The Inventor's Son

Chapter 10: In Which Lives are Changed at a Glance

WHEN THEIR TRAIN reached their destination, Ethan wanted to take the very next train into the tunnel. However, since there had been such a horrible ruckus at Charing Cross Station, there was quite the delay, even with the Channel Trains.

Besides, Sophia wouldn't hear of leaving without Ethan having a late supper at the nearest inn instead.

"Who wanted to eat anything after what happened today? I might still throw up even now!" Ethan declared stubbornly.

"Since when do you not want to eat?" Sophia argued.

"I'll eat when I see my father again!" Ethan told her.

Liam gave Ethan a hard glare. "Lad, you're going to eat and keep up your strength. No arguments!"

While they waited for service at the inn, Ethan spent his time brooding over how they could have been in Paris already had they not stopped to eat. At length, the adults all convinced Ethan to at least get a bowl of soup and some bread in his stomach before they would relent and allow him to leave.

Ethan suspected that his grandmother had been delaying their departure for the train on account of its tunnel being 75 meters under the waters of the English Channel. Ethan knew that she despised the London Underground for the exact same reason. The only good thing about the Channel Tunnel that he could tell her was that he had heard the trip would be less than an hour long.

Once again, Ethan took a window seat. This time, he was looking out the window onto a darker world. The window seemed quite a bit like a Dark Mirror, Ethan mused. Then, he had to blink, because he saw something, and he thought it might have been a vision. However, after he stood up and watched for a few moments, he was able to determine that what he saw was indeed real and in front of him.

He saw a girl.

Some carting boys were helping her onto the platform with her luggage, and she wore what very well could have been a green dress. Her hair was done in very long ringlets that reached the middle of her back. The girl's hair was golden and copper once the lights hit it. Ethan judged her to be maybe his age, as her manner of dress seemed to hint at a lack of age, rather than presence of it. An older woman who might be her governess accompanied her. Ethan could see her look up at this woman and smile affectionately.

"Looking at anything... interesting?" Liam asked.

"Yes," Ethan replied. Then, all words died away. He placed his hands on the glass of the train window. Ethan had never in his short life experienced such an all-consuming feeling. It threatened to undo him.

"Is that so? Is this something interesting of a female variety, lad?" Liam teased.

Ethan would not turn his head away from the window. When he realized what could be ailing him so, he said, "I'm in love..."

Liam's expression grew smarmy and he winked. "Perfectly normal, looking at girls at your age, and beyond. I daresay you'll be looking at ladies your entire life-"

"No. There is no other lady for me other than this one," Ethan declared.

"Lad, how can that possibly be?" Liam asked with a scoff. Ethan, for a brief second, wondered the exact same thing. How could he have fallen in love? "Ah, lad, don't fret. Once you meet up with your father in Paris, I'm sure you'll forget all about her-"

"She's going to board this train! I'm going to go find her!" Ethan announced with sheer joy, then turned to leave.

"Oh, no you're not! If this girl is on the train, you'll get to see her once we start moving, and only if I am accompanying you!" Liam seemed to release his breath once Ethan sat back down.