Chapter 23
"All I am saying is you should at least consider it" said Archie throwing his fishing tackle into the sparkling water. They had finally settled by the river after a long day's hike up in the mountains. Overhead the intense blue of the late morning sky burst like a jewel in the autumn sun, its weak warmth on their faces a welcome contrast to the crisp freshness of the woodland air.
"Yes, Albert, why not" interjected Tom busy preparing the bait with adept fingers, a big, fat worm dangling haphazardly from the end of its hook. He raised his head and looked at Albert.
"Sorry I missed the occasion but the radio news at least made quite a fuss about your excellent oratory skills. Not to mention Patty's starry eyes when she got home" he chuckled and nudged Albert in the ribs.
Albert pushed him back amiably and laughed too.
"Guys, come on now, are you seriously suggesting that I take up politics just because of a fancy speech?"
"I think you would be infinitely better than some of the morons running the state at present" said Archie seriously.
Tom chortled "aye, that wouldn't be difficult, Archie has a point you know!"
Albert pushed back his hair, a modest smile edging on his handsome face.
"If my political accomplishments could be judged only on the basis of some impressive words, perhaps we'd all be better off if I became a writer!"
He closed his eyes and an expression of seriousness filled his face. In a voice of matchless eloquence and resonance, he quoted:
"The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities."
The other two burst out laughing, clapping their hands in mock admiration.
"Bravo, Sir Ardlay!"
"Hurray!"
"More, more!"
"Honestly, what a guy!"
Albert joined in the jubilant banter; the good-natured frivolity went on for a while, until at last they quietened down and concentrated on their fishing. It didn't take long before they were rewarded with a handsome catch.
"I guess these will have to do" said Archie. "We should start preparing for the trip home soon if we are to have lunch with the others."
"It was good of you to invite my father too, Albert" said Tom. "He is getting older and doesn't get the chance to travel as much now – he is looking forward to seeing the boys again, it's been a while."
Albert nodded "I can assure you everyone looks forward to seeing him too, so no need to thank me Tom, it's our pleasure. Now, I think Archie is right, we need to get up and go, as we have to drop by the ranch on our way down."
(***)
"Hellooooo! Is there anyone home?"
"Hello everyone! We're back!"
Albert and Tom unloaded the car, as Archie called out to Annie, Candy and the kids. There was a moment of quiet before the pitter patter of little feet running down the marble staircase broke the silence.
"Daddy, you're home!" "
"Daddy, daddy!"
Anthony and Stear ran towards the car, jumping into the arms of their fathers.
"Uncle Tom, you're here too! Auntie Patty came yesterday morning, did you know?" Stear didn't stop to breathe before he went on "we made blueberry cakes!"
Tom laughed as he held Stear firmly in his arms, his eyes widening with affection at the young boy's enthusiasm "what was that, cakes? Yummy, I can't wait to taste them!"
"Grandpa Steve!" Anthony ran to the old man who picked him and lifted him easily up into the air. Antony screamed with delight. "Oh, you're getting too big for this, young man" Mr Steve's deep laughter echoed in the yard as he put him gently on the ground.
Archie took Stear by the hand "come on son, we have brought some special presents for lunch, give me a hand with these, will you."
Tom spoke to Anthony "well, a little bird told me you have just got a pony, is that true?"
"Of course it's true, great aunt Elroy got him for me. You must come and see him, he is the biggest and prettiest pony in the whole world!"
Albert tousled his son's hair and chuckled too "well, if he is indeed all these wonderful things, then you must definitely show uncle Tom. He knows a lot about horses, he is a true expert."
Archie interrupted, smiling "come now you two, we need to go and find your mothers, where are they?"
"Mum! Muuuum! Dad's back, mummy!" the boys dashed out into the back garden, where Candy, Annie and Patty were sitting around the table enjoying a cup of tea and a lively conversation, unaware of the commotion on the other side of the large house.
"Ahh, no offence, but everything feels less stuffy and formal when Aunt Elroy is not around. And it's such a lovely day! Not too cold and rather pleasant in the sun... mmm..." Annie stretched lazily.
Candy smiled "well, now that there is such incredible news to get her interested, I couldn't see her deciding to stay here with our noisy bunch."
Patty put her cup down "but is it true? Elisa engaged? Without any big announcements and fanfare? Are you sure it really happened?"
"Well, to be honest with you, I think Aunt Elroy herself was quite surprised when she received the phonecall from Mrs Rangan this morning, but yes, it appears to be true. My understanding of the situation is that they are now in the process of planning the wedding, apparently."
She poured more tea into her cup and continued "still, it is rather fortunate that the Rangans are spending some days in the area and even more fortunate that Aunt Elroy decided to go and visit them there instead of inviting them here!"
Annie stirred in her chair uncomfortably almost choking on her drink "yes, thank God for that! Pah, the thought alone of seeing Elisa again makes me wince!"
"Well, one way or another, I can't see how you can avoid going to the wedding" said Patty. "They are your family after all".
Candy shook her head in doleful agreement, "yes, there is no escaping it I am afraid..."
Annie turned around looking puzzled "but what is going on, are the boys OK? What's all this noise?"
Candy was first to see them approaching.
"My goodness, look at this big fish! Hey explorers, welcome back!"
They all got up and went to greet their husbands; Mr Stephen gave Candy a bag filled with fresh, juicy steaks and burgers from the ranch.
"I'll fire up the barbecue, shall I?" said Albert walking towards the end of the patio. Archie followed him, "let me give you a hand Albert."
The girls rushed into the kitchen while the children helped Tom and Mr Stephen set the table. It wasn't long before the pungent smell of cooked meat and fish filled the back garden and the large table was laden with vegetables, potato salad, creole aubergines, mangetout and corn on the cob, grilled onions, fresh lemon juice for the fish, honey and mustard marinade for the vegetables and a bottle of tomato "ketchup", the children were so crazy about. Archie brought up a couple of bottles of wine from the cellar and Patty prepared some apple juice for the kids.
"Hmm, not long to go now... God, I'm ravenous" moaned Archie his face red hot standing over the grill turning carefully some burgers.
"Must be the fresh air of the countryside... you're becoming a city-boy, my friend, forgetting your roots" Albert teased him. He then called out to the rest of the party,
"OK everybody this is it, take your plates please and come over to be served. Yes, Anthony and Stear will be the first ones, thank you, young gentlemen, here you go..."
(***)
Candy stretched as she undressed and got ready to get into bed. Albert was already there reading through some papers.
"Aww boy, am I tired!" she yawned.
Albert looked up at her, put his folder away and smiled "I know... me too... but it was a wonderful day, don't you agree?"
She pulled her covers over her and snuggled up to him; he put his arm around her.
"Oh yes, absolutely. One of the best days of my life..." she added dreamily.
"I didn't know Tom knew how to play the guitar" said Albert. "He is very good, actually."
Candy smiled "yes, I think he picked it up after Mr Stephen adopted him... it was so good we could all be together and sing, relax and forget about work and life's obligations for a little while... Anthony and Stear went straight to sleep tonight, they didn't even want their bed-time story. Poor things, they were exhausted with all the excitement and the attention they were getting."
"Well, perhaps tomorrow we should take it easy then; I was thinking we could take them out for a nice long walk in the forest, is that OK with you?" he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.
She caressed his face "of course, dear. I am glad Archie and Annie didn't mind leaving Stear with us here for an extra day, these two are truly inseparable..."
"OK then, we'll make tomorrow special." He kissed her gently. "I am really sorry I have to be away for so long Candy... it will be almost Christmas before I am back this time... it's hard to not be able to see you and Anthony for so many weeks..." he sighed.
She rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him "I know honey... I too wish we could come with you... but I can see it's not practical..."
"No, it's not practical" repeated Albert caressing her hair. "We'll be moving from place to place quite a lot... no, it's not a journey for children; or even you, my love... I'll be in meetings the whole day... well anyway, there's nothing we can do about it, just grin and bear it I suppose..."
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes savouring the peace and each other's embrace, then Candy spoke.
"What did you make of Elisa's unexpected engagement? Did Aunt Elroy tell you who the "lucky" man is then? At least she seemed pleased when she came back."
"Mmm, I spoke to her briefly before she went upstairs; a certain Sergeant Benjamin Dawson is the husband-to-be. I think Elisa met him a couple of years ago in Tulsa when her father was relocated there to expand our banking business. I have never heard of him but I hope God has blessed him with unlimited amounts of patience, as I am sure he'll need it."
"I wonder when the wedding will be then" pondered Candy, rearranging her pillow.
Albert gave her nose a light kiss "lots of time to worry about that. All I care about at the moment is finishing off all business stuff and the travelling so that I can be back for Christmas. Mince pies, Christmas trees and loads of kids running around opening presents... we are going to Pony's, aren't we?"
She smiled "well, that's the plan! I am looking forward to it too".
His hand caressed her golden hair and Candy felt a wave of warmth and happiness flow through her.
"I am grateful you could spare these extra couple of days for us, Albert. I can never get enough of you, time seems to fly when we are together..."
He slowly lowered his head and brushed a kiss over her lips.
"Goodnight my love. Sleep well and when you dream, dream of me..."
(***)
"No, these ones are called polyporales; go on, touch them – they are harder than the ones we've found on our path so far and they grow on trees... feel the difference?" Albert helped Stear reach for the creamy brown tough mushroom.
"The ones we normally cook belong to another family, called boletales... see? Like the ones over there" he pointed at the edge of the path.
"Where?" asked Anthony, stepping cautiously on the slightly slippery blanket of autumn leaves.
Candy bent down and showed him "this one here."
"The way to identify them is to look under their cap, see? They have gills, pores or teeth on their underside and this can help you identify them. It's not easy though, you have to be careful because some of them can poison you if you eat them!"
Stear looked surprised "what, like real poison? Like the apple that the evil Witch gave to Snow White?"
Albert laughed "well, actually yes, something like that. So that's why you should not just pick them randomly – let's have a look in my book here, there are many pictures that can help us choose the right ones."
The boys followed him fascinated. Candy looked at the three of them deep in conversation, the children listening eagerly to Albert's instructions and explanations of the natural world, and a sensation of golden sweetness and delight filled her heart.
"Don't forget, we promised Aunt Elroy to make jam so we need to make sure we have collected enough raspberries too, OK?" she called out to them.
They nodded hastily and waved at her absentmindedly as they rushed ahead; and as a red squirrel fled graciously up a tree amidst excited exclamations, Candy knew they were too absorbed in their new explorations to pay attention to her.
She paused and let herself be immersed in the splendour of the fiery autumn colours, smells and textures around her. She loved that season. She loved the forest stillness, the riot of autumn leaves forming thick decaying carpets on the frosty ground. Terracotta, russet, bronze, purple, brown. Even that subtlest of shades, old gold – gold with a burnished look, gold with a tiny hint of red, gold with a auburn mellowness and softness.
Then there was the decay. This is the winding-down of everything, towards death, she thought. She looked around her and her mind wandered fleetingly upon other times, an era long gone. The children's laughter pierced the air and for a moment she thought she saw herself and Anthony Brown walking the same paths, watching the same wild geese flying off to warmer places, picking ripe blueberries, galloping through the fields with Caesar and Cleopatra...
"... the great gift of autumn is that the beginning of the end doesn't feel like decay, at least on the surface, it doesn't feel like a crumbling and a rottening and a collapse from within; it is the arrival of a world of new sensations..."
She jumped at the words and the awareness of a strong arm around her waist.
"Oh sorry darling, I didn't mean to startle you!" apologised Albert.
She smiled reassured "no, it's OK. I was just thinking... remembering... you know..."
He pulled her towards him and gave her a small kiss "I know."
"Where are the kids?" she looked around searching.
"Well, on a very serious mission, if you must know" said Albert mysteriously.
She raised her eyebrow "which is...?"
Albert pulled away from her and dusted down imagined dirt from the sleeves of his jacket. He tried to keep a straight face as he replied "that, my dear is a secret I am forbidden to divulge".
Candy couldn't but laugh at his serious expression of camaraderie and confidentiality "OK then, I will have to trust you, I guess. I must say though, I am rather intrigued".
Albert placed his hand around her shoulders and guided her in the direction the children had taken in their quest for collecting earthly goods. She could hear them chattering in the background, their voices becoming clearer as she moved forward.
"Everything OK there, boys?" he asked with a clear, loud voice.
The children scrambled up to them, showing proudly their rick pickings; raspberries and chestnuts, which Albert would roast later for them on a roaring fire. He knew how much Candy loved them and he had instructed Anthony and Stear to see if they could find some.
Candy and Albert took the boys by the hand and they all walked cheerfully together, pretending to do mini-races and jumping over muddy puddles, the latter eliciting squeals of delight and requests for a repeat.
"Come on then, young lads, let's have some poetry" said Albert.
"Everyone now, please, repeat after me, yes, you too Candy!"
One day I found two pumpkin seeds.
I planted one and pulled the weeds.
It sprouted roots and a big, long vine.
A pumpkin grew; I called it mine.
The pumpkin was quite round and fat.
(I really am quite proud of that.)
But there is something I'll admit
That has me worried just a bit.
I ate the other seed, you see.
Now will it grow inside of me?
(I'm so relieved since I have found
That pumpkins only grow in the ground!)
Loud voices and uncontrollable giggling filled the forest, perturbing the stillness of the soft landscape around them. The noise must have been quite significant as they reached the house because even Aunt Elroy peeped out of the drawing room window trying to identify the source of the commotion... surprisingly for her strict standards, however, she didn't complain; she actually seemed pleased to come downstairs to the kitchen and get the boys to help her make one her famous lemon tarts.
The jolly mood persisted well after dinner, when the children, thoroughly exhausted following the rich experiences of the day, fell quickly asleep.
"At last some peace" smiled Albert as he entered the living room and joined Candy who was sitting on the floor near the fireplace.
"Did they nod off OK?"
"Oh yes, just one story about knights and unicorns and that was them gone."
Candy smiled "we all had a gorgeous day, thank you darling for organising it."
Albert got up and poured himself a drink "ah, nonsense, I didn't really do anything." He turned towards her "would you like some brandy or a sherry?"
"Hmm... no, not for me thanks... I may have a sip of whatever you're having."
He sat behind her and put his arms around her, resting his chin on her head.
"How about a story for me too then?" she teased him as he placed his glass on the floor next to them.
He kissed her hair and massaged her neck and shoulders. She followed his lead obediently, and leaned against his chest, comforted by his presence, his care and knack for making her feel so happy and relaxed.
"Do you know what I like so much about autumn" he started quietly.
"The first thing is mist. To me, autumn mist is something you smell before you see it; it's the initial hint of a tang in the air as you leave the house in the morning, just creeping into the nostrils, and you know in your tissues at once that summer is over and the world is turning; then you notice that the sunshine is hazy and pale..."
He drank a sip of his cognac and continued.
"The next one's smoke. This is another tang that drifts to the nostrils after the summer, the smoke of wood and coal fires, the smoke of bonfires; you start to smell that in October, and see it hanging in the air on still days of high pressure. A third one is frost: different again. Not just a whitening, but a hardening and a sharpening of everything, yet welcome, when it first arrives, with the pleasant surprise of novelty.
Mist, smoke and frost; yet so much more. Tastes: the earthy taste of mushrooms; the rich soft crumble of roasted chestnuts; that was the boys' surprise, did you guess in the end, Candy?"
She nodded and smiled.
"Chestnuts, the dark pungency of game; the resinous bite of juniper berries. Sounds: the swishing of kicked leaves and their crunch underfoot; the roar of a gale; the metallic cough of a pheasant echoing through the woodlands. Sights: the foliage, of course, in all its glory, but also less obvious things: the softening of the sunlight; the faded blue of harebells; the reddening of ripening apples; the understated dun shades of chrysanthemums."
She turned to look at him; his face reflecting off the warmth of the fireplace, his eyes a pair of gleaming jewels.
"All of this is gladdening, a source of the most enormous pleasure, but would you not agree that it doesn't quite lift the heart the way spring flowers or birdsong do?
For bluebells and birdsong have hope about them, a promise of what's to come, whereas the signs of autumn, for all their splendour, are the signs of a world that is dying; and there's no escaping that."
He drew another sip while pondering her words.
"Perhaps that's where the melancholy comes from: the subtext, the underlying, insistent theme beneath the year's last burst of beauty is that this is only occurring because the end is not far off, the end that comes to all living things, including us. If we look, in the autumn foliage we can see our own mortality: a beauty with a sadness never far away...
His handsome face lit once more with a smile full of subtle charm;
"... but is it death or simply a metamorphosis waiting to happen in expectation of the new season?"
She took the glass from his hand and moved closer to him, sealing his lips with a gentle kiss, savouring the taste of alcohol in his mouth.
"Just like that first time... do you remember... right here in front of this fire..." he asked hoarsely when they parted.
"Just like that first time" she echoed his words breathlessly her hands now fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. "Shall we go upstairs?"
(***)
"Of course I'll miss you, what a question!" Albert picked Anthony up in the air and held him tight. "Now, you be a good boy and look after your mum here, OK? And I promise, I will call you every day."
"And goodbye to my dear nephew too" he hugged Stear. "I will bring back lots of presents and we'll organise new adventures when we meet again."
"Goodbye darling" Candy kissed her husband goodbye. "Come back to us soon."
"If you need anything, please, let me know, OK? I will be in touch very regularly" he gave her one last kiss and hurried into the car where George was already waiting.
"Bye honey! Bye George! Have a safe trip!" "
"Bye daddy!"
"Good bye uncle Albert!" "
"Call when you get there! Byeee!"
Finally the car turned a corner and disappeared off into the distance.
"Well boys, I suggest we finish off packing and we get ready to drive back to Chicago, your parents, Stear, are expecting us soon and we shouldn't keep them waiting! Off you go then!"
(***)