𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐲 ↝ 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯

IX

  The light of dawn seeped into Elizabeth's darkroom and shines it's early morning rays directly onto her closed eyelids. Elizabeth scrunches her eyes a few times before lazily opening them, looking directly into the sunlight. The exhausted woman slowly raises out of bed with a large yawn.

Once Elizabeth stands, she slips her see-through white meshed robe around her body, tying the white silk ribbon around her waist. Elizabeth rubbed her bleary blue eyes and walked to her bedroom window. There was a pearly glow in the sky along with wispy peached colored clouds, the view makes Elizabeth's lips turn up into a soft closed-lipped smile.

The sight of a tiny grey object tapping against her window causes her body to jump, slightly gasping. Elizabeth furrows her eyebrows as she looks down to the bottom floor, her heart jumping once she recognizes the culprit to be Arthur. Elizabeth beams a bright smile as she unhooks her window's latch. The window is pushed open with urgency, Elizabeth slightly leans out to get a better view of the man below her.

"Arthur? What're you doing here?" Elizabeth tries to ask as quietly as she can; trying to avoid waking up anyone else in the house.

"Thought we could get a jump start," Arthur smiles back up to the happy-faced girl, "If now's not a good time we can always-"

"No! I'll be right down!" Elizabeth quickly interrupts, Arthur lifts two fingers to his temple and lazily salutes up to her in response.

Elizabeth reaches forward and pulls the windows back closed, latching the hook back in place. Elizabeth runs towards her bedroom door.

"Oh!" Elizabeth says to herself, remembering she's still in her nightwear. Elizabeth turns back around towards her tall white wooden wardrobe, pulling the doors open to reveal clothing she has still yet to wear. She pushes aside beautiful daytime dresses until her eyes land on her grey bathing gown.

Elizabeth pulls the gown out of the closet, almost dropping it to the floor due to the weights that have been sewn into the hems. Elizabeth lays the gown down on her bed neatly before beginning to undress out of her robe and nightgown, just leaving her in her white undergarments.

As Elizabeth begins to slip the gown over her head, she hears the sound of her bedroom door opening. Elizabeth swiftly finishes pulling the gown down.

"Miss Elizabeth- oh, you're already awake..." Meredith says, Elizabeth folds her hands behind her back as she stares back at the older woman, Meredith frowns, "And... you're in a bathing gown."

Elizabeth tries to think on her feet of an unsuspecting lie, "I thought it would be a nice day to rest out by the water."

"And you need your bathing gown for that?"

"I'd hate if I ruined another dress due to my clumsiness."

Meredith sighs and steps into Elizabeth's room, shutting the door behind her. Elizabeth tenses up once Meredith turns back around with her arms folded.

"Where're you really off to?"

Elizabeth tries to keep a straight face but she soon realizes her defeat once Meredith raises one singular eyebrow. Elizabeth walks towards Meredith, pulling the woman by the arm and towards her window.

Meredith continues to stare at Elizabeth with a slight frown, still confused as before. Elizabeth gestures towards her window, Meredith slowly leans over and peaks out of the glass. Due to his hat, Meredith can't see his face, but she can clear as day see a young man leaning against an oak tree, smoking a cigarette. Meredith's jaw drops slightly, she looks to Elizabeth.

"He's nice and a friend."

"A friend?"

"Well sure, what else would he be?"