Arrival of the Traveler

  Chapter 5: Gregory Mason of Sydney

  If she had tried a little harder, she might have realized why the book was so forthcoming of this particular information; approximately ten years earlier, when she and her father had first taken up traveling, they had stayed almost a full week at Mr. Mason’s house. Sadly though, Lena had forgotten Mr. Mason, and wouldn’t start remembering him for three more months. Lena sighed as she watched a handful of new letters appear below this title.

  It’s going to be a long, long day.

  She went back to the bookcase, spent another hour finding books that had promising first words or letters written in them, and then took them back to her room. It was an annoying progression. She kept reading straight through lunch, which she skipped for not being hungry, and only got half a chapter’s worth (not all from the same chapter, though) out of her first book; reading random words and short phrases over and over again, watching for new words, and rereading everything over, because every time she read something new, a few more letters and words appeared. Reading, and rereading, and getting so little back every time. It was maddening. She finally fell asleep, and was woken only a short while later when someone knocked at her door.

  Lena rolled off of the bed and shuffled to the door. David was wearing heavier clothes and the jacket Lena had borrowed before.

  “What?” She asked.

  “How have you been?” He didn’t look concerned, so Lena decided to lie and try not to think too loudly.

  “Oh, I’m fine. Just catching up on some reading.” She turned around and tried to casually walk back over to her stack of books, but a sharp pain in her side as she turned caused her to lose her balance, grab her stomach, and almost fall over. She regained her poise just in time and kept walking; when she turned back around David was smirking, leaning against the door frame.

  “So I see. You’re just fine.” He looked very smug with himself, and Lena wondered if he was somehow proud of putting her in such a state. “How’s the reading?”

  “Slow.” Lena sat back down on the bed.

  “How much have you gotten through?”

  “I don’t know—maybe a quarter of the little one. I checked a little while ago though, and some of the other ones are starting to…develop? Would that be the right word?”

  “Develop is a fine word. Just fine. You’re just great at picking words.”

  “Shove it.”

  David laughed a little.

  “I just wish the process wasn’t so slow. It takes forever…” Lena was suddenly struck by an idea. “You don’t think you could…read to me, could you?”

  He frowned. “That’s not a good idea.”

  “Why?”

  “Why can’t you just accept what’s best for you?” David crossed his arms.

  “Why can’t you let me decide what’s best for me?”

  David strode into the room and looked through Lena’s selection of books before picking one.

  “Here you go—this should answer some of your burning questions.” He had an impish expression on his face as he cleared his throat and started to read, “ ‘Of all the creatures most feared…’”

  “Stop!” Lena was already nauseated. She sat down on the edge of her bed and glared at David, who continued to smile.

  “See? I told you.” He tossed the book onto the bed next to her. The title of the book—Unseen Danger—had appeared as David had read. He turned to go, but stopped in the doorway.

  “Oh, I’m supposed to ask if you’re well enough to come down for dinner.”

  “Yes.” No.

  “I’ll have Mrs. Ralston bring something up, then.”

  Think you’re so clever, don’t you?

  David smirked. He pulled something out of his jacket pocket. It was a small paper bag, which he threw back in Lena’s direction. She dodged it, and it landed deftly on the bed. She picked it up to throw back at him, but quickly realized he’d been throwing it to her, and not at her. There was something in the bag.

  “I’m sorry I hurt you.” The door clicked shut.

  In amazement, Lena opened the bag. There was a small box inside, and inside the box was a bracelet—it was made of a silvery metal, though Lena didn’t know exactly which one. A pattern of leaves and branches made up the band, and a single ruby-red flower hid the clasp. It looked expensive.

  He must’ve spent a year’s worth of salary on this thing!

  Deciding she couldn’t keep it, she gently put it back in the box. While she was touched that David had bothered to get her a get well present, she couldn’t accept something that would have cost him so much. She sat looking at the open box, which she set on the nightstand. She liked the way it looked. It was delicate, and pretty. It reminded her of somewhere she had been before.

  It was mid-June, and she and her father had stopped in Yorkshire to admire the blooming roses. The hostel they’d stayed in had climbing roses; some came right up to their second story window. She remembered the old man who took care of the roses, and the way he whistled lullabies when he watered the flowers. They’d watched the beautiful, deep red blossoms slowly open over the course of a week, remarking everyday how perfect they were. She remembered the look in her father’s eyes as they shared the glory of nature’s wonder—those roses, so delicate, and yet so dangerous. The thorns were sharp, he warned, so they had to watch and not touch. Being only eight at the time, she wanted desperately to take one with her; something to remember the experience by. One particularly warm morning, she had reached out the open window and grasped one, intending to pull it free of the bush and hide it in her suitcase; when she pulled, her fisted hand had slid up the stem to the blossom, the thorns lacerating her palm as it went. Her father had so gently bandaged her, chastising her for not listening. He held her when she cried because it hurt, and told her it would be okay. Most children in this situation might develop a fear or dislike of roses—but not Aaron’s daughter. Even afterwards, they watched the flowers bloom, and he let it be a lesson in respecting boundaries.

  Lena wished she could have kept the bracelet, anyway.

  There was another knock at the door. Before Lena could answer it, her mother had already opened the door and come in, carrying a plate of food. Lena sighed; did all parents just instinctually do this? She’d continually had the knock-and-wait-for-answer conversation with her father. It appeared her mother would need it as well.

  “Do you mind?”

  “Mind what?” Ava asked naively.

  “You didn’t wait for an answer after knocking.” Lena went back to her bed.

  “I’m sorry. I figured you were sick and I didn’t want you getting up to answer it. I am your mother, after all.”

  “Yeah. I guess we’ll have to work on that, won’t we?” Their eyes met and a little smile crossed Ava’s face. As she went to set the tray down on the nightstand, the bracelet caught her eye.

  “Well, that’s pretty.”

  “Yeah. It’s a pity I’ll have to give it back.”

  Ava looked confused. “To who?”

  “David. He gave it to me as a get well present, but I can’t keep it. He spent way too much.” Ava looked somewhat uneasy, and yet a little proud; her daughter had received a very nice gift. Lena picked up a sandwich half off the plate. It was cut across, not down the middle, as Mrs. Ralston usually did. Lena realized her mother had made her dinner herself.

  “Thanks for bringing me dinner.” She said suddenly.

  “You’re my daughter. And you’re welcome.” Ava paused and sat down next to Lena. “We need to talk about David. I know that you two have been getting close to one another but—“

  “It’s not like that. I promise.” Lena put the sandwich back down. She had already had the birds and bees discussion from her father, and would do anything to keep that discomfort from happening a second time. “I already know what you’re going to say. Dad told me all about it, and believe me, that’s not what’s happening.”

  Ava smiled. “That’s not the talk
that I was going to have with you, but good to know. Good to know. I’d like to tell you some things about David, because he’s not really who you think he is.” Ava stopped and stared at Lena, who stared back, until she figured out what was going on.

  Lena sat up straighter. “Oh! Okay… Who is David?”

  “Nope, try again.”

  “Um…What is David?”

  “More specific.” Ava made herself more comfortable. Lena thought hard.

  “Is David really a yard boy? He said something about being an apprentice.”

  Ava smiled and nodded. “He’s a sort of apprentice. Go on.”

  Lena thought again. There were so many questions floating around in her head, it was hard to think of information that pertained exclusively to David. It was even more difficult to formulate those questions in a way that would illicit an answer from Ava.

  “Why doesn’t Howard know about his apprenticeship?”

  “Aha!” Ava smiled again. “Now you’ve got it. Howard can’t know, because if he did, he probably wouldn’t be allowed to allow David to stay here.”

  Lena furrowed her brow. “What?”

  “Stick with David questions.” Ava replied quickly.

  “What kind of an apprentice is he?”

  Ava frowned slightly. “I can’t answer that.”

  Lena sighed. Her mother still watched her expectantly, and she’d never felt so stupid in her life. She shrugged; her mother picked the bracelet out of the box and set it in her hand. She looked at Lena, then back at the bracelet; then back at Lena, and then at the bracelet.

  Lena’s eyes brightened with understanding. “How could David afford such an expensive gift?”

  “Good girl. He’s got a very rich family, so you really don’t have to give it back.” Ava said with a nod and a shrug. “Unless you want to.”

  “So…he can afford to get things like this for random people?” Lena put the bracelet back in the box. She remembered the talk she’d had with David not too long before, when he had said his family wasn’t wealthy; somehow, it was different being lied to by David. Somehow, he seemed more the type who would lie, and that fact in itself made it less deceptive. She figured Howard didn’t need to know about David’s family’s money, either. Yard boys typically don’t have rich families.

  Ava didn’t really stop smiling, but she appeared to. Her lips seemed to relax a little, and she took on a serious tone. “You might not be so random to him.”

  Lena looked at Ava, confused by her sudden change in attitude. She looked…sad, almost.

  “Whether or not you keep it is up to you.” Ava rose and left the room. Lena stared at the bracelet. Did that mean she wanted her to keep it, or not?

  Why does her opinion suddenly matter?

  Lena started into her dinner. With the sandwich in her hand again, cut across and not down the middle, she knew why.

  *****