“Well, we think that as the spell was cast with her giving two options – one being her words alone to break the spell, or a woman’s words that may have learned to love me – neither has happened, and so I am stuck here for eternity it seems!” James stated sadly.
“Never give up! That’s a ridiculous attitude!” I replied.
“She’s right!” George replied.
“Does no one ever seem slightly sorry for my situation?” James asked, looking at the two of us.
“Well, in fairness you got yourself into this situation!” I smiled as I carried on eating. I looked at George, who smiled, then winked at me and my remark.
“Oh this is just great, now I have two of you to keep happy, and I have to listen to your sarcasm!” James sighed. He stood and walked a little bit away. I had a small feeling of guilt.
“Hey, I’m sorry – it really must be the worst torture. To think that you have had to live for so long watching people come and go, and especially loved ones… it is actually very sad,” I then stated as I looked at James.
“The worst torture ever!” George then expressed as he excused himself for a moment. I looked toward James and gave him an inquisitive look.
“George had a wife and a son. He had to watch them live and grow older, as we stayed stuck in this predicament,” he gestured to his appearance. I raised my hand to my mouth.
“So he experienced them passing him in age – and eventually their demise?”
“Indeed! His son did marry and had children of his own, but how do you explain to children as they grow a situation such as ours?” he said as he sat. “He made a choice after speaking with his son to never see him again, once he realised the pain it would cause at a later date to have to let him go – and his own grandchildren. He managed to keep getting updates on how his son’s family were doing, but as you can imagine it was tough. It was not an easy decision, I assure you, and I am to blame!”
“I am sure that you feel guilty about his grief, but from what you have both told me, George made the decision to be with you. He must have realised in some small way the consequences of that decision?”
“It does not make light of the matter though, Katharina. He sacrificed everything for me. I look to him as a son would to a father. I would not have survived these many years without him!” James then stated sincerely.
“Have you told him that recently?” I enquired. “I think that he would like to hear that!” James nodded.
“I never seem to have found the right time!” James put his head into his hands.
“Jeeze, you’ve only had over 200 years!” I sarcastically replied as I ate another delicious mouthful of pancake. I smiled at him, as a gesture that I understood him.
“Point taken!” he replied as George returned to the room.
“George, this breakfast is to die for. I haven’t eaten this much – or anything this high in calories – for ages. It’s heaven!”
“Another?” he asked of me, but I had to hold my hand up in defeat.
“I need to shower and dress, then come to a decision with you before I leave about this story!” I concluded as I finished the last mouthful of coffee. “I simply do not think that the world is ready for this type of truth, believable or not!” I stood and turned to leave.
“Do you think that you will visit us again?” James then asked.
“Are you kidding me? Of course I will be back. I want to hear as much of what you have experienced over these years as possible!” I excitedly replied. I turned to find them both smiling at one another. “Oh, and for the record, your secret is safe with me – unless it’s a matter of life or death that I have to tell someone!” I smiled at them both and went up the stairs with a spring in my step.
Showering was slightly worrying; I found myself trying to cover all the mirrors and anything I could find that was reflective with towels and facecloths. It was strange; if I wanted to look at my own reflection, I simply thought about that, and it was like any other everyday mirror. If I wanted to see James, I simply thought about him and there he was! Was it this simple for everyone? George had stated not; maybe because they were not open to believing such things, or pure of heart. Pure of heart, I smiled to myself; my mum would love that. I sounded like Snow White, or some other fairy tale character. These thoughts made me think about the fact that some fairy tales could be based on fact, as George had said: handsome princes and damsels in distress were a lovely thought, but wicked witches and evil stepmothers and magic? I shook my head in disbelief. “This is crazy!” I muttered to myself.
Once dressed, I returned downstairs. I left my bags in the entrance and returned to George’s kitchen with my notepad. James and George were both talking and I smiled as I realised that even though the reality was very different, they were like two ordinary people discussing everyday things. I perched on a stool and George handed me another coffee. “Feeling better?” he asked.
“I think that this will take some getting used to, but I’m not running, and I think I am starting to get my head around this a little better!” I gestured to the three of us. “It’s what I am going to tell my editor and John that has me worrying a little. I thought this was going to be my big story – and believe me, it’s big! – but I don’t think it is front-page news for the present; I would get laughed out of my job if I tried to explain this! I need another story to deter people from you whilst we sort something out!” George looked at me as I finished.
“What do you mean, ‘whilst we sort something’?” he asked.
“Well, I can hardly walk away now, can I? I’m a big believer in fate, George, and something made me want to meet you. I am going to have to help you now. At least I can feel satisfied that I have done one really good deed for someone else in my life!” I sipped my coffee. “Well, that is if you do not mind me spending time with you both whilst we find someone for you, James?” I then enquired.
“No, no we don’t mind at all, do we James?” George quickly stated.
“I have no reservations in you visiting us more regularly, Katharina, but I am not sure what you can do to help!” James answered with an air of authority.
“Well I can try!” I smiled as I sipped the coffee in front of me.
“That is very kind of you,” George replied as he looked at James and nodded for his approval.
“Indeed, very kind! Although I am at a loss as to why you would want to!” he confirmed.
“You really don’t think that there are any good people, do you? I think that you have had plenty of time to see the error of your ways, and you now believe that people have become too bitter to see the real you! Trust me, some of us do still want the better things in life and are actually nice people too. I can understand that you feel guilty and hurt and it must have been torture for both of you to lose everyone around you, but I think that it is time that we try and end this for the both of you, don’t you?”
“Agreed!” George quickly stated as he looked at James.
“Unless you would rather stay this way?” I then sarcastically commented as I looked toward the mirror at him. James shook his head, indicating that he was not happy with the current situation either.
“Agreed!” he quietly announced.
“Great. That’s sorted, then! Now I need to find another story to deter everyone from this one! It’s going to make my editor very suspicious, so I may have to make something up about you, George, to get her to agree to move on to something else.”
“Something like what?” he asked, sounding worried. I laughed at his remark.
“This could be fun!” James suddenly stated, rubbing his hands together.
“Don’t worry, I promise not to be too harsh!” I smiled as I winked at James, who noted my air of playfulness.
“I really must be getting to work! I will be back soon though!” I stated. I checked that George had my number, and I told them both that I would call soon to arrange another visit.
So, with my bag packed, I decided to tell my e
ditor that George was a little deluded and had not lived there for that long, but was the best friend of the previous owner who wanted him to be well looked after once he had departed this world. I hoped that it would be enough for my editor to leave the story for something that would be far more appropriate for the centre magazine spread. It may be a little harder trying to explain why I keep visiting the place, but I would make that up as I go along! More than anything, I hoped that like fairy tales written from the past, this story would become something similar that would be talked about in years to come. I felt like I was on the verge of discovering something life-changing; I was so excited about the whole prospect of what I had been witness to the last couple of days. I still found it hard to feel that it was the truth; it just seemed so much like a dream. It was going to be strange getting used to what I would find out from them every time I saw them.
The drive back to the centre of London was long due to the traffic, but nonetheless it gave me time to run through my new reasons for not doing this story before I got to work. I parked and, as I rode the elevator to the office floor, I sighed. I had the story of a lifetime and something that I could never have dreamt of in a million years, but I could tell no one about it!
Chapter Nine
The doors to the elevator pinged and I stepped out onto the office floor, greeted Michelle, the receptionist, and then walked to my desk. I had to try and convince all of them the truth behind my dropping the story, and I already had an idea that I could put in its place from previous research. The first person that would be a tester would be Claire, who was very excited when she saw me arriving at my desk.
“Coffee?” she asked.
“Please, long journey in!” I noted with lethargy.
“Then you can tell me all about it!” she stated as she bounced away.
“Great!” I said to myself.
“Kat, how was the visit?” I then heard Angela call. I grimaced then turned to face her.
“Not that great, unfortunately! Nothing really to write about, just a slightly deluded old guy!” I raised my eyebrows at her and shrugged my shoulders to be more convincing, but remarkably she replied easily.
“Shame, but you know this job Kat… you win some, you lose some!” she chirped as she happily then went to Mark, one of our other journalists who was doing a piece on pilots and flight crew, which had her excited enough to take the emphasis off me.
I knew that I would have to produce something good. It was my job, and one that I didn’t want to lose; I loved this team and working here. As I sat and pondered over the stories considered prior to George and James, a steaming mug of coffee appeared.
“So, tell… what was it like? How was he, and what did you do?” she asked with curiosity.
“Well, he is charming and the place is amazing! We had dinner and chatted and danced in the ballroom, then I came back!” I replied.
“Is that it? What about the intriguing story?” she asked.
“There wasn’t one, unfortunately; he is just a very friendly, lonely guy who was given the right to live there by the previous owner – a dear friend that didn’t want to see George left on the street, so left him the estate!” I said matter-of-factly.
“Oh, well I suppose it is sweet, but not what you hoped for!” she remarked, then leant forward. “You did have fun, though? I mean, a house like that and the chance to stay there – it must have been great!”
“Oh don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the whole experience, Claire. George is the most kind and gentle man I have met in a long time. In fact, I will more than likely keep in touch with him; I did find his company stimulating in other ways and he made me laugh a lot, which no other male company has done in a long time!” I replied sincerely.
“Well good for you! I bet that he is really glad that he has met you too.”
“Maybe one day I could take you to meet him?” I replied, suddenly realising that Claire was single. First innocent suspect for finding someone for James!
“Maybe… although I am not the same placid person as yourself; you know that I am a little wilder. I may be too much for him!” she then replied.
“We need to fall back on one of our other possibilities, Claire. I think I may get in touch with Frances Holt, the lady who has set up her house to take in soldiers after their return, in a bid to give them some respite. I think it will be a good place to start!” I then concluded.
“I agree, I think that is a fabulous story; I always was drawn to that one,” she confirmed. “I will get all of the details back out for you,” she said efficiently as she wondered back to her desk.
I sighed with relief; for the most part, everyone seemed to have accepted my lie for now! I had work on my mind and was also wondering how in God’s name I was going to try and help George and James. I had to take into account the fact that I was going to be spending more time with them, which I knew was going to be harder to explain to John, who wasn’t even happy with this first visit. I placed my head in my hands and closed my eyes briefly, then took a deep breath and a large gulp of coffee and decided to take one step at a time. A few more days after 264 years was not going to make a huge amount of difference to them. I replayed the whole fairy tale in my head, then blinked and looked at my computer screen to try and focus on work. This was like living in a movie and I was a main lead now. I smiled; the thought of James’ blue eyes staring at me made my stomach flip a little. Snap out of it, I said to myself. You’re an engaged woman, I quickly forced myself to remember, and picked up my mouse and started clicking away.
The afternoon passed quickly. I had already spoken to Frances Holt and arranged an interview in two days’ time; she seemed very keen to do a feature with our magazine, so that was all in place. I left work that day feeling slightly better that I had achieved something, and in celebration of that I decided to cook John dinner. I texted him to ask what time he would be home, only to get the following reply: ‘Sorry babe, out with clients trying to close a deal. Probably be 10.30 before I am home!’ I threw the phone onto the sofa at the side of where I sat. “Great!” I moaned to myself, then I shook my head – I hated him calling me babe. Darling or sweetheart maybe, but babe? Honestly, I felt like someone from a seedy bar! I decided that I couldn’t be bothered to text him back; it wasn’t like he asked how I was, and this was becoming a regular habit now, me eating alone. My mind wandered back to James and I reached across and retrieved my phone, picked up a notepad and pen and started to scroll through my contacts. I must have a few single girls that I know to introduce to James and George. I wrote the possibilities down and then looked at the list – four, including Claire at work. I scowled; this wasn’t going to be as easy as I had first thought.
I made some pasta and sat curled up on the sofa whilst I ate, making a list of negatives and positives for each single friend that I had, and the potential compatibility between them and James. The only way to see if any of them were appropriate would be to take them to Northfield. I should speak to James first and see if he would agree to what I proposed. I looked at George’s number on my mobile, and before I realised what I had done I had pressed call and he had answered.
“Katharina, good evening!” he said.
“Ah George, good evening. I just wanted to let you know that everything went well today – I think I threw them off your track and now I am hopefully doing a feature on another story that I had as a backup!”
“Wonderful news, thank you again for your help!” he sincerely replied.
“Well, don’t thank me yet. My bank of single friends is not that big, George. I think that I may need another visit with you and James to discuss the way forward, so I propose meeting with you again, maybe on Friday about 6pm. I have to go and interview for the other story and I can swing by yours on the way back – it’s not that far away,” I suggested hopefully.
“That would be lovely, we really look forward to seeing you. Can I offer you some light refreshment on your arrival?” he kindly asked. “After all, you wi
ll have been working all day!”
“Yes, alright George, that would be lovely! I will see you both then!” I replied.
“See you on Friday. Oh, and Katharina…”
“Yes, George?”
“I really do appreciate what you are doing for us!” he quietly said.
“My pleasure, it’s certainly something new for me!” I laughed as he bid me goodnight and I him.
I had slipped into my pyjamas after a long soak in the bath. True to his word, as I was drifting off on the sofa whilst watching some series, John walked in the door at 10.40pm. He dropped his things at the island and walked across to me. “Hi babe!” he said as he kissed me on the forehead.
“Hi. Long day?” I asked.
“It was indeed, but I think that we have made some progress, so it should be plain sailing from here on in! I just want to get this deal put to bed as I have other pressing deals to sort. Not enough time in the day – you know how it is!” he answered as he pulled his tie off. “I’m just going to jump in the shower.”
“Alright, I am tired so I won’t be staying up long,” I informed him.
He returned in his pyjama bottoms and with his chest bare. He picked my feet up, then sat and placed them on his lap. “What you watching?” he asked.
“Not paying attention – I’m too tired!” I replied.
“Oh yes, bad night’s sleep. So how did it go?” he asked. I had long past worried about what he would think now. It didn’t seem like anything I did really appeared on John’s radar.
“There isn’t really anything to tell. He is a very kind lovely older man, who is unfortunately lonely, but he has the right to stay in an amazing house!” I confirmed.
“Never mind babe, you’ll find something else. So, he didn’t try it on with you then?” he laughed. I sat up promptly.
“Jesus John, is that all you were bothered about? Not the fact that this is my job and it is important to me, or the fact that I was actually excited about it? No he didn’t bloody try it on with me! I like him and I will tell you now that we will remain friends!” My raised voice shocked me too.
A Different Reflection Page 9