Disclaimer: If you can't have what you want then it is
time to start wanting what you have.
Altered Memory
Chapter 2 – Part I: Vine House
“We’re nearly there, Missy,” Sano said as
she stirred.
On one side of the road were cottages and
a red-brick pub, its sign depicting a vine heavy with grapes, and on the other
side, a small church with a quaint barrel tower and a large house that might
once housed the vicar. But it was, from the gleaming paintwork, immaculate
garden and Rolls-Royce parked in the drive, Kaoru noticed as the car rolled
slowly past, looked much too prosperous to still be the home of the minister of
such a small parish.
The road wandered on, curving around the
churchyard with its weathered headstones. Stone-built farm buildings came into
view, yet there was no evidence of livestock to be part of a working farm. The
car crunched on past an entrance signposted, of all things, ‘Visitor’s Car
Park’, and then, beyond some trees, turned off the lane into a graveled drive.
And there stood the most charming house Kaoru had ever seen, a long, low house
nestling under a thick thatch of reed. The car had hardly stopped before the
wide front door flew open and a woman with long, flowing black hair peered
anxiously out.
“That’s my Meg.” Sano grinned as he released
Kaoru’s seatbelt. “Always expecting the worst to happen is my Meg.” As he got
out of the car and came round to open Kaoru’s door, he called across to his
wife, “Here we are. Safe and sound, so you can take that fretting look off your
face. This here’s Miss Kaoru, Meg, come to look after Mrs. Yoshida.”
“Time to fret is when I don’t worry about
you, Sanosuke Sagara,” his wife said tartly, then smiled as she took Kaoru’s
hand. “Come along now. Mrs. Soseki’s been waiting for you. Sano will see to
your bags.”
Kaoru followed her into a wide, oak-beamed
hall that ran right through the house to give a glimpse of a sunny garden
through the glass doors at the far end. A carved oak staircase curved away to
the upper floor. Meg led the way to double doors to the left of the hall and
pushed them open. “Nurse Kamiya’s arrived, Mrs. Soseki,” she said and stood
back for Kaoru to enter.
It was a large, comfortably furnished
sitting room with a ceiling so high. To her left, a log fire flickered in the
huge fireplace. To the right, there was a source of light that flooded
everywhere. The entire outside wall had been stripped, the bricks removed and
replaced with glass from the ground right up to the pointed gable.
“Oh, it’s magnificent!” Kaoru breathed
involuntarily.
A rich chuckle had her head whipping back
to the sitting room, her dazzled eyes focusing on the elderly woman sitting in
a wing-chair beside the fireplace. “I’m so sorry. How do you do, Mrs. Soseki?”
embarrassed color touched her pale cheeks. “You must think me rude.”
“Not in the least.” The rich chuckle
rolled out again. “I never tire watching people’s reactions when they see this
room for the first time. My husband was a very tall man and he insisted there
had to be one room in the house where he could walk upright without bumping his
head. Come closer, child, and let me look at you.”
It was a very long time since anyone had
called her a child, and Kaoru smiled wryly as she obeyed, taking her own
inventory as her employer surveyed her. Mrs. Soseki sat very regally, her white
hair drawn back in soft, smooth waves. Two elbow crutches by the side of her
chair were a reminder of why Kaoru was there, and the fine blue dress that
exactly matched the woman’s eyes hung on her as if she recently lost a lot of
weight. Her face was too pale, lines of pain deeply etched, yet her eyes were
bright and lovely.
“You look tired, I think you’d better have
your lunch on a tray in your room then go to bed for the rest of the
afternoon,” she said, and Kaoru stiffened.
“Please, Mrs. Soseki. I know Dr. Genzai
doesn’t consider I’m fit enough to go back to my old job yet, but I’m not an
invalid. I’m here to look after you, and you’ll make my position here
impossible if you don’t allow me to do so.”
Kaoru caught the twitch of her lips as her
employer turned her head to where the housekeeper still hovered in the doorway.
“All right, Meg, serve lunch in ten minutes.”
“Well, if you won’t go back to bed, at
least sit down before you fall down.” The sharp blur eyes were trained on Kaoru
again and she sank obediently into a chair. “Dr. Genzai said you’d got more
spunk than sense.” There was something like admiration if not approval in those
blue eyes now. “I hope he told you the last thing I need is a starchy nurse
bossing me about in my own home?”
The tone of her voice didn’t match the
tartness of her words and Kaoru found herself smiling. “Indeed he did, Mrs.
Soseki. And I’ll promise to be neither bossy nor starchy if you’ll promise not
to treat me as if I were the patient.”
The rich, infectious laugh bubbled up
again. “Done. Welcome to Vine House, Kaoru. I think we’re going to get on very
well.”
A few minutes later, Meg wheeled in the
heated trolley with their lunch, calling them to the table. Kaoru stood up at
once and crossed to her employer’s chair. “Is it easier for you to stand up
unaided or would you like me to help?”
“If you would just give me your arm to
steady me…” Mrs. Soseki said.
They moved to the dining table and helped
themselves to steaming hot homemade vegetable soup followed by chicken pie that
melted in the mouth.
“That won’t put any flesh on your bones.”
Yoshida eyed with disfavor the small portion Kaoru had put on her plate.
“I don’t have a big appetite at the best
of times,” Kaoru assured her, “and after so many weeks cooped up in the
hospital…”
The older woman grimaced sympathetically.
“I know illness can make eating a penance instead of a pleasure and Dr. Genzai
told me how injured you were. I can only say how much I admire your courage and
fortitude, taking on such work. You’re the kind heroines are made of.”
“Please, Mrs. Soseki.” A long shudder
shook Kaoru’s too-slender frame and her fork clattered to her plate. If this
kindly woman only knew! “There’s nothing remotely heroic about me, and I’d
hate for you or anyone else to imagine there was,” she said flatly. “In fact,
I’d be grateful if you’d treat anything Dr. Genzai told you about me as
confidential. As far as anyone else is concerned, I’ve had an accident. I’m
just an ordinary nurse who’s taken this job until I’m fit enough to resume my
regular duties. It’s the truth after all.”
“Very well, my dear, if that’s what you
wish.”
They talked about other things as the meal
progressed.
“You’re going to have your rest now, Mrs.
Yoshida?” Meg said when she came in to clear the table, and something in her
tone and in the light of rebellion in Mrs. Soseki’s blue eyes alerted Kaoru to
the suspicion that this was an often-fought battle.
Just as Kaoru was preparing tactfully to
add her own urging, Yoshida Soseki said submissively, “Yes, of course, Meg.”
Levering herself up from the table, she took her sticks and walked back into
the sitting room. “And you must rest too, Kaoru. Meg will show you your room. I
don’t tackle the stairs any more than is absolutely necessary so I make do down
here. When the weather gets warmer, we can both take naps in the garden,” she
said as Kaoru helped her lie down.
“You’ve worked a small miracle already,
Kaoru,” Meg said a few minutes later as she led the way upstairs.
“I gather Mrs. Soseki doesn’t usually
follow her doctor’s orders so readily,” Kaoru said with amusement.
“Oh, when she was really ill she did right
enough, but she’s a fighter.” Meg shook her head. “I’m not saying that’s a bad
thing, but there’s a time to fight and a time to give in gracefully. This
here’s her room.” Meg pointed to a door near the top of the stairs.
“That one,” she indicated a door in a
passageway to the right, “is where Mr. Kenshin sleeps when he’s here.”
It was as if a blast of cold air had hit
her, stippling her skin with goose bumps. “Mr. Kenshin?” she said faintly.
“Yes, Mrs. Soseki’s nephew,” Meg
confirmed. “Spends a lot of time here now, to be near Miss Yukishiro, I expect.
You’ll be meeting her too, no doubt. A lovely young lady, even though I
sometimes think he’s too old for her. But then Kenshin Himura’s quite a catch.
And this is your room, Kaoru.” She opened a door at the end of a short passage
to the left, unaware that her words had turned Kaoru to stone.
Poor Kaoru, I think I just gave her the
shock of her life. I’m sorry, guys. I know I said last chapter that you will
meet Kenshin in this chapter but… reading her list of excuses … not finding a
good enough excuse well, what can I say? Nothing really except… Don’t kill
me!!! I don’t think he’ll be in the next part either. But I swear… he’ll be in
chapter 3, either part I or part II. I promise, really. sheepish grin, pleading
eyes, thinking ‘I don’t wanna die!’
Oh and by the way, Meg is not going to be
like our usual fox-doctor. In fact, she’s not a doctor, she’s a housekeeper.
She will also not be after “Ken-san”. Sorry! But that’s what my story needs! =)
Besides, I told you already, expect a lot of OOCness!