Chapter 4 Relocation

The next day turned out to be gray and dull, the sky filled with a multitude of low, swollen cumulis clouds. The wind howled at the closed windows of the Churchill estate, where the occupents lay asleep in their beds.

 

Redrix had been snoring peacefully beside his wife, when someone poked him softly on the shoulder. He grunted and rolled over, keeping his eyes shut. The poking went harder and he wrenched them open, staring up at a figure in riding clothes. It was the last person he’d expected to see in his bedroom at six in the morning.

 

Sitting up, Redrix pulled on his nightrobe and stood, frowning slightly.

“Is there a problem?” he asked.

Victor, a few feet away, ignored his harsh tone.

“We need to talk” was his simple reply.

“Can’t it wait until sunrise” Redrix joked lamely, yawning.

“No, we need to chat now” Victor ordered curtly.

 

Redrix followed Victor out into the hallway and down to the Parlor. He had never been into that part of the house before, as it was off limits.

The Parlor held a few brown leathered sofas, a single armchair, two large windows giving an extraordinairy view of the estate’s pastures and a fine cabinet, for drinks, made of ebony.

“Please, sit” Victor told him when Redrix had finished glancing around the room. “For starters, I’d like to apologize”.

Redrix nodded, waiting to see where this was gonna go.

“I know I havn’t been a very polite or well-mannered friend this past week and I’m truly sorry. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable in the slightest, but I know I have decieved you” Victor began, rubbing his hands together while pacing atop the blood red carpet.

“I’m not used to entertaining guests for such long periods of time and sometimes this makes me nervous and rather abrupt. But that doesn’t mean I have anything against you, Redrix, it just means I’m a short-tempered man and I’m willing to work on that” he went on.

 

Redrix nodded again, not knowing what to say. Victor could be telling the truth, he was sounding honest, but it could all be a facade, as Redrix knew too well.

“Are you in the mood to forgive an old friend?” Victor asked, facing the seated man.

“I would if it hadn’t been the umtinth time that you asked me that question” Redrix responded truthfully.

“I see, remembering old memories, huh. I’ve forgotten the past, put aside my once, um, different morales. But please see that I am not the man I once was, Redrix. I’ve changed, I’ve matured and hopefully you see me the way I feel, different”.

Redrix cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“I guess I could forgive you, under one circumstance though” he said, crossing his arms to his chest.

“And that would be?”.

“Leave Corina alone, stop pestering her with your little blushing statements. I don’t enjoy you treating my wife as if she were single. She would say what I’m saying now, but she’s too polite to ward you off” Redrix told him seriously.

“Ah, I see. Well understood, Redrix, I will not bother your wife anymore. Are we straight?” Victor asked, smiling slightly.

“Yes, we are. For now” Redrix admitted, getting up.

Both men shook hands awkwardly and departed from the Parlor.

 

*

 

Elansa got into the Churchill Stables after breakfast, ready to take Willow out for a long ride to the hill. She knew Carl would be on shift and help tack up her warmblood with ease. But when she reached Willow’s stall, Elansa noted that Carl wasn’t around. In his place was a burly fellow with stray colored hair.

 

“Hello, um, hi, is Carl around?” she asked him nervously, not wanting him to wonder things about their secret relationship.

“Sorry mam, Carl is being relocated, his contract here was terminated last night” the stablehand responded politely, leaning on his mucking shovel.

“What? But, why? Who told you this?” she demanded, startled.

“Overheard it from one of the whippers-in this morning”.

“Has he already left?” Elansa asked, her eyes wide with panic. Carl can’t have gone.

“Don’t think so. Saw him out back speaking to Sir Churchill a moment ago” the stablehand responded with a shrug.

 

Elansa didn’t even wait to thank him, but ran off to the end of the stables. At once she heard voices from the outside of the doorway. It was her father’s voice, probably lecturing.

“You thought I’d never know, huh, in my very own home, with my own daugther” he was saying, sounding aggravated.

“Please sir, this isn’t what it seems-” Carl began, trying to protect himself.

“Oh don’t start with excuses. I know what I see and hear. Do you take me for a fool?” Victor demanded.

“No sir, never”.

“Then don’t argue with me. Your lucky I’m not firing you, just relocating you to another stable. I’m feeling rather generous”.

“Thank-you sir” Carl said in a strained voice.

“No need, just get off this property as fast as your little legs can carry you and never come back. If I find out you’re contacting my daugther after this, trust me, you won’t have any job to lay back on after that, mark my word” Victor spat.

 

Carl departed, rather swiftly and Elansa let him go, tears forming in her eyes. So her father had found out of their relationship and now Carl was leaving, going, going, gone. She stifled a hand over her mouth and hid in a nearby empty stall, sitting onto the fresh hay. He most certianly hated her now, blamed her for his departure. Elansa cried long and hard, not caring who found her or heard. It was all her fault and now she would never see Carl again.

“So much for true love” she thought sadly.

 

*

 

“You certainly were polite to Victor today, what changed your mind?” Corina asked Redrix on the porch that afternoon.

“Uh, nothing much. He just changed since our days of youth. I decided to give him another chance at proving himself” her husband responded with a secretive grin.

“Is that so, well, I’m proud of you dear. I knew you two would work out your differences in the end, no matter what happenned in the past”.

Redrix nodded, wrapping one arm around Corina’s shoulders. Everything was getting back to normal and he liked it. Without the weight of Victor’s abuse or treacherous eyes, he felt he could finally relax.

 

“Where are the kids?” he wondered outloud, looking out at the stables.

“The girls are looking at the foals again, giving them some hay. Mikell is inside trying to read every book in Victor’s librairy. And I left Clive with the cook, she’s teaching him to make boiled eggs I believe” his wife responded with a soft laugh.

“Good, we finally have time to ourselves” Redrix said with contentment.

 

The couple leaned against each other and breathed in the fresh scent of spring flowers and mowed grass.

“Be nice to live in a house like this, huh?” he told her a few minutes later.

“Sure would. But I’d need a maid to help dust and vacum. I’d never be able to clean this place up my myself” Corina admitted.

“One room would take you the whole day” Redrix told her with a smile. She smiled back, reaching up to peck his cheek lightly.

“Since when did you get so nice?”.

He laughed admiably and looked back at the flourishing yard.

“I’d have to hire a contractor to mow the lawns, without them I’d break my back. 2 hectares is a hell of a job for only one guy”.

“If only, huh, but thank God we don’t actually live here. Just paying the bills would be a real hassle” his wife grinned, taking Redrix’s hand.

“Agreed. Our house in Kettlebuck is alright. At least we can wear our shoes inside, not like this place”.

Corina laughed and they both continued dreaming of home in comfortable silence.

 

*

 

Elansa layed on her bed, brushing away some tears with a kleenex when the door opened and Victor strode in. He looked happy about something and she knew it was because of Carl’s departure. Anger formed in her chest, but she kept it locked inside.

 

“Did that stablehand mean that much to you?” her father said, watching her blow her nose loudly.

“Just had something in my eye, that’s all. Makes the tears leak” Elansa responded, chucking the kleenex into the waste basket beside her desk.

“Sure. I saw you with him yesterday. You don’t need to cover anything up anymore, since he’s gone”.

Elansa chose to ignore his comment.

 

“Actually, I came up here to announce some good news to my favourite daugther” he admitted, giving her a letter he’d been hiding behind his back.

“What’s this?” Elansa wondered, opening it and reading the first few lines. Her mouth fell open as the words sunk into her mind.

“Your sending me away too?” she gasped, staring up at her father in appallement.

“Now Elansa, don’t talk foolishly. This is a lifetime oppourtunity to study at one of the best schools in England. Belvedere Academy has graciously accepted you for September. No need to worry about transportation, you’ll be boarding there for the year” Victor explained.

 

Elansa sat on her bed, clutching the letter, new tears forming in her eyes.

“Don’t feel sad, you’ll soon make plenty of wonderful friends and work your skills in interesting new classes” her father assured her.

“But dad, I don’t want to go” Elansa told him, throwing the letter at his feet. “I want to stay here and continue with my home schooling. I don’t want to go to London”.

Victor picked up the letter and went to place it on her desk.

“Nonesense child, you’re going and that’s that. All the arrangements have been made and I’m certainly not changing them just because you don’t feel like going. Good-night” he told her sternly, before turning on his heel and leaving her room.

 

Elansa watched him close the door, threw herself down onto her pillow and cried her heart out.