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CHAPTER19
“Which do you prefer: summer or spring?”
“Spring,” Eleanor answered instantly.
“Okay—how about green or gold: which is your favorite?” Henry questioned and that made Eleanor pause.
“Why do you ask?” She said, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Henry motioned to her attire. “I know that green and gold are the colors of your house, and so it makes sense that you wear them occasionally, but I have noted that you almost always wear one or the other.” Today, Eleanor was clad in a lightweight dress made of brilliant golden material. It made her look ethereal.
“I’m not sure,” Eleanor murmured. “Since I was a young girl, my mother always purchased the fabrics, explaining the best way to highlight my features by using our house colors as accents.”
“So, do you even like green or gold?” Henry wanted to know.
“That is a very good question…I’ll have to think on it.”
“Okay,” Henry tipped his head to the side thoughtfully. “How about I ask you an easier question?”
“Yes, please,” Eleanor said, her look of discernment vanishing at once.
“Which do you prefer: strawberries or blackberries?” Henry asked. The early afternoon sun was high in the sky and he and Eleanor were enjoying a lovely ride around the property. They’d spent most of the morning visiting tenants and dropping off some of Eleanor’s pets. When they had begun today’s trials, the wagon had been loaded with various cats, and two cages with a bird in each. They had already dropped off both birds and two cats, but they still had two more cats to go.
Henry and Eleanor had been on this same mission many times over the last week. They spent an hour here, or a few hours there riding out, dropping off one of Eleanor’s animals, and then returning to the manor. On those days, Eleanor would get a little teary-eyed, but she would recover quickly. Today was bound to be different though.
The first few stops on the journey had gone very well, but as the number of pets still inside the wagon with them dwindled, Henry knew Eleanor’s anxiety would become even greater. Nestled right next to Eleanor, one on each side, were her two most precious friends: Sir Whiskers and Lady Lovely Paws. She was not going to be able to let them go so easily.
“Strawberries,” Eleanor answered at once. “What about you: strawberries or blackberries?”
Henry shrugged, “I’ve never really been able to tell the difference.”
“Henry,” Eleanor gasped, “You cannot be in earnest. Strawberries and blackberries are completely different.”
“Are they?” Henry asked, giving Eleanor a playful smile.
“But of course… aside from the fact that they are different colors, the taste of each berry is unique.”
“Yes, but if you put them in a pie, can you really tell if you are eating one or the other?” Henry mused.
“Of course, you can… or at least I can,” Eleanor replied.
“Yes, but we have established that you are an exceptional human being, capable of almost anything,” Henry returned. He watched as an amused smile floated onto Eleanor’s face.
“I thought we were just playing a game, Henry. Now it seems you are trying to flatter me. Which one is it?” Eleanor questioned, quirking her eyebrow at him.
“Can’t it be both?” Henry teased. A soft blush rose onto the apples of Eleanor’s cheeks and Henry had to admit, he felt a little proud of himself. He wanted to distract Eleanor, and it seemed he had succeeded.
“I suppose it can be,” Eleanor conceded, lowering her head, and running her hand through Lady Lovely Paws soft fur. Her eyebrows knit together then and she gave Henry a disconcerted look. “I appreciate that you are trying to make me smile, Henry. I will admit, I have not been looking forward to today.”
“I know,” Henry replied softly. “I’m sorry things had to happen this way.”
“Thank you for saying that. Even if you don’t mean it,” Eleanor whispered under her breath.
“Mean it? Of course, I mean it. I rarely say anything I don’t truly mean, and it does grieve me to see you so distressed,” Henry responded.
“If there’s one thing I am glad for, it is that you were able to find Lady Lovely Paws and Sir Whiskers a home together. I’ve had them both since the day they were born, and I cannot imagine what…” Her voice trailed off and Henry could tell that she was overcome by her thoughts. He removed a white handkerchief from his pocket and held it out to her. “Thank you,” she murmured.
“I know this cannot be easy, but I admire you for persevering. We could have just let one of the stable hands do this task. I’m sure they would not have protested, and you could have saved yourself some of the pain of saying good-bye to your pets,” Henry said.
