I was awoken from my slumber with a jolt. Mama was shaking me, trying to wake me from my sleep, and Maria was staring out the window, exclaiming at the size of the buildings she saw.
"Oh, look at that one! It's four stories! I never thought their could be a building so tall! And our townhouse... oh, I can just imagine how grand it must be!" Maria lay back with a dreamy look on her face.
"Dear..." Mama began. "Er... Your father decided that it would be best for us to stay at the inn while we await for our house to be..." she paused. "Ready."
Just at that moment the horses were reined to a stop in front of a rather shabby-looking building.
"You mean, I have to sleep in there?!" Maria gasped, looking with haughty disdain at the inn at which we had just stopped.
"Yes dear," Mama replied. "But I'm sure it will only be for a short while. Close your mouth, Maria." Maria snapped it shut. "That's better," Mama cooed. "You wouldn't want to appear as a codfish in front of any fine gentleman, now would you?"
But Maria wasn't fully convinced. "What chance do we have of finding wealthy gentlemen here?" she asked, clearly doubting that gentleman of high class ever graced the inns with their presence.
I smiled. I clearly remembered the story of how Uncle Darcy found Aunt Lizzy where she was staying at an inn. That was when my aunt had just learned of Mama's elopement. Clearly, if a gentleman wanted to visit Maria, he wouldn't let the rather shabby abode in which she was housed stop him - of that I was sure.
Luckily, Maria seemed to be more calm now. She fixed the ribbon on her bonnet and said with a smile, "Well, if any gentleman wishes to visit me, he will have to come to me." She spoke as if she could read the thoughts that had just run through my head.
Just then the coachman peeked into the carriage.
"Ma'am," he said, addressing Mama. "Mr. Wickham said to direct the servants to carry the luggage and he asked me," this said with an air of importance, "to escort you ladies to your rooms."
Maria and Mama didn't speak.
"Ladies?" the man questioned.
Still no response.
"Um... yes, of course, that would be lovely," I said quickly, seeing how my sister and mother were quite frozen in shock. "Thank you," I added to the coachman rather quickly, wondering what could be so shocking as to hold my mother's and sister's gaze for so long.
"Maria? Mama?"
Maria answered by fainting right then.
"Maria? Maria? Dear, are you quite alright?" Mama was getting to be nearly frantic now.
Maria's eyes blinked open. I could see them rolling sickeningly for a second, and then she suddenly seemed to remember where she was.
"Mama? What - what am I doing on the ground?" Now that she was awake, all of my sister's disdain seem to return.
"You - you fainted," Mama gasped. "And I don't know what I would have done without you!" At this, Mama began to weep. "Don't - don't you ever do that to me again! I was worried to death!"
"Mama, it's alright," I said in a soothing voice. "Maria is fine, see?"
"Yes, yes, I can see, I have eyes, don't I?"
"Of course you have eyes, Mama. I only meant -"
"Oh, never mind what you meant, child," Mama said. "Maria is fine, and there is no need for you to worry about your sister so." As if I had been the one in need of consolation! I swallowed the urge to smile.
"Get me off of the ground!" Maria said, interrupting my train of thought. With the help of two housemaids who had come out to help with the luggage, and the coachman, we were able to successfully lift her into the inn, up the stairs, into the room she and I were to share, and finally, onto one of the beds. Once there, Mama exited to her own room that she was to share with Papa, and the housemaids left with a rather apologetic smile.
When the room was finally empty, I turned to Maria, who was lounging like a queen on her bed.
"Whatever made you faint, Maria?" I asked her. "Did - did something frighten you?"
"No, no, do you think I would faint at that?" Maria questioned, a bit of color coming into her formerly pale cheeks.
"I don't. But if you could tell me what made you and Mama... um, freeze up so, then perhaps I could help you!"
"Nothing is wrong now. It was a matter of little importance that bares no relevance now," Maria said coldly.
And with that, I had to be content.
I smiled. I clearly remembered the story of how Uncle Darcy found Aunt Lizzy where she was staying at an inn. That was when my aunt had just learned of Mama's elopement. Clearly, if a gentleman wanted to visit Maria, he wouldn't let the rather shabby abode in which she was housed stop him - of that I was sure.
Luckily, Maria seemed to be more calm now. She fixed the ribbon on her bonnet and said with a smile, "Well, if any gentleman wishes to visit me, he will have to come to me." She spoke as if she could read the thoughts that had just run through my head.
Just then the coachman peeked into the carriage.
"Ma'am," he said, addressing Mama. "Mr. Wickham said to direct the servants to carry the luggage and he asked me," this said with an air of importance, "to escort you ladies to your rooms."
Maria and Mama didn't speak.
"Ladies?" the man questioned.
Still no response.
"Um... yes, of course, that would be lovely," I said quickly, seeing how my sister and mother were quite frozen in shock. "Thank you," I added to the coachman rather quickly, wondering what could be so shocking as to hold my mother's and sister's gaze for so long.
"Maria? Mama?"
Maria answered by fainting right then.
"Maria? Maria? Dear, are you quite alright?" Mama was getting to be nearly frantic now.
Maria's eyes blinked open. I could see them rolling sickeningly for a second, and then she suddenly seemed to remember where she was.
"Mama? What - what am I doing on the ground?" Now that she was awake, all of my sister's disdain seem to return.
"You - you fainted," Mama gasped. "And I don't know what I would have done without you!" At this, Mama began to weep. "Don't - don't you ever do that to me again! I was worried to death!"
"Mama, it's alright," I said in a soothing voice. "Maria is fine, see?"
"Yes, yes, I can see, I have eyes, don't I?"
"Of course you have eyes, Mama. I only meant -"
"Oh, never mind what you meant, child," Mama said. "Maria is fine, and there is no need for you to worry about your sister so." As if I had been the one in need of consolation! I swallowed the urge to smile.
"Get me off of the ground!" Maria said, interrupting my train of thought. With the help of two housemaids who had come out to help with the luggage, and the coachman, we were able to successfully lift her into the inn, up the stairs, into the room she and I were to share, and finally, onto one of the beds. Once there, Mama exited to her own room that she was to share with Papa, and the housemaids left with a rather apologetic smile.
When the room was finally empty, I turned to Maria, who was lounging like a queen on her bed.
"Whatever made you faint, Maria?" I asked her. "Did - did something frighten you?"
"No, no, do you think I would faint at that?" Maria questioned, a bit of color coming into her formerly pale cheeks.
"I don't. But if you could tell me what made you and Mama... um, freeze up so, then perhaps I could help you!"
"Nothing is wrong now. It was a matter of little importance that bares no relevance now," Maria said coldly.
And with that, I had to be content.
3 comments:
I now have some unanswered questions! ;) Great post!
Something interesting about you, Eva, is that you laugh quite often, but are so quiet. Unique personality. :)
Anne
I like that!
oh the blimey suspence. Another great instalment.
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