The loneliness had never weighed on her, but the train journey was long. With nothing but a window, wooded landscapes passing by one after another, it was hard to ask her mind not to wander so much through her memories.
Luckily, Mistfell was nowhere near the capital, it wasn't near any town she had ever been to, and it definitely wasn't near any trouble. It was, without a doubt, her best chance to start in a new place, as a new person, a new life, all at the same time.
It was terrifying, of course, but perhaps it was her last chance.
That's why her heart skipped a beat when the conductor crossed the aisle, loudly announcing the next stop. Rushing beats replaced the sound of the machine when it stopped, thundering incessantly in her head, leaving her breathless for a few minutes.
Lilibell slowly stood up, eager to get out.
Trembling, she took one last look around. The cold that settled in her chest momentarily dispelled the nostalgia she felt remembering the place she had left behind.
Suddenly, her own past seemed to want to expel her.
That feeling stayed with her until she finished stepping off the train. It only intensified as she walked to fully enter the station.
Outside, the air smelled of burning coal and recent rain.
Fortunately, she was no different from anyone else, and on that particular day, she wore a cream-colored coat cinched at the waist, with a matching tilted hat from which a rebellious lock of brown hair escaped, an outfit common enough to easily blend into the crowd.
Still, she firmly held the handle of her worn leather valise and quickened her pace, eager to see the town.
Upon leaving the station, wide streets, gas lamps, and dark stone buildings greeted her with an elegance contrasted only by the chaos of the crowd of street vendors on every corner shouting offers, people walking in long coats, and children running around.
That kind of simultaneous movement was not something Lilibell expected in a town as small and remote as Mistfell, but she certainly didn't dislike it entirely; it made the center feel alive.
After a quick glance, she found a free cabbie who could take her closer to her destination.
Thank goodness, she would say, that the house she would be looking after this season was on the outskirts, far from the chaos she found downtown. Exactly what she needed at the moment.
With that in mind, she opened the vehicle door to get in, instantly noting the smell of old leather, tobacco, and dampness. Not too different from the inside of the carriage she had just left.
As she sat down, the spring of the backrest creaked as if protesting at having to receive one more passenger. In front, the driver was separated by a small sliding glass and, seeing her enter, he courteously nodded before receiving Lilibell's instructions and address.
The engine vibrated like a lazily purring animal the moment they set off, causing the entire interior to gently shudder as they crossed the streets.
The further they drove from the center, the tall, large buildings gave way to much more modest country houses, with large yards, beautiful gardens, and small stone walls, just as Mrs. Florence had told her.
The house she would be staying at was built much further out, almost on the outskirts, where everything seemed to be devoured by the forest.
And right in the heart of that boundary stood Outlander, the Glider family's "refuge in the woods."
A two-story building with a lot of leafy green vines growing up its walls as if trying to reclaim the house, with windows, shutters, and a large front door in worn white.
Rustic, cozy, and utterly adorable. Those were the adjectives Lilibell was looking for when they arrived. Her eyes were mesmerized by the beauty and simplicity of the place; it was better than she imagined.
Simply perfect.
She paid the driver before getting out of the vehicle, stopping where the entrance path began to better admire the scenery. Lilibell inhaled deeply, seeking to release the accumulated tension from the journey. She was in no hurry; this was a moment she wanted to remember.
When she was ready, she straightened her back, adjusted the collar of her coat, and walked slowly but with a determined step.
The soft drizzle that was falling allowed the smell of wet forest to filter into her lungs, magical, relaxing. The silence, only interrupted by the gentle singing of birds and leaves moving in the treetops, reminded her of the place she came from, her old life, but far from souring the experience, it only brought her peace in the familiarity of the environment, filtering the best memories of that time.
Hearing the cabbie fade away on the road back, she took the opportunity to hold the handle with both hands and swing her valise as she followed the stone path, bringing with her the innocence of the past into this present, smiling as she realized the gesture, almost hearing her older brother's voice from afar scolding her for acting too childish. But, since time had truly left no one around her, she decided to turn around on her feet amidst laughter in a small improvised dance before reaching the stairs, which she climbed much more relaxed than before.
With excitement, she reached into her coat pocket to retrieve the key. She placed it in the lock with a mischievous smile and bravely grabbed the doorknob.
Upon opening the door, a small foyer welcomed her.
After an almost dreamy sigh, she put her suitcase aside and took off her coat, trying to dry her feet on the rug before fully stepping inside. Directly ahead, the wooden staircase invited her up to see her room, so she took off her hat and hung it up, then untied the tight knot holding her hair before closing the door behind her and picking up her valise again to go up. She gently caressed the banister, instantly noticing the accumulated dust, typical of a place not often frequented like this, undoubtedly, she had a lot of work to do.
Once upstairs, she found the guest room, or in other words, her new safe haven.
She threw her valise onto the bed while massaging her head with her fingers, seeking to relax.
Then she went down, returning to the foyer until she reached the living room, where, framed between two large wooden bookshelves, resting on a counter, was an antique rotary dial telephone, with a heavy handset and the cord coiled like a sleepy snake. The black bakelite device barely gleamed under the hearth light. Lilibell went to it and picked up the handset, brought it to her ear, and listened to the distant murmur of the line, a faint hum that seemed to breathe. Then she inserted her finger into the first number and turned the dial. The click-clack of the mechanism echoed in the room like miniature machinery waking up. She repeated the gesture again and again until she finished dialing. The silence between one ring and the next felt eternal, until finally someone answered.
— Glider Residence, Mrs. Florence speaking. With whom do I have the pleasure? — a high-pitched, tinkling voice exclaimed from the other side.
— Good morning, Mrs. Florence. This is Lilibell — she replied — I just wanted to let you know that I have arrived at Outlander.
— Oh, Lilibell! That's a relief, I was worried you had gotten lost. Is everything alright? Do you need anything else?
— Everything is fine, I will start as soon as possible, thank you very much for the opportunity.
— Perfect, we'll keep in touch.
She hung the handset back on the cradle with a click that echoed in the silence of the house.
She took a deep breath before facing... everything.
The past was behind her.
The work and her new life were starting right now.