Love at First Sight

Chapter 20

Adeline stayed inside while Alma showed Jacob around the home, heading outside to introduce him to the children and discuss more of the peculiardom.

"What are you reading?" Adeline looked over when she spotted Horace.

"Just trying to decode a book. Do you happen to know French?"

"Not fluently, but there is a book in the library to learn French." He says and Adeline grins.

"That's great! Thanks, Horace."

"My pleasure." He says and walks off upstairs.

Adeline got out of her seat, walking down to the study room to search for the book. What she didn't expect was to find Jacob and Miss Peregrine there.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I can wait." She says gently.

"No, its alright Miss Johnson. Go ahead and get whatever it is you need." She says softly and watched as Adeline got out a book on French. The older woman panicked for a moment, but didn't let her features slip. She couldn't stop the woman as she already walked out with it.

Adeline went to her room afterwards to get a notepad and start decoding the title. Afterwards the note and when she feels more confident and has time, the rest of the book. About an hour passed and she only got half the title down. There was so many words in the book and all of them sounded so similar and her eyes hurt from looking at the small text for so long. She heard a knock on the door and told them to come in, seeing it was Miss Peregrine.

"Dear, dinner is almost done." Alma says when she walks in and sees her with her journal on her bed. "Would you mind handing me that?" She says and holds her hand out. Adeline knew better than to argue and gave it to her.

"I can teach you French when ever I am able to. There's no need to rush through the whole dictionary to cover it." Alma says with a small smile and Adeline felt herself grow embarrassed.

"I'm sorry." She says softly and Almas haze softened.

"No need to apologize." Alma says, matching her tone and Adeline blushed when she felt her gently kiss the corner of her lips. "Now come down stairs for dinner."

"What kind of dinner?" Adeline accidently slips out and she felt her cheeks burn, Almas cheeks turning a faint pink before smirking.

"We'll see." She says, simply just messing with the woman but the thought made the ymbrynes cheeks burn more than she liked and a not so appropriate thought slip into her mind and she shook it off. "I'll meet you downstairs." And with that, she left.

Adeline felt her breathing go shallow as she thought over what the ymbryne said, her mind turning rather unholy and she forced herself to stop thinking of it. She composed herself before heading downstairs, a bit irritated that Jacob had taken her spot by the ymbryne, but thankfully she was able to sit on the other side of Alma.

"Eat before the food gets cold, children." Alma says and Jacob sends Adeline a glance. She sent him a small smile and he looked nervously at everyone, seeming still in shock of the place.

"So Jacob, when do you plan on abandoning us?" Enoch asks and Alma sent the boy a look.

"He didn't abandon us." Emma snaps and Enoch throws her a glare.

"Children, enough." The ymbryne says and the two went quiet. Adeline was nervous as the room was filled with an uncomfortable silence. She didn't have much of an appetite and casted a glance to Alma, the woman glancing over when she felt her gaze.

"May I be dismissed?" Adeline asks quietly Alma looks at her confused.

"Aren't you hungry?"

"No, I had a big lunch." Adeline says even though the headmistress knew she hadn't had much earlier.

"Alright, you're dismissed." Alma says, watching the woman leave the room. Adeline scraped the rest of her food into the trash, placing her plate in the sink before heading to the parlor. She took a seat on the couch, looking out the window behind it, noticing it was dark out. She seen the wind hitting the trees and the peaceful silence that followed. That is until she heard the children were soon after dismissed and they all came into the parlor for the movie. Adeline moved over for Olive to join her on the couch, Emma sitting next to Jacob.

"Why did you leave dinner early?" Olive asks and Adeline just shrugged, unsure how to answer that. All of them looked towards the wall of the parlor as Horaces eyeglass projected his dreams.

The first was mostly him trying on suits, most of the time it was mainly that. Adeline seen Emma whisper something to Jacob before returning her gaze to the movie. A few gasps were heard when they suddenly seen two wights, forcing Avocet down the hallway towards a room, Barron being seen for only a moment before a third dream showed. A few whimpers were heard at first and both Almas and Adelines cheeks burned at first when the ymbryne recognized the noises from the woman and was about to turn the lights back on when Adeline appeared on screen. Her hands were bloodied and silent tears ran down her cheeks as the rain fell hard. The last thing Alma seen was Barron standing over the woman, raising his hand and Horaces eyeglass stopped, ending it there. Olive sent Adeline a worried look, the woman trying not to return it until she met Almas gaze. Seeing the worried look on her ymbrynes eyes was enough to make herself panic.

"Children, head outside for reset. Miss Johnson, let me speak with you quickly." Alma says and the children leave the room, taking their gas masks with them as they went outside. Adeline walked up to her ymbryne and Alma firmly took her by the shoulders.

"You are to stay here at the home at all times, understood?" She says firmly and Adeline nods, a bit nervous under her hold. "Leave these bandages on and you are to remain by my side at all times." She says firmly before letting go of her and beckoning her to go outside. Adeline obeyed, knowing the ymbrynes gaze was on her on the way outside.

She doesn't want her leaving the home, but she could have sworn she was in the loop when Barron found her in the dream.