Some more story

Helen and I are going to take some serious time to see how we are going to continue through the castle and onward. But here’s the next bit.

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The very young lady’s eyes widened, and an unexpectedly open smile spread over her previously cool, haughty countenance.

“Helen? Oh that’s a lovely name: Helen. It is soft and comfortable, and now that I can see you properly, I must say it seems to fit you very well!”

Helen found herself smiling back. She knew it was preferable to a mouth hanging open like a village idiot’s, but her uncertainty as to appropriate behavior in the presence of a lady soon weakened it, and made it a tiny hint of a smile on her lips.

“I am called Izzy … well not really, only my brother Duncan calls me Izzy, but I should like you to call me that. My actual name is Constance Isabel Angelica of Castle Penraven, but really, who could ever be bothered with all that? I don’t like Connie, and I get far too many Miladys for anyone’s good; and since I’ve absolutely no idea where you’ve come from, Helen, or what you’re doing here … What are you doing here exactly?”

Helen had always been a truthful soul. So … “If you please, Mil … Izzy, the castle gates were left open, and you see, I live just downhill a way, and … well, I have always, at least as far back as I have any memory of, wondered what it was like in the castle … well, here.”

By now Izzy had come to stand right in front of Helen. She was looking at her closely, as though inspecting her. Now she walked slowly to the side … “Please stand still, Helen, I need to see all of you …” and circled her. Helen could feel the eyes going up and down, inspecting her from head to toe and back again until Izzy came to stand squarely in front of her again.

“Well, I must say, you are a brave soul, aren’t you? There’s hardly anyone here just now, though, so there is surely no harm in it! You look a sturdy good sort to me, and it would be funny to show you around this grim place. Shall I? Would you like to see Castle Penraven?”

“Would I!” Helen lost all sense of propriety in the heady delight of getting to see all of the mysterious world that had never before been open to her. “Oh, thank you, Milady, thank you!”

“Helen, you have to call me Izzy or I refuse to show you anything!”

“Oh … sorry … Izzy.”

“Right. Let’s go. Oh … and when your tour has come to an end, I shall tell you how you may repay my generosity.”

Helen gulped. She wondered what she could possibly do to repay the kindness of Lady Constance Isabel Angelica of Castle Penraven. But the young lady in the deep blue robe took her hand in hers, grinned mischievously, and started to walk to the far end of the hall.