If Only You Knew

9 - Sweet and Sour Twins

August 28th, 1870 - Islegreen Manor, Western England

I sat with my chocolate curls pinned up in a delicate twist, and my gloved hands folded lightly in my hands. I was admiring the faint flowering pattern in the lace of my gloves against the baby blue summer gown I was wearing. I stared at the grass around me, and all the adults socialising around me. I was 13, but I was told that still classified as a child. Apparently. Scarlette sits across the white metal table from me, her hair done the same as mine, and a similar dress, but in pale yellow. She meets my gaze across the table, but we keep silent. Mother and father are speaking to Mr and Mrs Islegreen a few tables away from us and Frederick talks to a friend near by. About sports no doubt.

A pair of boys approach us a moment later, matching red curls and vibrant green eyes. They wear matching blue dress shirts over beige pants and black boots. They look to be about 14. One of them wears a smirk plastered across his face, the one closest to me, and the other has a shy smile pasted on his face.

Scarlette looks up, her expression wary. "Hello, can we help you?"

"I'm Charles, and this Zachariah Islegreen, our parents are talking together over there." The boy with the smile, Charles, speaks mainly to Scarlette, but his brother, Zachariach, keeps glancing at me.

"It's lovely to meet you, I'm Scarlette Whitehall, and this is my sister Alice," she replies with a warm smile and I give one of my own at the two boys.

"Our mother suggested that you might want to play a game with us, perhaps hide and seek?" Charles smiles pleasantly, whilst Zachariah glares down at his shiny shoes.

"Oh, that sounds lovely, what do you say Alice?" Scarlette looks over at me and I give a tiny smile.

"I don't know Scarlette, I don't really want to play much, to be truthful," I give a small shake of my head, scared to dishevel my hair.

"She's just scared that she'll lose to us," Zachariah snorts, give me a harsh look and I frown, my eyes stinging. But I see Charles lightly elbow his brother.

"Zachariah! Don't be so harsh," Charles scolds his brother and Zachariah just rolls his eyes. I meet Scarlette's eyes and she gives me an encouraging smile.

"It's you who should be worried about losing," I stand up, lifting my skirt a little and staring into Zachariah's green eyes.

He gives a small smirk at my defiance as Lettie stands up. "We'll see."

"Yes we will," I start to march away in the direction of our huge hedge garden with Scarlette as the boys close their eyes and begin to count.

We hurry into the maze before finding a quick cut off section of the maze that we hurry into, leaning up against the hedges so as not to be seen. Scarlette presses a finger to her lips and I nod in understanding. I'm not sure how long we stand there, but before I know it I hear the boys approaching, Zachariah calling out to us and Charles telling him to be quiet. I have to stifle a giggle.

They walk past us, and we stand still until their footsteps are gone, and we quickly step out into the path and head back to the party. We turn a corner and I run straight into Zachariah on the way out, his eyes boring into mine as I run into him and stumble, Scarlette catching me.

"Watch where you're going Alice, wouldn't want to fall down a rabbit hole." My face goes bright red with embarrassment and I look down at the grass and try to get away from Zachariah, his brother isn't anywhere to be seen.

"Leave her alone," Scarlette snaps at him, her eyes flaming.

With that we walk away and stand just inside the entrance to the maze. Zachariah runs after us as Charles emerges from the party.

"There you are, you won girls," Charles smiles, congratulating us. But he is met by Scarlette's icy glare and my shining eyes. "Oh my, whatever did my brother do?"

He gives me a sympathetic look as Zachariah approaches, Scarlette and Charles are facing each other and I'm standing behind Scarlette. Zachariah grabs my wrist and spins me around to face him.

"What's wrong with you, Alice? Can't find your white rabbit?" He smirks and glares down into my eyes as I shake slightly and tears start to roll down my cheeks. He holds my wrists tightly and it hurts. It really, really hurts.

"Leave her alone, Zach," Charles meets the eyes of his twin, but Zachariah doesn't do anything.

"Let go of her, now." Scarlette's voice is low and laced with threat, even for a 15-year-old. Zach laughs in her face and looks back down at me.

"Now be a good little girl Alice, wouldn't want you ruining a tea party, would we now?" He snarls at me, before erupting in a hiss and letting go of my wrists, which I rub and stare at the bright red marks as I stumble back and Charles steadies me. I give him a small smile of appreciation, before returning my attention to Zachariah.

"Cassandra!" He stands there, holding out his hands, staring at the emerging blisters and the angry red skin of his palms. And then he glares at me. "Are - are you..."

"No, I am," Scarlette steps forward with her eyes blazing, the intention in her eyes to hurt Zachariah again before I voice stops her.

"Stop," the speaker is female and we spin around the find long red curls and vibrant eyes, matching the twins. Her long navy blue dress runs along the grass in the wind. "So am I."

"Cassandra! She attacked me!" Zachariah points at Scarlette from his place on the ground and simply cowers in the grass. Charles simply watches, looking a little intimidated.

Cassandra aims a spell at Scarlette and narrows her eyes, but Lettie deflects it with a wave of her arm and sends a counter-spell flying. Cassandra falls to the ground and Scarlette stands over her.

"No one messes with my little sister and gets away with it, understood? Good," Scarlette turns on her heel and walks away, with me quickly following after. "I hate that book, it was published 5 years ago and you're already being teased about it. Its not right."

"It's fine Scarlette, don't worry about it, I'll get over it." I mumble quietly as we approach our parents.

Mama immediately bends down and fusses over me while Scarlette gives a quick explanation of the events and papa rushes to get Freddy before we all quickly clamber into our carriage, without thanking the Islegreens for their party, and start to head home.

Papa pulls me onto his lap and puts his arm around me while mama holds my hand and Lettie and Freddy sit opposite us, both giving me small smiles. I eventually fall asleep on papa's shoulder as the carriage rocks along the uneven road the whole way home.

Needless to say, we never saw the sweet and sour twins again.