Athenia's Choice (ON HOLD)

Athenia's Choice: Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Our three shadows merged together as we walked along the driveway. I swung my basket around. None of us seemed to have the faintest idea whereabouts we were going. All I felt like doing was falling asleep in fluffy clouds of a duvet. I eventually had the courage to show them the money I had been given.

“My, oh my!” Cordelia cried, admiring the golden guineas.

“Are you sure this is not forgery?” Charles wondered uncertainly. I nodded and told him I was quite sure it wasn’t.

“Then we have enough money for means of fare to London,” Charles declared. When he said that word, London, a sort of magic grew. London was a place of excitement, shops, social events and new beginnings...

We acquainted a carriage in Maidstone. It was a monotonous drive to London. Cordelia fell asleep, snuggled bedside me, sucking her thumb. The sun was also making its way to resting, going down behind the hills as I looked out the window. Charles recounted our safely guarded money over and over. It was more than he had ever possessed. My eyelids felt heavy. Soon I was resting against Cordelia, fast asleep.

I was jerked awake by the carriage rocking over London Bridge.

“Cordy, Cordy, do wake up- can you see the Tower of London?” I shook her awake, eyes shining at having speculated a historic building. Charles instructed the driver to take us to an area called Camberwell.

“Here you go!” We thanked the driver (as per usual, out of politeness.) We had been dropped off in the centre of the main street. Being night-time, everything was shut up and hardly anyone was around. It seemed like a ghost-town, lanterns flicking eerily.

I bit my lip as anxiety began to seep into me. Hardly any candle lights shone from the houses, The wind swept through our hair.

“Everyone’s asleep, we’ll have to sleep on the streets,” Charles murmured. I held Cordelia’s clammy hand as we followed him down a backstreet. There were some leftover sacks around the back of some shops, which we stole to sleep in. We rested against someone’s backyard fence, cuddling up close, for even though it was summertime the nights were eerily cold.

“Are we vagrants now, Athenia?” Cordelia wondered.

“No darling, this is only temporary measures.” I tried to sound convincing although I was not actually convinced myself.

“Why did we come to London?” my little cousin asked over Charles’ snores.

“To find happiness,” I whispered but that was just for myself.

Cordelia was still fast asleep in the morning. I rolled out the sack, my dress all crumpled, sleep in my eyes, hair resembling a bush of thorns. I stretched, standing up and arranging my skirts. I would have to tidy myself before I took the name of ‘Elizabeth Greengage’, which suggested a posh, well-mannered, well-dressed young lady.

“Charles, are you awake?” I turned around. I let out a scream, which woke Cordelia.

“Charles has evaporated!” I gasped, as Cordelia’s face turned stricken with alarm. She began to tremble. Surely he could not have left us? What if a parish council worker had rounded him up for the workhouse? But why not us? I sunk to the ground in uttermost despair.

“No, no, don’t panic, he may have just gone somewhere…” The words died on my lips. How could Charles do this to us? His bags were still here, so…?

“Stay there,” I told Cordelia, running down the alleyway, half-sobbing as I tore down it.

“Charles!” I kept on running through endless streets. I eventually stopped. I was lost. I had forgotten to keep track of where I went and almost screamed like a mentally disturbed person in an asylum. Fury beat inside me as I ran.

“Cordy!” I shouted pointlessly. Feeling so tired, hungry and weak, I left out my emotions and sobbed harder.

About five minutes later a lady, holding her nose in the air, walked along.

“Vermin,” she hissed, moving away from me. I felt like slapping her for at her poisonous comment, for what right did she have to belittle me? I darted away from her, through the maze of streets. Sprinting again, I looked down at the cobblestones for any unwanted doings which would stain my shoes. I almost screamed as I bumped into someone.

“Athenia! Why did you run off?”

“Oh yes? What about yourself, disappearing, making us two desperately worried?” I retorted hotly, pushing Charles away, “Anything could’ve happened.”

“I was getting us new clothes- new disguises,” Charles protested, trying to restrain me from hitting him.

“You could’ve told me,” I half-screeched, still sobbing. I kicked him in the midst of my irritation.

“Oww! For heaven’s above, Athenia, why did you do that?” Charles snapped, grabbing me. I followed him petulantly.

“Oh do grow up,” he muttered. I arched my eyebrows into a v-shaped glare. I was still fuming.