A House On The Hill.

Chapter 2

A week later, I found myself standing with Isabel, suitcases in hand, in the centre of an old market square. There was a Post Office nearby, named rather unimaginatively Lesser Farthing Post Office, and a shiny red telephone box stood next to it. We had just been dropped off by the cart, having spent something like nine hours on a train, and another one or two on the cart. It was getting steadily darker, and since the square only had one streetlamp we were standing under that.

"You know" I said to Isabel thoughtfully. "We would probably be better off standing on the other side of the square from the streetlamp. Since we're standing under it, our eyes are adjusting to the light close by, and we can't see into the dark further away. If we stood further away looking at the streetlamp, it would seem to illuminate more of the square around us, since our eyes are more adjusted to the dark."

Isabel humphed, pulling her shawl around her tighter. I did the same. It was getting a bit cold.

"Do you fancy standing anywhere but the streetlamp?" she asked bluntly. It took a minute for me to register she was carrying on from my previous comment.

"It was just an observation" I grumbled. 

"Keep them to yourself!" Isabel sighed.

A few minutes passed, and the square got darker still. Isabel sat with a thump on her suitcase, but  I stayed standing. I didn't feel comfortable enough here to put myself at such a disadvantage as to sit down.

"Although" I mused aloud again. "Since we are actually standing under the streetlamp, it does make it lots easier for other people around the square looking out of their windows to see us, providing they haven't got all of their lights on in their house, in which case they'll only see the reflection of the room they're in..."

"Allie!" Isabel snapped, and I shut up quickly. I knew my sister wasn't happy about me bringing her here in the first place, but something about unfamiliar cold dark spaces seemed to always set her on edge a little.

"Allie!"

I jumped out of my skin, and Isabel held back a small shriek as a bundle of peony pink skirts, makeup and hair laquer teetered across the square, enveloping me in a huge bear hug.

"How've you been, Allie? Oh, and Izzy too, I'm frightfully glad you came, it's so boring here all by myself!" Pansy Price chattered happily. "I mean, of course, there's Lewis next door and Quincy over the other side, and the butchers across the street and dearest Lilly with her new baby Melody a few doors down, but other than that I'm totally alone!" she sighed dramatically, dragging me off down the street with one arm with the other clamped down firmly on my suitcase, Isabel trailing behind. I couldn't see much of the houses as it was so dark, and as we approached another streetlamp, she pointed into the blackness on the other side of the road.

"Here we are!" she chirped, opening a little white gate, or at least I thought it was white. After finding our way down the gravelly garden path, Pansy fiddled with the keys for  what seemed like ages before the door finally opened and we all piled in. 

"I'll make you both a cup of tea!" Pansy called over her shoulder, scuttling down the hall. "Just leave your bags in the hall! Lounge is on the right!"

Isabel raised her eyebrows and pushed open a door, which fortunately for us led to the lounge. We sat down on a pink sofa which had a lacy throw over the back, and looked dubiously around at the pale floral wallpaper, pastel yellow curtains, and majorly fluffy rugs scattered all over the floor. 

"I am going to strangle you when we get home" Isabel murmured.

At that point, Pansy came bustling back in, laden with a tray piled high with cakes, biscuits, and a huge white teapot, along with three cups, three saucers, and a sugar bowl. She balanced it percariously on the little wooden coffee table, unloading the cakes and biscuits onto the table, before sitting down with a rustle of skirts in the armchair opposite.

"So!" she sighed happily. "How've you both been?"

"We'd be better with some milk in our tea" Isabel commented cynically. Pansy's pink lips formed a little 'o' of suprise, and she jumped up again, nearly knocking the table over.

"Of course! How silly of me! I won't be a tick!" she simpered, bustling out again. I perched on the edge of the sofa, looking apprehensively at the huge pile of cakes on the table. Isabel leaned over.

"Correction. I will be strangling you before we get home."

I laughed, and she sighed, giving me an evil glare as Pansy returned, milk in hand. She poured us tea, and then I chose a little cupcake from the vast selecion available. Leaving my tea on the coffee table to cool a little, and tentatively I bit into the cupcake. It was ginger with vanilla icing, and rather tasty. Pansy watched me eat it, already halfway through her third biscuit. Isabel was drinking her tea.

"Do you like the cake, Allie?" she asked. "I got those from the bakers, ooh, about two weeks ago. I bought twenty-four, of course, and they're the last ones. Shame. I would have saved you more if I'd known you liked them..." she trailed off, picking a slice of cake out of the pile on the coffee table and biting into it with gusto.

I slowly put the cupcake down on the table and picked up my tea. I was not eating two-week-old cupcakes. No thank you. Isabel saw me doing it and smirked, giving me the perfect excuse to step hard on her foot while Pansy was preoccupied with a cream bun. Unfortunately, I was still rather hungry, so I decided to be tactful.

"What were the baker's selling today?" I asked politely. Isabel looked suprisedly at me. Obviously she couldn't see where I was going with this.

"Well" Pansy smiled, now wiping the remains of a treacle tart from her pink lips. "They were selling these lovely little chocolate butterfly cupcakes, but I'm afraid they're all gone. They also had a couple of jam tarts, with little stars and hearts on the tops of them, but I can't seem to work out where they've gone either. Oh, and I bought this from them today" she added, pointing to a rather large Victoria Sponge, coated in white icing with pastel iced flowers adorning the top. I smiled.

"Do you mind if I have a piece?" I asked, setting my teacup down on the table. 

"Not at all! I bought it since I knew you were coming!" Pansy gushed, picking up a rather sharp knife and cutting me a very generous slice, which I took with dignity, picking up a little fork from the table and wondering where to start. Isabel was watching the whole charade with a mild interest, and as Pansy settled herself back down with a piece of the same Victoria Sponge, I took my opportunity.

"Fresh" I mouthed, indicating the cake. Isabel's face lit up with understanding, and then creased into a smile as she finished her tea.

"Do you mind if I have a piece too, Pansy?" she asked, a little stiffly.

"Of course!" Pansy smiled, jumping up again, and serving Isabel with a slice just as big as mine was. I caught my sister's eye, and she winked. I smirked back. Sometimes Isabel was the best sister to have.

I must have only been halfway through the giant slice of cake when I yawned widely. It had been a long journey down, and I was very tired.

"Are you tired, Allie?" Pansy asked, stating the obvious. I nodded, setting the cake back down on the table.

"We both are" Isabel added. "I think we'd rather have an early night."

"Of course!" Pansy repeated cheerily. She seemed to say that a lot. We were ushered into the hall and up the stairs, and both of us pointed down the left corridor at the top. Isabel took the bigger spare room, which left me with the smaller one, with windows facing out the back of the house. 

"Goodnight!" Pansy called, as both Isabel and I shut our doors. "I'll have breakfast ready for you in the morning, just come down when you're ready!"

I shrugged and got ready for bed. Climbing under the covers and reaching inside my suitcase, I brought out a book. Mystery Man, the title read. It was another Sedgefield Carburry, and I was already halfway through and really enjoying it. I couldn't read for too long, though, as I was tired out from the journey. I eventually gave up and turned out the light.