After a delightful afternoon together, Peter walked Helena to the train station so she could go and see Edmund and Lucy. Before she boarded, he stopped her and said, "Lena, I know you don't want to tell me but please, when you're ready, you can always talk to me."
"I know, Peter," she said. "I love you."
"I love you too," he replied, embracing her. The station master called for everyone to board and Helena pulled away, giving one last, sad smile before boarding the train with her luggage. Inside, she found a mostly empty compartment other than a young girl and her mother.
"Good afternoon," she said kindly, taking her seat with one of her books. Two hours later, the train rumbled to a stop and Helena got up. Taking down her bags, she left the train and got onto the rather crowded platform, one hand subconsciously checking her large bun to ensure it had not gotten too out of shape in the ride over. Once she got out of the field of people, she was surprised to find two more scanning the crowd. Their eyes lit up at the sight of her and they both rushed forward.
"Lena!" the girl cried. She quickly embraced her, causing Helena to smile.
"Hello Lucy," she said, glancing up at Edmund. Pulling away from Lucy, she embraced him.
"Hey, Lena," he said.
"How did you two know when I was coming?" she asked, pulling away from him and looking between the two.
"Oh, Peter called," Lucy said excitedly. "He insisted we come and pick you up."
"I see," Lena said with a laugh as she and her two siblings picked up the four bags between them. The walk to where Uncle Harold was sitting in the car waiting for them was a short one but soon enough they had loaded up all her things and the car was moving smoothly over the paved roads of Cambridge. "It really is quite lovely," Helena said kindly and truly, compared to the dirty streets of Paris, it was. Even so, her heart ached for her home. No, she corrected herself. Paris was not her home anymore. She looked away from the window, swallowing the lump that quickly formed in her throat. "How is Eustace? I haven't seen him since he was a baby," Helena remarked.
Edmund snorted, causing Helena to frown. "Well," Lucy said, slightly hesitantly as she glanced up at Uncle Harold. "He's grown quite a bit."
"Enjoys talking," Edmund said, a hint of bitterness in his tone.
Quietly, Helena whispered to him, "It can't be as bad as you think, surely."
"Just you wait, Lena," he muttered. She laughed. It was a lilting, musical laugh. Edmund couldn't help the smile that instantly crossed his face. Although the memory of little Lena's voice had faded from his memory over the years (she rarely had the time or money to telephone) her laugh never had. It was as beautiful as the music she danced to. "So how was Paris?" Edmund asked. Instantly she sobered.
"It was fine," she said, beginning to fiddle with her gloved hand. Edmund frowned but didn't press her, sharing a look with Lucy who seemed to be sharing his thoughts. Once they pulled up to the house, Lena got out, taking in the small building with a smile.
Also getting out, Edmund said, "I know it's a lot smaller than you're used to, but-"
"What?" Lena said with a laugh. "Ed, I'm a principal dancer, not the chorégraphe. I've known far smaller lodgings than this." As they unloaded the trunks, Aunt Alberta came from inside the house with a wide smile.
"Helena, darling," she cried, wrapping her arms around her niece. Helena smiled. She had never much liked her aunt, but it was nice to see something of her mother in the older woman's face. "We're so pleased to have you, dear."
"Thank you, Aunt," she replied, pulling out of the hug but allowing Alberta to keep a grip on her hands. "I'm so happy to be here." Aunt Alberta smiled warmly and kissed Lena's cheek as Edmund and Uncle Harold got all her things and headed up the stairs to the room Lucy was currently staying in and where another bed had only just been added. Lucy, Alberta, and Helena followed, beginning to usual chatter of how the trip was, if she was hungry, then complaints about the business of acquiring food on trips, particularly by train, and then Alberta asked, "Oh, but surely you had some things packed with you from Paris so you must have had some sustenance."
They had by now reached the bedroom and while Uncle Harold had already left, Edmund was standing, listening to their conversation. Flushing slightly, Helena admitted, "Actually no. It was a rather hasty departure." Then she caught herself. "Only because otherwise I would have had to wait a month to cross over what with the war."
"Oh, yes, of course, dear," Alberta said, although her expression shifted to one of slight concern. "Well, now, I'll leave you to settle in. I had Lucy clear some space for you."
"Thank you, Aunt," Helena said. Once she was gone, Helena pulled her first bag on the bed and began organizing into drawers and hanging in the closet while Edmund and Lucy discussed other matters.
She wasn't really listening until she heard Lucy whisper, "Now would be a brilliant time. Any adventure to brighten up this dull place. How I wish I knew when we would go to Narnia next." Helena smiled. She had been hearing them talk about Narnia in their letters since she left but she had never thought much of it. She loved hearing the stories they wrote to her of battles and wars and from Lucy about the balls and parties and all the people, but she had not taken much time to consider what exactly it all meant or whether it was just a fantastic tale or something real. The thought had never even crossed her mind either way.