When the Hydrangea Flowers Bloom

Chapter Nine: The End of Summer

The next month was amazing. I spent the whole time relaxing, reading, and hanging out with the other subjects. Every day, I would walk to the gazebo and write in my journal. Prof. Fawcett told us to be very specific, but I couldn't. I tended to write more on my emotions and basic ideas than specific events.

It was warm out, so I would sit in the flower garden and talk with Winnie. We hung out every day, from breakfast until dinner. The only times we weren't together were when I was writing in my journal and when I was hanging out with Eugene. We spent the most time together in the first week or two because we already knew each other so well, but over time we got to know the other subjects and moved on.

I would correspond with my family every week, one letter to the lot of them and sometimes another one to Abigail. Though I missed my family and home a lot, the manor was starting to feel like home now. And everyone else was my family. Even Richard. He hung out with us a lot, eating meals with us and even lounging in the parlor room with us. He was so smart and so interesting, I wondered why he wasn't off in college or doing something other than socializing with the seven of us.

Even though Winnifred was technically my best friend here, it really was Pietro. We went everywhere together; I got a small wicker basket and placed a blanket in there so he could ride along with me, wherever I went. The maids always petted and cuddled him when we passed by and most of the other subjects loved him, too. He played with Richard the most, though. When he wasn't with me, Pietro was off in the parlor room, playing around with Richard.

Summer was ending, but it was still hotter than ever. Pietro and I were lounging on a blanket by the lake, Pietro playing with little bugs and me reading. It was 90 degrees outside, but it was much cooler in the shade. Winnifred and Simon were walking in the garden, enjoying the last blooms. Flora and Gertrude were somewhere inside and Eugene and Martin were off riding horses or something along those lines.

I was fully immersed in my book when someone spoke. "Lemonade?"

I jumped and looked up. Richard was standing near the edge of my blanket with Pietro rubbing his head on Richard's feet. He was holding two cups and a pitcher of icy lemonade.

"Oh, perfect! Thank you," I said, moving over to allow him to sit.

"What are you reading?" He asked as he poured the lemonade into the glasses and passed me one.

I held up my book so he could see. "Anna Karenina, a Tolstoy novel."

"Ah, yes. I read that book. I thought it was too dramatic," he said.

"I disagree! It's so captivating, and the writing is incredible." I argued.

"Well, we'll agree to disagree."

"Fine," I said.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before he said, "You know, I have a personal library, full of books you might be interested in reading."

"Oh! Thanks. I am going through the books I was able to bring pretty quickly."

"Sure." We stewed in the awkward silence until Richard said, "Want me to show it to you?"

"Yeah!" I put my book down and picked Pietro up.

Richard led me inside and took us up to the third floor, which I had never been on. I followed him down a hallway and to a pair of doors. He pulled them open to reveal a nice, modest library. There were floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and couches and chairs in the center.

"Feel free to use it anytime." He offered.

"Thank you," I said, smiling at him.

We started to walk back downstairs when Richard asked, "Are you hungry?"