Chapter 3

Chapter 3: "Reunion of Sorts"

We were returning home from a morning spent in the town. My Father and Mother sat across from me, with my two eldest brothers- Matthew and Brandon. Three of my cousins sat along the same side as me. Andrew, Maria, and Michael.  The rest of my family- my sisters, brothers, and cousins- were at home with my Aunt Emma and Uncle Alexander.  I was beside the window’d part of the buggy, staring blankly out into the world as we passed by it.  

As we drove along the bumpy road, I sigh. But my eyes widened, as I saw a figure, one who seems so familiar to my heart. I can tell we startled her as she jumped back, her mouth moving in words I couldn’t understand.  

I watched the girl, as she got over her fright of the horses, obviously not paying attention to her environment . She walked forward, holding up the skirts to her dress, she stepped up onto the road itself.  She stepped closer to the buggy, and I saw her clearer. She has light brown hair, so close to the light  golden of my own hair, her eyes were a stormy hazel color- a mix of gray and hazel, creating a pretty color...just slightly darker than my own. On her left cheek was a scar. A thin scar, that went from where her left ear was down to the tip of her chin. It was a light pink, raised scar, like those of men who go to war.

“Papa, there is someone out there,” my brother, Matthew, said, as he sat across from me , next to the window. He too saw the girl, but I doubt he saw the connection of the hair and eye color. I mean it really can not be that common for two people of the same age group to look nearly the same.

Papa got up, well he was stooped as the buggy inside was far too short for him to extend to his 6”0’ height. He stepped over to the door, opening it, blocking my view of the girl. He stepped down, with the help of our young driver. The door closed once more, giving me my view back.

It was a long tense period of time before my Father climbed back into the buggy. He bent down and whispered into my Mother’s ear. She nodded at what he said.

“Andrew, my dear nephew, will you move over to the smaller side seat over here, so we can have the young lady sit down beside Rachel and Maria?”asked my Mother, in her soft voice.

“Yes Aunt.” Andrew, the one that sat beside me, replied as he got up and moved to where he was asked to move to.

My Father once more stepped out of the buddy, leaving the door halfway open. Muted words floated into the quiet air around us, leaving us questioning what was being said. The girl, well not technically a girl-but a young lady, stepped into the buggy. My Father was behind her, to make sure she did not fall backwards. He directed her over my way.  

Her eyes looked around the buggy before she sat down, avoiding the gazes of my family. I fold my hands together in my lap. I peered at her, and sighed.

My Mother, who was sitting right across from the unnamed girl. Her hands were in her lap also, the start of a chain in her hands. It was the 12 year anniversary since my twin sister, Catherine, had disappeared and was never found, so it was assumed that she was deceased.

“What is your name?” my Mother, Baillie, asked.

“I am Catherine Rose H...Smith,” the girl said softly, her stormy gaze up turning to look up at her. She stammered over her last name, knowing she had one or two

“What was that?” she asked, her blue eyes blazing with unreadable emotion. “You started to say something.”

“I am a Hunter by birth. I got adopted into a new family at the age of around 4. I become a Smith instead of a Hunter,” Catherine said softly.

My Mother’s eyes flashed as she looked to my Father who sat to her right. A short conversation happened between them, in just a few heartbeats.  Her blue eyes and his green eyes looked into each others depths, before their eyes turned to look over at Catherine.

“What is thy birthday?” my Father asked, slipping into the olden English of the former colonies where our home once was.

“25th of May. I will be turning sixteen in just.... Oh I do not know the date today,” she said looking down at her hands.

“The year is 1861, young lady,” my Father, Jonathan, replied.

“Oh...I will be turning sixteen in a few days I believe,” Catherine said.

“The date is the 23 of May,” my mother told her.

“Two days. Two short days,” Catherine said.

I gave a startled sigh, and everyone looked over at me. “Oh...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean too. It was just shocking to hear that..”

Mother nodded in agreement with me. “As it was. Remember that we will never lose hope that Catherine is still alive...and hopefully not deceased.”

I gave a small nod and said, “Yes, Ma’am.”

The rest of the ride passed by with little sound, except for those of nature. The birds chirped, the bees in the air buzzed, the breeze whistled. The sun was falling deeper and deeper down into the sky, it would be dark soon.We continued on for about 30 minutes longer, till we came to a stop outside of our home. The door opened and I was allowed to be the first one out, as I was right there, and Brandon was expected to follow that all females are suppose to go first. I stepped out, taking the hand of the assistant driver, and stepped down to the ground. Catherine and Maria followed behind me, with Mother, following behind them. Andrew led Matthew, Michael, and Brandon follow Mother from the buggy, with Father following behind them.

Catherine stood nervously nearby me. “Nervous?” I asked. I felt the same way when we first moved here and I faced the people of the girl's academy that was in town.

“Oh, it would strange not to be nervous. I mean it is a new surrounding," she said as if it were common sense. I just motioned with my hands in a "if-you-say-so" motion.

“Rachel! Do not just stand about. You know it is dangerous for you to be outside for long periods of time,” Mother chastised me.

“Yes, Mother. I am sorry,” I replied before I took the white marble stairs that would lead up to the front door of the house. From here I can tell that the butler was standing there, waiting patiently. Catherine was following beside me.