Chapter 2
Callum and I end up going with Dad Theron in the van to pick up new beds, while Elias helps mom and Dad Orin move furniture from the house down to The Gables, Dad Draven heads off to his office to conference call with our other brothers who are working out of the Aethelburg office this week.The Gables is coming together nicely ready for our sisters return next month, everyone is looking forward to them returning home with their best friend Lila, they are going to live and work from here and I smile as I work, thinking of how we can finally tease our older brothers over their intentions for Lila, our sisters tiny friend.
For as long as I can remember she had been part of our family but three years ago our older brothers told us they were waiting for her to finish university and then they would claim her.I look up at my brothers as we put another bed frame together "Why are all females called Lila tiny?""Thats random, how many do you know?" Callum asked."Mom, she's Isla and is what 5'2, Lila she's about the same and...." I shook my head not wanting to think of her "no don't worry"My brothers shared a look and pounced, taking me down and when I was pinned to the floor "And who Ronan?" Callum pushed my arm up behind my back, "who?" Elias laughed sitting on my legs.
I tried to break free by couldn't."Seraphina, she's tiny too" I groaned."Who the hell is Seraphina?" they asked together."The gamekeepers daughter" I groaned "now get off me""The girl you met this morning?" Elias asked falling off me and I nodded as I could move again."what's she like" Callum said and they both looked at me."Tiny with attitude" I tell them."Oh, sounds like she got under your skin, I want to meet her now" Elias laughs and Callum nods in agreement."Good luck" I laugh back thinking how she looked and reacted this morning.
*
Callum
It was three days after Ronan first mentioned her that I caught sight of her, she was laying on a blanket in the garden of Keepers Cottage, Mom had sent me down with a box of old recipe books for Mrs. Holloway, who had offered me homemade lemonade in the garden whilst I waited for her to get the books she was loaning to mom. Mrs. Holloway had ushered me into the back garden to wait and there she was, lying asleep in a patch of sun, wearing a swimsuit that highlighted her curvy body, my eyes raked over her and I shifted feeling guilty as I looked but unable to tear my eyes away.Footsteps coming through the cottage behind me made me start and I knocked into the table tipping over a pot, the resulting noise woke her and she jumped upright scowling at me "who are you?" she grated, pulling up a t-shirt and covering her body from my view "and what the hell are you doing watching me"I was saved by answering as her mother came out behind me "oh good you've met, Callum this is my daughter Lila, sweetie, this is Callum one of Miss Isla's boys" she introduces, unaware of the tension between us."I thought your name was Seraphina?" I ask looking at her confused, and again her mother answers "oh it is but we call her Lila""Mum" she groans looking at her "what's he doing out here?", I watch as Lila shifts from foot to foot, not coming any closer."Lila!" her mum scolds "don't be rude, I offered him some of your homemade lemonade" she explains lifting the jug on the table and pouring me a glass, I watch Lila as I lift it to my lips and take a sip carefully, if looks could kill, I smiled at the sweet tart taste "wow this is great" I tell Mrs. Holloway turning to face her "my brothers would love this" I tell her smiling as Lila huffs and Lila's mum does what I expect her to "oh, you boys should all come down and have some, it would be good for Lila to make some friends her own age" she offers innocently, oblivious of Lila's growl behind me.I feel her move closer and when she comes round the table next to me, I grin as I look down on the top of her head, Ronan was right, she is tiny, I wonder if she's like Mom and Lila, only one way to find out "wow you are tiny" I tell her grinning down at her, as I watch fury race across her face and she growls out startling her mum "I am not tiny, you're just huge!"I laugh as her mum scolds her and she stomps off.
"don't worry Mrs. Holloway, its my fault for teasing her" I soothe, finishing off my lemonade and thanking her before taking the box of new books back to Mom.I grin all the way home thinking of flashing eyes and her growling at me, Ronan was right, it will be a good summer.xx
Elias and Ronan were waiting when I returned back to the house but once again Mom interrupted before we could talk.
"Oh the books, put then in the study for me please Callum" she told me following me as I carried the heavy box, "Did you meet little Lila, isn't she wonderful and so talented with her camera?" she asked as I put the box down and I nodded "yep I met her".Mom started pulling the books out and flicking through them "come September I want you and your brothers to make sure Lila has friends, its a huge change for her coming here and she's had to leave all her friends behind, so make her feel welcome"I can hear my brothers shuffling behind me in the doorway, "don't worry Mom, Mrs. Holloway has invited us to visit Lila and share her homemade lemonade, its delicious" I tell her grinning "now do you need us for anything else?" I ask inching towards the door, but she just waves us away, engrossed in the new recipes.We head up to our suite of rooms, Mom and the dads had given us our own space within the house so we could be independent if we wanted to and once we were all settled in our lounge the questions started."Well, how was Miss Sweet and Light this morning?" Ronan asked and I grinned at him "positively livid, you were right, she's something, she was asleep on a blanket in the garden in just a swimsuit when I saw her" I told them. Ronan laughed, "she was in boots and short pyjamas when I found her".Elias looked at us both "and?"We shared a look but took pity on him."She's tiny, like Mom and Lila, her parents call her Lila, she's curvy and asleep she's beautiful, awake she..." I explain trying to find the right word."Feisty?" Ronan offers and I nod "yes, feisty, reactive and very easily riled, we can have a fun summer winding her up" I say and remember her eyes shooting fire at me."That's not what Mom wanted us to do, she wants us to help her settle in, if we make fun of her and Mom finds out we are dead" Elias worried.I laughed at him "Brother, when you meet her you will understand, trust us" and Ronan agreed."She can't be that bad surely, she's only a little girl" Elias replies watching us as we both shook our heads. "you've got to meet her soon, then you'll agree, just you wait" I warned him.
Elias
"Mom, did you need anything dropping into Keeper cottage, I'm going past that way?" I ask, keeping my fingers crossed she says yes and I have an excuse to see the mysterious Lila that has my brothers plotting mayhem.
It's been 4 days since Callum came back from the cottage and damn it, I wanted to see for myself."Elias, yes, I have, just give me a minute" Mom calls from the library and I hope it's nothing heavy.
Grinning when she appears with a bag of what looks like linens.
"These are for Lila, her mother mentioned she was entering an art competition and I thought these might help her" she told me handing me the bag.
"what are they?" I asked curiously.
Mom laughed as I peered into the bag "old bloomers" she told me and I held the bag away from me "eww, Mom really?" "yes, I found them in the attic, now are you going to take them or should I" she questioned coming to take the bag back.I pulled the bag behind my back "I'll do it, as I said I'm going that way" I said backing away and out of the room.On The walk down to the cottage I thought about what my brothers had said about the girl, were they winding me up, I knew they played pranks all the time, was this the latest, I shook my head, I'll make up my own mind.I knocked on the cottage door and waited for a reply but none came, do I leave the bag on the doorstep?
.
I looked around, no sign of a car, maybe I should leave it by the back door, the weather was good and I could pop back later to make sure they had found it and see her then.The side gate squeaked as I opened it and followed the path around the cottage, only to come to a halt as I was faced by a tiny girl.
My eyes traced over her body covered only in a crop top and shorts....Wow.
"Hello" I said moving closer.She lifted her hand pointing the garden hose at me and glared at me "stop right there, what do you want?'"I'm..." I started but she interrupted me "I know another of Miss Isla's boys, have you too come to spy on me"I step back, giving her some space and holding out my hand with the bag dangling "my Mom sent this down for you, to help with your art project" I told her, not moving.I could see expressions chase across her face and wondered what she was thinking until she eventually stepped forward and took the bag from me "Mom said its bloomers" I told her and watched amazed as her face transformed as she giggled and ignoring me turned back towards the table where she upended the bag and started whirling round with.....bloomers in her hands "They are wonderful, this is just what I needed, tell Miss Isla thank you" she called happily rushing into the house and leaving me standing there, my mouth open.xx
I wandered away from the cottage towards the lake where I was meeting Callum and Ronan, the ghost of her dancing with the bloomers still in my thoughts, her giggle and smile, she should do that more, not growl to scare people away."Well?" Callum asked as I threw myself onto the grass and leaned back."She giggled and smiled" I told them and they huffed at me "she what?" Ronan muttered "why?""Mom gave me a bag of bloomers for her and when she saw them, she giggled, and danced around smiling" I explained."What did she want bloomers for?" Callum asked puzzled."Art project" I hummed lazily."Where is she now, we should go check it out" Callum said getting to his feet and I rolled to my side to look at him "really!""Yes, come on, it will be fun" he added, poking me in the side with his shoe."No, I want to swim, we can call in there on our way home later, we came to swim remember" Ronan objected and I agreed with him, the weather was perfect for swimming.
"we can call in for Lemonade on the way home, lets swim"We stripped down to nothing, comfortable that we were alone and no-one would see us and dived into the lake, the water frigid at first until our bodies got used to it, racing across to the island and back to warm ourselves up before calling enough.