Isabel: Taking Wing

The Limitless Sky

For the first time in a long while, Isabel is awoken by the sound of carts on the streets and voices calling out. These days, Isabel doesn’t sleep much, and she’s kept busy throughout the day working with Aunt Elinor and Alice to keep the house in ship-shape order, along with the new cook and maid.

But since their gardener isn’t arriving until later today, Isabel takes the opportunity to walk through the gardens, which are overgrown and unkept. But the lack of gardening has made them rather fruitful, and this year, the crimson roses have flowered twice, when they usually only flower once. She picks some of the flowers.

Isabel brings them upstairs to her study, and sets them on the hearthstone above the fireplace. She lays Master Hart’s notebook beside them. Master Hart died of plague, along with the rest of his family. Isabel remembers how he used to sit nice and cozy beside Meg’s fires, and she thinks setting everything up by the fireplace is the right place to honor both Master Hart and Meg.

Then, Isabel’s father comes inside. He announces that he’s made a decision. He says it’s clear to him that Isabel benefitted from being in the company of Aunt de Vere. He wants Isabel to go back to her estate to finish her education. This isn’t a banishment, and he wants them all to come up to Northamptonshire to visit Isabel when she gets settled, including Sabine and her new family!

Isabel is very happy with this decision. She loves London, but she misses Aunt de Vere, Olivia, Cole, and Nicolette. She wonders if Cole flew Nicolette without her, and if Nicolette chose to come back to Cole, or flew away into the limitless sky. Living with Aunt de Vere, she feels free.

That day, Isabel visits the river Thames. She brings the last of the picked roses, and slowly drops them into the water. They float down the river, bright red against the murky water. Isabel sits back and thinks of Meg, and when they traveled across the river to visit the theater. They were just children then. Isabel fingers Meg’s charm around her neck. Isabel whispers to Meg that she’s finally free. As free as a flying merlin.