"How were your first two weeks?" Rosemary asks Una, apparently, they got a tablet just for these calls. At least that is was Bryce told her anyway when he messaged her a few days ago.
"It's good, settling in slowly I got a new phone number finally. Phone numbers are weird here that is for sure," Una tells her thinking about the afternoon. Alec explained what all the digits and codes mean as if it made sense to Una's brain. Her area code had five numbers in it alone! Then another four, and then another three!
"You'll get used to it," Alec chuckles kissing her temple. "You can call nationally for free, and you can wifi call your parents and friends back home," Alec explains.
"I know that," Una rolls her eyes. "I can understand cellphone plans, Alec, it's just the phone numbers that are new to me."
"Have you made any friends yet?" Rosemary asks through the screen.
"It's been two weeks," Una groans. " I walk around, I get a coffee sometimes and when Alec is here he takes me to random places."
"You mean you actually leave the house when he visits," Rosemary teases her light.
"Mothers shouldn't say stuff like that," Una says groaning.
"Then don't lead me into saying things like that," Rosemary teases her back and Una makes a face.
"You need to make friends," Rose reiterates. "And preferably your age, and if they are outside of church it will be even better."
"Aren't you supposed to encourage faith-based friendships?" Una teases her.
"I do, but I also know that you need may need more than just faith in a friendship Una, especially if you wish to be honest and truthful about your life and the choices you have made in confidence?" Rosemary reminds her.
"I don't exactly live in a place that is a college town or have a lot of people my age, they often go to Nottingham or elsewhere for school," Una tells her.
"I'm sure if you look around there is," Rosemary prods her.
"It's only been two weeks," Una groans. "Give me a bit of time will you."
"Right, of course," Rosemary sighs. "Everything is all right though otherwise?"
"It's good, I have to wait for my national security number so I'll advertise for some piano lessons for some extra money until I can get a proper job. Giselle's friend offered to let me help in the floral shop, but without my security number it doesn't feel right until I get it?" Una tells her.
"That is all that matters then," Rosemary hums turning as Una hears a door open. "John dear, Una is on video."
"Ahh lovely, hello my daughter how is England in the middle of January?"
"Grey and dreary, but lacking the snow," Una tells him with a laugh. "How is the parish?"
"It is well and good," John tells her. "How is Alec?"
"He's well, he's back at work, he won't be able to come back until maybe Saturday sometime? There is a function on Friday evening he has to attend to."
"How long is the drive?"
"About three hours or so?" Una tells him after a moment of thought. "A good six hours by train, but he has a car."
"You are happy though?" John asks the inevitable question.
"I am happier, I can breathe easier," Una says after a moment.
Una tries, she really does try as she ventures out into the town. She is unsure of where to go or start, she doesn't have school anymore. Sure there was choir and whatnot, but a lot of them are older women and men.
The bookstore? But who likes to be bothered by a stranger in the bookstore? Mostly she walks around, at least it's not cold. Though when she says it's a nice day when it tips below 0, she gets odd looks. Until she explains she is from Canada that is.
In the end, she ends up in a shop with a book, drinking tea from a proper service.
"I'm sorry, do you mind, there are no other tables and I just need to sit for a moment?" The accent is different than Alec's, but it's still pleasing to the ears, she also has a stroller and a little baby all wrapped up in blankets with a hat and mitts.
"Please," Una says moving her teapot.
"Thank you," she says sighing as she sits down, grabbing the bottle from her bag and shaking it and putting it in a cup of hot water. "Usually we're home by now, but the appointment took longer than expected."
"It's fine, really it is," Una says the lady turns to her and Una gets a better look at her. She was younger than she expected with bright blue eyes and blonde hair.
"You are not from here," she states.
"Canada, I just moved here the other week," Una explains quietly. "How many months?"
"Oh five months, she was born august 12th she says cheerfully.
"Oh," Una says a bit shocked and without thinking. "That would have been my due date."
The woman blanches, "I'm so sorry," looking around and Una who was not covered in day old spit up or had any sort of child anything around her.
"It's fine, I asked didn't I? It's been talked about, prayed about and put to rest. I was only 19 at the time," Una says trying to not make her feel uncomfortable, but also not correcting her that it wasn't a miscarriage.
"I'm sorry all the same, though nineteen is young. I'm twenty-five and feel like I'm in over my head most days," she says, taking the little out of her pram and giving her the bottle she had been making.
"Well, it wasn't planned that is for sure," Una laughs lightly, again not correcting her if she thought Una was older.
"What brings you to Grantham?"
"A guy in a way? I'm staying with his grandmother, he is up in the lakes working but it's still new so we didn't want to exactly move in just yet with each other. Well, I am sure he would, but I was worried it was still two new." Una tries to explain. "Lord that sounds crazy every time I saw it out loud." She laughs.
"How did you meet? Tinder?"
"Oh no, we shared a train going to Paris," Una shakes her head. "Spent a day and a half together before we went separate ways, two weeks later after I went through Germany and Austria, he met me down in Rome for a few days. Then he came to Canada back in October for a few days, the decision wasn't easy to give up my life at home, but with a youth visa and whatnot, it gives us two years to figure out everything and be together on the same continent." Una tells her watching the little one, who is watching her back.
"Are you having a starring contest, Violet?" The older woman says playfully. "Also my name is Abby," she says for the first time.
"Una," Una tells her automatically. They exchange numbers, which still is foreign to her mind.
"Where are you in the city nearby?"
"Actually I live at Weathpointe House," Una goes slightly red.
"Are you having a laugh?" Is the response she gets and Una just stares at her blankly? "Are you joking?" Abby says after a moment.
"No, seems I managed to find myself a non-aristocratic man to fall into bed with?" Una says sheepishly with a grin.
"Is it as grand as it looks on the inside? I heard they have a marble hall?" Abby asks.
"Honestly, I don't know much about much about the house, but you are more than welcome to come to see it for yourself?" Una says bravely. Maybe this friend's things will be easier than she thought they might be.
It was after dinner a few days later, when Una goes out for a walk. She tries to walk the grounds a few times a week. That way she can know the land just a bit better. She hears voices that pique her interest as she finds herself in the old small abandoned village. Off the path, she usually went down, and the glow and smell of a fire in the distance.
It's a bunch of teens? Maybe people her age around a bonfire, but she stops short of them as the tree branch under her foot breaks. Three girls it appears as she gets closer
"Whatcha?" One of them calls out.
"Pardon?" Una says unsure stepping closer.
"What are you doing?" Another one asks.
"Walking around?" Una says brow furrowing. "Exploring?"
"Where ya from?" Another one asks.
"Oh Weatherpointe," Una says pointing to the house far behind them and they all look at each other confused. "Canada?"
They nod their head looking her over, she wearing a sweater and pair of jeans and boots.
"That explains just the jumper," One says. "Isn't it always cold there?"
"Colder than here in January," Una nods her head standing awkwardly with her weight on her one foot. "I'll just be on my way," she said pointing to the path behind her.
"You look like you have interesting stories," One with black hair says stopping her. "Why would a Canadian be out here of all places? London sure, but living in that old house, there is a story there? I feel it in my bones."
"I'm really not that interesting," Una says shaking her head.
"Come one, have a drink with us," Another says, a pretty blonde who reminds Una of Faith in many ways. The others looked like they have light brown hair, the boys she couldn't tell.
Una merely nods her head, coming closer to the bonfire and sitting down primly.
"I'm Georgia, that is Meg and Lily," she says pointing to the other girls who waved.
"Una," Una finds herself saying.
"Are you on your gap year?" One of them asks.
"Gap year?" Una asks unsure of what that is.
"Year between secondary and university," another one explains.
"Not really? I did about a semester last year but my life was sort of turned upside down and I really don't know what I'm doing?" Una tries to explain without confusing them. "And being an international student isn't much of an option for me money wise so I'm just sort of chilling out with a youth mobility visa while my boyfriend works up in the Lake District?"
"So you're dating a posh boy, not in school and just working then?" One concludes.
"Well, Alec isn't exactly posh," Una says quietly. "And not working quite yet, I need to wait for my security number? Unless you know people who are looking for piano lessons?"
"Not that I know of, but my sister is a music teacher I can ask her?" The one names Meg tells her.
"Oh it's okay, I was just joking," Una tells them shaking her head.
"So you live in the big old house? Is it as haunted as they say it us?" Lily asks speaking up for the first time.
"Umm, I'm not sure?" Una bites her lip. "Neither Alec nor his grandmother has said anything about it."
"Well, the rumour for the longest time that some bride threw herself off the balcony overlooking the garden the night before she was married some duke or something. Arranged by her parents, and she still walks the halls at night." Georgia explains with a grin. "Though the old woman was frightening enough as a child."
"Mrs. Weatherton is rather nice when you get to know her," Una says unsure of what else to say. "But we had this crazy old man back home who was very much the same, but I should get back before someone comes looking for me?" She says standing up.
"We're usually here on Wednesdays," one of them tells her and Una nods her head.
"I'll keep that in mind." She tells him, she tells them all. She walks back towards the old path, her phone ringing in her pocket.
"Luv, you'll never guess what happened today," Alec says as she hits the accept button and it makes her smile. She listens to him ramble on as she comes up to the house, looking at the room she resides in.
"Alec? Did some young bride actually throw herself off my room's balcony to avoid being married off?" She asks him.
"Ahh, you heard about that?" Alec laughs.