Una still felt crazy, crazy for doing this but after Alice Parker came into her work and essentially called her a whore, okay a jezebel, but essentially a whore for ruining everything that she and Walter had created. Una tried to argue back that she ruined nothing, that Walter ruined it all for himself, but in the end, she realized the other woman would never hear the truth. Not the truth that she wanted to hear anyway.
It was the night she spent the evening looking up visa options and school options. After a long discussion with her parents, she called Alec's mother and ask her for help.
It didn't take long, and she didn't tell Alec either. He had left Canada resigned to the fact that Una was stubborn and would only do things her way.
Of course, they still talked, they called often, texted on the regular and if no one was at home Una allowed him a few sexy calls as well.
"Look my son is crazy, but Mother is always looking for people to keep her company and I know from Alec you like poetry and she lives in this old place and it might be just what you need. And you'll still be a decent train away from Alec so he can't smoother you too much. You can get a feel of living life another way without it feeling like you're signing up for something crazy?"
When she showed up at her parent's house, after weeks of being at Faith's, Rosemary just knew as she pulled her into a large hug.
"You are going then?" John says from the counter where he stood.
"If I can get the visa, Alec doesn't know because I'm not doing this for him, this has to be for me after all," Una tells her father.
"Which is wise, but how will it work?"
"I've been talking to his mother, Amelia who grew up on this big manor hour somewhere remote. Her mother still lives there and says she would enjoy some company. If I get the one visa I can work in the nearby village. It's a few hour trains to Alec's place of work with the Wordsworth foundation he can't just be around every moment of the day." Una explains to them.
She makes it through customs, having her paperwork, address, and bank statement that she has enough money until she finds herself a job. Her visa allowed her to work after all, it was oddly easy to apply for as well.
She collects her bags, before sinking into a seat. Unsure of what to do as she didn't see Alec's mother yet. So she waits, looking at her phone, she only has wifi now, which works well enough until she can get a new phone number. She shoots off a message to her family through messenger saying she arrived on time and got through customs without any issues. She also messages Alec on their app, as if she was just waking up that morning from sleeping in. It would be almost 10 am back home, and it was 2 pm here.
"Una Meredith?" She hears Amelia Keaton's voice, and then face as she turns around utterly confused out of her mind.
"Mrs. Keaton!" Una breathes a sigh of relief and lets go of the panicked worry she had bottled up.
"Amelia please," the older woman tells her with a wave. "Come along, sorry I am late, please let's get you out of here?" She says. "Do you have your bags?"
Una nods her head and gets a good look at the woman in person for the first time. She has the same sandy hair that her son hair, and possibly even some of the curls. She is tall and has a good amount of curves to her figure. Not necessarily overweight but she was a size or two larger than Rosemary who often wore a size eight.
"My you are prettier in person," Amelia says once outside of the airport. They through the bags in the trunk of the car, or as Amelia calls it the boot and Una awkwardly gets in what would be her driver's side if she was back in Canada.
"Did you have a good flight?"
"I did thank you," Una says quietly. "Uneventful, which is good."
"Did you tell your parents you arrived?" Amelia asks as she gets onto the highway.
"I did, " Una says looking down at the phone in her hand.
"It's strange leaving one home," Amelia agrees. "When I ran away to be with Arthur—Alec's father, I was so afraid that I was making the worst mistake of my life while following what could have only been the path for me."
"What happened to Alec's father?" Una asks realizing that Alec never spoke about him.
"He got sick, Alec was about twelve, and Felicity was only turning three. It was a horrid year and then I found myself back on my parent's doorsteps not sure what to do, wondering if they wanted anything to do with me after so many years." Amelia explained. "I still went back to work of course, but they ended up paying for school and everything. Alec mentioned you lost your mother young?"
Una nods her head, and instant flashes of the crash fill her mind. "It was an accident, a drunk driver hit us. Carl and I survived if only for our car's booster seats?" She says quietly.
"Oh, dear! Say nothing more I shouldn't have asked," Amelia says shocked.
"It's okay, truly it was a long time ago," Una shakes her head. "Where is Felicity?" Una asks.
"Away at school, she wanted to try boarding this year, which I think is a good way to foster independence," Amelia explains. "Of course, I miss her dearly, but she always seems to be having fun which makes it easier."
Una nods her head. "High school was fun most of the time anyway," she says quietly. "It was a fairly small school though for us but we had decent programs and funding."
The drive was largely monotonous, of course, there was small talk and Amelia was naturally curious about the ebony-haired young woman who caught her son's heart. For two hours they chat back and forth.
They drive through countless towns and villages, and some meadows and forests are still slightly green. It was January with no snow and there wasn't even snow on the ground, let alone below zero.
"Welcome to Weatherpoint House," Amelia says as she turns down a lane at two stone lion gates.
Una looks out the window, confused for a moment but over the hill, there is a great stone house and her mouth drops as it gets larger and larger as they approach it.
"Alec said it was a crumbling manor house! This is a palace!" She exclaims.
"Well, it does crumble sometimes, and a palace is much much larger Luv," Amelia says amused as she parks the car.
Una gets out stretching her legs and looks around in amazement. Just what sort of family did Alec have?
"Mind you, Alec wasn't raised here, only after when Artie died did he ever see this place." Amelia begins.
The house, mansion? Was more than what Una imagined. Though she wishes she changed as Alec's grandmother comes sweeping into the hall of the house.
"You must be Yuna," she says, saying Una the wrong way off the bat.
"It's Una—Oo-Nah, mother," Amelia corrects her.
"Momma read it in a book while pregnant with me, she didn't even know what it meant or where it came from," Una says automatically. The older woman humphs and looks over Una in her leggings and sweater.
"I am Gisela Weatherton," she says proudly.
"Thank you for having me," Una says politely.
"It is nothing, in days as there it will be nice to have someone else around," she tells Una softening a small amount.
"Amelia why don't you take and show Una her room, I put her in the rose room, it gets lovely light and is the most recently papered," the older woman tells the young. "I will go check on tea you have your usual room for the night."
"Of course," Amelia nods and kisses her mother's cheek, and helps Una with her bags up the grand staircase. Once out of earshot, she talks once more. "I think you'll get along, once you get past the British standoffishness, " she tells Una as she turns a corner and then another before a doorway.
Una looks around, it's old-fashioned but comfortable with an iron wrought bed frame with rose-coloured bedding. The walls are papered in a pink and gold striped design that was embossed and very pretty to look out. There was a great window with long curtains that looked over what Una could imagine was a Garden when it wasn't January.
Una changes into something a little nicer, pulling on a pair of black pants and a nicer sweater. Tea ends up being dinner, something that Una has a hard time wrapping her head around. Roast chicken, vegetables, potatoes and a fresh loaf of bread are all on the table.
"Sit sit," Gisela tells her when she stands in the kitchen doorway. Una nods her head and goes to the table side still standing.
"Can I help with anything?" She asks feeling like she should do something.
"Water is on the table, but there are fizzy drinks in the fridge if you prefer those, or there is a bottle of wine." She says simply.
"I don't drink often so water is fine," Una explains sitting down as Amelia comes into the kitchen and grabs the bottle of wine.
They all sit down and quietly make up their plates, eating a few bites before Gisela speaks to Una.
"I asked around the village to see if there was any sort of job you might be able to do while you were here to start you off with, and I know Alec said you enjoyed books, but I know the lady at the flower shop is looking for someone to help with the front of the shop."
"Oh, thank you," Una says after swallowing her forkful.
"It's a fifteen-minute walk down the road after the driveway, but we most likely have a bicycle around as well," Gisela states. "If it rains we can get one of the boys to bring you into town."
"Doesn't it always rain?" Una asks and the older women both laugh.
Amelia stays the night but leaves the next morning telling Una to call if she ever needs anything. Who stayed up most of the night, unpacking her things, hanging up her dresses and her organizing her drawers. Quietly as she could, to not disturb anyway. Still a lot of black, but there are coloured pieces that she wears. She catches a few hours of sleep at 3 am, setting an alarm for eight am which is a rude awaking.
She stumbles into a cold bathroom, confused about showers and taps more than she ever had, even more, confused when she can't find a place to plug in her hair dryer or a plug-in for her converter.
She ends up back in her room at an old-looking vanity that had trinket boxes and bottles on it. Inside the drawers were other toiletries and a hair dryer, a proper one with a proper plug. Well, that sorted that?
She dries her hair quickly and braids the top half back from her face. She dresses simply, pulling on tights and a white long-sleeve shirt before her old jumper dress, or is a pinafore here now? Jumpers were sweaters were they not?
She digs out a pair of slippers for her feet as the floors are cold and goes to find the kitchen once more.
"I would suggest a pair of indoor shoes, the floors get quite cold and sometimes you want something a bit nicer than slippers when there is company," Gisela tells her from her spot in the kitchen.
"Indoor shoes?" Una frowns looking down at her feet. "Rosemary would have chased us from the house if we even dared to wear shoes indoors"
"Well, outdoor shoes never, but a nice pair for indoors is always needed between the tile and hardwood when company is over has never hurt the house," Gisela tells her. "Have you called your parents since you arrived?"
"I messaged, I'll call them later today. I just have to figure out my computer and things like that." Una tells her. "I don't want to use my phone here if I don't need to. Once Alec knows I'm here I want to get a new phone number."
"Of course, makes sense, you saw that I left the internet password on your nightstand for you?"
"I did thank you," Una nods her head looking around the kitchen.
"Pantry and cereals are to your rights, Tea and coffee are next to the hob in the cupboard, do you know how to work gas?"
"I do," Una nods her head.
Una makes enough oatmeal for both of them before looking in the fridge. Looking at the various sorts of cream in the fridge deciding which would be better for her coffee and the oatmeal.
Skimmed, Semi-skim, double cream, single cream. Did she understand skimmed and semi-skinned for the most part but the cream?
"Single cream is for coffee, or with porridge, double cream is whipping and for cream for cooking occasionally," the older woman tells her.
Una nods her head taking the skimmed milk from the fridge and the single cream.
Do they take her to the town? Village maybe Una isn't sure what it truly is, but it's quaint and while the sky is grey and they all have on warm layers it's a nice day.
The grocery store for Una to get acquainted with, and for some snacks for herself. The pharmacy for feminine things and toiletries that weren't travel sized. Another store for a pair of boots that she could wear about the yard for walks that she was told was needed, along with a pair of flats for inside the house.
Of course, she spoke to the flower shop owner, it was half flowers with random antiques and gifts. Settling that she would come in a few days a week, to begin with, to see if she would be a good fit for the job.
She stops though in front of the old church. Massive, made of limestone and had large stained glass windows.
"Alec says you are a preachers daughter?" Gisela says breaking the silence.
"I am," Una nods her head.
"Good, the boy could use some more faith for himself." Una doesn't have the heart to tell her, that she would never make Alec go to church with her. Faith was personal and full of conviction, and to fake, it would be insincere. She plays with her rosary bracelet thinking about Rome and the Vatican. "I'll have the Reverend over for tea one day so you can meet each other. Do you sing? They have a choir?"
"I do," Una says nodding her head.
They drive back to the house, but the sheer size of it still sends Una into a tizzy. Just who was Alec? She wonders in the back of her mind. She calls her parents up in her room, letting them know that she was settling in and that Alec's grandmother was a nice woman. Afterwards, she laces up her new boots after changing into a pair of warmer pants. Meaning to explore the grounds while it was still light out. Not to go too far, but just to walk around the lawn and down to the old boat house that was lit with old lamps.
She looks around the pond and the meadows surrounding her.
She pulls out her small book from her pocket. Flipping to a page and reads it in the dying light.
Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;
Or surely you'll grow double:
Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble?
The sun above the mountain's head,
A freshening lustre mellow
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sweet evening yellow.
Tomorrow she would find some Keats to prattle on about, but today, Wordsworth seemed to know just how she was feeling at this turning of the table.
The Turning Tables by William Wordsworth
Well, she made it to England! How shall Alec react next chapter? We shall see!