Kings Cross Station, London…
Several people walked back and forth across the platforms of the station, trying to get to their compartments.
Close to a waiting train, the Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy were standing with their mother, Mrs. Pevensie who was pinning a letter to Lucy's jacket.
Even as Mrs. Pevensie adjusted the pin, she said to Lucy, "You need to keep this on darling, alright?"
Lucy looked solemn as she listened.
The mother asked, "You're warm enough?" to which Lucy nodded in response.
"Good girl," the mother said encouragingly.
She then proceeded to pin another letter to Edmund's jacket. Edmund was staring unhappily at a poster that said, "Help the Children. HOUSING EVACUEES IS A NATIONAL SERVICE."
He spoke in a clearly upset tone, "If Dad were here, he wouldn't make us go!"
Peter explained, "If Dad were here and the war was over, we wouldn't have to go."
Mrs. Pevensie said pleadingly, "You will listen to your brother, won't you Edmund?"
Edmund did not respond but looked at his brother and mother with eyes clearly showing that he was feeling hurtful.
Mrs. Pevensie pulled the pained child into a hug and kissed him.
Even as the children looked at her, she turned to Peter and hugged him saying, "Promise me you will look after the others."
Peter was clearly full of pain too, having to leave his mother, but he firmly and willingly said, "I will Mum."
The mother smiled at him and said, "Good lad.", even as a whistle sounded and a guard began crying out, "All aboard, all aboard…"
She turned to Susan and hugged her saying, "Susan, be a big girl."
Susan too was not happy but held back her tears with a sniff and smiled at her mother, not wanting to make her upset.
Mrs. Pevensie then looked at all her children and said, "Alright, off you go."
The children began to proceed towards the train, Peter taking Lucy's hand and Susan taking Edmund's.
Edmund protested saying, "Get off, I know how to get on the train by myself. Get off me."
Peter was so distracted by the sight of some soldiers passing by that he did not hear the ticket checker, a woman nearby asking, "May I have your tickets please? Tickets please?"
It was only when Susan took the tickets from him, calling out his name, that Peter realized what was happening.
The lady took the tickets and after briefly examining them ushered them on board saying, "On you go."
"Yes, thank you," Peter muttered, clearly overwhelmed by everything that was happening.
Lucy turned back to look at her mother, and Peter turned to her, trying to comfort her saying, "Lucy come on, we have to stick together. It's going to be alright. It's going to be fine."
Even as the doors closed and mothers and children tearfully waved to each other, the train began to move.
The Pevensie children waved to their mother from a nearby window even as the mother waved, trying to smile for them and saying, "Bye bye dears."
It was a solemn goodbye as the train left the station.
Sometime later, at Coombe halt Station…
The four children stood on the platform even as the train left.
Just then, they heard the sound of a car approaching and eagerly rushed down, thinking the person they were to be staying with was coming for them. However, it turned out it was not their ride, as a small car moved past them slowly and crossed the tracks, driving away.
Even as they looked up the dirt road, Susan stated, "The professor knew we were coming."
Edmund looked at his letter saying, "Perhaps we've been incorrectly labeled."
Just then, they heard the sound of a horse cart approaching.
And soon enough, a horse cart did pull up next to them, pulled by a white horse and driven by a stern looking woman with glasses and a hat.
Even as she looked at the children, Peter and Susan looked at each other. Peter then turned to the lady and asked nervously, "Mrs. Macready?"
The woman responded rather un-smilingly, "I'm afraid so."
She then looked at them and asked in a rather concerned manner, "Is this it then? Haven't you brought anything else?"
Peter replied, "No ma'am. It's just us."
Even as Lucy nodded at her, Mrs. Macready commented, "Small favors", and indicated to them to get on to the cart.
Soon enough, they reached a huge mansion surrounded by trees, causing the children to stare at it in awe.
Even as they were led through the house, Mrs. Macready was saying, "Professor Kirke is not accustomed to having children in his house. And as such, there are a few rules we will need to follow."
Even as they ascended a staircase, she turned to them and said, "There will be no shouting, or running."
Even as they neared a statue at a fork in the staircase, she continued, "No improper use of the dumb waiter."
Susan reached out to touch the statue when the woman suddenly shouted, "NO, touching of the historical artifacts."
Even as the siblings looked at each other, Mrs. Macready reached the top on one side and said softly but firmly, "And above all, there shall be no disturbing of the professor."
Lucy turned to look at the door ahead even as her siblings moved ahead, but then quickly turned away and followed them.
Later on that night, the children were in one of their rooms, listening to a broadcast of another air raid on London.
Even as Susan turned off the radio, unable to listen anymore, she and Peter heard Lucy softly complain, "Sheets are scratchy."
Peter and Susan moved towards her bed. Even as Peter sat down, Susan smiled and said, "Wars don't last forever Lucy. We'll be home soon."
Edmund came close, commenting, "Sure, if home's still there!"
Susan looked at him in an exasperated manner and said, "Isn't it time you were in bed?"
"Yes Mum," Edmund said in an irritated tone.
"Ed," Peter said warningly. Edmund stopped with an irritated expression on his face.
Peter then turned to Lucy and said, "You saw the outside. This place is huge! We can do whatever we want here. Tomorrow's going to be great, really."
The next day…
It was raining and Lucy was staring out of the window.
"Gastrovascular," Susan spoke from the couch on which she was sitting, holding a large book.
"Is it Latin?" Peter asked from the chair on which he was sitting.
"Yes," Susan replied.
"Is it Latin for worst game ever invented?" Edmund asked, coming up from under a chair.
Susan gave Edmund a frustrated look and closed the book immediately.
Lucy came up to Peter and smilingly suggested, "We could play hide and seek."
Peter looked at Lucy and Susan and said, "We're already having so much fun."
"Come on Peter please!" Lucy begged even as Edmund gave her a look as if to say that they were too old for hide and seek.
"One, two", Peter began counting with a smile, causing Lucy to grin widely and Edmund to exclaim in shock, "What?!".
Even as Peter moved to a cupboard, facing it and counting, the other children scrambled off to find hiding places even as a song started playing on the radio nearby, "Old Jammy, Old Jammy…"
Susan found a box in a corridor and proceeded to get inside and close the lid over herself.
Lucy raced towards a room behind curtains, planning to hide there, but Edmund who was behind her pushed her out of the way and blocked her saying, "I was here first."
Lucy pouted and with an annoyed sound, she ran towards a corridor of rooms.
She tried the first one but it was locked.
She then tried the second one, and luckily it wasn't locked.
Lucy opened it and stepped inside.
And then she saw it.
It was something huge, probably a cupboard, covered by a large white cloth.
Apart from that, the room was empty.
Lucy could not contain her curiosity. Something was drawing her towards it.
And she stepped forwards.
She pulled the cloth, causing it to fall down, uncovering a large wardrobe of ornate design.
She opened the door, and saw a couple of moth balls fall out.
Thinking that no one would find her for a long time, she closed the door, leaving it just a little ajar and stepped back, through some coats.
She continued to step back towards what she thought was the back of the wardrobe, until her hand connected with what else but the leaves of a pine tree.