Chapter One
Imagine a green and pleasant land by the
sea, where soft low hills lead down to a still yet rocky shore, where small
villages break away to farms and pastures circled by ancient stone walls, where
stands of noble hardwoods hide wealthy estates, if you can see such a charming
land in your minds eye then you can see what the land of Watersedge was like.
In this land one of the most prominent estates was owned by a powerful and
wealthy creature named Baron Fox. The main house of the estate was large and
many fabulous parties were held there, some which lasted for days; there would
be balls, and hunts, and dinners with unheard of delicacies that overflowed
their golden plates.
Everyone
in Watersedge knew of Baron Fox and his name was on the lips of all the high
society, yet despite his wealth, power, and social standing Baron Fox remained
single. As the years passed, and the fur of his muzzle turned from brilliant
red to silver, many females sought his attention, and while he was known to
keep their company he never married.
Due to the enormity of his estate many
creatures were employed there, for it took a great many of them to keep the
place running smoothly. Most of the creatures that worked at the estate were
female and lived in a large dormitory there. One of these creatures was named
Ms. Edna Squirrel.
Edna Squirrel was a lovely and friendly
young squirrel, whose bushy tail and luxurious coat was the envy of all the
creatures that lived on Baron Fox’s estate. She had come to the estate as a
child, and had worked there for as along as she could remember. The female that
oversaw the dormitory, Ms. Ferret, looked upon her as a daughter and considered
her to be one of the most valuable members of the staff. She foresaw great
things for the young squirrel. While Edna Squirrel appreciated the attention
she didn’t yet have the confidence that would allow her to make the most of her
abilities, intelligence, charm, and diligence.
Edna Squirrel, as may be expected, had
many friends amongst the staff at the estate, but one creature was her
favorite, the hard-working and quiet Mr. Harold Mole, head gardener at the
estate. Often they could be seen taking lunch together by the gardener’s
cottage at the edge of the orchard drinking tea and talking. They were great
friends, but underlying their friendship was a sweet affection running deep and
true, for the two young creatures were really very deeply in love.
When they were together they would spend
the hours holding hands and thinking of the future, while they loved the
estate, and were very thankful for the security it permitted them, they looked
forward to the day when they could have a place of their own, perhaps a small
cottage out in the hills, with a little vegetable garden and white shutters by
the windows. While the dreams were beautiful for both of them, inside Harold
Mole was a lurking sadness. He wished he could provide Edna Squirrel with all
the things they dreamt of, he would fashion the world over for her if he could.
Still he knew that it would take years to earn the money they would need to
make their dreams real. While Edna Squirrel too dreamt longingly of the day
when she and Harold Mole could be alone together the time was of no concern to
her, she was content to wait for the day when they could move from the estate
secure that nothing could hamper their plans.
So it was that their seasons passed.
They watched as the finery of Watersedge came out whenever Baron Fox held one
of his famous balls or weekend festivals. They worked long hours on the estate,
caught moments to sit and talk as the butterflies fluttered about, or walked
down by the rocky coast to see the sea surge and listen while the seals barked
out their tales of other lands.
Despite the fact that the two creatures
worked and lived on Baron Fox’s estate the Baron remained a mystery to them.
They had often seen him at a distance, but rarely had either of them been near
him. For a long time this was a matter of curiosity for Edna Squirrel, for Ms.
Ferret had seen to it that she was entrusted with some of the most important
housekeeping jobs on the estate, such as polishing the banister on the great
main stair, or dusting the library where the Baron was known to spend a good
deal of his time. The only jobs on the estate that were
more important, like cleaning the Baron’s private quarters, or office, had
always been done by Ms. Ferret herself. One day when Edna Squirrel was dusting
in the main she had asked Ms. Ferret, “Why is it that we are never permitted to
work when the master is about?”
“Oh, child, it isn’t a good thing to
have servants scurrying about the house when the Baron is here. How would you
like to own such a large fine house only to be tripping over all sorts of
creatures whenever you were here?” She
had answered, her sharp eyes had narrowed, and her busy hands looked under
candlesticks for dust, Ms. Squirrel t the time had felt that the question had
been unwelcome.
Edna Squirrel had sensed something in
her tone, or perhaps she had just imagined it; yet after they had talked Edna
Squirrel remembered those times when she had seen Ms. Ferret looking at the
Baron with consternation on her face, and Edna Squirrel could see then that
there was some matter between them, something unspoken, something she had come
to believe as being deep and fierce.
Despite the distance the Baron kept from
his servants there came the fateful day when Edna Squirrel had been sent to
dust the library. She was busily pulling out the volumes that covered the walls
when Baron Fox hurried in. A quick glance let her know who had entered the
room, a wave of nervousness went through her, and she was unable to cast
another look in his direction. She listened to his heavy tread as he went over
to the shelves. She heard the quick
whisper of a book being pulled from the shelf. Then she heard the baron walk
over and sit down on the low bench near the windows of the library. She
listened attentively, trying mightily at the same time to continue her work,
though her hands turned clumsy and slow. She could hear him turn a few pages, then silence, then another page would turn. Finally the
moments between the turning of pages seemed to drag on
forever. The quiet stormed about her. She was torn between the anxiousness that
he might think she was doing her job poorly, and the intense curiosity that she
felt wondering what he was reading, what he might be doing. Edna Squirrel could
barely contain herself.
“Here, girl, do you know what you’re
doing?”
Edna Squirrel felt as though a bolt of
lightning had struck her. She stood and turned from where she had been kneeling
near the lower shelves, curtsied, and lowered her head. His voice had carried so much power, it was
low, yet forceful, exactly what she would have expected
from the esteemed Baron Fox. “I was dusting the books, lord.”
“ I know what
you were doing, I am not blind, child. Come here and let me have a look at you.
What is your name?” Baron Fox was relaxed, leaning back on the bench. The book
he had taken from the shelf lay closed beside him. How long he had been
watching her Edna Squirrel she had no way of knowing.
She walked up to Baron Fox, smoothing
her apron and lowering her large bushy tail, in case her fur was unkempt. “Edna
Squirrel.” She answered.
“How long have you worked here? I don’t
remember seeing you about.”
Even though the Baron’s intense gaze
bore no malice Edna Squirrel couldn’t meet his glittering
eyes, and she looked down at the carpet. “Ever since I can remember,
lord, my parents were too poor to keep me when I was a child.”
“Yes. An orphan, we do get a few of them
here. Do you enjoy the estate?”
“Well let me take a look at you then.” Baron
Fox rose from his bench and walked full circle around Edna Squirrel. She felt
his height, his presence seemed to fill the room, the creak of his leather
boots enclosed her, and a strange and powerful musk seemed to rise off him.
“You keep yourself well, that is good,
we like the staff here to be presentable, and you never know who may visit the
estate. Are you aware that just last month the Minister of Finance was here?”
“No, lord.”
The Baron seemed to regret the question. “Yes,
of course, a girl such as yourself wouldn’t be concerned with who the Minister
of Finance is. No matter. How old are you, dear?” Baron Fox had finished his
inspection of Edna Squirrel and stood gazing thoughtfully out the window.
Edna Squirrel wanted to mention that she
knew something about the minister of finance, as Ms. Ferret made sure that
those in her care were well schooled. Still she stopped short of saying it, “I
am seventeen, lord.” She said.
The Baron turned about and sat again by
the window smiling. “I see. A truly competent young thing no doubt. I feel for some
reason that you may have potential, young squirrel. As a matter of fact I have
been pleasantly impressed by your demeanor and, shall I say, attention to
detail. What would you say if I were to make you an offer that might hold a
chance for your advancement here at the estate?” Edna Squirrel felt her cheeks
burn. “Yes, I think I would like to see how you handle a job of great
importance and discretion. Ms ferret has been cleaning
my study as you may be aware, but I am afraid that she is a bit overburdened
with all her duties. I need to go out for the day but later tonight, say at
about ten, I would like you to meet me in my study. I shall do some paperwork I
need to attend to, and you can tidy up the place a bit, I shall make sure it is
worth your while.”
“Thank you, Lord. But isn’t ten rather
late?” Edna Squirrel looked up and found that when she did Baron Fox’s gaze
darted from her bosom to her eyes.
“Perhaps, listen if you would rather
not-”
“Oh no, Lord, ten it shall be.”
“Very good. You
may leave me now, I would like a few minutes to myself, after
I go you can return and finish your work in here. Oh and by the way please
don’t tell anyone about this. Jealousy is so disruptive, and
counter-productive. Wouldn't you agree?”
“Yes, Lord.”
When Edna Squirrel left the library,
feeling excited about her encounter with the Baron, it wasn’t long before she
ran into Ms. Ferret. Ms. Ferret seemed nervous and she came very close to Edna
Squirrel her whiskers twitching and her nose working as she sniffed the air
about the young squirrel.
“You can’t be finished with the library
already?” She asked sternly.
Edna Squirrel took a step back, even though she felt a very deep affection for Ms.
Ferret she found her actions disturbing. “No, ma’am, the Baron came in and said
he needed to do something. I thought I might help out in the kitchen for a bit
until he was finished.”
Ms. Ferret’s eyes were penetrating as
she looked closely at Edna Squirrel, “Did he ask you to leave?” her question
seemed freighted with meaning.
“Yes, ma’am”
Ms. Ferret continued peering at Edna
Squirrel, and she asked seriously “Are you o.k., child?”
“I am fine, ma’am. Why do you ask?”
Apparently
Ms. Ferret had seen something to her satisfaction in Edna Squirrel’s response
for she relaxed. “No reason really.” Then she looked
back toward the closed door of the library, her expression serious. “Just try
to be careful, child,
Baron Fox is a generous creature, but his temper can be
frightful. Even I try to stay away from him, and I wouldn’t want to lose my
best worker. He sometimes expects too much.”
Edna Squirrel looked at Ms. Ferret’s
face, but whatever Ms. Ferret was thinking couldn’t be read from her expression
other than that her thoughts had suddenly drifted far away.
As usual Edna Squirrel’s she was to have
lunch with Harold Mole at his cottage. On this day she rushed there, excited
and full of news. When she got there she saw he was carrying a teapot and two
cups out to the small table where they usually sat under a trellis grown heavy
with honeysuckle. The events of the morning had her completely out of sorts and
in her excitement she hugged him as soon as she saw him. She couldn’t let go of
him. All morning long she couldn’t stop thinking about her meeting with Baron
Fox and Ms. Ferret’s warning. The warm softness of Mr. Mole’s fur warm from the
sun, the scent of earth about him calmed and reassured her.
Harold Mole was surprised by her actions, Edna Squirrel was always very reserved when there
was a chance that others might see them. “Heh,
now, heh, heh.” He
felt awkward and helpless trying to return her embrace without spilling the tea
in the pot.
She released Harold Mole and looked deep
into his eyes for a moment, the affection she saw there steadied and grounded
her. Then she looked at the teapot in his paw and they
both and laughed lightly. Sighing contentedly she sat down with Harold Mole at
the table.
Harold Mole poured tea out for the both
of them, he looked searchingly at Edna Squirrel,
uncertain of what to say. She lifted her head and gazed out thoughtfully at the
orchard that stretched between them and the main house.
“I am sorry,” she said, “it’s just that
it has been a rather crazy morning in the house.”
“Oh?”
She reached across the table and took
Harold Moles paw in hers. She told him about meeting the Baron in the library,
and Ms. Ferret’s unusual behavior afterward. As she told her story she could
see Harold Mole become distant. He looked down at the table without speaking.
She worried suddenly that perhaps she had made a mistake in telling him about
the incident. She didn’t want him to be concerned over her job. Could it be he
was just jealous, as the Baron had suggested others might be, her harold? She hoped that he wouldn’t
try to stop her from keeping her
appointment. She was excited and thought that it might do
so much to bring them closer to the realization of their dreams. All morning
long she had looked forward to meeting with Harold Mole and telling him the
good news. Now here he was, hanging his head quietly, his whiskers pensively
twitching.
Harold Mole had seen how Edna Squirrel
had become more excited as she spoke, he could see the turn of her mood. At
first he was jealous of the Baron true enough. That he should be able to
request the company of his true love whenever he desired seemed so unfair.
Still, Mr. Mole was a good man and he realized that his jealousies were silly, he knew that Edna Squirrel’s heart was true, and
would always be so, more so than any creature could reckon. Then a sharper
worry came over him, for Harold Mole understood males, any male, he knew would
be drawn to the beauty of Edna Squirrel, whose natural charms rang through the
air around her like a bell. If anything should happen to her, he didn’t know
what he would do. He thought he would be capable of anything to protect her, as
long as breath filled his lungs.
“One thing worries me, sweet, what if
the Baron’s intentions aren’t honorable?”
“You mean you think he might try to take
advantage of me?” Edna Squirrel was shocked, while the possibility had been
lurking in the back of her consciousness, the
opportunity seemed too great for her to acknowledge it.
“It is possible, we really nothing about
him as a person. Maybe that is what Ms. Ferret is concerned about.” Harold Mole offered.
“I don’t believe it,
Baron Fox could have any female in Watersedge, why would he waste his time on a
creature like me, a mere servant. Besides, everyone respects the Baron. You’ve
seen the creatures who come here, even the minister of
finance has visited the estate. How could Baron Fox keep that kind of respect
chasing after his servants? Everybody would know. I don’t see how it’s
possible, Mole.”
“These things do happen. Why I was just
reading in the paper-”
Edna cut him off. “I’ve worked here my
whole life and have never heard about any improprieties between the Baron and
his staff. I don’t believe it, you’re just being silly.” Edna Squirrel looked
hard at Harold Mole. She squeezed his paw. “Everything will be fine.”
Harold Mole knew he had to acquiesce, to
allow Ms. Squirrel the chance to prove him wrong, but his concerns were so
great. “I’ll tell you what,” he said. “Just let me come up after you and wait
outside the door, that way if anything happens you wont
be alone. I will be close by in case you need some help.”
“How silly!”
She was flustered by the whole idea, but the seriousness of Harold Mole’s eyes
swayed her, and the sadness of his drooping short whiskers sealed her decision.
“O.k. if it will make you quit being so mopey,” She
said smiling, “ but here’s what I want you to do, just wait down the hall for
goodness sake. I can’t have you lurking about the door like some sort of thief
in the night, it’s really just too much.”
Harold Mole smiled too and for the rest
of their few moments together they were happy. Edna Squirrel was excited
knowing that she would be able to help them see the day when they could buy
that home in the country. Harold Mole felt good knowing that he was doing what
a male must, look after his female, as best he could.
When they parted they once again hugged long and close, so dear was their love, and the strength of their dreams.
All through dinner that night in the
dormitory Ms. Squirrel was nervous. As was her habit when she was excited about
something she chattered endlessly to anyone who was near about miniscule events
hardly giving anyone a chance to reply. After dinner she was a whirlwind
helping to clean up. Ms. Ferret looked thoughtfully at her once or twice but
said nothing.
When it was time for her to go to the
Baron’s study she had to sneak out since bedtime in the dormitory was at
The lush trees overhead swayed lightly
in the cool summer breeze which smelled faintly of the ocean. Flower heads
twisted slowly as though alive, their color robbed by the falling night. How
she loved this place, and the land where they lived it coursed through her, and
buoyed her up, forming the fiber of her being. Now everything seemed so right,
she felt the coming of great things, like the time before harvest. The world
seemed to circle her in it’s wholeness and beauty, it
seemed to nod and smile, a giver of great things, opportunities that hang like
ripened fruit waiting to be picked.
As
she proceeded down the dark lane she saw that most of the main house was unlit
and quiet. Not like the nights when she and the other females in the dormitory
would look out their bedroom windows to see the parties that were held there.
They would watch the guests arrive in their expensive motorcars, and listen to
the sound of music accentuated by laughter and the roll of conversation filling
the lane and covering the lawn like a soft fog.
Harold Mole was waiting for her beneath
a large oak tree by the lane. When she drew near he joined her and they walked
on toward the large main house silently, their paws clasped. They walked around
to the back of the building and entered quietly through the servant’s entrance,
Edna Squirrel gathered some cleaning supplies from a closet by the kitchen. The
house was silent. She knew that at this time of the evening the servants that
resided in the main house would already be in their quarters. They would spend
their time there unless called for by the Baron.
Every step they took through the
expansive house was filled with tension. When they reached they main stair,
twisting upward into gloom, Edna Squirrel told Harold Mole to follow further
behind her, “be quiet!” She whispered tersely, “and for goodness sake don’t get caught.” She felt fully in charge now.
She straightened and walked more
assertively up the stairs trying to maintain a professional air in the dark of
the house. When she reached the top of the stairs she looked down the hall
towards the Baron’s study where she could make out a faint light escaping from
beneath the door. She turned to look at Harold Mole who had stopped a few paces
back, waiting for her to continue. He was just a lump in the darkness. Despite
her protests she was glad he was there, she loved him so. Even though she knew
he couldn’t see her, she gave him a smile. She walked down the hall till she
reached the study door. She raised her paw to knock, her heart weakening
momentarily, but she took a deep breath and rapped upon the wood with as much
assurance as she could muster.
“Enter.”
Edna Squirrel walked inside, it was the
first time she had seen Baron Fox’s personal study. The room was large with
tall shelves of books and a few chairs arranged around the front of a large
desk scattered with papers and two large piles of gold coins. There the Baron sat, his jacket off and his shirt open. He had a pair of
reading glasses perched on the end of his snout and he seemed absorbed with
some correspondence that he held in his paw. Two large candles on his desk
offered the only light in the large room, and heavy velvet drapes were drawn
across the windows.
“Right on time I see, excellent.” He
said looking over his spectacles at Edna Squirrel, “ please
close the door.”
She felt reassured seeing him so
preoccupied with his work. If only Harold Mole could see him, he would realize
how wrong he had been to worry about the Baron’s intentions. She felt concerned
now over his presence in the hall, if only they hadn’t been so silly!
“I am glad to see you have brought along
your things. Please excuse the light, I should’ve been
more thoughtful concerning your duties.” The Baron’s voice was soft and
melodious in the dim room. “Still I am sure a competent girl such as yourself will do just fine. Please start on those
bookshelves over there if you would. The ones right across the room.”
Edna Squirrel nodded and headed over to
the shelves, she thought about excusing herself for a moment so she could go
out and shoo Harold Mole away, but Ms. Ferret’s warning about the Baron’s
temper kept her still. She had done what was needed to get this far, as long as
Mole didn’t do anything foolish everything would be fine.
Out in the hall Harold Mole sat down
against the woodwork in the darkness. The house was warm and despite the
excitement of the evening he felt strangely sleepy. He shook his head, it certainly wouldn’t do to fall asleep now. He looked
down furrowing his brow thinking, if this were such a good thing it seemed that
Ms. Ferret would know about it, and if Edna Squirrel were patient he knew he
would be able to supply her with all she needed. He was hard working and talented, some day things would break his way. How he wished none of this were happening. It
wasn’t right that she should have to do something like this for them, sneaking
around at night behind Ms. Ferret’s back. He was the male and it was his duty
to take care of them without any of this nonsense. If only she realized that
all he needed was time. Whatever it took, he would see that their dreams would
come true. Thinking these thoughts his head started to droop, and his eyes
closed, soon he was snoring softly.
Inside the study Edna Squirrel felt
better when she started to work on the books, pulling them out and wiping their
covers, dusting the shelves. The work was so familiar to her she was able to
loose her thoughts in the task. It was helpful that they seemed to have been
cleaned not too long ago, since if the work were more involved it would have
been difficult in the dim light.
Slowly Edna Squirrel became aware of a scent, it was the same musk she had noticed when Baron Fox
had talked to her in the library. With a start she realized that he was
standing right behind her.
“You do a fine job. I think, however,
that the upper shelves really need the work more.” The Baron said his voice
low.
Edna Squirrel straightened up and moved
out of the way as the Baron pulled a ladder over to where she had been working.
The ladder, which apparently allowed access to the high shelves, was small and
rickety.
“Silly thing.
You would think that I’d have had it replaced by now.
Sometimes I am sure it’ll give way
beneath me!” The Baron laughed quietly. “Go ahead, up you go!”
Edna Squirrel looked dubiously at the
ladder but decided to give it a try. As she ascended the rungs, trying to
negotiate her skirt and her cleaning things, she felt certain she wouldn’t be
able to maintain her balance. “I don’t think this’ll work, lord, my skirt-”
“Here let me help.” There was a strange
quality entering the Baron’s voice that she didn’t recognize, a husky urgency.
Nervously she felt his paws reach up
under her skirt, where they held her rump. She gained her balance. “Uh, that’s
good. I am fine.” She said. Then one of his paws slid between her legs and up.
Lord, Lord!” She gasped and lost her balance falling to the floor with a thud.
The Baron stepped near and stood over
her his eyes burning in the gloom of the room, his hands working with the
buttons of his trousers. “Stay down!” He spit out.
Edna Squirrel panicked. She began to
scoot away, her breath was short and her voice knotted in her throat. Baron Fox
got down on his knees and grabbed her ankles, stopping her retreat. He pulled
her legs apart. She looked at the door frantically. “Help!” she managed, but it
was just a whisper, her voice seemed to have abandoned her. In a panic she
struggled to summon her will “Help!” again, this time louder.
“Shut up! You are going to earn your
money tonight, Squirrel!” Baron Fox hissed. He was on top of her now. The thick
odor of his musk choked her.
“Help, oh god, help!”
She
yelled, finally as loud as she was able.
The Baron had raised
up to strike her when the door to the study suddenly burst open. Harold Mole
rushed in, a blinding ball of fur, sputtering in his rage. Small compared to
the Baron he still leapt upon the Baron’s back, knocking him away from Edna
Squirrel. She stood up pulling down her skirt and moving away from them. The
Baron and Harold Mole rolled about, their limbs flailing. The Baron threw
Harold Mole off hissing terribly. He crashed into the drapes and they tore away
from the windows leaning out into the room suspended from their broken rods. Then
the two creatures got to their paws glaring at each other. Harold Mole,
advancing, grabbed a chair and raised it ready to strike the Baron. Baron Fox
circled away toward his desk. His lips curled back in a low smile and his teeth
shone bright and sharp. Their shadows in the dim light of the flickering
candles loomed large on the walls.
Edna Squirrel could see the murderous
rage in Harold Moles eyes, and she could see Baron Fox await him secure in the
potential of his violence. “Stop! For God’s sake please
stop!’ She yelled.
Harold Mole, seeing the Baron move
behind the desk suddenly threw the chair with all his might and leapt behind
it, jumping over the desk toward the Baron. Baron Fox knocked the chair aside
easily but Harold hit him full on and drove him against the bookcase and they
both fell to the floor. The chair when the Baron knocked it aside slid across
the desk knocking one of the heavy candlesticks candles to the floor, it landed
in a nest of torn drapery, the flame from the candle instantly started to crawl
up the fabric, growing hungrily. Edna couldn’t see the animals behind the desk,
but she could see the fire take off start up the drapes, the room brightened
and the haze of smoke lifted to the ceiling. She went to the door, yelling for
help. Behind the desk Harold tried to overcome the Baron but his strength was
too little as he felt the Baron rising from the floor his paw came in contact
with the candlestick, he grabbed it and swung savagely, it struck the Baron on
the side of the head and he became limp, the fury leaving his form as he
slumped back downward.
Harold rose, feeling the warmth of blood
sticky on his face. Behind him the fire in the drapes was working itself to a
blaze. He looked at the Baron laying in the red glow of the flames. Then he saw
the gold coins scattered on the desk, knowing suddenly how awful their fate had
turned he quickly started gathering up the coins, stuffing them into his
pockets.
Edna Squirrel outside the study looked
over the railing down toward the first floor, she yelled and yelled. Finally
the dancing light of candles came down the hall as the rousted servants of the
main house responded to the noise. They started running for the main stair when
they saw her backdropped by the glow from inside the study.
She turned and headed back to the study door.
As she entered she was just in time to
see Harold wiping the last of the gold coins from the desk, he looked at her,
the wall awash in flames behind him. As he looked up at her a brief second passed
between them, her eyes questioning him, them the drapes broke loose from before
the windows and fell over him. Edna rushed in, he had fallen to the floor and
she pulled the flaming smoking fabric from off his thrashing form. She pulled
him and hurried him from the room choking in the thickening smoke.
Flames danced about his clothing as she
led him stumbling to the hall. The servants just reaching the study watched as
Edna Squirrel threw him to the floor. He yelped in pain while she got to her knees
and started rolling him about to put out the flames. When his burning clothes
had been extinguished she rolled him over on his back, smoke rose off his
coveralls, and he held his face with both paws. She pulled his paws away and
saw that his eyes had been badly burned the fur of his face was singed to the
flesh. He turned his head about blindly as she put her face over his. Then she
heard the voices of the creatures standing around them. She looked up at their
faces and saw that it wasn’t poor Mole’s condition or the fire which had them
transfixed, but the gold, which had fallen from Harold Mole’s pockets, he lay
in it like a pool.
Edna
Squirrel could see the assumption written there on everyone’s face, “no, no.”
She whispered. Then a large crash and a great billowing of smoke from the study
caused everyone to turn and run, yelling. Edna Squirrel hoisted Harold Mole up
and, tripping and moaning, led him out of the house, both of them coughing in
the acrid smoke.
Outside the servants ran about yelling and watching the flames break through the roof of the great estate and light the sky in a flush of smoke and sparks. In the confusion and noise Edna Squirrel was able to lead Harold Mole away from the crowd. In the distance the clanging of the fire brigade could be heard. Edna Squirrel took a long hard look at the estate, disappearing in the fire’s destructive fury. She looked at the milling creatures standing between the still gloom of the night and the brief hunger of the fire. There was no chance to approach them, bitter tears stung her eyes as she looked at them, her family really, snagged up in the belief that she and Mole had done something terrible to destroy the secure world in which they had lived. She led Harold Mole, sputtering and crying, away from the crowd and into the woods. She sat him beneath a tree, and hurriedly went and collected what she could of their things, only enough to fit in one bag. Then she returned, she raised up her love senseless in his pain, and led him away through the woods, toward the train tracks.