We are Belmonts

- 2 -

(briars fit is #21)

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful lady who lived with her husband on the small island of Belmont, her name was Athena. She had hair as fair as snow and eyes as green as ivy. One stormy night she gave birth to three triplets and she named them; Cyril, Clementina and Levenna."

"Mummy!" squealed the small child on my lap, wriggling around to get comfortable. Her twinkling eyes stare up at me, dark hazel and almonds.

"Yes including your mummy." I agreed, "Athena, her husband William and her three children, lived and loved their island for many years. William had great parties and Athena had wonderful gardens. They lived a busy but happy life. Eventually when they got too old they passed down the island to their three children who built two new houses and each grew their own families alongside each other."

"When do I come into the story i'm getting bored" grunts the little girl.

"Just wait and see not long now" I say.

"Clementina had three children; Juliette, Matteo and Iris. Levenna also had three children; Julian, Harmonia and of course, little Aurelia. Your brother Theodore was adopted after his parents both died while fighting for your father in the war."

I tickle her tummy as she giggles at the thought of herself being in a fairytale. Her mother, Levenna, is a wonderful woman and an even more wonderful auntie to me. I remember she used to bring me all the white roses from her garden because she knew they were my favourite. I decide on not finishing the story for her.

"Okay into bed please" I usher her back into her room and out of the wooden library.

Her bedroom is a cute little room. Covered in little dolls in pink lace dresses made out of curtain samples.

"Goodnight Aurelia." I gently kiss her forehead and flick her bulb off. Lyemont House reminds me of a fairy cottage. The stone walls are crumbling, the floorboards have a death wish and ivy covers the outside of the house from top to bottom but yet I still really, truly love this house. I used to spend a lot of time here last summer when Aunt Levenna's garden was flooded with white flowers and needed help collecting them all. Lyemont's gardens may be my favourite thing about the island. At this time of year, they are thick with lavender and the cherry trees flourish with fruit. The river running along the bottom of the grounds will soon be clear enough to see the salmon and good enough to splash in. I tiptoe across the weak hallway on my bare feet to Theodore's room and gently knock before I enter. No answer. I slip into his room and close the door silently, careful not to wake Layla. Theo's room is very large, he even has a whole armoury room just for his suits and weapons. I have spent many cold afternoons in his room reading Romeo and Juliet for school together, fantasising about our futures ahead of us and planning fabulous birthday parties for each other. He isn't in the main part of the room so I assume he is in armoury. I cross to the large bed and lie down next to Layla, the hum of her soft purr is healing. It's late and Mother probably thinks I'm in my room sleeping. Theodore was adopted by Levenna and Horace Lyra after his parents were both killed in some civil war 10 years ago. I still remember the day I met him, the boats pulled into the docks at around 10:45 at night, it was a warm summer's evening and Mother let me stay up extra late to meet him. I was 6 and he was 8, as soon as our eyes locked we instantly clicked and have been inseparable ever since that day. I don't really see him as a big brother figure, more as a best friend.

Theo appears around the corner of the armoury before I can get up to leave and go back to Belmont Manor. He's wearing dark blue loosely hanging trousers and his grey shirt he's had since we were young. It's getting too small for him and it's covered in holes, he has plenty of clothes and it's nice to think he still wears something from our past. Theo and I have grown up together, watched each other grow older and can I say, he has become insanely attractive recently. Theo is turning 18 next month, he will stop lessons and probably start army training soon. He never used to be so well built. I always have remembered him as a scrawny child with dark hair and fair eyes. But we have all changed, even the adults. The lines of their beautiful faces are getting more predominant by the day.

"Briar?" he asks, "what are you doing here, it's late you should be asleep"

The thing with Theodore is that he still treats me like a child. Even though we are only just over a year apart, he treats me like a little sister. I'm turning 17 in August.

"I just finished putting your sister to bed" I pull the sleeping cat off my lap and stand to face him, "I just thought I would stop by, it feels like I haven't seen you in ages."

I feel his eyes trace over my figure and I remember that I'm only wearing my nightgown. I suddenly become slightly embarrassed, god what am I doing here. "Anyways I'm going now. I just wanted to say hello." I quickly pad to the door and reach for the brass doorknob.

"Briar, stay" he says, "sorry i didn't mean to sound rude before, I mean you can stay if you like."

Theo has grown so much, he's at least a head taller than me. His dark hair is still wet from his bath and he stares down at me with inviting eyes, dark salty blue.

"Fine but I should go back anyways, Mother thinks I'm asleep in my room."

he gives me a small grin, butterflies flutter through me. I don't know why, why hasn't this happened before. Yes I would say he is incredibly attractive but so would grandmother Athena. It's a fact. Theo is my cousin, nothing more. Adoptive cousin, I make a mental note of that.

"Oh shut up I can stay up past eleven you know?" I return the grin. "Aurelia was very excited to discover she's in a story, I didn't tell her about my family though." I walk back to his room and pick up a book he has been reading from his bedside table. Wuthering Hights.

"What's this your reading?" I ponder, he flushes peony and snatches the book out of my hand.

"It's a classic."

"It's also a romance." I scoff at him, "you didn't seem like the type of guy who enjoys reading about lovesick girls. I flash him a grin and he avoids eye contact as he hurriedly tries to shove the book back into the large bookshelf.

"I don't" he defends himself quietly, "like I said it's a classic" he pauses whilst he climbs down the ladder on the bookshelf. " I was reading it because I think I can empathise with Heathcliff. You know, like two families with an adopted son. We have three families with an adopted son."

"I never thought about the story like that" I say, "but it's still a romance." I laugh at him and he tells me to get lost. I don't mind it. We tease each other all the time, it's what we do. I used to get in so much trouble from the adults because they thought I was bullying him.

We spend the rest of the evening talking about our summer plans and resolutions. It is now mid June, year sixteen flew past faster than I could catch my breath. The roses are growing in the garden and the windows are open. Soon, I will spend the day swimming in the salted sea or drinking ginger tea and making raspberry pies in Belmont. Summer time on Belmont island is so beautiful. So perfect. It feels like time doesn't keep track of itself and it keeps on flowing, never ending happiness. Lessons are halted for 16 weeks so I can wear my pretty dresses and let my hair down in the morning for brunch at Belmont. Scones and homemade apricot jam. Then swimming at lunch, that includes cliff jumping with Theo and bathing in the English sun with Juliette, teaching Aura how to swim until sunset. Then wet salty hair and outdoor baths. Dinner on the beach, fireflies and citronella candles burning. Sleepovers in the Belmont attic. Lessons end tomorrow and I couldn't be happier.