Page 34 of Van Cort
The snap of a branch had her ducking behind a tree, and she watched, her eyes bright and alert with anticipation, at finally finding her father.
But it wasn’t him.
Two boys with identical dark hair and shining green eyes stood, emerging from the path.
She didn’t recognise them from school. Although she’d not been there long enough to know everyone, despite how small the school was. And she hadn’t known there were any other children here on the estate.
Her little heart thumped against her chest, but it was the loneliness aching in her bones that gave her the courage to step out from her hiding spot and back onto the path.
Both the boy’s eyes whipped straight at her, staring, and she was reminded of the rabbit in the trap that first time she caught one.
“Hi,” Lara spoke first. Although her voice seemed to leave all of its strength behind.
The boys looked at each other for a moment before one of them stepped forward. “Who are you?”
“My name’s Lara. Who are you? I didn’t think there were any other kids here.”
The boys did the looking thing again before the other one answered. They were obviously twins.
“I’m West. This is my brother Everett.”
“This is our property, we live here. What are you doing on our land?” Everett’svoice sounded cross, and the urge to run skipped through her mind.
“You’re Mr Van Cort’s sons?” Her father had told her of the big house that belonged to Mr Van Cort, her father’s employer, on the estate, but she hadn’t seen it yet. The track to their cottage came off the drive early, and she hadn’t dared venture closer. He definitely hadn’t mentioned kids her age also lived there. “My dad works for your dad. I live in the cottage.”
“What are you doing in the woods? Aren’t you scared?” The West boy asked, smiling as he did.
“I like the forest. My dad brings me out with him when he comes hunting. I’m looking for him now, actually.” She wanted to make sure they knew she wasn’t alone, and it wasn’t a complete lie.
“We’ve never had someone else to play with before,” West murmured.
“West. We need to go back. Mrs Avery will be waiting.”
The boy called West smiled toward her. “Do you want to come and see the house?”
Lara looked around, caught between wanting to make a friend and get rid of that lonely feeling that clung to her, if only for a short time, and staying with the solitary routine she’d had for the last few weeks.
Friends weren’t something she made easily, and the girls in her class didn’t seem to be very friendly, even after several weeks.
“Is it far?” She asked.
“No. We need to head back. Are you coming?” Everett’s question came out more as a command.
She finally found her feet, stepping towards them as they both turned to follow their own path back to their house by cutting through the thicker trees.
They seemed to talk to each other in hushed tones, bumping each other’s shoulders as Lara followed behind. She paid close attention so she’d be able to find her way back. That now, was the one thing in her mind.
Her father knew of the house. Did he know there were other kids? Would he think to look if he arrived home and she wasn’t there? None of her questions held enough sway to divert her from her current path, though.
After about ten minutes, the boys cut onto a worn and well-used path that eventually opened out to the edge of a huge grassy lawn. And their house.
“You live there?” She marvelled at the size of the mansion, how grand and impressive it looked, and now understood why her father was so busy all the time.
She glanced at the boys, but neither of them looked pleased or proud. Instead, a sadness clouded their eyes as they stared up at the house, and she wondered if they, too, might be lonely.
“We have music lessons with Mrs Avery two or three times a week. We don’t get too much time to ourselves. You can join in?” West offered.
Lara picked at a muddy mark on her dirty jeans and then looked at the house, worried that she’d traipse mud through the rooms.
