The Little Heart Tree

The legend of the Heartshaped Tree (3)

Hello everyone, 

Hope you are enjoying it so far? Did you see what was coming before it happened eh? I do like to surprise! May I just say this is a big surprise even to me as when I started this story this wasn't  where I thought it was going to go hahaha. It's basically writing its self.  Anyway, I am almost at the end now of the story but not quite... So enjoy! 

C xXXXXX

...................................................................................................................................................................

Their father stood staring at Eve and her brother 

"Who's this?"

 He had a bottle of whiskey in his hand and waved it about so it sloshed everywhere. He raised a bushy white eyebrow his brown ones faded along time ago, along with his mousy brown hair that was now as white as snow. 

"Father it's me. It's your son Edmund" 

Eve looked at her brother again. She still couldn't believe he was here, the brother she had never known, that she thought she had lost at the age of 5,  he was here right in front of her 15 years later. 

He was handsome taking after their mother, the only thing that was different was his eyes, these golden eyes were neither her mothers nor her fathers. She had no idea why this troubled her but it did.  

"Edmund" their father whispered staggering forward he dropped the whiskey bottle onto the floor and fell onto his son. Tears falling down his heavily lined face. 

"Father" 

Edmund said taking his father into his arms, swallowing him up. He smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes. 

Eve watched the scene... something deep down inside her screamed at her that this wasn't right but she pushed that feeling aside as Edmund  turned and beamed a smile at her. 

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Together they sat around the small wooden table. Edmund was charismatic-ally telling them about Paris, about all the things he had done out there. Eve listened intently  like her father, embroiled in  her brothers fancy stories, telling them about a society so different from hers.

 She had always wanted to go to London, to see what London society was like, filled with  its high society balls, beautiful dresses and going for nights out to the theater. Paris sounded much like that. A world filled with dancing but also restrictions, restrictions that Eve didn't have.    

Her brother couldn't be more different from her she thought as she watched him regaling some other story while her father laughed along. It had been a very long time  since she  had seen her father laugh. Looking out the window as dusk was fast approaching, she couldn't shake off this strange feeling but the feeling would fizzle away as soon as her brother gave her that charming smile. 

Getting up from the table she went to make the stew. 

"Are you staying for dinner brother?" 

He looked at her so intently it was like he was looking right through her 

"Of course sister" 

"What about your driver. We won't have enough for him" 

"He's fine, don't worry about him" 

He waved a hand dismissively. Eve noticed that he didn't take off his black gloves.   

She glanced at the window it was now dark outside but she could just make out the carriage driver as he waited. 

After the meal, their father fell asleep in front of the fire. Getting a blanket Eve wrapped it over her father and went and joined Edmund outside. 

" Can we continue our conversation from earlier?" he asked smoking a cigar, not even looking, as she closed the door gently behind her.  She coughed as the smoke billowed towards her face.  

"Do you have to smoke that?" she coughed again, waving the smoke away. 

"These are one of the most popular brands of cigars at the moment. There Indian you see.  Flor De Dindigul" He took another puff  before turning to her. 

"I never knew mother but I always heard grand-papa say she was the most the most beautiful and enchanting woman. Apparently she met our father underneath a Heart shaped tree."

Eve watched him quietly her eyes widening slightly wondering where this was going.  

"The people who caused our mothers death and grand-papa's and grand-mama's need to die" 

" What?!" 

She looked at him stunned "No, no they don't. If you get your revenge on them then that means you are just like them!" She shouted at him suddenly, feeling anger reverberating through her body. 

   "Brother please listen to me" She grabbed him by the shoulders. 

 "No good will come of it. Stay here with father and me. I can't go back with you and I won't. I don't want to join high society with all it's restrictions and restraints. To be seen and not heard. I like it here and this is my home" she took her hands off his shoulders and took a step back 

 " I am very sorry brother but I won't help you with this" 

With that, she went to turn but he grabbed her arm, holding it tightly so it hurt. 

"Agh, Let me go" she slapped him hard across the face. She could see the look of shock in his eyes as he released her, his cheek instantly going red. 

"I'm sorry" she mumbled before fleeing running away from the farmhouse she ran towards the lane that would lead to the village. The moon lighting her way and an owl tooted up above, as it's shadow glided over her.

Stopping for breath. She looked around and under the gentle breeze she saw a solitary tree standing alone in a field. It was bathed in the light of the moon that made it almost shimmer. It was the heart shaped tree.   

Authors note:

Flor de Dindigul, made by Bewlay & Co.Was a type of cigar popular in the  1800s. It was medium-mild and had a delicate flavour (Whatever that actually means) Apparently connoisseurs preferred them to the other highly popular and very expensive Havannahs.