The Marchioness

chapter 11- 18th of July 1867

The beautiful golden sun shone brightly over the village as the warm summer breeze flooded the manor house, all that could be heard was the beautiful chirp of the song bird's in the manor's garden. The manor had this peaceful and serene feeling, the glow of the sun's rays glowed through the windows lending a golden tint to the place with a rather ethereal feel.

Aurelia sat playing in the manor garden with George and mavis,  mavis snd Aurelia is unintentionally matching pink summer dresses and George in a greyish tartan summer suit with shorts.  they were all laid on their backs watching the clouds go by. There were clouds of all shapes and sizes.

"That one looks like a fish" mavis exclaimed as she pointed to one of the clouds.

"A fish?" Aurelia retorted, sitting up with her face contorted in confusion.

"Looks more like lord Howell's wife" exclaimed a rather amused George.

Aurelias dropped onto her back roaring in laughter at lady Edwina's fish-like face.

Before the trio could continue their laughter Mrs Jenkins appeared.
"Aurelia, could you come here a moment". She asked as she glowed with glee.

"has it happened?!" Aurelia yelled over in pure ecstasy

"Well come and see your grace". She yelled back in joy.

Aurelias rushed towards Mrs Jenkins with no hesitation she ran passed Mrs Jenkins up the grand staircase and to the landing hallway. "Aurelia slow down!" Beckoned Mrs Jenkins trying her best to keep up with the young marchioness.

She carried on down the hallway toward the lord and lady's bedroom and she swing the large doors open with great force and excitement. As the doors flew open aurelias face lit up, her new mother lady iris lay on the king-sized bed with it's beautiful baby blue and gold sheets, as her father sat in his dark brown armchair at her side both holding little bundles of cream coloured silk blankets. they smiled the biggest smiles ever seen.

"Come here little one, I think someone would like to meet you". Whispered lady iris in a soft welcoming tone.

Aurelia crept slowly towards the bed and placed herself into the bed next to lady iris, she pulled away the silk cloth revealing the little face of a beautiful dark haired newborn.
"This is your little sister, Beatrice Elizabeth Mansfield," she whispered with pride to the little marchioness.

Aurelia brushed her little hand over the little one's face "little bee" she whispered back smiling at lady iris. Lady iris laid the newborn out on the bed in front of the little marchioness as she leaned over to retrieve the other silky bundle from the lord.
Aurelia was in absolute awe of the "little bee" her honey colour skin and her beautiful dark wefts of hair.

"Aurelia dear." Whispered lady iris as she tapped aurelias shoulder.
Aurelia turned her head to look at lady Mansfield, she pulled back the silky bundle once more and revealed another baby!
"Another one? There are two?" A rather confused aurelia asked.

"Yes, dear" replied lord Mansfield and he and lady iris giggled with glee.

"This is your new little brother, Oscar Alexander Mansfield."
He was so perfect with his almond colour skin and his dark hair just like his twin sister, they both looked so much like each other, the only difference being Beatrice's piercing leafy green eyes and Oscar's deep earthy brown eyes.

Aurelia had never been so proud! to have the job of being a big sister is such an amazing responsibility to have and well to be made a big sister twice in one day... That was amazing indeed! She had never before felt this feeling she loved them from the moment she saw them, she just wanted to protect them and she couldn't wait to play with them and show them all of the glorious things that the manor had to offer.

An hour had passed by the room had fallen silent as Lord and lady Mansfield dozed off and the new little twins also slept soundly in their cradles. Aurelia just laid there watching the two little ones with such joy, until she remembered... had left mavis and George in the garden.

She slowly crept out of the room to not wake the snoozing quartet as she clicked the bedroom door closed behind her. She ran downstairs with such excitement she could not wait to share her good news with mavis and George this was the happiest day of her life and nothing could change that!

Or so she thought... As she reached the bottom step the brass knocker from the front door began to knock... Aurelia was the only one around she wondered who it could be as she quietly opened the large door.

"Hello sister, pleased to see us?" Idris smiled a menacing grin as he and Issac stood in the doorway with their bags as Lord Llewellyn's carriage pulled off into the distance. The colour drained from aurelias faces she had no idea that the twins were due to come back father hadn't told her that they were due home at the manor.

"Going to let us in then?" Idris barked.
Aurelia just stepped to the side out of their way. They seemed...colder than usual something had changed inside them they resembled empty vessels of themselves... Anything remotely human was now turned to stone.

Aurelia was perplexed, she ran out to the garden where George and mavis were still laying on the grass declaring cloud shapes as they pointed to the sky both with their left hands covering their eyes from the sun like the peak of a hat.

"She's back!" Exclaimed mavis.

"What happened why do you look so... So glum?" Mavis asked studying her face.

"Is the baby alright?" George asked now rather worried and pulling himself to sit upright.

"Oh no no, the babies are quite alright it is just...." Aurelia started but not before the pair interrupted.

"Babies?" They exclaimed.

"Oh yes, babies." She smiled for a moment but not before her frown slowly returned.

"What were they like? What happened??" Mavis probed for answers.

Aurelia took a seat on the grass next to the pair "They are just so perfect I have a little sister Beatrice and a little brother Oscar and they look just like lady iris and..." She explained with such pride.

"They sound amazing!" Exclaimed mavis.

"So why are you sad then." asked a rather confused George.

"Oh yes why are you so sad, they sound amazing?" Added an also confused mavis.

"Well, as I was coming down the stairs... There was a knock at the front door, I walked over to open it and... And.." Aurelia explained seeming plagued with worry.

"And???" The pair persisted.

"And Idris and Isaac were stood there.." She said looking down as she twiddled and picked at the grass on the lawn.

"They are back?" The pair asked looking at each other in disbelief.

"Father must have forgotten to tell me." Aurelia replied looking solemnly at the floor.

"Are you happy that they are back?" Asked a rather concerned mavis.

"That's the thing I thought I would be excited when they came back but... I'm not...quite the opposite really." She replied rather beside herself.

"I'm sure it will be okay Aurelia, in fact I promise it will!" George replied as he placed his little hand on top of hers. George never really was one to know when to comfort others, he was always the type to either put his foot proverbially into his mouth or to be completely oblivious, so the fact that George was comforting her... She must have truly needed it.

The trio just laid back down and continues to stare at the clouds.

"So aurelia, you were telling us about Beatrice and Oscar?" George asked smiling to her as mavis smiled at him in pride, it was sometimes hard to be an older sister but at times like these, watching your little sibling grow and care for others well it made it all worth wild.