Being a Barrow - A Sequel to Barrow's Boy

Bright Young Things

      Following breakfast, Monty had taken Teddy and Ashton for a tour of the house at his mother's suggestion, and Dansworth had naturally tagged along, jumping in with his own tidbits of information as they wandered. They learned about the time the Montgomery boy and Dansworth set up a game of "indoor cricket" in the long gallery, which resulted in Hugo breaking one of the frames, and the time Sophia built walls of books in the library and forbade Cecil from going past them. Eventually, Monty had joined in, telling the other boys about him and his siblings as children, sliding down the stairs on serving trays and, when Teddy had pulled a face, confessing that those trays had likely been put away to never be used again.

      Monty had paused as they reached the house's chapel, a room which showed the house's age. Standing in the doorway, Monty had surveyed the room, then turned to the others.

     "I might take a moment here, if that's alright."

     Of course, Theodore wouldn't tell Monty no, and neither did the other boys. They stayed quietly at the back of the room as Monty walked up, closer to the altar, took a seat, and bowed his head. Teddy, feeling as though he were invaded just by watching his friend, looked away.

     Ashton was staring up at the stained-glass windows, taking in whatever story they told. Theodore had never paid enough attention in church to recognize it. Quietly, looking to Theodore and Dansworth, Ashton whispered.

     "It looks very Catholic in here."

     "It is," Dansworth answered, then added. "They are."

      It seemed to take Ashton a moment to process what Dansworth meant.

     "The Montgomerys are Catholic?" Dansworth nodded, and Ashton looked to Teddy. "Did you know that?"

     Theodore shrugged in response.

     "Doesn't make much of a difference to me."

     "Don't worry, Ash," Danny offered. "They won't try to convert you."

      That at least got Ashton to quietly laugh. Monty glanced back at them, and Ashton put a hand over his mouth.

     "No, you can talk, it's fine," Monty responded quietly, though his voice seemed to echo through the room. "I'm not praying. I just-"

      He looked up at the ceiling and was quiet for a moment. None of the boys rushed him to finish his thought. Instead, they stood, watching Monty in the silence. He closed his eyes, took in a breath, place a hand on the back of the pew he had sat in.

      "I'm not sure how to say it, if I'm honest."

     Dansworth moved at that, walking toward Monty and sitting in the pew across the aisle from him. Theodore and Ashton exchanged a glance, then followed to sit in the pews directly behind each of them, Ashton behind Danny. Monty hadn't opened his eyes, but Theodore was sure that he knew that they were there.

      "I feel close to Him here," Monty confessed. "Closer than other places. It's stupid, I know-"

      "It's not stupid," Ashton responded. He angled himself in his pew so that he could look directly at Monty and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "I have places like that, too."

     Monty opened his eyes, looking at Ashton.

      "Just, sometimes I feel like I can't reach Him. When I'm in the hospital or at school, and I really feel like I need Him."

      "I can be difficult to know God's plan," Ashton reassured Monty. He reached across the aisleand put a hand on Monty's knee. "It's not just you. Trust me, I've been having my own questions of faith."