I don’t know why he said that last part, because he surely could see that I was no longer looking worried but rather like I was about to kiss him. “I assumed we’d split our time between LA and here. I thought Julian would be angry, or sad, so I was not really prepared for his actual reaction, which I would describe as “baffled.” “I never thought we’d be full-time here,” he said, as though the idea had never even occurred to him. I know we’ve just spent all this time and effort and money on fixing up your family manor and all that.” But…” Julian looked over at me, not worried, just curious, so I said, “I’m not sure I want to live full-time in London. I said something like, “It’s so beautiful here. I was too relaxed to remember to be stressed about it. I was feeling mellow and at peace, so of course it was the perfect time for me to ruin that by bringing up a difficult subject. I’m sure there’s some way to get ahold of it in Los Angeles, right? Right?!) and we sat on a little blanket alongside the reservoir and watched cormorants diving for fish. Julian made some cold chicken sandwiches and we took them with us along with some lemonade (Bruce, I may have developed a dangerous addiction to British lemonade. (Also, is that not just the most English thing you have ever heard? Why is so much of London so freaking charming?) It’s a little bit of a pain since we have to walk a solid mile to the Barnes Bridge just to get to the right side of the river, but it was a lovely warm evening and it was nice to walk, Julian and I strolling along together comfortably, one of my favorite ways to be. There’s a little park on the far side of the Thames from Chiswick it’s a nature reserve called the Leg O’ Mutton Reservoir and it has a lovely walking path around the reservoir itself. Once he and his crew were all gone, we walked through the gardens some, but Julian said he felt like he had every detail of the house and gardens carved into his brain, so we left the house alone for a little while and went down to the river. He did good work, and he was very polite about how happy he was to get away from this house. Oh, well, we weren’t looking to be close friends with Round Tom. Like, more dramatic than vampires, and they spend all their time being like, “oh, I am undead, how I am cursed, let me apply more eyeliner.” Faeries are the most overdramatic Downworlders. Julian also pointed out that it’s not like Tom’s usual work for members of the Courts is exactly drama-free. I pointed out that faeries can’t lie, and he pointed out that Round Tom didn’t need to bring it up at all.
#TUMBLR TRANSPARENT FALLING HEARTS FULL#
Round Tom gave us a lyrical farewell speech that (a) went on for five full minutes, which is a very long time for someone to take to say goodbye, and (b) was both very friendly and also included the line, “Excitement and adventure are your close companions, and I am only a modest maker of dwellings, and so I hope to never meet any of you again as long as I live.”
Maybe it’s just that the builders are gone and I’ve gotten used to the sound of them bustling around at all hours. (Well, okay, dramatic much, Emma? I know a little bit. But among all of that, something is coming to an end for Julian and I, and I don’t know what comes next. Alec is in some kind of minimal contact with them, but who knows how that will develop. There’s so much still going on that’s unresolved, of course-the danger to Kit from Faerie, and whatever’s going on with the Cohort in Idris. Jules is upstairs in his studio and I’m just sitting in bed, writing and thinking about the past months. There’s nobody left here in Blackthorn Hall but me and Julian and there’s kind of a peaceful quiet over the place. I hope you’ll forgive me if I’m a little thoughtful today.
0 kommentar(er)
