A Story To Die For

A Comfortable Lie

Chapter Five -
Saturday, 15th April 1911

The car pulled up outside of the large estate known as Everton manor, the old building having been in the family for generations; the money going as far back as the early 1700's, so as far as anyone was concerned, Walter Everton was a gentleman through and through.

"Miss Darrington," Jackson nodded, opening the door of the car for the woman, holding out a hand to assist her down the step.

"Thank you" She smiled kindly, walking forward to the door, her brother and his wife Charlotte close behind.

"Well this really is as magnificent as they say, more so even!" Ron-Henry marvelled, hooking his arm with both women, walking closer to the stunning threshold.

"Ah, the Darringtons, how wonderful you arrived in one piece" Walter announced as he walked out to greet the three, shaking hands with Ron-Henry and kissing both womens hands.

"Please make yourselves at home, afternoon tea has just been prepared in the drawing room."
Walter takes Florence's arm, Florence happily de-linking from her brother who wasn't so pleased at the gesture.

"Well we can't stay actually, we have a dinner booked at the Ottoway Grove for three o'clock and I know my sister is more than capable of holding an appropriate conversation on her own, she has been out for more than three seasons now" Ron-Henry joked.

"So I've heard," Walter laughed, returning the jest, Florence just eyed the pair with an irked look set upon her face.

"By my life I thought we'd made good time but it's already quarter to, I'm afraid we will have to leave you sooner rather than later!" Ron-Henry huffed, Florence silently thanking the gods for their haste to leave.

"We will return at six to collect you" He added, taking his sister's hand in his own, "Well I will still be here," She chuckled "Enjoy your dinner" She said to the pair.

"And you!" Charlotte returned, the prolonged pleasantries now grating on Florence's nerves.

Ron-Henry and Charlotte got into the car and started to drive away down the long winding driveway, the house was quite into the country, right next to a lake, perfect for tranquillity.

"Shall we?" Walter spoke up, the pair once again linking arms as they walked into the house, "We shall,"
-
"Your brother... Ron-Henry..." Walter started, catching Florence's ear, "What about him?" She quizzed, expecting a serious question to respond to.

"Why does he have two first names- I know it's not uncommon but his are rather peculiar" Walter laughed, Florence joining his laughter due to pure confusion as to why that would be the first question on his mind.

"They are quite random I do admit but with good reason..." Florence started, the pair now walking through the dining room, the grandeur startling Flo quite a bit due to the fact it was almost three times the size of her own family home.

"My mother was told she was expecting twins so she prepared every combination you could think of" She sighed.

"Effie and Henry for a boy and a girl, Evelyn and Lilwen for two girls and-"

"Ronald and Henry for two boys" Walter finished, understanding the thought process behind it now.

"She had a complicated birth which resulted in one of the twins being a still born, but since they were both boys she couldn't at all decide on one, she felt as though it would be disrespectful to the other, it would mean they were really dead so my father suggested Ron-Henry and it stuck," Of course Florence wasn't born until six years later but one of the serving girls had relayed the story of her brothers peculiar name to her one eve in the summer of 1901.