Dancing for Destiny

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Of course, Eva did go that Saturday and she walked to Karen’s house with her nanny, Emma. When they got there, she helped Karen tie her hair ribbons, today they were blue to match her outfit which was a blue cotton dress with white sleeves, stockings and shoes. A simpler attire than what she was used to. Both of them had tried to blend in with what they assumed their surroundings would be like. They stepped into Karen’s parents’ motor car with her mother because she was going in to town. The chauffeur dropped Eva and Karen off when they got to Finn Hill.

The two girls knocked on the door of the tiny cottage and it was opened by a man who must have been 50 if he was a day and who introduced himself as Ted Malpass. His face was wrinkled and very tanned. He looked as if he’d spent his whole life outside in all weathers. As they stepped over the threshold their eyes swept the room. Eva looked and saw a cosy, if a little dusty, home and on second inspection, she spotted a boy sat with his back to the door, slumped in a chair with a ragged-eared comic strip in his hand.

“What a charming little place!” Eva was the first to speak.

“Yes, simply charming” echoed Karen “Where’s Jordy?”

“He’s in the kitchen, making lunch” said the man called Ted speaking only for the second time “He’s quite the culinary! He loves cooking.”

“Oh, me too! I’ll go and say hello and ask if I’m able to help” said Karen even though it was Eva who was more inclined to cook out of the two of them.

Ted addressed the boy in the armchair who hadn’t moved a muscle to see who the visitors were, “Lewis, get up and give this lady your seat.” The boy turned around for the first time and looked upon the loveliest face he had ever seen. She had long, chestnut brown hair that today looked extra wonderful as her nanny had teased it into gorgeous curls especially for the occasion.  She had eyes that were a curious colour of blue. Her teeth were perfect and her cheeks were red as apples.

Eva, in turn, looked at this boy and thought ‘hmm, friends, yes, anything else.... no.” When he smiled though, his face lit up and Eva saw his true colours. She, in response smiled back and as the smile reached her eyes, he looked into them and took a double take, the second time he looked they were definitely a lighter shade of blue but when he glanced at Ted to see if he’d noticed, and back again they were the normal shade of dark blue.

Ted said “Lewis, this is Eva, a girl who goes dancing with Jordy and Eva, this is Lewis, one of Jordy’s friends. Lewis another girl friend of Jordy’s came with Eva but passed through into the kitchen before you came out of your reverie, she’s called Karen.”

“It is a pleasure so meet you sir” Eva offered,

“And you.......Miss” replied Lewis. Ted walked out of the room and as he went he passed Lewis and gave him a look, when Lewis caught the look he turned pink as the blossom on the trees outside.

When Ted entered the kitchen, Karen was stirring something in a huge pot and Jordy was over by the sink, filling up a measuring jug with water.

“I see Eva’s been acquainted with Lewis,” Ted observed with a secret smile.

“Oh, good” said Jordy with a mischievous grin “keep stirring that Karen.” Karen puffed up her fringe then set about stirring whatever was in the pot- she hadn’t been listening when he was telling her what it was, she was too busy daydreaming about their life together when they got married and had children, she’d figured out who was going to be in her shared world with Eva.

Over lunch, which was a delicious chicken soup, they talked about dance and their schools as they were very different! When they spoke about their homes, their families and their schools, they worked out that Lewis, Karen and Jordy’s birthdays were all on the 27th of the month and Jordy and Eva’s birthdays were both in April.  They also found out that Karen was the only one of the four who lived with both her real parents as Ted wasn’t Jordy’s father.

After lunch they went and sat in the front room while Ted told them stories. He told them about his childhood and about the Boer war although he hadn’t been in it, he was a priest until around  eight years ago. They passed a pleasant few hours by the fireside, then Eva’s uncle came to pick them up. Karen and Eva said their goodbyes and told Lewis and Ted that they hoped to see them again.

The next day, Sunday, Ted and Lewis came to watch them dance. Eva and Karen felt terribly self-conscious but Jordy was just as carefree and bubbly as ever and told the girls just to relax and forget they had an audience. They soon did and their movements became more flowing again. After the session Lewis and Ted were waiting outside and when Ea walked out, Lewis went straight up to her and said “You are amazing!” Eva replied “Um, thank you but your friend Jordy is a lot better!” It happened to be rather icy outside so Lewis gave her his arm so she wouldn’t slip. Eva’s chauffeur took Karen, Jordy, Lewis and Ted home as well and it was rather cramped in the back of the car!

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