Chapter Forty
Hester Grounds, July 1st 1997
It was an early spring morning when Andrew picked Amara up at the train station, beaming and bouncing on his toes. The train pulled into the station, releasing clouds of white and chugging cheerfully; Amara jumped off, a carpet bag in her hands and holding onto a very country looking straw hat, her cinnamon curls blowing in the light breeze.
Her face lit up when she saw him; the carpet bag was dropped at her feet and she ran to him, squealing as he lifted her up and spun them around.
“I missed you!” she gasped, leaning back a little.
Andrew kissed her nose “And I missed you.”
Taking her hand, he showed her out of the station and down a long country road. “It’s a bit far, but the walk is nice. Are you up for it?”
She nodded “I want to see everything.”
It was the first time Amara had visited Hester grounds, and Andrew pointed out landmarks from his childhood as they passed. It didn’t take them long to reach the house, silent as the quiet morning turned golden.
“This is your home?” asked Amara, gawking at the rambling, kooky structure of Hester House.
Andrew smiled and opened the front door, allowing her to go through first “Yeah. It’s a little extravagant, but my great grandfather was a wizard architect. He got a bit creative, so stay close.”
Amara did just that, grabbing his hand. Andrew took her up the left staircase, pointing at nooks and crannies as they passed, poking their heads through doors and explaining certain features that seemed completely out of place. They ducked into the music room, its ceilings tall and walls a deep red. A large grand piano sat in the centre of the room, two wine glasses sitting on its top.
“Do you play?” she asked, running her fingers over the ivory keys.
He shrugged “Sort of, but its mostly played by my godfather. He used to play for Mamma when she couldn’t sleep.”
“Used to?” she peeked through a tiny window, peering down into the large circular library that towered several stories high.
“He doesn’t come round as much.” Andrew smiled feebly and led her out “Come on, my room is just this way.”
Andrew’s room was directly across from Sonia’s, its walls a light sea green. Books were piled in corners, a cauldron bubbled by the desk and two cats snuggled up on the window seat, one fat and orange, the other sleek and black.
“It’s just as I imagined.” Amara beamed, falling back on the bed by the window. She could see the sky from there, blue and cheery. “Everything is just so…you.”
Chuckling, Andrew put a lid on the cauldron and fell beside her; Amara snuggled close, resting her head on his chest.
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