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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎

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𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐌𝐍 and the days grew shorter, darker and gloomier. Rain seemed to pour out of the grey clouds every other day and the river at the foot of the hill almost started to stream past its riverbed. The sombre atmosphere drifting through the mansion only amplified, though, when word of the bombing of London reached the countryside.

Night after night, the German aircrafts dropped their bombs on the capital city, and the Summers siblings could not even begin to imagine what it would look like or how it would have been if they still had been in London.

Parts of the city were being evacuated, but every night, families had to huddle together in their backyard shelters, fearing for their lives and not knowing whether they would see another sunrise. Every night, children were doomed to become orphans, siblings to become an only child, or parents to become childless.

Alexander sat in the living room, leaning with his chin in the palm of his hand as he stared out of the arched window. Today it was miraculously dry outside, but Mrs Macready wanted them inside to make a good first impression on the new guests who would arrive today ─ since the professor had graciously opened his mansion for the children who were being evacuated out of London to keep them safe.

Apparently, the Summers siblings gave the head of the housekeepers heart attacks every time they returned to the mansion with dirty clothes from the adventures they had outside. Whatever they did or did not do, it always sparked some anger within Mrs Macready. The Scottish woman was difficult to please, and most of the time, the siblings wished she was as hard to find as their own grandfather. They could count their meetings with the professor on one hand ever since they had arrived five weeks ago.

The voice of the radio announcer echoed through the room, accompanied with some static noise of the bad reception, but Alexander quickly turned down the volume when Rosaleen walked inside as well. He lay half over the armrest of the couch to reach the radio knob, yet Rosaleen barely noticed it as she had her nose once again buried in a book.

Alexander recognized it as the notebook written by the professor and he suppressed a sigh. 'You're reading that again?'

Rosaleen sat down next to him on the couch, folding her legs underneath her while she absentmindedly adjusted the green checkered fabric of her skirt around her. 'I like the story,' she answered simply, flipping over to the next page.

Alexander groaned and peeked over her shoulder to see which part she was reading. Jadis, the villain who Diggory had awakened by ringing the bell, was wreaking havoc in the centre of London. Alexander slid down further against the backrest, averting his eyes from the book and staring at the bronze chandelier hanging at the ceiling. His sister always dealt with the harsh reality by burying herself into fantasy books; she rather escaped it than faced it, but Alexander knew it wasn't healthy as it hadn't done her much good the last time she had used books as a coping mechanism.

'Sit up straight, boy.' The stern voice of Mrs Macready snapped him out of his thoughts, and he almost jumped up from the couch.

'Yes, madam,' he said, straightening his back as Rosaleen snorted to cover up her chuckle.

Mrs Macready stood by the fireplace, her stark blue eyes judging the siblings from behind the oval-shaped glasses. Her greying hair was pulled back in a tight knot and she carried her brown hat that she wore whenever she went outside in her hands. 'I expect you two to stay out of trouble while I will go and pick up the Pevensies from the train station.'

Rosaleen smiled innocently as she closed the notebook. 'You know us, Mrs Macready; we wouldn't dare to misbehave.'

Mrs Macready squinted her eyes at her in displeasure before turning around on her heels, but when she walked underneath the doorway, Rosaleen spoke up again.

'Are you sure you don't want us to keep you company on the way there?' she asked hopefully, glancing at the window that displayed the beautiful day. It might be one of the last dry days of the year, knowing the seasons of England all too well.

Mrs Macready turned halfway around again, pointing her hat at the siblings in a warning manner. 'I am sure of it. Sit tight until we return. Read your book.' She muttered something about hoping the other children would cause less trouble before disappearing in the hallway and out of their sight.

Rosaleen huffed as she crossed her arms, slumping down against the couch.

'Sit up straight, girl,' Alexander said, mimicking Mrs Macready, and Rosaleen slapped his shoulder.

She rose up from her seat and walked over towards the window while putting the small notebook in the pocket of her skirt. In the distance, Mrs Macready steered the horse and carriage down the cobbled path covered with orange and brown leaves that had started to fall from the trees.

'It's not fair,' Rosaleen said. 'I do not want to sit tight.' She leaned with her hip against the windowsill but stared down at her white blouse while straightening the fabric and tucking it more neatly in the back of her skirt.

'Sure,' Alexander said with an amused smile, and she caught herself in the act, quickly crossing her arms again.

'Alright, maybe I am a bit nervous to meet them. What do you think they will be like?'

They didn't know much about the Pevensies, only that there were four of them; two boys and two girls.

'Who knows, they could be stuck ups, just as Mrs Macready wishes. But,' Alexander added when he noticed her horror-struck face, 'I am sure they will be nice.'

'I hope so.'

Alexander waved it away. 'I wouldn't worry too much, you always make friends easily. With them around, I bet you wouldn't even miss me when I'm gone.' He spoke the words without thinking and he visibly paled when he realized his mistake.

Rosaleen snapped her head in his direction, her golden hair moving wildly through the air and she pushed some strands annoyed behind her ear. 'What did you say?'

'Nothing,' he said quickly, but Rosaleen's mind already whirred to the conclusion.

'You're enlisting in the army.' Her voice cracked, and Alexander wiped with his hand over his face that bore a regretful expression. This was not how he had wanted to bring the news.

'Well, I am turning eighteen in a few weeks, Rose,' he tried to explain. 'It is my duty.'

She shook her head a few times, her green eyes burning from the tears on the verge of escaping. 'I don't understand. Dad already fights in the War, you don't have to go.'

'Perhaps,' he said slowly, carefully weighing his next words. 'But I have thought about this hard and long, and I want to. I want to fight for our country, for a better future.'

Rosaleen knew deep down it was an admirable thought, but she only heard his desire to leave, and it stung.

'You want to go?' she repeated with a voice no louder than a whisper, and the soft sound floated through the living room like a lost bird that had forgotten how to fly. 'You want to leave me alone? Forcing me not only to worry about dad every waking and sleeping hour, but about you as well?'

Alexander jumped up from the couch. 'What? No, that's not what I meant.' He made his way over to his sister, walking quickly around the coffee table, but Rosaleen stuck out her hand to stop him at an arm-length distance.

'Please,' she said after taking a deep, trembling breath, forcing her tears back. 'Please, don't leave me as well.'

His eyes softened for a moment. 'It isn't winter yet, Rose. The War could be over by then.'

Rosaleen shot him a look in disbelief. 'I'm not a child, Alex.'

'Stop acting like one, then,' he snapped, his brown eyes becoming cold and sharp like rocks at the edge of a cliff. 'You're sixteen, you can't expect me to always stay around. I have my own life to live, and you have yours. And maybe, if you don't spend it all by reading some fairytales, you might actually know how to handle one.'

A hurtful expression shot over her face before it displayed no emotion at all. 'Books are full of hidden life-lessons, though.'

'And yet, you still don't seem to learn from them.'

Rosaleen lost her grip on her stoic mask and backed away from him. Her lip quivered and an invisible hand seemed to squeeze shut her throat.

'Wait, Rose. . . I─,' Alexander started, but Rosaleen spun around.

'I need some space,' she mumbled before bursting into a sprint and fleeing out of the living room. Her brother shouted something after her, but she couldn't make out the words as the sound of rushing blood whizzed between her ears, growing louder and louder with every jagged breath she took.

She ran through the maze-like hallways of the mansion, letting her feet carry her to wherever they wanted to go. All she wanted was to create distance between herself and her brother.

Her breath felt like sandpaper as it traveled through her throat and along with her sprinting footsteps, the sounds bounced off against the walls; amplifying, echoing, and creating their very own, strange song.

When her body shook too much from physical and mental exhaustion for her to run any farther, she skidded to a halt in the middle of a hallway. Her chest heaved up and down in an irregular rhythm, but her tears seemed to be stuck behind her eyes. She couldn't set them free, even though every fiber in her body and mind hurt from Alexander's harsh words.

She struggled for air and gasped loudly as she sank down on the floor, her legs collapsing underneath her and she pulled her knees to her chest. She tried counting to calm down her breathing but it only sped up as her lungs still refused to take in any oxygen. Colourful flashes and dark dots started to dance in front of her eyes while pangs of fear added to the panic already rushing through her veins.

Rosaleen pushed herself to the side until she sat with her back against a wall. The stones radiated with cold and the cool temperature penetrated her clothing, spreading all over her back. It felt rather nice, she realized, and in a last resort, she pressed her cold hands against the back of her neck. She rested her head against the cold stones, allowing her breathing to slow down and the flashes in front of her eyes disappeared while the darkness at the edge retreated. Her mind cleared up and she blinked a few times to sharpen her vision. She stared right at the door of the round music room.

The carvings of the flowers in the wood looked even more life-like in daylight, and Rosaleen followed the graceful, swirling stems with just her eyes as she regained control over her breathing again. She climbed back on her feet, the notebook inside her pocket slightly tapping against her thigh, and she opened the door. The oil lamp stood untouched on the wing-shaped lid since the last time she had been here, and behind the window, the branches of the oak tree moved slightly in the autumn wind. Some of its leaves already started to turn orange, yellow and brown, but most still bore their deep green colour.

Rosaleen sat down behind the grand piano and the fingers of her left hand stroked gently over the shimmering black fall until she decided to clap it open. The black and white keys glistened in the sunlight and she slowly realized what the untouched room meant. No one played this piano, which meant it had to be her mother's in the past.

'I miss you, mum,' she whispered, her voice cracking as the sound made its way through her thick throat. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, staring at the keyboard and wishing she could silence her mind to just play without any memories popping up, but the sound of hooves clacking on the cobbled path outside, snapped her out of her tumbling thoughts.

Rosaleen jumped up from the stool and ran out of the room to quickly set course back to the living room. As she passed a mirror, she paused for a moment to make sure she still looked presentable. She combed with her fingers through her wavy hair and luckily, nothing gave away the sadness and panic that had previously rushed through her body. She continued her way but as she wanted to round the corner to take the grand stairs down, Mrs Macready's voice shot through the area.

'The professor is unaccustomed to having many children in his house, and as such, there are a few rules we need to follow. There will be no shouting, or running, no improper use of the dumbwaiter, no touching of the historical artifacts, and above all, there shall be no disturbing of the professor.'

Rosaleen tried to come up with an explanation as to why she was upstairs, but she could only smile innocently when Mrs Macready rounded the corner. The four Pevensie siblings walked closely behind the head of the housekeepers and they gave Rosaleen a curious look.

Rosaleen's grin grew even wider when she noticed Mrs Macready's flaring nostrils from ─ undoubtedly ─ trying to keep the tirade in.

'Hello,' Rosaleen said, leaning a bit to the side to get a better look on the Pevensies and her eyes observed the siblings one by one.

'Ah yes,' Mrs Macready said with a forced smile and she turned half back to the Pevensies.

The youngest Pevensie sister stopped waving to Rosaleen, dropping her hand at her side, when even she noticed the straining timbre in Mrs Macready's voice to not burst out in anger.

'This is Miss Rosaleen Summers,' Mrs Macready continued, 'one of the professor's grandchildren who are staying at the mansion as well.'

'I prefer to be called Rose,' she interrupted the housekeeper, only to get a stern look from her and Rosaleen swallowed in the other words.

'Miss Summers, these are the Pevensies: Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy.' Mrs Macready gestured at siblings as she recalled their names.

Peter and Susan seemed to be around Rosaleen's age, whereas Edmund looked a bit younger, and Lucy couldn't be older than ten.

Rosaleen smiled at them. 'Nice to meet you all. I know it's hard to leave your home because of the War, but I hope you'll enjoy your stay here.'

Lucy gave her a sad smile before looking at the points of her shoes while Susan gently rubbed her younger sister's back.

'Thank you,' Susan spoke, but before she could continue, Mrs Macready cut her off.

'There will be plenty of time to socialize later. Come along, children,' she said to the Pevensies. 'I will show you to your rooms where you can unpack and freshen up from the journey. Miss Summers, why don't you return to your brother, in the living room,' the housekeeper suggested and she emphasized the last four words.

Rosaleen inclined her head at Mrs Macready while pushing some strands of hair behind her ear that fell in front of her eyes due to the movement. 'Yes, madam,' she said, feeling relieved Mrs Macready would let her disobedience go ─ at least, for now.

Mrs Macready nodded her head sharply in the direction of the stairs behind them, and Rosaleen shot past her. When she wanted to go around Peter, though, he just stepped aside as well to make room for her, but it was the same side Rosaleen wanted to go. They both froze in their steps to avoid a collision, and in a flash, she noticed his eyes were as blue as a clear winter's sky, but without its starkness as they sparkled vividly.

Peter smiled down at her and she quickly averted her eyes to stop her staring. At the same time, they both decided to step to the other side and they let out an awkward chuckle as they crossed eyes again.

'Sorry,' Peter apologized as he turned his body sideways and gestured with his hand she could go through.

Rosaleen felt a warmth spreading to her cheeks and she walked past him while mumbling a thank you. Before she rounded the corner, she glanced back over her shoulder and as the Pevensies followed Mrs Macready, Peter looked back at Rosaleen as well.

Her heart fluttered in a manner she had never felt before and she fled around the corner as if she feared he could hear her irregular heartbeat from that distance. For a reason she couldn't quite fathom, she wanted to dance down the stairs, but she descended it with a grin plastered on her face instead; her sorrows from earlier driven back to the shadows of her mind as all she could think of was Peter's kind smile and his sky blue eyes.

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