Aspire - Kanthony's continuation story

Chapter 5 - How to Build a Treehouse

"I wish to be alone." Anthony wheezed out and started to head towards the stables.

"Anthony!" Kate shouted after him and was about to follow.

"Alone!" He snarled at her and continued his march away from the women.

"Let him be Kate, he will come around..." Violet sighed, as Kate walked back up to her.

"Come Violet, you will get all wet and chilly." Kate said softly and offered Violet her hand.

"Can we visit Edmund's memorial...?" Violet wondered hopefully as she stood up.

"Of course." Kate smiled, took Violet's arm and cast one more look at the sad old treehouse, before leading the way towards the part of the forest where she and Anthony had fallen into a puddle of mud last summer. Now there was no happily laughing Anthony and neither any mud, this summer had been much drier than the last one. Edmund's memorial appeared behind the trees and the ladies sat down on the old bench next to it. Someone had laid a large fresh bouquet of lilacs by the stone, probably Violet herself.

"I came here yesterday with Daphne and Augie, she picked out such beautiful flowers... His favourite kind." Violet sighed, confirming Kate's assumptions about the bouquet. "Kate."

"Yes, Violet?" She smiled fondly and took Violet's hands in hers.

"There is something you need to understand about the relationship between Anthony and his father, you see... Edmund was no ordinary lord who did not want to either hear or see his children. As you know, Anthony was our first-born and we loved him fiercely. Edmund took Anthony with him wherever he went and spoke to him about philosophy and poetry long before poor little Anthony could understand a word of it." Violet laughed, while tears rolled down from her eyes again. "And then Benedict was born and Edmund spent a week at the stables, building a silly contraption which allowed him to carry Anthony on his back, while he had baby Benedict in his arms. They would wade through the streams and walk through these fields and come home to me all sunkissed and wind-blown. My three knights in shining armour... Edmund told them a bedtime story every night and he made Anthony believe there were dragons lurking around, which he had to protect me from." Violet finished with a smile and a sob. Now Kate felt tears building up in her eyes as well. "So you see, Kate. Edmund was Anthony's entire world... Everyday, all the time. Through every single year of his life. He even took Anthony to Eton himself, without just sending a servant, and assured him everything was going to go well at his new school. And then, just when Anthony was spending the summer here at home before heading to Oxford in the fall, everything fell apart..." Violet wheezed out and stared at the memorial.

"Oh, Violet..." Kate sighed and squeezed her hand. "I knew they were close, but you just painted such a beautiful and vivid picture of how beautiful and unique their relationship truly was... And I do understand Anthony in this matter, I was immensely close with my father as well. My mother died when I was very young and even though Lady Mary has always treated me like her own daughter, my bond with my father was the strongest. I sometimes wondered if he secretly wished that I had been a son instead, but he always declared that a girl should be allowed to read challenging books, ride horses and shoot deer the same way as any boy... He taught me everything I know, and I taught it on to Edwina. Somehow that made me feel like he was still with us, even after he had passed. He was my entire world as well... I remember not being scared at all, moving to India, because I knew nothing bad could happen when he was there to protect us. And then, suddenly one day he was not. I did not know how to carry on after that, but I just had to..." Kate snivelled and Violet wrapped her arm around Kate's shoulder.

"Kate, dear Kate..." She hushed. "That is why you have such a beautiful bond and relationship with Anthony, you have both waded through the same horrors and emerged strong and victorious after it all. We should not sit here and cry like old crones..." Violet laughed softly and dried her eyes. "This is a time of joy, Kate. I know Edmund would have adored you and laughed at how similar you are with his headstrong son. He would have been so proud of you two and the family you now are starting." Violet smiled and looked fondly at the stone, like Edmund truly was present there to share their happiness.