Love in 1865

Chapter Seventeen

There was a panic I felt when I realized that Natalina wasn't in my arms anymore. It was then that I forced myself awake, and found myself in a massive bed surrounded by multiple different kinds of animal fur blankets. Beast jumped onto the bed and licked my pale hand. "Do you know where the new person is? Where's master?" Beast wagged his tail and jumped through the doorway. I rolled my eyes at the actions of the goofy dog and followed him into the living room where Izaak was holding the sleeping Natalina as he was packing a trunk. "Good morning, leaving so soon?" I asked as I took the child. "Actually, we both are. For Christmas and your birthday, I thought I would treat you by taking you to the coast to meet my family and go to the sea. I would've told you yesterday but then Natalina- I would just cancel on my family, though the letter wouldn't reach them in time. So the plan is that I work with getting someone to watch Natalina, while you pack. We are going to be gone four days, but don't pack too crazy with clothes. Leokadia is a seamstress and if you are unfortunate enough to, she will make you a dress. I hope you don't mind that." I twisted my hair into a bun and tied it in place as I said, "Take her to James and tell him that she is ours and that we will explain later." We got on the bobsled and with a majorly busy day ahead of us, we were off.

I kissed Natalina's tiny fist before entering my home. Cassian was asleep in the back room, and I didn't stir him as I walked up the steps to my room. Thinking about it, I was nervous to meet Izaak's family. They seemed to be a little judgmental from what I was told, and even when Mama was in town, she was a little crude. I changed my clothes and packed what I could into one trunk, but then I decided to bring a smaller bag for books to read on the train ride. Cassian came into my room and sat on my bed as he watched me pack. "Hey, you never came home last night, are you okay?" I packed three or four books, one of my more fancier dresses, my green suit dress, two nightgowns, another dressy gown, and shoes to match. I offered a quirky smile and sat beside him. "Yeah, I'm okay- Izaak is too. I decided to stay with him last night after we had a very difficult afternoon. I wish I could tell you more now, but time is short, and I don't know where to begin. Time just goes by so fast, doesn't it?" Cassian patted my back and then he walked to the door. "It seems to, I suppose. When you go to the coast, you will love it- at least I hope you do. I left food at the table downstairs when you are ready." He left the room as quickly as he had entered, and left me to my thoughts about the sea. I had read so much about it, and every author and poet painted a different picture about what the sea meant. As I finished up my packing, I realized that when I go, I might be disappointed by what I see, and that no matter how I look at the sea, I will be in awe of it.

The next morning, I dressed, and even put on a bonnet, and carried my totes to the carriage waiting for me outside. Izaak hardly recognized me without my mess trailing freely behind me out in the open, but I reminded him that even if I wanted to wear the bonnet, I still had to in order to keep in control of my hair. When I looked in the seats, Natalina was swaddled in blankets and placed in a basket. "I was on my way to take her to James, but I couldn't bear leaving her after we just got her." I sat next to her and kissed her face, "I think its a wonderful idea to take her." We got to the train station shortly, and after we bought our tickets, we boarded the train. I was uneasy at first as to if the train actually works or that there would be complications, but once we took our seats and Izaak had my hand, I became a little more trusting. I hadn't been on a train before. When my father brought us here, we traveled by boat for eight weeks and somebody rode us to Ludovica. I knew trains existed, but only ever did the people of the town speak of the train in terms of complications, delays, or fatal accidents. With a loud toot of its horn, the conductor, a dwarfish man, cried one last time, "All aboard!" The doors then shut and the train's wheels began to turn.

For the first bit of the ride, I brought out my James Russel Lowell book, and began to read to myself. While Natalina was sleeping, Izaak curiously looked over my shoulder and he shook his head. "Is something the matter?" He took the book into his own hands and shrugged his shoulders. "I maybe don't know how to read in English. It's not that I haven't tried, I was just never taught and it's not like the people in Ludovica use signs in their shops for others to read." I giggled as I recalled when I had sheepishly looked at a book once and I couldn't read it either. "Well, you know the alphabet, don't you? A lot of English is just sounding things out and recognizing their sounds. Like this: For love is blind but with the fleshy eye, that so it's inner sight may be more clear." He studied the next line and traced the letters on the page. "And...out- outward...shows...of beauty...only so...are need full- needful-...at the first...as is a hand...to guide and...to uphold...an infant's steps. Right? What does the author mean by what he said?" I smiled and answered, "Sometimes you have to read the rest of a text to figure out what he means, but I think you have got the general idea of how to read. When we get to the coast, we should find you a good book." Izaak watched out the window at the passing trees and towns. I leaned up against him to see what he was, but the landscape ever escaped my eye. "You don't know how much I truly dread bringing you to see my family. Mama and Leokadia will meet us at the station, and I warn you, whatever you do, do not speak about your family or talk about how we found Natalina. I was raised with their one way minds, but through my own personal experiences did I encounter the truth that one race is not better than another. They- including my sister- will get painfully rude and cruel. I can't say that they won't try and get your opinion on races, but for the sake of sanity on all grounds, please do not mention Amaimai or your brother's family. Also, they will probably want to celebrate your coming, they might throw a dinner party for the Polish community, so be prepared for a lot of food and Polonaise. I will try my hardest to be near, but if all else fails, just stick to Leokadia. She seems to be the only other family member who thinks that celebrating whenever a new person walks in our doors is a little overrated. Um, what else can I tell you...?" I painfully smirked at all of his comments. It seemed like no matter what he did or how they reacted there was an outrage. But I agreed for the sake of easing his nerves.