Back In time

Sixteen

Knock knock knock

"Miss Wellesley, your tea is ready." A young woman whom I have never met before called before retreating slowly down the stairs. Quickly, I pulled myself up from the bed and followed suite, towards a part of the house which I have yet seen. Then, she pushed through a glass door, before leading me deeper into the garden.

The fresh cool breeze that met my skin, and the smell of freshly cut grass that slightly overpowered the scent of sweetness, tore through my worries. The sweetness that was wafting through the air grew stronger as I treaded on the stone pavements surrounded by an assortment of flowers. The arched trellis that was too, decorated with pink flowers, twirled along every inch of the elegant frame, providing not only a shelter from the afternoon sun, but an aura of enchantment.

This place was beautiful.

I may be exaggerating, but it was as if I was thrown into a world of watercolor paints. Never have I ever known that a garden could be grown and taken care of to such an extent.

I was so absorbed to my surrounding that I was oblivious to have reached another glass door. The sound of gushing water caught my attention. In fact, it grew even louder when the door was opened.

"Have a great afternoon, Miss Wellesley." The young woman signaled me to enter. I gave a smile indicating my thanks before she closed the door. The dull yet loud clogging sound of my shoes against a heightened wooden bridge continued to pique my curiosity as I continued to pace forward. The bridge was surrounded with tall trees that seemed to block my view from everything except the clear path ahead.

"There you are Abbey!" I was snapped out of my trance. "I was beginning to wonder if you had second thoughts about joining me for tea." Fredricks joked and rushed to pull me out from the foliage and onto a wide wooden platform. Right there in the middle was a table where the tea and desserts had been prepared beforehand.

"Please sit," he pulled out a chair, before pushing it in once more as I took a seat. The sight that stood before me left speechlessness and utter awe. The sound of gushing water turned out to be a magnificently built waterfall that flooded the surrounding area. Glancing upwards, were panels of glass that formed the shape of a huge glass dome surrounded by all sorts of flora and fauna. It was like an oasis secretly hidden in the corner of a house.

"Fredricks, this place is beautiful." still trying to take in the scenery, my eyes continued shifting around the place. Fredricks on the other hand, was nonchalantly sipping on his tea.

"My grandparents were avid horticulturalists and naturalists. So, the things that you are seeing right now are the fruits of their labor. Turns out my dad inherited their enthusiasm too. I on the other hand, have no such interest, but it definitely is an occasional hiding place to shut myself from the world." Paying little to no attention to what he said, I continued gawking at the view.

"Are you going to continue staring at plants rather than fill that growling stomach of yours?" Fredricks chuckled. As if on cue, my stomach rumbled. I tore my vision away and focused on the confection delicately placed on a beautifully designed set of china, baked as if each was an individual masterpiece.

"Fredricks, what happened to a few desserts?" The amount of sweets presented was way too much for my stomach to handle.

"Well, I kind of got carried away. Besides, I wanted you to try some of my favorite desserts. So, one thing led to another and things kind of got way out of hand." He smiled sheepishly, while I giggled at his response.

"Which one would you recommend?" His eyes lit up and sparkled with energy as he pointed to the biscuits that were topped with icings. Gingerly, I placed the square-cut cookie into my mouth and munched it slowly.