Knock knock knock
"Miss Wellesley, your tea is ready." A young woman whom I have never met before called before retreating slowly down the stairs. Quickly, I pulled myself up from the bed and followed suite, towards a part of the house which I have yet seen. Then, she pushed through a glass door, before leading me deeper into the garden.
The fresh cool breeze that met my skin, and the smell of freshly cut grass that slightly overpowered the scent of sweetness, tore through my worries. The sweetness that was wafting through the air grew stronger as I treaded on the stone pavements surrounded by an assortment of flowers. The arched trellis that was too, decorated with pink flowers, twirled along every inch of the elegant frame, providing not only a shelter from the afternoon sun, but an aura of enchantment.
This place was beautiful.
I may be exaggerating, but it was as if I was thrown into a world of watercolor paints. Never have I ever known that a garden could be grown and taken care of to such an extent.
I was so absorbed to my surrounding that I was oblivious to have reached another glass door. The sound of gushing water caught my attention. In fact, it grew even louder when the door was opened.
"Have a great afternoon, Miss Wellesley." The young woman signaled me to enter. I gave a smile indicating my thanks before she closed the door. The dull yet loud clogging sound of my shoes against a heightened wooden bridge continued to pique my curiosity as I continued to pace forward. The bridge was surrounded with tall trees that seemed to block my view from everything except the clear path ahead.
"There you are Abbey!" I was snapped out of my trance. "I was beginning to wonder if you had second thoughts about joining me for tea." Fredricks joked and rushed to pull me out from the foliage and onto a wide wooden platform. Right there in the middle was a table where the tea and desserts had been prepared beforehand.
"Please sit," he pulled out a chair, before pushing it in once more as I took a seat. The sight that stood before me left speechlessness and utter awe. The sound of gushing water turned out to be a magnificently built waterfall that flooded the surrounding area. Glancing upwards, were panels of glass that formed the shape of a huge glass dome surrounded by all sorts of flora and fauna. It was like an oasis secretly hidden in the corner of a house.
"Fredricks, this place is beautiful." still trying to take in the scenery, my eyes continued shifting around the place. Fredricks on the other hand, was nonchalantly sipping on his tea.
"My grandparents were avid horticulturalists and naturalists. So, the things that you are seeing right now are the fruits of their labor. Turns out my dad inherited their enthusiasm too. I on the other hand, have no such interest, but it definitely is an occasional hiding place to shut myself from the world." Paying little to no attention to what he said, I continued gawking at the view.
"Are you going to continue staring at plants rather than fill that growling stomach of yours?" Fredricks chuckled. As if on cue, my stomach rumbled. I tore my vision away and focused on the confection delicately placed on a beautifully designed set of china, baked as if each was an individual masterpiece.
"Fredricks, what happened to a few desserts?" The amount of sweets presented was way too much for my stomach to handle.
"Well, I kind of got carried away. Besides, I wanted you to try some of my favorite desserts. So, one thing led to another and things kind of got way out of hand." He smiled sheepishly, while I giggled at his response.
"Which one would you recommend?" His eyes lit up and sparkled with energy as he pointed to the biscuits that were topped with icings. Gingerly, I placed the square-cut cookie into my mouth and munched it slowly.
Amazing.
The soft texture of the cookie melted into my mouth, sending waves of rich butter to satisfy my hungry taste buds.
"Wow! This is really good!" I immediately tucked my chair closer to the table and started devouring more of the cookies in an unsightly manner.
"Hey, leave some for me! You can have a go on the rest of the pastries" Fredricks huffed. It's a wonder how a gentleman like him also possesses a side of childishness when it comes to food.
"But I'm a guest! You get to eat it as and when you're craving for it." I argued.
"But this is my first cookie today." He pouted, showing me a set of puppy eyes. Defeated, I let go of the cookies and placed them back on the plate.
"Stingy," I mouthed under my breath and reached for one of the sandwiches that was wrapped in ham and eggs.
"Selfish."
Upon his comment, I stared at Fredricks. What I didn't expect was an amused face which burst into chortle. Knowing that I fell into his trap, I went back to munching the rest of the sandwich.
"Silly," he proceeded to pat my head, "I'm just messing with you. The desserts are all made for you. It is a real pleasure to know that your taste buds take delight in the skills of my family's chef."
"Well in that case..." I grabbed the remaining biscuits and shoved them into my mouth just in case he decided to change his mind. This earned a laugh from Fredricks as he stirred his tea.
"You must be really hungry."
"You have no idea." I replied, before stuffing my face with my next prey. Strawberry tarts.
When I was done, I dabbed my mouth with the dining cloth, realizing just how terrible my dining etiquettes were. Fredricks, who seems to realize I was thinking, interjected.
"There is no need to feel embarrassed for your behavior," he said between sips. "I much prefer a woman who is unafraid of expressing herself."
Still embarrassed, I returned an awkward soft laugh and murmured a word of thanks which I was sure he heard.
"This is a really nice place you have!" I changed the subject as I proceeded to add two cubes of sugar and milk into my tea.
"Yes, you have informed me of that. But thank you again." Embarrassingly, I took a sip from my cup, only to have my taste buds once again stunned by its aromatic fullness.
"This is literally the best tea I have ever tasted! What kind of tea is this?"
"Earl grey."
"Are you serious?" I asked skeptically while he nodded his head. "Wow. You know back at my time; black tea didn't have such a refine taste as you have now." I gulped the rest of the tea down.
"Back in your time?" his face puzzled by what I just said. I froze immediately.
"Oh! Erm... By back at my time, I meant back at my own house when I was little. Anyway, do you often invite your friends to come here and have tea?" I attempted to change the subject.
"Not really, this place is usually reserved for family. But close friends of ours are definitely allowed entry." He grinned.
"Given how this is only our second meeting, I'm thoroughly flattered." I teased.
"Aren't you going to ask me about him?"
"Him?"
"Nicholas. If I allow Nicholas into this place." His face and tone turned into a serious one.
"Oh," My heart sank. Just when I was having a good time, that name of his just had to be brought up. Unsure of what to say, I stayed silent.
"Apologies, I do not mean to pry but is anything going on between you and Nicholas?"
"Not really."
"You know, he is really not that bad-"
"Stop saying that. Why does everyone keep defending him? You have no idea how he treats me despite trying my very best to be open and patient to him. Because from what I see, he doesn't deserve any respect. And he certainly does not deserve anybody to be defending him." I was uncertain as to where all that anger came from, but it sure did a great job of silencing Fredricks.
"I'm sorry." I said, "I shouldn't have vented my anger on you."
"It is perfectly okay. Because my main aim was for you to release whatever anger there is cooped up inside." He smiled warmly. "Remember, I am always here if you need someone to talk to."
I said nothing, but simply returned him with a smile.
"So, tell me Ab, do you like reading?" he asked, changing the tense atmosphere to a livelier one.
"Definitely! I'm more of an adventure-romance kind of girl. I just love how a book can seem like a movie, but only better, as I imagine the scenes in my head. Also-"
"Ab, it is just a simple question, not an interview or personal report on why you love books." Fredricks burst into laughter. "But I am glad for your enthusiasm. This only makes me confident on my next surprise."
Next surprise?
"Would you like to accompany me somewhere?" He stood up, extending his hand to me.
"Where are we going?"
"You will know it when you see it." I stared dubiously but still made the decision to follow him. He grabbed my hand and led me back into the house until we arrived in front of a wooden door.
"This is where the magic happens." He said, pushing both doors open, revealing a magnificent library.
I gasped in shock and stared wide-eyed at the view before me. Fredricks gave me a slight push and guided me to the center of the room.
I'm in heaven.
The room was filled with shelves that reached the ceiling, all of which held books that I guessed were on every subject. The floor was paved with marble and at both sides, were two huge spiral staircases that reached the upper shelves. And hanging on the ceiling was a huge chandelier that was hung directly above a long rectangular wooden table, illuminating the entire library.
"Fredricks, this place is really... I don't know what to say." I felt a hard time trying to breathe.
"I am giving this place to you as a gift." He gently held me by my arms and looked straight into my eyes.
"Wait, what? You can't possible give me an entire library?"
"Why not? There is not a single person who has used this place in years. Besides, I bet these books have longed for an owner to read them."
"Then why didn't you use this place?"
"I'm not really the type to be interested in reading. But it is great that I found someone who is. You are free to use this place as and when you wish. In fact, I would be honored if you would treat this house like your home."
After much consideration, I finally relented. Afterall, who could resist a pop-out scene from beauty and the beast.
"Alright! Thank you so much for this place. I will really treasure it."
This earned a hooray from Fredricks before he suddenly pulled my body towards him, giving me a warm squeeze. To tell you that I wasn't at all shock, would be a lie. But despite Fredricks' handsome features, I always had the feeling that he was family. It was nothing of the romantic sort. In truth, I was afraid that my rejection would break the friendship between the both of us.
Unknowingly, I returned his hug, not realizing that someone had walked in on us.
"What is all this?!"
I turned my head to see who it was.
Here comes the angry green monster.