Off To the Wedding

The Countess and Earl wanted to make the trip right away to be Rebecca. They gave Edward the option to wait or to come with them. He chose to travel with them.

Early in the morning, a few days after the letter arrived, The Montagues were ridding in a carriage toward the railway station.

A loud bang behind them caused Edward and Johnathan to instinctively cower together.

"Don't worry boys, it's not a highway woman... it's some idiot in one of those new fangled autolocomobile things..." Margarette said as the horseless vehicle shot past them.

"Vile, noisy contraptions... I'd never get in one..." Johnathan said.

"I don't know... might be gainful investment in those..." His wife said.

"Darling, you can't be serious?"

"People said the same thing about steam boats and trains..." She said "besides, imagine what would happen, the roads wouldn't be covered in manure if everyone had one of those."

"What don't we get rid of horses all together." Johnathan said sarcastically "The Royal Ascot can just be watching people drive those... things around."

The Countess thought for a moment..

"That's not a bad idea." She told him.

"Darling you can't be serious. Those things are dangerous."

"Maybe once we improve them, they won't be that dangerous" She said "Ah... we're here."

The carriage pulled up in front of the train station and the Countess helped the men out.

"Train should be here soon." She said as she escorted the two of them to the platform while the footwomen got their things off the carriage.

Edward pulled his travel shawl close to him and stood close to his mother. He put on a brave face, but the talk he'd had with his father had bothered him a little.

Soon, the shrill echo of the whistle of the train rang through the valley, as the big, lumbering steam engine rounded the bend and into the station.

The Countless led the two into a first class compartment.

Edward, ever curious, parked himself next to the window, his father having to make him move for a moment so the door could be closed as his petticoats were in the way.

Once their bags were loaded, the guard on the train blew her whistle and with a lurch and a thud, the train was off.

They rode through the countryside through the day, the engine puffing and huffing along as they went. By the evening, they'd arrived in York, the last stop of their train.

"Our next train is in a few hours." The Countess said as they disembarcked "We'll get something to eat while we..."

"Mother! Father!" A voice called out.

"Brigette?" The Countess asked. She smiled as her eldest pushed through the crowd to them. "What are you doing here?"

"I had business in York for a case." She said

"Come, you must join us for dinner." her mother said.