The Boat filled with Lavender Blooms

A pleasant evening fell upon the countryside as Lucie watered the plants in their farmhouse garden.

It was serene and peaceful, just the gentle breeze blowing away the warm spring's heat and refreshing the atmosphere...

That was until a mischievous racoon disturbed the peace of the dusk by scampering wildly through the bushes, scattering leaves everywhere and chasing the butterflies away.

''River! You Rascal!'' Lucie shrieked and turned the hose on the racoon, drenching him with water, River, the racoon immediately darted away to escape the endless torrent of water.

''I don't understand why you girls bother keeping a wild racoon as a pet''

Lucie turned to the source of the voice, It was Roger, the twin sisters' neighbor.

Roger was a rather grumpy man in his late 30s, He worked as a Journalist for the local newspaper and He detested animals of all kinds, Nobody knows the answer to his strange hatred for animals.

''Good Evening, Sir! Hope you had a pleasant day today, oh and it wasn't my idea to keep River as a pet, well I don't really consider him as a pet but my sister, Ruthbell loves him and besides, River is harmless....well, most of the time anyways.'' Luthbell flashed a polite smile and put away the hose.

''Harmless? That little devil has stolen every single sandwich I've ever -made since I've moved into the countryside. You've ought to control him, Lucie!'' Roger scowled and crossed his arms, glaring at the racoon who was now sitting near a small river.

''Uhm, Apologies, Mr. Jones, truly, but the thing is, we cannot control River at all, as I said, He isn't our pet, He's...just a critter that lingers around the garden, But in order to make up for River's misdeeds, how about a cup of Tea? This evening is quite nice for a small tea party.'' Lucie explained gently and clasped her hands together. ''I'll put the kettle on, right away! You sit here, Mr. Jones, I'll be right back with a steaming cup of Fresh English tea.''

''Alright, if you insist...''

As Lucie went inside to make the tea, Roger caught a glimpse of something moving on the river, it appeared to be a solid object and not just a trick of the eye.

A frown crept onto Roger's face as he went on over to investigate...

And Behold! Floating on the river was a white Birch boat, swaying back and forth and inside the boat was a peculiar sight.

The Boat was filled with baskets of Lavender flowers and bouquets, The flowers seemed fresh too as their sweet aroma was still present and drifted through the landscape.

Roger was baffled at the sight, He crept closer to the boat to look at it better when suddenly...

His foot slipped on the mud and fell into the river, creating a large splash and letting out a not-so-manly scream, The Swans which waded the river let out indignant squacks and swam away from Roger.

River the racoon chittered excitedly and hopped onto the boat as Lucie rushed out of the manor upon hearing the commotion.

''Mr. James? where did you go? Oh!'' Lucie quickly made her way to the Riverbank where Roger was struggling to get out of the river.

She caught sight of Roger in the water and River munching on a bouquet of Lavenders. Lucie shook her head and crossed her arms.

''Mr. James, I hardly believe it is a pleasant experience to go for a swim with clothes on.''

Roger finally managed to stood up and scowled at Lucie. ''Are you daft? I am not trying to swim here!''

Lucie frowned. ''Then, what are you doing here? drowning? Well, Ruthbell did say you weren't the best swimmer around here.''

Roger came out of the waters, drenched to the bone and avoided eye contact with Lucie. ''I slipped and fell into the river! And don't listen to your oh so beloved sister, all what she says is nonsense!''

Lucie's eyes lit up in realization and she nodded awkwardly. ''I'll...I'll get you a towel.''

a few minutes later, Lucie came back with two spare towels and handed them to Roger. She then turned her attention to the mysterious boat on the water. ''Oh! what a beautiful boat! I wonder how she got here and whose boat it is.''

Roger looked up, confused at Lucie's exclamation, ''Wait, you are telling me this boat doesn't belong to you two?''

''Of course not! and why would we even fill our boats with Lavenders?'' Lucie answered, equally puzzled.

''Then, if its not your boat, and its not my boat, then whose boat is this and what is it doing here?''

''I don't know, I'll ask Ruthbell.'' Lucie rushed back to the backyard and called out Ruthbell's name.

After a while, Ruthbell appeared. ''What is it now? Did you get the hose jammed again?''

Lucie shook her head and gestured to the river ''Did you rent a boat or let somebody keep their boat on our side of the river, Ruth?''

''What are you talking about?'' confusion and annoyance was evident on Ruthbell's face, ''What boat? We don't go fishing or boating, Lucie, and nor do people put boats on our side of the bank.''

''Well, there's this white boat floating around in our river and it is filled to the brim with baskets of Lavender flowers and bouquets...'' Lucie explained, a bit timidly in response to seeing the clear annoyance on her sister's face.

Ruthbell came down and out of the manor after hearing Lucie's explanation to see the boat for herself, both the sisters went near the riverbank where Roger had finished drying himself up and River had already ripped apart two bouquets of Lavenders.

''Off, River! Get out of the boat this instant!'' Ruthbell yelled at the racoon and immediately, River leapt out of the boat and onto the grass, chittering nervously.

Ruthbell went on to the battered dock and grabbed the bow of the boat with a long, thick rope and pulled the boat closer to the bank with her brute strength to get a better look at it.

Roger, Lucie and Ruthbell inspected the boat to get a better look at it and become more puzzled.

The Boat strangely had no oars, there were only 5 to 6 baskets of freshly plucked Lavender bouquets and there was no sign of ownership, no labels, nothing about the person who owns this boat.

''This...this is strange, just today morning, this boat wasn't here at all, Lucie, did you hear anything coming from the riverside before?'' Ruthbell turned to her sister, Lucie frowned and shook her head.

''I only found out after Mr. Jones discovered it first.''

Both the sisters now turned to Roger to hear his side of the story. Roger -crossed his arms and began.

''Well, I spotted this boat just a few minutes ago, when your bloody racoon was doing god knows what over here on this spot, I went over to see what he was up to and found this boat, there that's it.''

Ruthbell looked around the meadow, there was no other person out here besides them. A dead end, Nobody knows how this boat got here and whose boat it even is.

''It can't belong to the Stephen Brothers, I reckon, I know very well that their boats have a nasty smell of fish.'' Roger speculated and Ruthbell nodded in agreement. ''If we ask them about the boat, they will surely lie and try to get their hands on this boat, Her beauty alone will easily sway them and I'm sure such a boat would get them a good deal of money, Those bastards, I never trusted them.''

Lucie sighed in dismay at the mention of the Stephen brothers. ''I used to think they were jolly, happy fellows content with fishing but my thoughts on them quickly changed when I heard they duped Mrs. Lee into making her give them her late husband's prized fishing boat!''

''It's getting dark.'' Ruthbell observed and turned to Roger, ''Don't speak a word about this to anyone until we contacted the real owner and if you know a fellow who is a fanatic of Lavender flowers and happened to own a boat, then let me know.''

But before that, the boat should be kept under a watchful eye and ensure it isn't stolen overnight. Ruthbell decided to appoint her Border Collie, Angel for the job.

Angel yelped and wagged his tail happily, eager to please his masters. The canine turned his attention to River and growled at him, in response to the sudden aggression, River chattered back indignantly and flung a stick at Angel.

Angel immediately lunged at River and chased him all around the river bank, Ruthbell whistled and called him back.

''Now, don't you get distracted by a bloody scamp, I want you to sit here and guard this boat, You got that?'' Ruthbell pointed at the boat and back at Angel who sat down in response, utterly focused on his newly assigned task.

The sisters and Roger retired for the night and went to their respective homes, Ruthbell kept the backyard garden's lights on, just in case and Lucie filled Angel's dog bowl with food to keep him fed through the night and placed it out in the garden.

Night crept in and painted the skies black, the orange and blue hue faded away and shimmering dots painted the sky, illuminating the countryside for a brief moment before being covered by dense, thick black clouds.

The garden fell silent save for the occasional rustle of bushes and the whistle of the strong wind, Angel sat alone on the grass near the riverbank where the boat lay dormant, it creaked and floated on the river.

Angel started missing the warm interior of the sisters' manor, around this time, he would have been lying on the couch, sleeping soundly or if he had been twice as lucky, He would have been invited to sleep on one of the sister's cozy beds.

But, if he successfully completed this task of guarding this weird boat, then maybe he could get double the amount of treats and more petting!

A noise, an unnatural movement in the bushes, Angel stood up and stealthily crept to the bush where the noise came from, With a pounding heart and a rush of adrenaline, He leapt into the bush and caught...

A squirrel....

Angel growled and let the squirrel go which instantly ran to the nearest tree to escape the canine. Although, Angel loved chasing squirrels and sheep but right now, he was assigned a very important task and he mustn't get distracted.

Angel went back to his position besides the dock and laid down, watching the garden, as the night grew colder and colder...

A sliver of moonlight shone through a gap between the dark clouds and revealed River, the dreadful racoon that always terrorized the countryside.

Angel did not want to deal with him again and decided to ignore River, turning his snout away from his sight, River didn't take this cold shoulder very well and leapt onto the boat, jumping around the boat excitedly.

Angel jumped to his feet and snarled at the disastrous racoon and jumped onto the boat, rattling it, prompting River to jump off the boat and to the bank, Angel snarled and gave a chase.

Meanwhile, with the sisters...

''We'll wait for two days, then we will contact the police on this matter and leave it to their hands, I do not want to get accused of theft if the owner comes and finds their boat in our garden.'' Ruthbell stated as she and Lucie got ready for bed. ''I hope Angel guards that boat properly.''

Lucie chuckled and reassured her, ''I'm sure Angel is doing his job perfectly and not getting distracted at all! He's a dear, anyways, why are we waiting for more than a day? Do you plan to do something with the boat?''

Ruthbell shrugged and answered, ''I'll see what to do tomorrow, I'm exhausted....Good Night, Lucie, Get some rest, we'll need it for tomorrow.''

Lucie nodded and relaxed herself as she closed her eyes, ''Good night, Ruth...''

They shut off the lights and darkness filled the house, the only part of the manor illuminated was the garden and the dock by the river.

Now, back to the Dog and the Racoon...

Angel had chased River all around the garden, in doing so, both of them had made a huge mess of the garden, knocking over earthen pots and gardening tools and ruining the flowerbeds.

The Wind was starting to get pretty strong now, it rustled the trees to the point some of them even started bending at the sheer force of the wind, Angel's fur ruffled wildly and he had to slow down to regain his balance.

River took the opportunity to slip away back to the bushes near the riverbank.

Unbeknownst to them however, The rope that securely tied the boat suddenly snapped and the boat started drifting away with the strong current of the river.

Angel stopped and saw the boat swimming downstream at high speeds, Angel panicked and went after the boat, Although he may not understand a lot of things, he knew this wasn't supposed to happen.

Angel ran across the riverbank, attempting to catch up with the Birch boat that now seemed to get more and more out of reach and farther into the distance.

It was starting to get hopeless, the current was just too strong and the boat seemed out of reach, but Angel was determined to catch it up.

Angel suddenly leapt off a slippery rock and caught the rope in his mouth but he crashed onto the water, losing his balance but maintained a firm grip on the rope, Angel had caught the boat but now, he needs to find a way to get back to the shore without damaging the boat.

Angel tried to swim against the current but only ended up getting dragged further away and the manor started going out of view.

River had watched all of this unfold right before his tiny eyes and ran after Angel and the Birch Boat.

River also leapt onto the boat and chittered something Angel couldn't understand, after a while, Angel let go of the rope and swam back to the bank before taking off after the boat again, He spotted a tree trunk...

Angel picked up more speed with the wind already pushing him forward, and soon overtook the boat, If he could time this right...He could stop the boat from going further down the river.

Angel finally reached the fallen tree trunk and got in front of it and tried pushing it onto the river bank, it wasn't working however.

When all of this was happening, it was drizzling but the Storm unleashed heavy rain, the droplets pelted down hard on Angel's fur but it also made the ground muddy and the tree trunk slippery, some of the soil started washing off and by pure luck, the tree trunk fell onto the river and blocked off the river.

The Boat managed to stop as the trunk blocked further passage, and almost as if it was a miracle, the boat didn't crash into pieces. Angel panted and caught his breath and quickly retreated to a nearby dense thicket for shelter and protection from the Storm.

The Hours passed and the first ray of dawn broke past the Clouds, the rain soon stopped pouring down and Petrichor filled the air.

Angel stepped out of the thicket and shook his wet fur, spreading water drops every where, meanwhile River crept out of his own hiding spot and chittered in his own Racoon language words of encouragement as Angel grabbed the rope of the boat once more and began tugging it back to the manor.

It was a difficult and laborious task and It was very early in the morning too. Angel dragged the boat back to the dock, pausing in between to catch his breath and relaxing his muscles before picking up the rope and continuing again, all the while River the racoon sat lazily on the boat.

Finally, Angel reached the dock and by getting the rope stuck to one of the wooden trunks nearby, He secured the boat back to the manor.

Angel collapsed onto the wet grass below and panted, the adrenaline wore off, leaving behind a dull ache in the muscles and legs.

He closed his eyes, tongue lolling out to taste the earthly scent of rain and to get some much needed sleep.

Ruthbell was the first to wake up, She quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face, showered and got into a new set of clothes.

Ruthbell went outside and froze.

The entire back garden was a mess, the Storm had messed up everything.

Well, atleast she won't suspect Angel and River for causing the mess.

Ruthbell hastily ran to check on the boat only to find it in pristine condition, the Lavenders inside the boat strangely remained exactly as they were before, Ruthbell and Lucie forgot to take the bouquets indoors and the white boat only had some mud and dirt dotting its planks.

It was strange...

shouldn't a boat like this be damaged by a rather violent storm?

The only impact visible was the rope and Angel's exhausted form lying nearby.

Ruthbell sighed and went over to Angel and petted him, ''You did good, boy.''

Angel wagged his tail but didn't have the energy to sit up. Ruthbell walked back into the manor and filled Angel's bowl with water before moving back out and placing the bowl before the Collie, Angel sniffed before sitting up and lapping up the offered water.

Lucie came out of the manor, in a peach colored dress and her blonde hair combed and neat. Lucie stopped dead in her tracks as she looked around.

''Oh, the garden....its...''

''Ruined, yeah. There was a storm last night, funny how we didn't notice it.''

''A storm!? Is Angel okay?''

Lucie instantly went to Angel's side and examined him, his fur was dirty and had small twigs and scraps of leaves sticking around, his paws were so muddy they were brown in color.

''I'll...give you a bath, oh you poor little puppy...''

Lucie gently tugged at Angel's leash and guided him to a small light blue tub, She turned the tap on and the tub was starting to get filled with clean water.

Lucie grabbed her gloves, a dog brush, a mild and gentle hypoallergenic dog shampoo and Angel's very own brown towel.

Lucie lowered Angel onto the tub and gently started scrubbing his fur clean and plucking out the twigs and leaves sticking to him. She gave him a good bubble bath and soon he was sparkling clean, Lucie grabbed the towel and started wiping him dry.

''Now, you go rest in the sun while I clean up the garden.''

Together, both the sisters started cleaning and tidying up the garden while Angel sunbathed and dried himself, It took almost an hour for the garden to look good as new again.

Ruthbel turned to Lucie as they both stopped to catch their breath, ''Let's go down to the direction from which the boat came from, maybe we can track the owner from there.''

Lucie nodded before adding, ''Wait, let me take a picture of the boat first so we can perhaps ask around the people we meet along the riverbank if the boat is familiar to them, I'll go grab my camera.''

Lucie went back inside and after a bit of shuffling around, she returned with a vintage polaroid camera and focused it on the Birch boat filled with Lavenders in front of her.

Click

....

Soon a print came out and...

''Oh, the picture...its....its.''-

Lucie stammered, confused and weirded out, holding up the picture which was completely black in color.

''My camera never did that before.''

Ruthbell rolled her eyes, ''Or your dumb camera is broken, Hand it over.''

Lucie gasped indignantly at Ruthbell's offhanded remark but still handed her camera over to Ruthbell, She was the older of the two afterall, there's no point in disobeying her.

Ruthbell grabbed the camera and focused it on a nearby vase.

Click

....

The Print came out and yet again, the same result.

The Photo was completely black.

''Your camera is indeed broken''

Lucie gasped, surprised and frantically took the camera from Ruthbell.

''But..But how?! It was working completely fine! its barely a year old, It can't be broken...''

Lucie trembled, some tears escaping her eyes in her shock and disbelief, She refused to accept her treasured camera could be broken.

''You're such a crybaby, its just a camera.'' Ruthbell scowled at her sister and facepalmed.

''Its a gift from my best friend, Ruth!'' Lucie cried out, clutching the camera close to her chest.

''And? What's so special about it?'' Ruthbell asked haughtily.

''It's just a camera yes, but it's very meaningful to me, my dear friend gave it, I appreciate the gesture and I don't want to undermine it by tossing and breaking it so carelessly.'' Lucie stammered back, quite hurt by Ruthbell's indifferent behavior.

''Whatever, come on, we have bigger fish to fry.'' Ruthbell went to the shed and pulled out two oars and walked on over to the boat. ''If my memory is correct, the boat faced to our direction, that means it must have come from the left side of the river.''

Lucie watched as Ruthbell went to the boat and grew more upset at Ruthbell's indifference to her feelings but she decided to bury down these feelings of sadness as if they were nothing but a temporary inconvinence and went over to the Boat, Lucie decided to put the seemingly broken camera in a small satchel she carried around that had dog treats, a torch and a Swiss knife.

She hesitated for a brief moment before stepping onto the birch boat and sitting down. ''Why, its actually lovely, these lavenders...they are so beautiful.''

She tentatively touched one of its petals and took in its fragrance and sighed dreamily, Angel climbed onto the boat and cocked his head to the side when the boat gave a wobble.

Ruthbell took her position at the front of the boat and started rowing the boat to go left of the river.

Gradually, the manor started disappearing out of view as the two sisters and their dog started cruising down the river, Lucie admired the scenery of the riverbank, her eyes shining with delight and awe while a giddy Angel tried his best not to leap off the boat.

greenery filled the view, the sun was climbing up the sky, the only sound was the chirping of birds, the creaking of the boat, the clap of Ruthbell's oars against the water and the rushing of the river. It was soon to be afternoon.

The Boat continued down the river merrily until Ruthbell stopped to catch her breath and looked at her sister.

Lucie was staring at something on the meadows.

Ruthbell frowned and turned her head to see what Lucie was looking at, it was hard to spot but there it was...

A Picnic blanket lying beneath a shady oak tree and there was a dock nearby to park the boat, Ruthbell reared the boat and stopped it near the dock and noticed the weary and torn wooden planks.

Angel immediately leapt out of the boat and dashed across the open meadows, he can't bear to stay in that dreadful boat any longer.

Lucie was concerned, ''What's got him so worked up?''

Ruthbell shrugged and helped Lucie out of the boat and onto the dock.

The Sisters walked over near the picnic blanket and looked around, there was no other human here besides them, and the blanket had a single picnic basket, Lucie picked it up and opened it.

Inside the picnic basket were multiple photos of the exact same boat.

Lucie and Ruthbell looked at each other then back at the photos.

A clue.

''These photos, they seem....old and recent.'' Ruthbell observed.

Some of the photos were old, while some were relatively new but one photo stood out the most.

The photo was that of the boat in a blue familiar looking lake.

Lucie chucked in delight, she had recognized the location. ''Its the Everett's lake, I've been there a couple of times.''

A moment of clarity passed between the sisters.

Ruthbell sighed in relief. ''Then, the Everetts must know about the boat and its owner, yes?''

Lucie nodded and folded up the blanket and took the basket. ''The Lake isn't far from here, just half an hour walk, Come on, Angel.''

The two sisters walked through a path to the Everett's lake, a comfortable silence between them, Angel followed along, sniffing the air.

Finally, they reached the large lake, it had two boat docks, and nearby was the Everett's manor.

Lucie went up to the front door of the manor and knocked politely.

''Lady Everett! Are you there, madam? It's me, Lucie Wellington.''

Lucie waited for a while before knocking again. ''Lady Everett?''

Finally, the door opened and an elderly tall woman came out, her gray hair was tied into a neat bun and she had light blue eyes that reflected wisdom and exhaustion.

Lucie bowed politely. ''Good morning, Lady Everett, I hope you are doing well.''

Lady Everett mustered up a polite, warm smile and greeted Lucie back.

''Ah, Lucy, You've grown quite a bit since you last visited, what brings you here, child? Ah and Ruthbell is here too, and that's your little dog, no? He's beautiful.''

Lucie nodded and held up the basket and the photo of the boat.

''We found this boat on our back garden, and we tried to find who the owner is by following the path where the boat came from and we discovered this picnic blanket with this basket filled with pictures of this exact boat and since i recognized this boat is in your lake, then you could possibly know who the owner is, Lady Everett.''

Lady Everett took the picture and examined it, a small smile crept onto her face, her eyes locked onto the picture.

''I see you have found our precious boat, dear, Thank you but no need to return it, you girls...can keep it.''

Lucie and Ruthbell were baffled and confused.

''Pardon me, Lady Everett but why? why are you giving away this beautiful boat to us?''

The Elderly woman sighed and invited them inside her manor.

Lady Everett's manor was very old and vintage but still beautiful, the carving and gothic architecture was very detailed and pleasing to the eye.

The manor was pretty quiet though, Lady Everett lived alone save for a few servants to tend to her.

The old woman sat down on her armchair and gestured for the two sisters to take their seat as well. Angel also sat himself down on the carpet in front of the sisters.

''My children, Evan and Emmanuel, they have settled nicely in the city now, they have built their own lives and families, they come to visit 5 times a year...I'm quite happy for them, and I hope you both are living happily as well, how have you both been?''

''We've been fine, the harvest this year is looking pretty great but the winters have started to get colder lately, last year's winter was horrible But we've been holding up Grandfather's farmhouse pretty well.''

Ruthbell remarked with a tired sigh. Lucie looked around, the halls were empty and it was quiet.

''You must be terribly lonely, Lady Everett.'' Lucie spoke up, feeling bad for the elderly woman.

''Oh, don't pity me, Lucy, but I do admit, it's terribly lonely here.'' Lady Everett chuckled but her eyes were downcast.

''About the boat...'' Ruthbell began.

Lady Everett nodded. ''Yes, Yes, I do need to elaborate on it, don't I? This Birch boat belonged to my husband and we both would go have a relaxing ride on the Lake, but ever since my husband's passing, the boat would always remind me of him and I can't help but...feel grief once again...My children don't share the same excitement for boating, so, I want to give away this boat, its beautiful and it would be a shame for her to rot away in our storage. So, I left it on the main river for it to sail away and somebody could find her and well, keep her. Now, it seems like you girls found it, Finders Keepers.''

''Oh...that's very kind of you, truly, Lady Everett but...''

''No buts, take it as a special gift from me, girls.'' Lady Everett gave a simple smile.

Lucie and Ruthbell looked at each other, a message passing between them. A bright and nice idea.

Lucie turned to Lady Everett. ''You know, Lady Everett, as a thank you from us for giving us this beautiful boat, how about we take you out for a picnic and boating today? to reminiscence old times..?''

Lady Everett was surprised by the sudden invitation and laughed.

''Oh, no, no girls, I'm sure you have far better things to do than hanging out with an elderly woman...''

Ruthbell shook her head and continued.

''We... are free for the day, actually, We wouldn't mind spending time with you, Madam.''

Lady Everett hesitated for a moment, she can't deny that the thought of spending time with other people was tempting, how long has she holed herself up in this manor? 5 to 6 months? Not engaging much with the outside world except answering the letters sent by her relatives and children...

Maybe, it wouldn't be so bad to spent some final moments with the their prized boat after all.

''Alright, Alright, I'll join you girls for the picnic...But do you girls have your picnic buffet with you?''

Oh, they forgot about that...

They initially didn't intend to have a picnic with Lady Everett

But oh well, that can be arranged.

''You know, I don't mind you making some simple sandwiches in my kitchen, if you like to, of course.''

Lucie's eyes widened, she didn't expect Lady Everett to be so...willing but she appreciated the kind gesture all the same, even though they weren't exactly strangers, they weren't relatives or close friends either. Just hearty neighbors that didn't talk much with each other. Lucie trotted to the kitchen and started making some sandwiches.

Lucie had great culinary skills and could make a royal buffet out of few ingredients and edibles. Lucie wasn't as cunning and strong as her sister Ruthbell but she still had her own talents and skills.

Lady Everett turned to Ruthbell as Lucie left the living room.

''So, I've heard you have become a farmer, well a Jack of All trades Farmer kind of, You handle a lot of the laborious chores without requiring any help. That's rare, I didn't expect a woman from a well to do family to do such tasks.''

Ruthbell was surprised at the remark, she wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an offhanded remark. It was true however, despite being quite rich, Ruthbell didn't appoint a lot of servants to help her with maintaining the farmhouse the twin sisters inherited. She did most of the work herself, taking care of the domestic animals and harvesting the crops. She did have some servants to help her with some of the jobs though.

''You can say I picked up after our grandfather, He liked farming too and I guess, I like to keep myself occupied with any job, no matter how....lowly..it may seem for a woman like me, but I don't believe the work i do for the farmhouse is lowly, after all...its what feeds us all in the first place. Farmers are one of the most important people out there.''

Lady Everett nodded, recognizing the slight defensive tone in Ruthbell's voice. ''Oh, I didn't mean it like that, dear, I do agree with you but wouldn't it take a toil on you? Farming and maintaining a farmhouse at the same time is no easy job...does Lucie help you with the farm work?''

''My sister doesn't directly help me with the farming but she does cook our food and waters the garden, and helps me with plucking fruits and berries. She's more of a noble class woman than me, She attends to any guests, gives the servants instructions and all and fills in for me when I'm not available. But, we are so different from each other, its hard to tell we are twin sisters.'' Ruthbell answered thoughtfully, looking at the doorway from where her sister exited the living room.

''Oh that reminds me, when I first saw you and your brown hair and Lucie with her blonde hair, at first, I didn't think you both were related until I looked closer and saw your face looked identical to each other, nature has its wonders, eh?'' Lady Everett joked good heartedly, Ruthbell looked tough, more muscle in her body and a tough exterior while Lucie was dainty and somewhat soft.

''Madam, can I ask you something?'' Ruthbell decided to test her limits and ask something that has been bugging her lately since the ''truth'' about the boat was revealed.

''Sure, Ask away.''

''Why don't you sell the boat? I mean, it can get you a good deal of cash, Nothing comes for free...I don't understand why are you just...letting us have it.''

''Do you have a problem with the boat?'' Lady Everett's smile dropped, her eyes cold and calculating, as if reading into Ruthbell's very soul.

Ruthbell was surprised at the sudden question, she didn't expect it at all but it just fueled her gut feeling that Lady Everett had other reasons for ''giving away'' the boat.

For one thing, the boat was on their side of the river, if Lady Everett truly wanted anyone who finds it to keep it, then why did she set it on a spot where almost nobody wanders there?

The boat was most likely put on the same spot as that old dock they'd found, and the boat would had drifted to the Wellington manor's side of the river, and obviously the sisters would find the boat because the boat couldn't have been discovered by anybody else. (except for Roger of course)

''I'm just asking you if you are entirely sure about this? You'll have to sign a contract that you are assigning this property, your boat, to us so that we'll be its legal owners so that we won't get into some trouble in the future so, you are completely alright with everything?''

Lady Everett's cold stare seemed to waver a bit and she nodded. She understood where Ruthbell was coming from and her concerns were quite valid.

''Yes, I'm completely sure for this, I'll contact my agent and let him know I'm giving you this boat as a late birthday present, You don't have to worry about any legal problems regarding this.''

Ruthbell nodded, well one of her problems seemed to be solved, but a lingering curiosity persisted.

''Are your sons happy about this? I mean, giving away the boat to somebody else? I never met your sons before so I don't know if they will even approve of this....I'm sorry if I am asking too many questions It's just...''

Lady Everett cut her off sharply and explained. ''My sons are planning to sell this manor...after my death, neither of them are willing to settle here in the countryside, It would be a whole unnecessary problem to try and transport the boat to the developing city nearby, I've mentioned before that my sons don't share an interest for fishing or boating.''

Lady Everett didn't seem quite happy with her sons' decision, evident from the way her brows furrowed and the fake, light tipped smile.

Unfortunately, Ruthbell wasn't letting that slide.

''You are unhappy with your sons for this, aren't you?''

Lady Everett sighed, Ruthbell had caught on with her true feelings. She looked around her living room, taking in its detailed design, some of the worn wallpapers and vintage lighting with remembrance and her eyes finally locked onto the portrait of the Everett family.

''Children these days have no respect for the olden days and history.''

She murmured, her eyes still locked onto the portrait.

Ruthbell nodded slowly, feeling somewhat targeted, She herself wanted to completely renovate her grandfather's farmhouse but Lucie stopped her, Lucie was a lot more attached to old, vintage things and was somewhat of an antique collector. Ruthbell figured that Lucie is probably excited to have that boat as it is also a piece of history as well.

''I'm sure Lucie understands your feelings, she is a retrophile and an antiquarian, She absolutely loves preserving history, I..don't like boating but she definitely does.''

Lady Everett turned her attention away from the portrait and laughed merrily. ''I figured that the only things you both have in common is having the same last name, same age and same blood.''

Lucie came back with a picnic basket, the scent of sandwiches and other snacks wafting from it despite the closed lid.

''Come on, let's go and have a picnic in the meadows.''

Lady Everett was surprised by how quick Lucie had managed to make the sandwiches and god knows what else she had prepared for the picnic.

Ruthbell was equally surprised, despite living with each other since they were babies, Ruthbell still wasn't used to how fast Lucie was able to complete certain tasks.

Angel immediately bolted out of the manor as Ruthbell helped Lady Everett out the manor, as they reached outside, Lady Everett locked the manor and grabbed a pen and paper and wrote ''Out for the day with neighbors.'' and stuck it on the door handle. She then started walking through the graval path which lead to the meadows.

Angel ran through the fields, leaping across tall grass and chasing bees and butterflies, his tongue lolling out as he had the time of his life.

The Sisters and Lady Everett settled the picnic spot beneath the giant oak tree where the sisters found the basket with photos in the first place.

Lucie unfurled the picnic blanket and placed it directly on the shade of the oak tree and helped Lady Everett sit down on the mat, Lucie opened the picnic basket and pulled out 3 porcelain plates and served three fresh sandwiches, cherries, Brownies, soft cheese and fresh lemonade.

The three ladies digged into the picnic feast before them and savored the taste of Lucie's cooking.

''Lady Everett, I wanted to ask you, why did you leave a basket with photos of your boat here?'' Lucie asked, curiously.

Lady Everett was taken off-guard, she had completely forgotten about the basket that contained photos of the boat.

''I'm gonna be honest here, I didn't intend to leave the basket lying in the middle of nowhere. It's a mistake on my end, this wasn't supposed to happen, but Thank you for returning it.''

The three had hearty conversations, Lady Everett shared some great moments about her life with the girls, Lucie shared stories about her prized collections and how she got them and Ruthbell shared her experience with handling the farm.

''These sandwiches are delicious, Lucie, truly delicious.'' Lady Everett complimented, as she took a bite out of another sandwich.

''Oh, Thank you, Lady Everett.'' Lucie blushed shyly at the compliment.

There weren't many snacks to go around, and it was late afternoon too.

''So, Madam, would you like to boat now?'' Ruthbell turned to Lady Everett who nodded in response.

''I suppose it wouldn't be bad to have one final ride with her...''

Together, they cleaned up the picnic spot and folded up the picnic blanket and started to make their way over to the old dock where the white birch boat quietly lay.

Lucie took Lady Everett's hand and helped her onto the boat, Ruthbell whistled and called Angel back, Angel bolted back to their side but he didn't want to get on the boat.

Lucie sat down beside Lady Everett and held up a bouquet of Lavender as Ruthbell took her position on the boat with her oars.

''Why did you leave the boat full of lavenders, Lady Everett?''

''Oh, that's just another gift, Lavenders...are my favorite flower and I figured it would be a nice gift, their fragrance and their color...''

Lady Everett answered, as she took the bouquet and stared at it, mesmerized.

Angel reluctantly hopped onto the boat and plopped down on the wooden planks.

Ruthbell started rowing the boat further down the river, Lady Everett and Lucie admired the scenery passing by.

Lady Everett was taken aback at the sight of Ruthbell rowing the boat down the river, She had underestimated her strength greatly...

''Ruthbell, How do you manage to row a boat all by yourself?'' She asked, awestruck at the sheer skill displayed by Ruthbell.

Ruthbell shrugged in response, not getting Lady Everett's shock. ''It's nothing, just some skills I picked up.''

They continued down the river as the sun's rays passed through the canopies of the various trees dotting the riverbank, creating a beautiful tyndall effect and a chill breeze filled the air, cooling everyone, soon an oxbow lake came into view while they were making small talk with each other.

Lucie laughed with delight as she dipped her hands into the cold water of the lake and watched the ripples caused by the oars.

Ruthbell finally stopped rowing when they reached the middle of the lake to catch her breath and relax a bit, she nudged Lucie and gestured at their surroundings. ''Look at the view.''

Lucie gasped in awe as she looked around, The sky looked lovely, the light blue descending into hues of pink and orange at the horizon, the wind ruffled their hairs and distant trees looked like little green dots from afar.

''It's Beautiful.'' Lucie uttered breathlessly, her eyes enchanted by the sight and she simply clasped her hands together, Lady Everett was also pleasantly surprised, it has been a long time she has seen such a view and she too, tentatively dipped her frail hands into the water, she tremored slightly at the cold water but quickly eased herself to relax and smile.

''Look, there's the daytime moon.'' Lucie pointed at the celestial body present on the vast expanse of blue sky.

Ruthbell petted Angel's soft fur who wagged his tail in response, liking the attention.

Lucie shyly turned to Lady Everett. ''I hope you don't mind, Lady Everett but I brought some wine and 3 fancy cups of yours to enjoy this moment, forgive me...''

Lady Everett smiled warmly and gently patted Lucie. ''It's alright, dear, that is a great idea. Pull out the glass and wine, this is a perfect spot.''

Lucie smiled and opened the basket and pulled out a tray, she took out 3 fancy wine glasses with intricate designs as carefully as if she was holding the most brittle object in the world with her bare hands and filled them with wine and handed them to Ruthbell and Lady Everett. Lucie also gave some treats to Angel who devoured it hungrily.

Everyone held their wine glass before clinking it together.

''Cheers!''

They chuckled and sipped the wine.

Lady Everett smiled and looked out into the distance once more.

''I suppose now is the perfect time to tell you the entire truth, isn't It?''

Ruthbell and Lucie looked up, a shared confusion passing between them, what did she mean by that?

Lady Everett turned to them and smiled.

''I know you both have a lot of questions you aren't voicing and I know what they are, the truth is...This Birch boat..'' She put her hand on the wood and caressed it gently and continued, ''was a gift from my sister, Eleanor.''

Lady Everett gazed back into the distance, Lucie and Ruthbell could see the melancholic look in her eyes but they kept silent, prompting for Everett to continue.

''My Sister, Eleanor passed away shortly after, She suffered from a chronic illness with no cure, She was the best person in my life, my guiding light, my anchor, She stood by my side through every hardship I faced but alas, she was taken from me far too soon...''

Everett lowered her head, a single tear running down her cheek, Lucie's heart ached and took Everett's hands with her own. ''I am deeply sorry for your loss, Lady Everett. May She rest in peace.''

Everett chuckled, ''Just Everett is fine, darling. You know, We both were just like you two when we were younger, Lucie, you remind me a lot of her...''

Lucie smiled sadly back at her, Ruthbell suddenly realized everything, she attempted to voice her conclusion out. ''So, the reason you are giving the boat to us....''

Everett nodded, ''Because I know you both would also understand our bond, this boat...is a special gift, the last remaining thing I ever had of Eleanor, I don't want to sell it but I don't want it to rot in some boatyard either. So, I decided to give it away to you two, I must apologize for not being straightforward, I didn't know how to tell you this, so I decided to make it seem like I'm giving it away to anyone who finds her, but on purpose, I placed the boat in the direction of your back garden's river... because I..I trust you both to take care of her...I know my children would sell the boat but, I know you two won't. I've seen how much you enjoy riding boats, Lucie and I've seen how carefully you've maintained our boat, being so mindful to not damage it...I know, I've placed it in the right hands.''

Everett confessed, one hand on her chest. Lucie and Ruthbell were silent, stunned by the confession before Lucie hugged Everett and murmured, ''Thank you...for having such deep faith in us and trusting us with this gift, We will cherish you and your sister's memories and won't let you down.''

Ruthbell nodded in confirmation, a small smile on her face as well. ''We understand, Madam.''

Everett wiped away her tears and continued, ''I've heard a lot about you both and learnt a lot through this little yet heartfelt picnic and you both are like the daughters and best friends I've never had, you both made me feel young again today and I appreciated every moment we spent together, I know I won't get to experience this day ever again but...Thank you, truly.''

Lucie teared up and hugged Everett tighter, ''Thank you...''

Ruthbell nodded before hesitantly speaking up,, ''We also appreciated every moment we spent with you...Everett and....Lucie...''

''Yes, Ruthbell?'' Lucie turned to Ruthbell, curious on what her sister has to say.

Ruthbell took Lucie's hands with her own and grasped it softly, her eyes filled with remorse and sincerity.

''I'm sorry for what I said to you about your camera, I didn't realize how much it meant to you, its a small gift, yes, but you appreciate it and I shouldn't have dismissed it so heartlessly....Madam Everett's care for the boat her sister gave and your care for the camera your friend gave it you....I understand now and I'll have your camera repaired, I'm so sorry, will you forgive me, please?''

Lucie smiled at her beloved sister and pulled her into the group hug with Everett. ''Apology accepted and you are forgiven, dear sister, I wasn't upset about not being able to use the camera anymore, I was upset I broke a gift my friend put their thought and heart into. You can always buy a new camera, but you can never buy joy of the moment when someone gifts you that exact camera, no matter how much these gifts cost, the love poured behind it is priceless.''

Angel barked and joined in as well, licking everyone's cheeks and the air was filled with laughter.

''I love you both from the bottom of my heart...'' Lucie stammered out and hugged them tighter.

Ruthbell smiled back, her eyes filled with unshed tears. ''I love you too, sister.''

Everett smiled as well and wiped Ruthbell's tears away. ''I love you too, girls, May the blessings of heaven surround you.''

They stayed in this group hug for a few moments before parting and continuing to drink their wine once more, a comfortable silence falling over them as Dusk descended upon them, the skies changed from hues of blue, orange and pink to brilliant shades of violet and orange, as the Golden setting sun cast an ethereal glow over them and tiny stars started to reveal themselves in the sky and the Lavenders rustled in the breeze and the lake water reflected the sky above. Lucie grabbed a bouquet and plucked some of the Lavender petals and put them on the water, watching the petals float away and around the boat on the shining lake waters.

Ruthbell turned to Everett, ''We'll miss you deeply.''

Lucie nodded in agreement before realizing something, the camera! Lucie had forgotten about it and only remembered it when Ruthbell apologized to her about it, Lucie turned to her satchel and opened it and pulled out the polaroid camera, Lucie tried on the selfie mirror on the lens and positioned it 30 cm away from herself.

''Everyone, say Cheese!

Click...

SNAP!

Lucie grabbed the camera and took out the print that came out of it, it was a high quality photo of them all together, Lucie was overwhelmed with joy, her prized polaroid camera was working again!

Lucie took some more photos to keep and cherish these memories frozen in time forever in the form of pictures.

Some photos of the scenery around them and of the sky and the sun.

A Sole shot of Lady Everett...

A photo of the twin sisters together...

A photo of Lady Everett with Angel...

A Sole shot of Angel..

And finally, a group photo of them all together in the boat with Lavender bouquets surrounding them.

As The Sun went down behind the shimmering water and the golden rays hitting the water and boat with a mesmerizing glow.

They sat there, watching the serene sunset pour a soft glow over them and all, a moment of pure bliss exchanged between them, a memorable day on their little, White birch boat filled with Lavender blooms.

Fin

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