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“Gratia, my girl, is that really you? I thought…” Alex cries out, pulling Gratia into a warm embrace, “I thought I might never see you again! I’ll make sure your old room is cleared up and prepared for you. Would you like anything to eat? I won’t be preparing dinner for a few hours yet, but I can make-”
“That’s really not necessary, Master Seidel,” Gratia replies stiffly, delicately extracting himself from his arms. She backs off a pace, smoothing down her clothes before holding up her hands, “You really needn’t go to any extra trouble for me. In fact, you can just pretend that I’m not here. You’re busy enough, I’m sure, without me adding to your duties.”
Alex hesitates, falling silent as he studies Gratia with a strange wariness. It’s as if recognises her face, but not her voice and words. Maybe that’s true – the passing years have left their mark on you, on both of you. She gazes back without speaking, almost daring him to break the silence first.
“I think I might take a stroll into town, actually,” he decides after a moment, “I’ll pick up some supplies, and we can have a proper family dinner. I know you don’t want a fuss, but I do.”
“As you wish,” Gratia answers, bowing her head slightly as her eyes, just for a fleeting second, darken with a fleeting irritation.
“Ahem,” Elle says quietly as Alex retreats, “Gratia, this is our friend. Miss Ariel Teilhard.”
“Hey,” Ariel adds, raising her hand in a friendly wave.
“Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” locking eyes with Ariel, Gratia offers her a coy smile, “I can see that you’ve been making yourself at home here. I hope you’re not trying to replace me.”
You wince. Elle winces. You’re pretty sure that Alex winces too, even though he’s out of earshot. “Uh, I’m not, ah… that’s not…” Ariel stammers, flailing to find some kind of response, “I don’t think I could-”
“Oh hush, I’m just teasing,” Gratia shakes her head, reaching across and flicking Ariel lightly on the forehead, “Even if you wanted to, and I’m sure that you don’t, you couldn’t take my place. Isambard and I share the same blood, the same soul. That connection is far deeper than you could ever understand.”
An awkward silence.
“I knew a Teilhard, actually, back at Coral House,” Gratia continues, her tone growing lighter, “Sarah Teilhard. Seraphina, actually, but she always hated that name. Do you know her?”
“We have a very large family, and I was always on the outskirts of it. I’m probably not the best person to ask,” Ariel answers, managing to recover some of her composure, “If Daniel was here, I bet he’d know her – or, at least, he’d know about her.”
Gratia just shrugs, dismissing the whole subject as if she was never really that interested in it to begin with.
[1/3]
