Silverstone: Perfection is Not Enough

Chapter 23

"It was amazing, though," Bertie gushes to Rose as we sit on our suite cases in the main car park, waiting for Tabitha and her dad to arrive. "I mean, a month ago Arrow never could've made that jump. And yesterday he just flew over it!"

I look down at my hands, feeling mildly embarrassed, but slightly proud at the same time. 

"You've said," Rose jokes, sighing. "I wish I could've hacked with you."

"At least you're not still a zombie," I shrug. "Hey, is that them?" I perk up at the sound if a car engine, standing up and craning my neck to look round the corner. 

"Finally!" Rose stretches her arms, as the car, an expensive-looking white Range Rover, turns into the car park. It grinds to a halt in front of of, and the front passenger door flies open. 

"I missed you guys!" Tabitha grins as she gives us hugs. Unlike her usual everyday school wear, she's wearing a little blue dress, which she manages to make look cool. "How were your families? Oh, this is my dad, everyone. Dad, this is Bertie, Rose and Jess."

Tabitha's dad looks like he's about fourty, with dark brown hair, and green eyes, which match Tabitha's. He holds out a hand for us to all shake in turn. "Hello," he smiles warmly. "Tabitha's always talking about you all."

"Thanks for inviting us, Mr..."

"Call me Andrew."

As Andrew takes our suite cases, we climb into the car, and with one last glance at the school, we're off. 

"So, how were your families?"

"My brothers put glue on my saddle, butter on my bedroom door handle, a spider in my helmet and left my saddle soap open so when I got back there were a tonne of flies in it," Rose promtly replies, sighing. "Ugh, I hate them sometimes."

"My mum and dad got me this new headcollar for Arrow," I scroll through my phone pictures to find the one I'd taken of it. "I opened it early so he could wear it." 

"It's so pretty!" Tabitha says. "Wait, did I tell you about this amazing new equine suppliers website I found?"

•  •  •

"Jess! Jess!"

A firm hand shakes my shoulder, and drowsily, I lift my head. I fell asleep a few hours ago, and clearly the others didn't, as they're all looking mildy amused at me. "Huh?"

"We're nearly home," Tabitha informs me in an excited voice. "Look out the window!"

Wild hedges fly past the window in a blur of green, just as we make a left turn through a pair of open, wrought steel gates. I manage to catch a glimpse of the word engraved onto the plaque on the gate by me: Whinfell. I'm guessing the other one reads 'Hall'. Then, I look foward, and I gasp. 

A long drive, lined with evenly-placed trees and huge expanses of Jewel-hued grass stretch out on either side like a sea of emerald. This would be impressive, if not for what lies at the end of the stretch.

Whinfell Hall is a period Edwardian mansion, in an off-white and grey stone, with at least ten chimney pots. As we get closer, I can see the engravings in the stone, the white roses climbing around the green-painted double front door, the heavy curtains hanging at every wooden-sashed window. 

The only word that can describe it is... huge. And impressive. Very, very impressive. 

"Tabitha," Rose starts as we climb out of the car, and gaze up in awe at the building in front of us. "When you said your house was 'big', I didn't know you meant a castle."

Tabitha shrugs modestly. "It's not a castle, it's a hall. And it's, um, not too big inside."

"Yeah, right," Bertie smirks. "It's ginormous."

"And so pretty," I breathe, looking. "I get what property specialists mean now when they call houses 'beautiful'."

"Thanks, Jess," Andrew smiles, just as the front door opens and a man dressed in a smart black suit steps out. "Everyone, this is Alfred, the butler. He's one of the people who keep this place up and running. And, no matter how many times you tell him to call you by your first name, he will put a 'master' or 'misstress' in front of it." 

"Good to see you home safely, master Whinfell," Alfred nods, as Andrew starts to haul our suitecase out of the boot of the car. 

"Oh, Andrew, let me..." I start, but he just shakes his head.

"It's fine, don't worry, Jess. Tabitha, do you want to show our guests to their rooms? I asked for the ones on your corridor to be prepared for them."

"Sure," Tabitha steps foward, incoming her hand for us to follow. "Come on, I'll give you a tour."

•  •  •

No matter what Tabitha says, the house is definitely as huge on the inside as the out. So far, she's shown us the kitchens, the dining room, the 'grand dining chamber' (which apparently is for her dad's work parties), the library, the numerous, high-ceilinged living rooms, studies, and now Tabitha's giving us a tour of the bedrooms we'll be staying in. 

'Her corridor' is like the rest in the house: wooden floorboards covered by faded, ancient rugs, with white walls decorated with paintings. 

Something tells me they're originals.

"So, you each have your own bedrooms," she informs, gesturing around at the five doors. "You just need to pick."

The first room is painted a light blue, with wide, tall windows showing off the views of the surrounding countryside. A bed stands in the middle, its headrest to the wall, by an ebony wardrobe. The carpet is plush, a forest green, and my feet sink into it. An open door to the left reveals a sliver of a gleaming white bath: the en-suite. 

"Oo," Bertie exclaims, examining a painting of a mermaid sitting on a rock amidst the foaming sea, her fiery hair a flame in the hues of blue and grey surrounding. "Can I have this one?"

"Sure," Tabitha grins. "You want to see the others?"

The other two rooms are near the same, except one is painted a light orange (which Rose claims) and the other is decorated in shades of lilac. 

To be honest, I clearly got the better one.

"So," Tabitha stops, and gives us excited looks. "I take it you want to go down to the yard?"

a/n: Hey guys! Sorry this is so late. I would give a really good, deep reason, but to be honest, I'm just a lazy human being who discovered the kpop band that is Exo. Enough said. 

And guys, we reached 4000 VIEWS. FOUR THOUSAND. I can't even thank you all enough. You people in America, Canada, Australia, The Czech Republic, Syria, South Africa, Lebanon, Germany, Ireland, and, my country buddies, Britain. I love each and every one of you so, so much. THANK YOU.

Ps: I'm sorry if I forgot your country. I can't remember all of them off the top of my head, but I honestly do look at the demographics all the time. 

🍰 <—— Enjoy this cake, you awesome person.