Escape to Ecarte Island

Open Door

    

           Violet Evergarden Baugainvillea stood serene and quiet as the door of her home opened. Through it came her husband, Gilbert, and their 12 year old son, Hilary. The sight of her two men  brought a sparkle to her large ocean colored eyes, conveying the emotion she often could not communicate by expression nor even through speech. The conditioning of long ago still clamped her emotions down deep inside her.
Her husband and son, and their intimate friends were accustomed to this aspect, resulting from her abnormal upbringing. Strangers often misunderstood and read her as rather cold and unfeeling. The stranger who followed her husband and son now would most likely be no different. Violet studied him quickly as Gilbert and Hilary carefully sat down a rather bulky trunk in the guest bedroom.
"Violet," said Gilbert Baugainvillea, upon his return, "This is our guest, Petrich Hollenburg. Petrich, this is my wife and Hilary's mother, Violet."
The man introduced as Petrich Hollenburg, immediately gave her a deep bow of respect, and kept his eyes to the floor and said. "My most humble apologies to intrude upon your home and family, Mrs. Baugainvillea."
Violet knew this as the old traditional greeting from a new visitor. Many no longer used such formality, but Violet could not help but appreciate its sincerity and responded in kind with the traditional, "Please rise, Mr. Hollenburg. I accept your presence at our hearth." Only then did Petrich straighten out of his bow and gave a nod of acknowledgement.
Upon looking up at him at full height, Petrich Hollenburg was taller than herself, of course, but barely passed Gilbert's shoulder with hair the color of dark gold. He wore a mustache and wire-rimmed eyeglasses, giving him the illusion of being an older man, but his piercing blue eyes told her different. Perhaps more her own age of not quite 30 years.
        "I have prepared you something to eat," said Violet referring to the nearby dining table. She looked over at Gilbert and Hilary. "I expected one more of you."
          "Ah, yes, Dietfried thought it best not to linger. He is sailing on to Scalia, in order to throw off anyone who may have been following him. As soon as he and Hilary disembarked, he made ready to sail, but sends his regards."
          "A wise choice," commented Violet, taking up the extra place setting and returning it to its place in the modest hutch.
           She served them stew and plenty of bread with butter. Mr. Hollenburg and Hilary ate heartily. The voyage had taken three days, and The Lux had had precious little in its pantries, such was the haste of the flight from the port of Leiden.
          They ate in silence, and Violet soon noticed Hilary simply staring into his now empty bowl, his eyes half closed.  He had sailed along with Mr. Hollenburg  and his uncle Dietfried from Leiden being that he was due to return Ecarte Island anyway, only he had not planned for an unexpected departure at 2 o'clock in the morning.  Neither had it been a voyage of leisure.  His uncle had put Hilary to work on deck, since the boy was already a year into his training at the nautical academy on the mainland. 
           Violet quietly stood and stepped around to her son and urged him toward his bedroom.  He complied without complaint and slowly readied himself for bed as his mother turned down the covers.
          "So, do you know anything about this Hollenburg at all?" he asked with a sudden great yawn.
          Violet looked at him. "Are you implying you know nothing, as well? Even after three days at sea with him?"
            Hilary gratefully climbed into the readied bed.  "Uncle Dietfried brought only one other shipman. He kept us far too busy to be social. I only know that he is a celestial scribe from Justitia. I still can't understand what was such the great rush to leave."
          "Yes. I am sure it was quite a shock to you."
         "I know it involves Mr. Hodgins and Benedict, too. They were there, but only spoke lowly among themselves.  Then we were off! I just barely had time to hand over a letter I had written to Ellenora, saying I would be off and not have time to even come round to visit."  At this his mouth turned down and his fine brow furrowed in frustration. "It wasn't even a good letter." he confessed.
          Violet could empathize with her son, who she knew had developed deep feelings for the daughter of Claudia and his wife Cattleya Baudelaire-Hodgins.  Hilary had reached the age of  visiting the Hodgins family by himself while on leave from the nearby academy. This usually took place just before boarding his Uncle Dietfried's schooner to visit home. But not this time. His plans had been rudely interrupted.
            "I understand your frustration, my love," Violet replied, gently smoothing back runaway strands of blonde hair streaked with silver, identical to her own, as were his ocean blue eyes.  They contrasted greatly with his olive toned skin, which had been passed down from his father. 
He would surely grow up to be strikingly handsome, and catch the attention of many girls, but for now his heart was set on Ellenora, a raven haired beauty of nearly 14.
           Violet understood these emotions better than most, and offered her son advice. "If the letter was not to your satisfaction, write another that does. I'll mail it as soon as you have completed it."
          "Will you review it for me?" Hilary asked, with another great yawn. "You are far better at writing them than I am."
           "Of course," his mother grinned, "But you know it only takes practice to be as good as I have become. Furthermore, I was quite the novice at reading and writing at the age of 12."
          Hilary nodded. War could stunt education, to be sure. In addition to this, his mother had been injured badly and had lost both her arms, only for them to be replaced with mechanical limbs that were kept covered constantly. He had never been told the details of any of that. THAT story was for when he was far older and could comprehend it all. 
          "There is, however, something you must remember, Hilary."
          Hilary's half-closed eyes became fully open. His mother never called him by name, unless it was something of extreme importance. "What is it?" he asked.
           "In your letters to Ellenora, or your academy cadet mates, do not speak of the presence of Mr. Hollenburg. His business here is not to be discussed to anyone."
           Hilary was not one to disobey Violet, or else he would catch the disappointment of both his parents. Nothing was worth that. He nodded.
          Violet leaned near him and touched her lips to his forehead, then stood to extinguish the kerosene lamplight.
              She dutifully returned to her husband and their guest who had already cleared away and cleaned their dishes. They were now at the moment sitting in chairs near the fire, sipping on a drink Violet kept on hand for those who had just come in from a long voyage.
            Upon acknowledgement of her, they both stood and Gilbert immediately brought the special tri-legged stool Violet liked to use while tending the hearth. 
            Violet lifted her hand to halt her husband's action.  "I will not intrude on your private conversation." she replied.
            Gilbert shook his head. "No, Darling, you are not intruding. In fact, I want you to join. It's important."
             Violet's eyes shifted to a still standing, Petrich Hollenburg, who agreed. Violet then complied and sat, her gloved hands resting one on top of the other as she listened.
Petrich Hollenburg said little of his profession as a celestial scribe, and more of seeking out a proper place to set up his studio, but Violet was no stranger to the role of the vocation. Gilbert knew a bit more about it, having been raised among aristocracy who actually paid the not so small fortune to hire the astrophysical artist to draw up contracts of alliances, births and deaths in accordance to star readings.
"The Baugainvillea family never commissioned one," Gilbert told Violet as they readied themselves for bed, "We were not of the faith that relied on such contracts, although we lived side by side with the great houses that did, or at least wanted to own a great piece of original art. Dietfried was in awe of such work and attended many Grand Showings, even to this day! No wonder he is so very fond of Petrich."
Violet listened while combing out her long silver streaked hair with a mere drop of floral scented oil. "Leon told me many things about the celestial scribe order while I was at the Justitia Observatory." She turned to Gilbert. "He did not think much of them."
Gilbert chuckled, laying his long length on the bed. "Methinks, darling, your Leon Stephanoptis did not think much of most people, from what you had ever told me of him."
Violet raised from her stool in front of the looking glass and came to sit on the bed beside him. "Yes. He was young and lonely. I very much hope he found his happiness." She paused, then said, "Our son is just now coming into his own loneliness, I fear."
"Hilary? Well, it is true that Dietfried did run the boy ragged these past three days. Worn out? Of course! But lonely? He seems to have gotten along splendid with the other cadets."
Violet shook her head. "I do not refer to that sort of lonely. He and Ellenora were babies together and fast friends. But now they are both growing up. Hilary very much looked forward to seeing Ellenora before he left for the holiday."
Gilbert grinned. "Ah, he's feeling the sting of longing. All very natural."
"Yes, it is, but young ones can take these strong emotions and misbehave. Leon Stephanoptis was prone to have strong emotion at a young age, and acted accordingly. Your brother Dietfried as well."
Gilbert laughed, for no truer words of Dietfried had ever been spoken. Violet immediately put a finger to his lips warning him not to wake the others, for they did not live in a grand villa where one could carouse without disturbing others.
Gilbert took her hand and gently pulled her down to him and kissed her mouth. She kissed him back and relaxed against his chest.
"So," Gilbert said lowly, "Are you awfully worried about Hilary? I know when it comes to mothers and their sons, the ache of seeing a son suffer tends to be far more felt by his mother than the rest of the world."
Violet lay silent, then said, "Love, particularly young love, is frightfully strange. It will drive you to the edge of madness." She lifted her head from Gilbert's chest and gazed at him. "I ought to know."
"Yes," Gilbert agreed, "You do."