The Wishbornes And The Fallen Star

Chapter 12

"Enjoy your book Sir", I said as the customer left. I turned back to my sketch book and continued with my drawing.
    "Mornin Darling", said Cheryl as she entered, carrying a small box from the bakery down the street.
    "Got us some doughnuts". She winked at me as she walked towards the kitchen. I followed quickly.
    "Chocolate or caramel?", she asked as she opened the box and put the kettle on. I leaned against the doorway.
    "Hmm, tough decision". I bit the inside of my lip. "Caramel. No Chocolate. No caramel".
I sighed.
"You choose for me. I love them equally". Cheryl smiled and took out a knife. "What about this". She took both doughnuts and cut them in half, "Now you can have both of them", and put one caramel half and one chocolate half on a plate. I gave her a shy smile.
    The kettle stopped boiling as she took out two cups. "How's the new family?", she asked and put tea bags into the cups.     "Great".
    "Just great?". She lowered her glasses and looked at me. "Well, we still adjusting to everything. I mean, we lived in one bedroom for almost our whole life and now all of the sudden we live in this place that looks like a small castle, where my bathroom is almost twice the size of our old room". Cheryl handed me my tea. "Where did you say they live again?".
    "Up the Hermidale mountains and forest. It's about an hours drive from here". I took a sip of my tea. Cheryl frowned. She turned to me and wanted to say something but stopped and turned back to her tea.
"What?"
"No, it's nothing"
"No, tell me?". Cheryl sighed and turned to face me completely. "As you know, before I owned this store, I was a real estate agent. And I've never heard about anyone owning property in the Hermidale mountains and forest, but that was also a very long time ago. Is this house quite new?". I shook my head. "No, on the contrary, it looks like it's been there for quite a while, just with a few renovations here and there. Theo said it's been owned by the family for centuries".
"Strange". Cheryl just looked at her tea cup. "Ag, maybe this old bat just has some memory loss". She waved a hand in the air. "Growing old is a terrible thing you know". I just smiled at her, but what she said made me feel uneasy.
Houses that look like the Wishborne Manor don't just pop up out of nowhere!
Right?
***
After getting home from work,  I walked straight to my room to take a shower, but as I entered, I stopped dead in my tracks as I noticed the see of boxes and gift bags that filled my room.
What the hell?
I went to the first box that sat on my bed. It looks like a shoe box. "Knock, knock", said Helena who stood by the door. I turned to her and asked, "What is all of this?". She smiled and walked over to me. "Well, when we were in London, I kinda went on a shopping spree... I couldn't bring all of it on the plane with me so I had it shipped here". She gave me a shy smile and pushed some of the boxes away to sit on my bed. "I hope it's not too much?", she asked and put her hands to her mouth. Her facial expression was something someone makes when they are scarred they might break something. "You mean all of this is for me?". I looked at the see of boxes and gift bags again. She nodded. Still with the same facial expression.
My heart sank. And I left like crying. "Oh Liefje, I'm sorry". She wanted to hug me, but hesitated. "I knew it might be too much. I'll send all of it back right a- "
"No, no. It's not that. It's just... just that I never really owned something that wasn't a handy down." Her face turned sad and I could see the sympathy in her eyes. I wanted to ball like a baby right there, but I swallowed hard and gave her a hug. She hesitated for a few seconds, but then she put her arms around me and hugged me. She hugged me so tight, that the tears started to surface on my eyelids and I quickly blinked them away. I don't think anyone has every given me a hug like this. "Thank you", I whispered. She sniffed and hugged me tighter. "Why not try some on now?", she said as she pulled away, "I would like to see how you look in some of these. And if there's anything you don't like or that doesn't fit, we can just return it". She quickly blinked as well, trying to hide the tears. I smiled at her. And for the first time, I felt something I never knew I longed for until this moment.
I turned to the bags and said, "Where shall we start?'.
***
I was walking over to Raynard's room, thinking about what just happened. The way Helena and I laughed. The way she helped me zip up dresses and pick between all sorts of colours and shapes. And all of the sudden I was jealous of all the girls in the world who got to spend time like this with their mothers. I just wanted more.
Raynard was standing at his window, staring at who knows what, wearing new black vans, a light jean with a black belt, a white shirt that was tucked in and a checkered shirt over it. Looks like he also got a completely new wardrobe.
"What are you staring at?", I asked as I walked over to him. He didn't answer. Just kept staring out the window.
"Raynard?".
"Uh?", he said and suddenly looked at me. "What are you staring at?". I looked out of the window, trying to see if he is looking at anything interesting. "Oh, nothing". He turned towards me. "How was your day at work?", he asked as he walked over to his bed and sat on it. "Ag the usual. What did you do all day?". He looked towards the door. Then looked at me. "Uhm", he said as he got up and closed the door," I learned some interesting things today about the Wishbornes". He sat back down on his bed.
"Ag, not this again Ray!".
"No, Bell listen. Did you know that Helena was part of the secret service?"
"And where did you hear that?"
"Angus told me when I was helping him in the garden". I didn't know what to be shocked at more. Helena being a secret agent or Raynard helping in the garden. "You were helping in the garden?".
"That's not what you should be focusing on right now Bell".
"So Angus told you that Helena was a secret agent?"
"Well he didn't exactly say secret agent, but he did say that she worked for a security company that was employed by the government, but I mean what else does that mean than secret agent?". That would explain why Helena knows so much about hunting and combat.
"So? He said that she worked for them. Not still working for them".
"But what if she is? What if they all are? And this fabric company is just something to hide behind"
"You're just over exaggerating. I mean, we saw the article in that book that their company is real?".
"That could easily have been a cover up. I mean it's the government Bell. They have ways of hiding things and keeping them a secret".
"Raynard, are you even listen to yourself?"
"Fine, then why not ask them about the doll house you claim you saw. Because I went looking for it Bell and I couldn't find it anything".
"Are you saying that I'm lying then?". The coldness rose in my tummy as I pinned Raynard down with my eyes. It's one thing calling me a princess, but another calling me a liar.
"No, but I am just stating the facts".
"You probably just missed it".
"I didn't Bell". He stared at me with those eyes again. A fire now crackling in my tummy. If we keep going at this it will turn ugly real quick. So I turned away from him and looked out of the window to calm myself down.
"Fine, I'll ask them". I turned back to him, narrowed my eyes and said, "But I'm not lying about this".
Raynard hoped off the bed and went to the door. "And I don't think that you are".
***
At the dinner table everyone was being normal. Laughing, making jokes.
I studied Helena and Theo for a few seconds. The way they smiled. The way they laugh. The way they spoke to everyone with such elegance and care. There's no way that they that good of actors. And I don't know if it was just because of the wonderful time I spent with Helena earlier, but I couldn't believe that there's something wrong. That they hiding something. And yet what Raynard and Cheryl told me kept playing in the back of my mind. It felt like there was a war going on inside my head. And I was in no mans land. Struggling to pick a side. Guess there's only one way to find out. 
I sighed. I looked towards Raynard who was already staring at me. He nodded his head. I widened my eyes, as if telling him to be patient, I'll do it now.  I looked towards Helena. Heavens please just let Raynard be wrong this one time.
"So-", I said and everyone's attention turned to me. "What's the creepy doll house for?". I continued eating, trying to act cool about it. Although I could feel a headache creeping in as soon as I mentioned the doll house. Theo, Helena and Claudia exchanged looks. Then Theo frowned and asked, "What doll house?".
"The one just on the other side of the tennis court? Hidden between the hedges?". This time they all frowned. "There's no doll house on this property Liefje", said Helena and looked at me with concern. Instantly cold rushed through my veins. "What do you mean? Off course there is? I saw it a few days ago. I followed one for the servant lady's to it. Angus even knows this? He told me that you won't be very happy about me being there".
"What on earth are you talking about Darling", asked Theo.
"The doll house! The one just behind the hedges", I said irritated.
"I'm sorry Darling, but I have no idea what you are talking about", said Theo. Rage took over my body and I turned ice cold. Sharp pulses of pain shot through my head. "Why are you lying about this!", I yelled. Concern speared over everyone's faces.
"Bell just calm down", Irene said and put a hand on my arm. I yanked it away as I stood up from the table. "No, Rena I'm not lying. There's a doll house right behind those hedges. With painted animals on it and everything". I turned towards Theo and Helena again. My head spinning from the pain. I wanted to say something but my thoughts went blank. And the last thing I remember is Helena yelling "Theo!", before the world went black.
***
I was following the servant lady through the forest. It was night time. The moon and stars our only source of light.
"Where are you taking me?", I asked the lady. She turned around. Her shimmering white hair blowing in the wind, as she just smiled at me and turn back to continue walking forward. We came to a stop in front of a door covered in vines and plants.
Hold on.
I've seen this door before? In one of my previous dreams.
"What is this place?", I asked her. She put a finger to her mouth. "Why should we stay quite?", I whispered.
A sudden rustling noise came from behind me. I turned around to see a man standing right behind me and looked straight into my eyes.
I sat up straight in my bed. Irene lifted her head from her arms where she was lying on my bed. Raynard got up for my coach near the window and walked over to me. "How you feeling Bell?", he asked and sat on my bed next to me.
"What happened?", I asked as I threw my legs over the edge of my bed.
"You passed out", said Raynard, "Helena had a doctor check up on you and he said it was probably low blood sugar but I think he's talking crap. He didn't seem like a real doctor to me". I tried to remember what happened. Then it all hit me at once. "The doll house!", I jumped out of bed, "Finding it is the only way to prove that they are lying". I ran towards the door.
"Bell wait!", Irene yelled. But I was already running down the passage.
I ran out the front door, towards the tennis court. Irene and Raynard running after me.
"Bell stop!", Irene yelled. But I didn't stop. I have to prove that I'm not making this up.
I came to a stop in front of the hedges. Nothing. No path way. Nothing. Helena, Theo, Claudia and Angus came rushing over. Irene and Raynard finally caught up. "It was here!", I yelled, "Right here!". I started to pace up and down the hedges. Looking for some explanation that could explain why the path way is now all of the sudden missing. Then I remember the conversation Theo and Angus had. "They covered it up", I whispered. I turned towards my brother and sister. Helena, Theo, Claudia and Angus now standing behind them. "They covered it up! I over heard Theo and Angus talking about it". Raynard shot them a look. My headache started again.
"Darling, you probably just imagined it", said Theo, but there was something different in his voice.
"I believe her!", said Raynard, "And for some reason you're lying to us!".
"Raynard we are not lying to you", said Helena in a soft sweet voice. "Bullshit!", Raynard yelled.
Something changed in Helena and Theo's eyes.
I turned back to the hedges. "I didn't imagine it. Even if I have to go through these hedge to prove it". I started to tear through the hedges. Twigs and thrones scrapping open my skin. "Bell stop!", I heard people scream. But I ignored them and kept on ripping throw the hedges. Even though my headache threatened to swallow me into that darkness again, I just kept on going. I felt someone grab me, yelling, "You going to hurt yourself!". But I wiggled lose and pushed myself through the hedge.
My heart sunk.
As the only thing in front of me was grass and the tree line of the forest. I looked to my left and right, just to find the hedges stretching like a fence on either side.
"What the actual fuck", I whispered to myself, before the darkness took over.