Felicity, Ann and I sit, throwing snowballs at each other. It is a new Christmas season. The sun is shining bright. We shriek like madwomen as snow catches under our hoods and drips down our backs. We are most unladylike at the present moment, all trouble forgotten. A snowball slams into my head, and I trip back. I look over and Ann, who stands, looking innocent, and over at Felicity, who lies in the snow, laughing. That's friendship. The shock wears off and I join in.
I sneak behind Ann and dump snow down her back. She screeches and jumps around, trying to shake the snow out of her dress. And then I feel cold running down my dress. I scream and turn around. Felicity holds a snowball, a mischievous look upon her face. I run at her and launch a snowball at her. She grabs at my jacket sleeve before falling, and we topple backwards, roaring with laughter. Ann comes to stand next to me, and we exchange a sly glance.
I scoop snow into my hand while Ann distracts Felicity. As soon as Felicity has looked away, I shove it down her collar. The throwing of snowballs resumes and we begin screeching again. My hair comes loose and my curls fall into my face in disarray. Felicity plants a handful of snow on my head, and it slowly melts, soaking my hair and dripping into my face. In return, I throw two snowballs at her. I am hit in the back, and see Ann again. The three of us scoop snow up, run at each other, and throw it around simultaneously. As we are covered by it, we all fall backwards, laughing.
I look over toward the edge of the forest and see a tall, dark figure there. As suddenly as I have seen it, it disappears. My mind quickly goes to Kartik, now our carriage driver once again, but then I see that it is father. He has come to bring us back to the house for lunch. He is no longer the drug-addict that I had come to know last year. No. He is now cured, a pure and sober man. He has his wedding ring, in its proper place again. Father and I exchange warm smiles. Felicity, Ann and I stand up. They quickly brush their skirts off.
"Miss Worthington, Miss Bradshaw, Gemma," he greets us. "Your grandmother demanded that I come and get you for lunch." We groan. "Yes, I know-I don't like being locked up with her, either," father jokes. We laugh at that, knowing that was what we were thinking. We walk back, chatting animatedly as we go. As we pass the stable house, I see Kartik sitting and reading a book. He nods at me politely, and I nod back.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Kartik," I say. He smiles and I return it.
"Good afternoon, Miss Doyle. Good afternoon, Miss Worthington, Miss Bradshaw, Mr. Doyle," he adds. They all nod at him. I hold back for a moment. My father, Felicity, and Ann stop.
"Gemma, are you coming?" Ann asks.
"In a moment," I say, thinking quickly. "You go ahead." I toss my glove towards Kartik discreetly. "I seem to have lost a glove." They look at me a last time and then continue walking. The moment they are out of my sight, I duck into the stables.
"Gemma," he begins. He pushes my curls out of my face. My skin tingles under his touch. We lean in towards each other, almost close enough to kiss. His breath is warm on my face. Then Felicity hollers,
"Gemma! Let's go!" We hear her stomping back and I quickly jump up, grabbing my glove as I do.
"Coming!" I call. Kartik takes my hand and suffices by kissing it. I touch his face tenderly and then call, "I've found it!" I run back towards father, Ann, and Felicity. I look back once more and see Kartik watching me as I go.
Thomas walks in to lunch late. My grandmama gives him a disparaging look. Ann's eyes light up as he walks past her.
"Thomas," grandmama begins, "Where on earth have you been? You'd best have a good explanation."
"Now, now, let the boy alone," my father says. Tom shoots him a grateful look. I shoot him a look and he mouths, Later. I nod slightly and we continue eating. My grandmother clicks her tongue but says no more. Silence washes over us, leaving me to my thoughts. I think of nothing except Kartik. The way his breath felt on my face, the way his lips had felt on my hand... suddenly I am filled with a desire for him. My mind swirls as I think of him. There must be a way for me to see him. With my grandmama, though, I fear that I can't. I am ripped from my thoughts as I hear grandmama say,
"The Middletons are coming over for dinner in three days. Simon still fancies you, Gemma, you know. Such a lovely boy." Felicity, Ann and I stiffen. Not one of us has had pleasant dealings with them as of January last year. For Felicity, Lady Denby is no one more than a scornful hag. For Ann, Lady Denby is no one more than a gossiping big-mouth. And for me, Simon Middleton is an intruding nobody. He is a sex-driven man, and I have no urge to see him.
"Ah, Grandmama, Felicity, Ann and I had an engagement already," I lie. Felicity and Ann stare at me. Grandmama's eyes narrow to nothing more than slits.
"Oh really? With whom?"
"I-um, with…"
"We're going to the theater," Ann puts in. I snap my head up, looking at her. Did Ann truly just lie? Her lie sounds so convincing, I almost believe we are. Felicity and I exchange subtle looks.
"Really?" father asks. "Where?"
"Oh, down at that old theater. My dear mother is bringing us," Felicity says.
"I thought your mother was out of town," grandmama snaps.
"She always comes to London for a play at Christmas with little cousin Polly," Felicity says, looking unabashed. She doesn't even hesitate in her answer.
"Let the girls go, mother," father says. He winks at us, knowing we are lying. Grandmama sniffs angrily and says nothing. Felicity, Ann and I grin; we know we have won. We go back to eating in the stiff silence. Thomas looks back and forth between the three of us, as if trying to catch us in the act.
When lunch is through, Felicity, Ann and I trek back down into the woods to continue our snowball war. I see Kartik off in the distance, watching our war. In my absent-mindedness, a snowball hits me. I turn around to see Ann and Felicity grinning. Which one threw it? I do not know, and I scoop two snowballs. I fling them at the girls and they screech. I feel odd, knowing Kartik is watching our display of madness. As snow is shoved down my back, I forget that feeling and scream.
"Felicity!" I scream. "That's so bloody cold!"
"Watch your tongue," she jokes. I chuck snow at her. Before I know it, I am on the ground, along with Felicity, while Ann stands above us, grinning smugly. She has run us down. "Ann!" Felicity shrieks. Ann laughs.
"I had to get my chance," she explains. From behind her back she pulls out two mounds of snow. With Felicity and I incapacitated on the ground, she shoves them down our shirts. Felicity and I run around, screaming, as Ann watches in amusement.
"Oh, that does it," I say threateningly. I scoop up a large handful of snow and run straight at her. She attempts to run away and results in tripping over her skirt. I sit on top of her and shove all of the snow into her collar, watching as she begins screeching.
"Gemma! I'm going to kill you!" she yells.
"My, haven't we changed from the timid little church mouse we used to be," Felicity taunts. Ann grins and then goes back to yelling. Thomas comes jogging down. We look at him, stopping our actions immediately.
"Grandmama demands that you girls come inside at once," Thomas tells us, crossing his arms.
"Why?" I inquire.
"Because you are screaming like banshees, that's why," Tom says. Ann blushes at this comment, but Felicity and I stare him down.
"We are not screaming like banshees, dear Thomas," Felicity says coolly. We look at each other and grin. "In fact, if you should like," she starts.
"-We can show you just what a banshee sounds like," I finish. We open our mouths to scream and Thomas holds up his hands in surrender.
"No, Gemma, Felicity, that's quite alright," he says hastily. Felicity and I grin again. There is a moment of silence, and then Tom is hit with a snowball. Felicity and I look at Ann, who looks shocked with herself, and then Tom, who is staring at Ann in surprise.
"Oops," she says, shrugging. Felicity and I can not hold back any longer. We break out into laughter, tears coming to our eyes. We dart back towards the house before Tom and Ann can begin walking.
"Gemma, whatever shall we do come Friday?" Ann asks.
"What's Friday?" I reply.
"The day we are 'going to the theater'," Ann answers me. I stop brushing my hair.
"I have no idea," I admit. "But I wasn't about to spend a day cooped up with the Middletons, were you?" Felicity snorts.
"I'd rather boil my head," she says dryly. "I know! We can go into the realms!"
"Time there doesn't pass the same as London time. No one would know we had left," I remind her. She and Ann come to sit on my stool with me.
"Gemma, when are we going to visit the realms?" Ann implores. "We've not gone in almost three months!" I am hesitant in answering. Each time we enter, something bad happens.
"I don't know," I answer. It is not a satisfying answer for them, but it is the safest answer. Felicity and Ann pout. I ignore them both. "Anyways, back to figuring out our plan…" We sit, pondering for a moment. And then a thought strikes me. "I'll be right back," I say. "I think I know where we can go." Before either of them can ask, I bolt out of our room and down the stairs. I slip into my boots and coat and sneak out the door. "Kartik!" I whisper exclaim. He looks up.
"Gemma?" he asks, shocked. I must look a mess, what with my nightclothes on and my hair down, whipped through by the wind. I shake my head of any snowflakes and run into the stable. "What-?"
"What are you doing on Friday night?" I ask breathlessly, sitting face-to-face with him.
"I-nothing, I believe. Why do you ask?"
"I need you to bring Felicity, Ann and I down to the shops in London, and you're the only one who can," I say.
"Isn't that the night the Middletons are coming for dinner?" he asks in confusion.
"Exactly. Felicity, Ann and I devised a plan during lunch out of thin air. Oh, it was spectacular!" I laugh. "You see, Grandmama believes that Ann, Felicity and I are going to the theater that night. So we need to get out of the house. I do not want to be around Simon. We need someone to get us away from the house. So? Will you do it?" Kartik stares at me.
"I don't know, Gemma, this could go wrong…" he begins.
"Please? For me?" I beg. Finally he gives in. "Kartik, I love you!" I squeal. I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him. He returns it and then we both suddenly break away. I can feel myself turning pink. "Sorry," I mutter. "Well, I'll see you on Friday, I guess." I hesitate, and then throw my arms back around him in another hug. "Thank you," I whisper. I hitch up my skirt and run back towards the house before anyone can find out I'm missing.
"Where have you been?" Felicity demands the moment I return. I grin.
"I know where we're going on Friday," I say. Ann and Felicity immediately sit up straighter.
"Where?" Ann asks.
"To the London shops." I smile. "Shopping." Felicity grins along with me.
"Excellent, we can catch up with the new fashions," she says. I know what she is thinking. Dresses are being made with lower necklines, and Felicity has never been one for restriction. I laugh, and Ann's eyes widen.
"B-but Felicity…it isn't proper for us to wear dresses like that," she stammers.
"Exactly." Ann continues to stare at Felicity, not sure whether to smile or to look shocked. "How are we getting there?" she asks.
"Kartik," I answer. My heart lurches as I speak his name. Suddenly, I feel that Friday cannot come fast enough.