𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇
⸻ Cordelia Winterbourne's ordinary life with her mother was shattered by the onset of war, prompting Cordelia's mother to make a gut-wrenching decision by sending her daughter away for a while to keep her safe.
However, fate had a di...
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Waking up, I barely had a moment to compose myself, my stomach already growling. Draped in my dark blue nightgown, I ventured downstairs for breakfast, rubbing my eyes and yawning as I stepped into the dining room.
Thankfully, I hadn't lost my bearings in this grand mansion. Mentally nodding my gratitude to Mrs. Macready for yesterday's mansion tour, I found myself greeted by her over the morning paper and a cup of coffee.
"Good morning, Miss Winterbourne," she acknowledged, her eyes fixed on the newsprint as she sipped her coffee without a glance my way.
Taking my seat, I failed to notice the Pevensie quartet staring at me, quite taken aback.
As I began my meal, their unbroken gaze puzzled me.
"What's the matter?" I inquired, confused by their scrutiny.
"Your hair..." the brunette boy observed, pointing out my exposed locks.
My eyes widened as I instinctively reached for where my hat should have been, realizing my neglect due to hunger.
I kept quiet, directing my attention to my plate, braced for any judgments. Unexpectedly, their response was complimentary.
"Your hair's quite lovely, Cora," the younger girl remarked, wide-eyed with wonder.
"Is it all natural?" Peter inquired, causing his brother to scoff. All eyes turned to him as he piped up.
"Isn't it obvious? I mean, who else do you know with hair like that?" he stated.
"It's just hair, nothing more," I sighed, returning to my meal.
Mulling over Mrs. Macready's reaction to my hair, I wondered if she had known about it all along.
Glancing up, I sensed someone's lingering gaze. The brunette boy, lost in thought, caught my eye. I raised an inquiring brow, silently asking, "What?"
Jolted from his reverie, he widened his eyes and averted his gaze, a faint blush appearing on his freckled cheeks.
Post-breakfast, offering to tackle the dishes, Mrs. Macready redirected me to spend time with the Pevensies, so I obliged.
With the rain persisting outside, we found ourselves huddled in the living room, utterly bored and restless as our outdoor plans were dampened by the heavy downpour.
Lucy, seated by the window, seemed lost in thought, fixated on the rhythmic taps of raindrops against the glass.
Amid this ennui, Susan took charge, proposing a game.
"Gastrovascular."
When Peter showed disinterest, Susan called him out, "Come on, Peter. Gastrovascular."
"Is it Latin?" asked Peter, clearly fed up.
"Yes."
The brunette boy, having slinked out from under the couch I occupied, couldn't resist a sarcastic quip. "Is it Latin for 'the worst game ever invented'?" he slyly remarked, a mischievous smirk on his face.
"What did you carve in there?" I inquired, shutting my pocketbook.
He huffed, whispering, "Nothing."
Visibly frustrated by the lack of enthusiasm, Susan slammed the hefty book on her lap and shot her brother a glare.
Lucy suggested hide and seek, met with Peter's sarcastic resistance. Susan, offended, cajoled Peter with a pleading gaze.
Unable to resist his sister's persuasion, Peter relented and began counting.
Meanwhile, Ed's complaints echoed, and I couldn't help rolling my eyes at his demeanor, urging him firmly to participate.
"Can you cease your complaint for a moment and just hide?" I scoffed, exasperated, dragging him to find a suitable hiding place.
The two of us struggled, but every potential spot seemed perilously exposed.
"There!" I exclaimed, indicating a large hallway curtain.
"Shush, keep your voice down," the boy retorted, rolling his eyes but following my lead towards the hallway curtain.
Unexpectedly, Lucy emerged and made her way towards the curtain, only to be forcefully pushed by her brother.
"We were here first!" he declared.
Lucy merely huffed at her brother's behavior. Though I contemplated following her, he grasped my wrist, halting my departure.
"Stay with me," he pleaded, desperation in his eyes. Scanning for Lucy, I found her vanished. Left with no choice, I joined him in hiding behind the curtain.
A heavy silence settled between us. I glanced at the brunette boy beside me, mustering the courage to break the quiet.
In the subdued ambiance of the room, I directed a whispered query toward the enigmatic brunette boy, hoping to finally uncover his identity.
"So, still not revealing your name?" I murmured, hoping for a response.
Before he could offer any reply, Lucy's voice pierced the air, interrupting our exchange.
"It's all right! I'm back! I'm all right!" Lucy's voice echoed, breaking the tension.
Beside me, the brunette boy rolled his eyes in exasperation, swiftly moving to cautiously peer out from behind the curtain.
"Shut up! He's coming!" he urgently hissed, a sense of urgency in his words.
He groaned, stepping out of the curtain with a huff, signaling Peter's discovery. I followed suit, emerging from the curtain as well.
"You know, I'm not sure you three quite understand the concept of this game," the elder Pevensie sibling remarked, scrutinizing us.
"Weren't you wondering where I was?" the youngest Pevensie asked, furrowing my brows in confusion.
"That's the point. That was why he was seeking you," Ed clarified.
"Lucy, what's going on? Are you alright?" I inquired, concerned about her pallor and wintry appearance as if she'd just emerged from a snowfall. Touching her rosy, freckled cheeks, I gasped at the sudden chill in my hands.
"Goodness, you're freezing," I whispered, directing my words solely to Lucy.
Susan intervened, "Does this mean I win?"
"I don't think Lucy wants to play anymore," Peter noted, prompting Lucy to speak again.
"I've been gone for hours," she announced, perplexing us further.
All four of us exchanged glances before unanimously deciding to follow her determined lead to a specific room.
