Once Before

Epilogue

I stood straight in front of the moderately carved heavy set of doors that stood proudly under the arched opening of the building's façade, willing myself not to turn around and run back into town. It had been months since I walked through these very same doors - though to the building itself, it had been 200 years since.

It was foolish of me to even be surprised by how similar the building was to when I saw it last, the only difference being the surrounding, whereas now more trees and shrubs had grown taller as if it had learned to confine the secrets of the buildings from strangers.

Corliss had gently pointed out that I was allowed to refuse the invitation for tea from Iris Myerscough, in case I wasn't ready to go back to the place where both the best and worst things in my life had happened, but I had told her what I had told myself countless of times ever since I had received the written invitation through the mail slot of my house.

It would've been rude to turn down such a cordial invitation, and I knew I had to face coming back here any day now, and since I was settling back in town for good, now might be as good time as any.

Yet as I grasped the brass door knocker, my mind reeled back to a particular stormy night as the sky had just started to darken, my hair and clothes were drenched as if I had fallen into a pond, yet I had no idea how terrible things would become in the course of a single night.

My heart started to beat faster. Maybe I can't do this. Maybe I will just have to find a way to avoid this household for the rest of my life - it would seem easier than having to face this.

A new decision came to mind as I put my left foot back behind me, if I bolted right now, no one would even notice that I had arrived, and then I could just give Lady Iris a call telling her I had came down with a flu and would unfortunately be unavailable for tea.

Perhaps running and hiding would be easier than fighting my own heartbreak.

But then the door opened, and Lady Iris greeted me.

---

Just like it was in 1812, tea was served on top of a round table with pressed white linen tablecloth, located between the ionic pillars that held the balcony's roof, though now the edges of the terrace was lined with various plants in terracotta pots, some blooming handsomely and some were long dead.

If I closed my eyes over the small details that have changed, I could picture myself sitting at this very same spot with Arthur across me, staring deeply towards the end of the horizon where the ground used to roll endlessly. Now, the edges of the plains had been lined with groups of trees, and when I looked back to the seat in front of me, Arthur wasn't there. Instead, Lady Iris looked at me with intrigue.

"The view... it's really nice," I tried to convince her, who had caught me staring into the distance instead of sipping tea.

"It is quite the view, I agree. Though I do find myself wishing there were less trees. In fact, there's one painting in the drawing room that depicts this exact-" She made a frame out of her fingers, pointing it towards the direction of the plains, "View, but from many years ago."

"It must be a wonderful painting," I exclaimed, "There was a lot of wonderful pieces that I saw was hanging on the wall as I came in. Art must run strong in your family m'am."

"Indeed it does, though even if I do seem to posses the eye for it, I can assure you I do not inherit the ability to create it."

"You never know m'am, some talents don't come out to play earlier in our lives..."

"I am going to hang on to what you just said my dear. But I did not invite you here to discuss about my lack of skills in the visual arts, no. I invited you here because I believe there's one particular painting that might be of interest of you," Lady Iris began.