Elmere Common

Chapter III: A Walk

CHAPTER III

~ A Walk

The following morning Katherine awoke to a consolingly familiar golden light issuing through the tiny window next to the tiny bed.

She sprang out of this bed in a dash, and peered out of this window to see Elmere Common as she had always known and cherished it.

“You’re back,” she murmured to the panorama, like it were an old friend returned home, as if she had once fleetingly alleged this friend was absent eternally, only to be solaced once more – an absolute hyperbole, to be sure!

She garbed herself, and rushed down the steep, narrow stairs to find the rest of the household already up.

“Good morning, Miss Benson! I would have woken you, as you did make your intentions perfectly clear last night, about leaving at dawn-” Katherine raised her eyebrows as if to say: ‘Then, if you acknowledge how clear and urgent my intentions were, then why did you not wake me up as requested?’, and seeing this, Elliott, who was sitting at the breakfast table with a newspaper in his hands, chuckled quietly at her expression – “-but I thought you looked so tired last night, I wondered that it might really be in your best interests to get a good long nights’ sleep – oh! would you like any breakfast, my dear?”

“I thank you for your concern, and please do not assume that I am ungrateful for your tender care yesterday, but it is like I have said, I really ought to have left at dawn, otherwise my father may become worried – you know who my father is, Mrs Linton?” she said, and there was a hint of a threat in her voice as she said this. The slight annoyance in her voice was detectable.

“Oh! yes, I do know your lovely Mr Benson,” Mrs Linton replied, a little nervously now, “And you are quite right; we would not want to upset him, would we, children? No, he has indeed been very good to us these past years. You must be off then?”

“Yes, I am afraid I must.” Katherine replied. She was a little smug, and secretly glad that she could use her father’s power to influence the locals, but she closed this thought before she could make itself known on her expression, as she told herself that such exploitation would be cruel, and then remembered a small part of last night’s conversation.

“Elliott – Mr Harlow, my friend. I must now say goodbye.” 

He stood up at that, and took the hand that she held out to him. “Goodbye,” he replied to her, “And perhaps next time you shall meet my sister, as I have a feeling that you and she would get along very well indeed.”

“I am sure that she is delightful. Emily; Earnest: I am so glad that I have had the pleasure of your company!” – they nodded at her, their eyes fixed on their breakfast, but she did not mind – “Goodbye once again, Mrs Linton. I cannot thank you enough!”

And after saying their goodbyes, she rushed out of the door, only to remember her horse, and to rush back indoors again – Milo! – her beloved horse, how could she forget?

“I am so sorry – my horse…?” she asked.

“Elliott, will you take our guest to the shed, please?”

“Of course.” He replied to his aunt. “This way,” he told Katherine as he led her out of the small wooden door.

They walked around the side of the house, in silence, until they reached a sizeable brown shed.

“Here he is!” She exclaimed when she saw him. She ran towards the horse and stroked him affectionately.

“You do love him,” Elliott noted after observing her affection, and his tone was as if he was perhaps a little jealous of this horse.