as she ate a piece of bread. "You will indeed make a fine ymbryne."
I thanked her kindly and headed back into the kitchen to clean up. When I was done, I hung up Miss Peregrine's apron and headed up to the second floor. I found the children noisily romping around the library. Considering the circumstances, I allowed them to romp on, for it seemed to distract them from the thought that Wights were looking for Miss Peregrine.
I bathed myself and slipped into the gown that Miss Peregrine had given me. I then took to the balcony in my room, cigarette in hand. As I smoked, I peered out into the darkness. The changeover had already happened and the house was veiled by night. It was quiet. Down on the edge of the yard I saw Jacob and Emma, hand-in-hand, patrolling. What a couple they made!
I had never felt so ymbryne- like before that moment. I stood on the balcony, overlooking the house, in an ymbryne's old gown, smoking like Miss Peregrine. In fact, the feeling was so peculiar that I was convinced that I almost could be Miss Peregrine.
But yet, I couldn't.
I was Miss Raven. I had no proper training, no loop, and no children to look after yet. All I had was someone else's wards to look after, a house that wasn't mine to guard from Wights, a very well-known guest to pamper, and a wounded ymbryne who could not change back. Yes, life was swell in the peculiar world, but this was just plain tiring. I had to give kudos to all of the ymbrynes that did this on a daily basis. Of course, I would be doing this later in life, but I wasn't ready for that yet.
I was no Miss Peregrine.
Deciding that the company of other ymbrynes and tea sounded nice, I made my way from my room. I stopped in the library and poked my head in.
"Children!" I sang. "You may continue to play, but please, do it quietly. I expect all of you in bed within the hour."
"Yes, Miss Stonington," they all answered.
I nodded and closed the door.
Making tea was nothing to me. I whipped up a whole kettle and took it into the drawing room on a platter. I knew at this point Miss Peregrine was unable to drink tea, but Miss Avocet and I sure could. The tea tasted so nice after chasing after children all day. Jacob nor Emma came in to report signs of Wights, so there must not have been any.
I sat with Miss Avocet and we jabbered on and on about the world that I had come from.
"Is it true that almost every citizen of America owns a motorcar?" asked Miss Avocet.
I stirred my tea slowly, my attention on the fire as it burned in the hearth. I thought of my Jetta, just sitting there lonely in the parking lot of the Rochester airport. Of course, it had been almost three months since I had left home, and I was pretty sure that it had been towed by now. Perhaps my parentals had realized that I was not coming home and they took it back. It could be my sister's car now, for all I cared. I had packed everything from inside it into my backpack. So it was just another empty car.
"Yes, that is true," I replied. "I have one, myself."
"Do you really?" she asked, interested. "Are they difficult to maneuver?"
I shook my head. "Not as long as one practices."
"I'm quite used to horses and carriages, myself," she explained. "Nothing like a good ole' hefty steed to carry you to your destination."
That reminded me heavily of the day that I had stolen the horse and cart from town. I hadn't known how to drive a horse, but I had ridden before, and I picked up on it quickly. I was more than sure that I could most definitely do it again.
"Is it also true that when you compose a letter, the receiver receives it instantly?"
"Yes," I replied.
"The fastest way I recall sending a letter is by bird." With that she began to giggle. Miss Peregrine crowed and Miss Avocet pet her head. "Think you can begin to deliver letters, Alma?" she teased.
Just then, I noticed Jacob and Emma walk past the drawing room. They were laughing. Yes, there was no Wights around. I focused on Miss Avocet again.
"What undiluted balderdash, Esmeralda," replied Miss Peregrine.
Miss Avocet eyed me curiously. "Have you any worries about becoming a ymbryne, Miss Raven?" she asked.
"Not really. I'm terrified of being captured by Wights, though."
"You must connect with your children, Miss Raven. If need be, they can protect you."
Miss Peregrine was right, the children had fought to defend her. I bet that Miss Avocet's children would do the same for her. I hoped that someday, if they needed too, my children would fight for me.
I took care of the children for almost ten days. I was stern about Miss Peregrine's rules, and I was not afraid to put my foot down when they became unruly. Bronwyn and Emma helped me with the young ones. Bronwyn was the one who tucked them in at night, anyway, not Miss Peregrine. Claire and Olive were especially fond of Bronwyn, so the fact that she was with them for the majority of the time did not bother them. I cooked, cleaned, watched over the children as they played, served meals, took care of Miss Avocet and helped Miss Avocet with Miss Peregrine. Of all the things I had to do, switching shifts with Miss Peregrine seemed the most important to me. Every other night, Miss Avocet would sleep in the second floor guest room, and I would sleep in the drawing room with Miss Peregrine. On nights that Miss Avocet stayed on, I slept in my own bed. Jacob continued his patrols, circling the house every two hours or so and twice at night.
To my surprise, the loop did not slip, as the children had feared. Even if it had, Miss Avocet would have been the one to step in and fix it, for I was not knowledgeable how to even construct a loop, let alone repair one.
As Miss Peregrine began to grow stronger and her wound healing, Miss Avocet took some time to herself each day, making the time longer every day. Soon, Miss Peregrine was able to stand, perch, eat and drink, but she could not fly yet.
It was almost fifteen days after her attack that she was finally ready to change back.
"She will do it in her own time," explained Miss Avocet. "I have managed to keep her as herself, rather then allowing her to turn bird."
"Turn bird?" I asked.
She sighed. "When a ymbryne remains a bird for an extended period of time, it is harder for her change back. Luckily, with the presence of another ymbryne, she is able to stay herself." Miss Avocet placed her hand over her heart. "It is something that only a true- hearted ymbryne can prevent."
"Do you think I am true-hearted?" I asked.
She shifted her head to one side and looked me in the eyes. "I believe that you will be one of the most strong-hearted ymbrynes there ever was. In fact, your Miss Peregrine has quite the strong will."
Miss Peregrine had been perching on a lamp in the drawing room as we had this conversation. When Miss Avocet called her strong-hearted, she managed to fly over and land on her shoulder. She then began to preen strands of Miss Avocet's white hair. I guess it annoyed Miss Avocet because her expressions sulked and the next thing I knew she thrashed her arms upward.
"Alma LeFay Peregrine!" she hissed, "you know how much I dislike being pecked at!"
Miss Peregrine then flew over to my shoulder and began to preen my hair. I did nothing. Miss Avocet then instructed me that allowing another ymbryne to peck at me in such a way was utterly rude, and embarrassing. So then, I tried to shoo away Miss Peregrine, but all she did was peck me. She did not agree.
I adored the woman too much to shoo her, so I allowed her to go about preening me. She continued happily.
"I can assure you that I will be myself again before the night is out," said Miss Peregrine. "I shall wait until the children are asleep, so I can transform privately."
"It'll be so nice having you back, Headmistress," I said.
I spent the rest of the day tending to the children. I prepared lunch, I even took some time to play with them on the terrace. We romped around until it was time for supper. I had Emma and Jacob grab a goose for me, and Claire and Olive helped me with everything else. Soon we were all joined at the table, eating food that was just as delicious as if Miss Peregrine had made it. I had the children to help me make food the way she normally did it. Once supper was finished, I excused the children to wash up for bed.
I then set to work preparing dinner for Miss Avocet and Miss Peregrine. Miss Avocet was insistent that she eat after the children, claiming that they were most important in a young ymbrynes life. Such was true, but I felt horrible making them wait for sometimes dinner went slow that we'd still be sitting at the table during the changeover. The house would begin to shake, then the bomb would drop, the white flash would appear, and we'd all remain at the table eating when the "smoke" cleared.
I found Miss Avocet strolling around the back garden, Miss Peregrine on her shoulder. They walked along, speaking in ymbryne. I strode right up to them.
"Dinner has been set out for you in the drawing room," I said.
"Thank you, Miss Raven," said Miss Avocet.
I led her into the drawing room and joined her, a cup of tea in my hands. We talked of different birds as they ate. Miss Peregrine was enjoying the pieces of goose I had cut up for her. She squawked between bites. When they finished, I took care of the dishes, then climbed to the second floor to put the children to bed.
When I left Claire and Olive's room- they were last because they were youngest, I pressed myself against the door and smiled. I knew. It was time for Miss Peregrine to change back, and when the children awoke, they'd find her and I preparing breakfast.