FIRST BORN
-- Chapter Three -- expecting “You’ve got everything? Last time you left your house keys here, have you got your house keys?” Jonathan rolled his eyes, laughing out loud, “Yes, Evie. I’ve got everything.” The remainder of the dig had flown by after the discovery of the Menes Scrolls. Evelyn had the family searching through every chamber in the temple to find anything else they could about the dethroned prince, a process that had proved exhausting. All Jonathan wanted now was to return to his house in Cambridge and relax, but at this rate his sister was going to make him miss his train. “That’s what you said last time, and you remember how angry Rick was when he had to bring your keys to the station.” Evelyn reminded in a motherly tone, following her brother down the spiral staircase of the O’Connell Manor and across the foyer toward the door. “Must I remind you that I am in fact an adult, sis.” “Well since you’re continuously setting out to prove otherwise, perhaps I do need a reminder, though I can’t promise I’ll believe it.” Evelyn quipped back, stepping in front of him with her hands on her hips and her nose in the air. Jonathan couldn’t help but smile, shaking his head. “Look, I’d love to stay and debate my age with you—“ “Oh it isn’t your age, but rather the age you act that I’m willing to argue.” Evelyn replied with a laugh, “I’m sure we’ll both agree that you are a very sound forty-two if we’re talking numbers.” “—but I have got a train to catch.” He finished, eyes narrowing good-naturedly. Evelyn nodded, placing her hands decisively on her skirt and stepping out of the way of the door, “All right, all right. Off you go then.” Smiling, Jonathan started for the door knob when a gasp from his sister stopped his hand in mid-air. He raised his eyebrows, turning to look at her slowly. She stood by the door with her hands over her mouth. It wasn’t until Jonathan gave a slight nod for her to explain that she suddenly hurried off toward the library. “Jonathan. I forgot to tell you.” She was saying, and he reluctantly followed to find out what she meant. Before he even reached the library doors she reappeared, holding a book with a few tattered papers stuffed into it. Her eyes were wild again, like she’d made another remarkable discovery. “Menes. I realized something while I was reading last night.” “Oh Evie, can’t we give that poor chap a rest? We’ve been going on about him for weeks now.” Jonathan moaned, turning tail and heading for the front door again. Evelyn followed, tapping her book, “Yes, but Jonathan last night I found a loophole for the curse, or…not a loophole…rather a….ritual. A ritual can be performed to end the curse and could possibly save the life of the child that would otherwise be killed. I don’t even think the Med-Jai know about this, it’s like we’re the only ones who-“ “Evie, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He interrupted, turning to face her once he returned to the front doorway, “Can I just go? What do I need to know this for anyway…” Incensed, Evelyn snapped closed her book and glared at her brother, folding her arms across her chest, “Fine then. Fine. Right, there’s no reason why my own brother would have any interest in my discoveries.” Jonathan rolled his eyes, beginning to say something to Evelyn before she spoke again. “Best be getting back. I suppose Bridget is waiting for you.” Eyebrows raising, Jonathan stared at his sister, who wasn’t looking at him. She was instead glaring at the ground, but he could see the glower soften as she realized what she’d said. She looked up at him, all traces of anger faded in her face. Jonathan stared dumbfounded at this sudden transformation. Evelyn looked over her shoulder, glancing around the room to make sure that Rick or Alex weren’t anywhere in earshot, “Is she? Waiting for you, I mean.” Laughing, Jonathan shook his head, “Uhh, sure. I mean, I hope she is.” Evelyn’s excited bounce made Jonathan laugh again. She beamed at him, “What’s she like- oh please tell me! I won’t say anything to Rick or Alex, I’ve just got to know about her.” Taken off guard and finding himself unable to contain his grin, Jonathan looked away, chuckling, “All right, all right, what do you want to know?” “Do you love her?” Blinking, Jonathan let out a nervous laugh, “Bloody hell, can we start with something easier?” He avoided her prying eyes, and that gave away more than he knew. Evelyn nodded, smiling knowingly. “Of course we can. How about…do you miss her?” That familiar pained noise that Jonathan made when he wanted to make it clear that he didn’t feel like talking about whatever the current topic of conversation was, was interrupted by Jonathan’s nervous final answer of, “Yes, I suppose I do miss her. I mean, it’s been nearly six months, you’d miss anyone after that long.” “Oh charming, Jonathan. I’m sure she would love to hear that.” “Well what do you want me to say, Evie?” Jonathan laughed, wishing to be anywhere but there at that moment, especially as he was talking much more than he thought he should, “She’s lovely. I mean she’s….she’s Bridget. She’s a good kid.” Mortified, Jonathan hoped his wince wasn’t too obvious. Kid? Bloody hell, he might as well paint “STUDENT PROFESSIOR COURTSHIP” across the foyer floors at this rate! “Is she younger than you?” Evelyn asked, frowning slightly, though not seeming to suspect any fraudulent behavior. Fake smile faltering slightly, Jonathan’s reply was timely, “A bit.” Feeling panicked, Jonathan decided it best to go ahead and leave the Bridget-quizzing at that, and turned swiftly toward the door again. “Ah well, best be off. Don’t want to miss my train.” He was gone before Evelyn had a chance to reply, kissing her on the cheek and mumbling a hurried farewell, something along the lines off ‘see-you-in-an-indefinite-amount-of-time’ before disappearing out the door; but she was pleased by what she had gotten out of him. It was more than she’d ever heard about any of the girls prior to Bridget, and she felt confident that it was a step in the right direction for Jonathan. A direction that could possibly lead to stability, affection, children, everything that Evelyn had wished for her bumbling brother since the death of their parents—a real home. Unfortunately there was another equally large part of Evelyn’s subconscious that was almost certain he’d bugger it up. -- Knocks on the door of Jonathan’s house made Bridget terribly nervous. It was for this reason that she stood paralyzed in the kitchen, a quarter of a banana stuffed in her mouth and an old pith helmet perched atop her head. Well, it was for that reason that she was paralyzed, the banana and the pith helmet could not really be blamed on the knock upon the door, but rather played to Bridget’s craving for yellow, peel-able fruit and her prior rummaging through Jonathan’s closet. The pith helmet made her giggle, and also made her look quite dashing, she thought, though she couldn’t believe that Jonathan had ever donned the hat in sincerity. A second round of taps on the door rattled Bridget’s scattered brain from her musings about her present appearance, and sent her begrudgingly to the door. She hated visitors, and most of the time merely peered through the windows surrounding the front entrance and pretended nobody was home. After all, she was currently living in Jonathan’s house completely incognito—honestly, what would the neighbors think! The pith helmet was discarded before she made it to the door, and the banana chewed and swallowed as she pulled back the curtains to sneak a glance at the caller. When she saw who was occupying the porch she sighed, relieved, and pulled open the door, but quickly stepped behind it so as not to be spotted from outside. “I swear, no matter how many times you tell me you are coming by, every time I freeze up whenever you knock. I’m always worried it’s going to be the neighbors, my mother- or worse, the Headmaster.” Bridget moaned, closing and locking the door behind her friend. Rose clicked her tongue, shaking her head as she charged immediately for the kitchen, arms laden with heavy bags of groceries, with which Bridget made no offer to help. Rose was an older woman, plump and motherly, and had been cleaning Jonathan’s filthy flat since before Bridget had entered into his life. Jonathan trusted her, and Rose in turn kept him spoiled by doing more than what was normally asked of those in her trade, while keeping an eye on every aspect of his personal and professional life as an unwelcome favor. It was for this reason that Bridget came to Rose for help while Jonathan was away, and it was Rose’s particular motherly charm that convinced her to keep quiet about Bridget’s current situation. “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, dear girl,” The older woman placed the heavy bags on the kitchen counters with a groan, before setting her beady eyes critically onto Bridget, “Nobody knows a thing about this but myself and my Raymond.” Sighing, Bridget fell into a chair near the kitchen table, watching Rose unpack, “I know, I know. But I can’t help but worry that somebody is going to find out.” Disapproving eyebrows raised, Rose launched into her familiar triad against Jonathan’s absence, “Perhaps then word would get round to that man of yours, and he’d get himself home where he belongs.” “He’s on a dig, Rose. He didn’t know before he left about any of this.” Bridget hurried to defend him, as she always did, instead putting the blame on herself with another tired sigh, “How could he have known? I didn’t even know. Bloody stupid, I was.” “Now don’t be harping down on yourself, love.” Bridget looked down for a moment, smiling softly to herself before returning her eyes to Rose, blinking when she found that the woman had already put away every last grocery bought. How did she do that? Bridget could hardly keep her laundry in the hamper, and this woman could put away food (no pun intended) quicker than she could say god save the queen! However the old woman seemed unaware of Bridget’s wide-eyed reaction to her timing, walking over to the girl and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Been nearly five months, Mr. Carnahan should be walking through those doors and back to take care of you properly any day now. Unfortunately that thought rather made Bridget feel worse than better, a feeling that was clearly represented on her face, and that made Rose chuckle deeply, “Oh and the state you’re in sure is going to surprise the life out of him, poor dear.” “Poor dear? Who, Jonathan?” Bridget replied, laughing ironically, “Right, sure, poor dear him. Poor dear me! He’s the one who buggered off to Egypt while I’m here, all alone, can’t even set foot outside of this house without rumors of my indecent behavior swarming the whole of Cambridge…and you say poor him that he’s going to have to come home to find me….me….” Letting out an aggravated cry, she stumbled for words to describe her…her…. “Pregnant.” Finally exhaling, Bridget frowned at Rose, nodding her head, “Right. That.”
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