Under a Willow Tree

"Rise and shine, Miss Coult." Greeted the maid servant, Florence, as she glided across the room to push open the window drapes.

"Good morning," Willow replied, wearily sitting up in her bed. She squinted as the sunlight poured into her bedroom.

"I'm sure you're aware of Mrs. Beckworth's plans for you today?" Florence asked.

"Plans? Erm...Aunt Ariana never told me about any plans for today."

"Well, you better get dressed and find yourself downstairs so that Mrs. Beckworth may brief you on the long day ahead."

"Long day ahead?"

"Mhm," nodded Florence, pulling out an outfit for Willow from the wardrobe and placing it on the bed.

"I don't think that red dress would be fit for the weather today." Willow pointed out. Florence eyed her for minute, until Willow added quickly, "Oh, I'm sorry, Florence. I just thought that it would be too hot to wear red, but I guess I can settle for that, if it means too much to change it."

Florence let out a small but hearty laugh. "Child, there's no trouble to change it, of course. You just remind me so much of your grandmother. She was very different from your Aunt Ariana, though they were sisters."

"Florence, please tell me about it. Tell me about my Grandmother." Willow insisted excitedly. She had always enjoyed listening to any story about her grandmother. Willow's relationship wt her father's mother was always so significant, right until her death a few years ago.

"I'm sure you're aware of your grandmother and your Aunt Ariana's little fall out when they were both old enough to marry," Florence started as she took a seat on the edge of Willow's bed. "Her decision to marry a public lawyer caused a strain on their sisterhood and also really emphasized the fact that she was much different than your Aunt Ariana. When your grandmother announced to her sister that she was engaged with a 'commoner', Mrs. Beckworth grew furious. She had told her sister that what she had done was not only a disgrace to the Prescott Family, but also the worst decision she has ever made in her life. She was putting all her fortune and well-being into jeopardy."

"What did my grandmother say about that?" Willow asked.

"Being the soft-spoken girl that she was, she merely smiled and said that she was in love with the man that held her hand for marriage and that their love was going to pull them through. But Mrs. Beckworth, who was Miss Ariana Prescott back then, told their parents and they threatened Miss Adeline that if she didn't take back her word on the marriage, they would banish her from their household."

"What did she do?"

"Well, of course, you would know. How do you think she conceived your father?" Florence replied, getting up to take out a different dress from the wardrobe.

"So, my grandmother got married to the public lawyer, even against her parents will?" Willow inquired.

"Yes."

"But why didn't they want her to marry my grandfather? He was a very respectable man."

"Not back then. He was bad news the moment he bumped into Miss Adeline in London. "

"He was?"

"Yes, he - "

From downstairs, Aunt Ariana called up to Florence. "Florence! Where are you? Where is Willow?"

"That's your aunt looking for you right now, Willow. You ought to get dressed." Florence told Willow, as she hurried towards the door. "Coming, Mrs. Beckworth!"

As soon as Florence closed the door, Willow got up and put on the new dress Florence laid out for her. Once she was dressed, she descended downstairs to the dining hall, where her aunt sat, hidden behind the day's newspaper.

"Well, there you are, Willow, darling. You aren't a morning person, I can tell." Aunt Ariana commented once Willow took a seat before her plate of breakfast.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Aunt Ariana."

"We've got plenty to do today Willow. I'm afraid you've got less time to finish that breakfast of yours."

"It's okay. I think a slice of toast and tea would keep me full, I'm not really hungry anyway."

"Good, because first thing we've got to do today is to bring you shopping. We've got to find a dress to wear to the party tonight."

"Party? What for?"

"A welcoming party for you, of course. We want you to meet all our friends. They're quite excited to meet you."

"Oh," Willow said, slowly taking a bite off her toast.

"And then after we get you a dress, we're going to stop by my good friend Clara for tea. She won't be able to make the party tonight as she will be taking a plane to Paris this afternoon. After we meet her, we will go over to the production set your Uncle Peter's company is handling."

Willow raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I have no idea why he wants to take you there, as it's rather chaotic: people running around, yelling orders to everyone else..." Aunt Ariana shuddered. "Almost like a marketplace. But nonetheless, he mentioned he wanted to show you something."

"Show me what?"

"Well, if I knew, don't you think I would tell you by now? Anyhow, after we stop by your Uncle Peter, we're going to be placing an order for your new school books at the university. I asked my secretary to do it, but it seems as if their phone lines aren't up to par at the moment, and we do need your school books in time."

"Mhm," Willow managed to say with her mouth full of the toast. "Where is the production set that Uncle Peter works at?"

"London." Aunt Ariana answered, just as her secretary, Jane, walked into the dining room.

"It's a quarter 'til nine, Mrs. Beckworth." She informed.

"Ah, yes. We must get going. Are you done Willow?" Aunt Ariana turned to Willow, as she got up from the table.

"Yeah."

Willow got up and followed her aunt out of the dining room and into the foyer, where Florence held out their coats for them. Taking hers, Willow headed outside to the waiting car. They drove down to London where Willow didn't have an exceptionally wonderful time following her aunt store after store.

"Come on, now, try this dress on. It fits the theme for tonight." Aunt Ariana urged, holding up a pink silk dress.

"Theme? I thought it was welcoming party, not a Halloween celebration." Willow protested, as she crossed her arms.

"Willow, we have to get you a dress. Look, it's nearly eleven and we have to be on our way to Clara's before a quarter past."

"I pick that one then." Willow pointed at a yellow dress that hung next to where Jane stood.

"This?" Jane asked, tugging gently on the hem of the dress.

"Yeah, that looks good." Willow commented.

"That? Why, it looks quite horrible." Aunt Ariana made a face as Jane brought it to her.

"Aunt Ariana, we've only got a few minutes left, and that's the only dress I've ever chosen for myself since we got to London and it might be the only dress I've chosen for hours. Unless we go to that mall my father always brings me to - "

"No. No shopping malls. Fine, we'll choose that one. But I'm buying this one just in case." Aunt Ariana gave in, heading towards the counter.

After purchasing the last of the items, they headed straight off to Clara's townhouse near Kensington. There, Willow had to share a sit uncomfortably next to Clara's eldest niece who was about Willow's age. Eleanor, as she was called, sat stick straight, making Willow look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame and she sipped her tea slowly, also making Willow look like a savage as she gulped down all of her own tea.

"How old is your niece, Ariana?" Clara asked.

"She's about 18 years."

"Eighteen? Why, isn't that a bit too old to begin university? Don't you usually start university at sixteen?" Eleanor jumped in, causing Willow to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, eighteen is indeed a bit too old." Clara added.

"Willow just had some complications right after she passed her exams with shining marks. There were some business for her to take care of before she could comply with her own desires. Just goes to show you what a selfless young woman she's grown to become." Aunt Ariana replied. Willow gave her a smile to show how thankful she was for defending her.

"So, what university are you headed to, Willow?" Eleanor asked her.

"Erm..Oxford." Willow answered. Eleanor burst out laughing, almost spilling her tea.

"My goodness, Eleanor!" Clara snapped at her niece. "Hold yourself together."

"Sorry, Aunt Clara, I just couldn't help but laugh." Eleanor turned back to Willow, "That was a good laugh, Willow, but where are you really going to be attending?"

Willow glanced confusedly at her Aunt Ariana who seemed to be anticipating her to answer herself.

"Oxford." Willow said again to Eleanor. This second time, Eleanor dropped her jaw in awe and looked at her Aunt Clara for explanation.

"Oxford is quite the school for a young woman like you." Clara said to Willow. "Tell me, how is it possible that you've been accepted to Oxford and Eleanor has not?"

"Willow probably charmed the dean of admissions with her lively personality, don't you think?" Aunt Ariana replied, smugly. Clara opened her mouth to say something, but Aunt Ariana's assistant fortunately entered the room to whisper something to Aunt Ariana.

"Ah, yes." Aunt Ariana said, as soon as her assistant told her what she needed to tell her. "I apologize Clara, but it seems that Peter has been calling us for awhile. He wants to show Willow something over at his production set."

"Oh, okay." Clara replied getting up. "It's been wonderful to meet your niece, I hope we meet again soon if possible."

Aunt Ariana and Willow both left Clara's residence and headed directly for Uncle Peter's production set.

"What is this 'production' that Uncle Peter is handling?" Willow asked her great Aunt on the way there.

"Have you heard of the Harry Potter series?"

"Harry Potter," repeated Willow, dumbfounded.

"Yes, Harry Potter." Aunt Ariana said.

"Harry Potter?" Willow asked, still clearly struck stupid.

"Yes, Willow, Harry Potter." Her aunt replied with a tone of annoyance.

"I'm sorry," Willow shook her head to get out of her trance. "So, you mean Uncle Peter's company produces the Harry Potter movies?"

Aunt Ariana nodded, without a word. Willow stared at her for a minute until she burst out laughing. Aunt Ariana waited patiently until Willow ceased her giggling and then she spoke again.
"I know it sounds quite, eccentric, but your Uncle Peter really does produce the Harry Potter trilogy." Aunt Ariana said.

"You mean the Harry Potter movies. There's actually more than three of them." Willow corrected.
"I said that."

"I don't think you did - " Before Willow could finish her sentence, Aunt Ariana's phone rang. Her assistant, Jane, answered it and quickly gave it to her.

"Peter?" She said, instinctively, listening to him speak. "Yes, we're on the way. About ten minutes. Alright."

"Was that Uncle Peter?" Willow asked as Aunt Ariana handed her phone back to Jane.

"Indeed it was."

Willow waited for her aunt to tell her why he had called, but when her aunt hadn't answer within a minute, Willow simply said, "Oh."

Just as her Aunt Ariana predicted, they arrived at the movie set within ten minutes. Their driver pulled around towards the back of the movie studio where big tents and trailers had been set up. When Aunt Ariana and Willow got out, they found Uncle Peter heading towards them.

"You've finally arrived. Come along now." He greeted.

"Uncle Peter," Willow said as she and her Aunt Ariana followed after her Uncle Peter. "Why are we here, exactly?"

"You're eighteen, aren't you, Willow?" Uncle Peter asked her.

"Yes, of course."

"Well, I've got a job for you." Uncle Peter said, nonchalantly as he led the two inside the big studio warehouse.

"A JOB?!" Exclaimed Aunt Ariana so unexpectedly that it made Willow jump.

"Yes, Ariana, a job." Uncle Peter said.

"But what for? Can we not support Willow on our own? Why are you making this poor girl work at such a place?" Aunt Ariana protested.

"No, it's okay, really. I'm eighteen, and most eighteen year olds work. I'll be alright." Willow contradicted.

"See? The young woman will be just fine. And, in case you have not noticed: I work here, too." Uncle Peter told Aunt Ariana.

Aunt Ariana didn't bother to say anything, and just made her own way to his office.

"Erm..." Willow mumbled uncomfortably as she watched her aunt stomp away.

"She'll be fine." Uncle Peter answered her. He brought Willow to his assistant before stalking hurriedly away somewhere else.

"Mr. Beckworth has business to attend and he asked me to help you out on your first day." His assistant, Mr. Martin, told Willow. "We usually don't hire anyone under 21, for fear of immaturity, but I suppose we made a special exception for you."

Willow didn't speak, because she clearly didn't know if she was supposed to offended or flattered by what Mr. Martin had just said.

"Anyway, we've got you lined up for dressing room duty. Sophia, she's our head make up artist, needs some help. You can meet her over at Trailer #19." Mr. Martin consulted his clipboard and pointed out of the studio. "It's a big trailer outside with a red number 19 on the door."

"Okay." Willow replied hesitantly. "But, erm... What exactly do I do?"

Mr. Martin looked through his clipboard again. "It says here that you just assist Sophia. There's really nothing else to it."

Willow nodded slowly and then made her way outside towards Trailer #19. She knocked twice and then slowly made her way inside.

"Excuse me? Is Sophia in here?" She asked timidly, poking her head inside the caravan. Inside, she saw a tall, blond boy on the couch of his trailer, concentrating intently on a part of his script.

"Sophia? Oh, well, I thought that you were her when you knocked, because she was supposed to be here by now." The boy told Willow as he glanced at his watch.

"I'm supposed to be assisting her." Willow said, taking a few steps inside the caravan.

"Really?" Was all the boy could say. It was very awkward for him to be alone with a girl he's never met before inside his caravan.

"Yes." Willow didn't know what else to say. Her heart started to beat uncontrollably as the atmosphere inside that trailer turned very, very uncomfortable. The blond boy got up and peaked outside the window for anything to distract him.

"There's Sophia, she's on her way." He said. Within a few seconds, Sophia appeared at the tiny entrance of his trailer carrying a suitcase.

"Oh, let me help you." Willow said, taking hold of Sophia's make up suitcase.

"Huh. You must be the new kid." Sophia commented to Willow, and then she turned her attention quickly to the blond boy. "Sorry, Tom. I was just finishing up Emma's makeup when I remembered that I still had to zoom over here and do yours. Anyway, let's get going. You don't have much time."

Tom took a seat on the makeup chair in front of a big mirror, as Sophia took her suitcase from Willow and took out several makeup kits and laid them out on the table before Tom.
"I'm sorry, darling, I didn't catch your name." Sophia said to Willow. Tom, who was reading out a part in his script, looked up to take a good look at Willow. He noticed how blue her eyes were, just like his, and how her soft lips pulled up to a simple smile that made his insides stir. Tom looked away, quickly, as he tried to figure out why his guts were doing flips inside of him. He had never felt this way ever since... Ever since he met his current girlfriend, Jade.

"I'm Willow. Willow Coult." She said. "My great uncle is Peter Beckworth." From that statement, Tom found himself jump up and Sophia dropped the powder brush she was holding.

"Oh. God." Tom murmured.

"Oh, shit." Sophia added.

"I'm sorry?" Willow asked, confused.

"You're the niece of Mr. Beckworth?" Sophia nervously wiped her makeup covered hands on her pants and grabbed Willow's hand to firmly shake it. "It's very pleasant to meet you."

"Me, too." Added Tom, who shook her hand, too.

"Your uncle is our producer and he's practically the fourth richest man in all of Great Britain." Sophia said. "Such a great man."

"Um...Thank you," Willow smiled hesitantly.

Sophia smiled back, and then quickly proceeded to paste on Tom's makeup.

"I've heard alot about you, Ms. Coult." Sophia said.

"You have?"

"Yes, word has gotten around that Mr. Beckworth had a niece coming along on the set." Tom replied. "At first I thought that meant they added a new part or role, but when I heard that she would just be there for assistance, my faith in the youth of Britain has been restored. I mean, honestly, everybody these days got the easy way out, and it's been ticking me off."

Before Willow could respond, someone popped their head inside the trailer, asking Sophia to handle something out in the set.

"I'll be there in a second." She told them and then turned her attention to Willow. "Willow, you could help me out with Tom. Just plaster on this makeup all over his face and around his neck. Be careful not to get it on his costume and even it out, if you must. When you've got that done, you can let Tom off."

Willow nodded as Sophia handed her the tub of foundation and the sponge wedge. She dashed out of the caravan, leaving Willow and Tom alone.

"Your great uncle is Mr. Beckworth." Tom mused, as Willow gently painted on the makeup over his cheeks. "Why are you working here, anyway? I mean, not that that's any problem. But he's obviously rich, which means your family is pretty rich. That's not a bad thing, though."

"To be honest, I really don't know. My uncle just called me out here today and before I knew it, I was given this job. I didn't ask for it, but I'm not complaining. I've been working since I turned 14."

"You work?" asked Tom incredulously.

"Yes... I do."

"So, how is it like to have Mr. Beckworth as your great uncle?" Tom asked conversationally.

"I can't say much, because I don't ever see them. And when I do, it's only during the holidays for a few days. But all I can say is that my immediate family is nowhere comparable to my Uncle Peter and Aunt Ariana."

"How is that possible?"

"Erm..." Willow thought of a way to explain how her immediate family wasn't as glamorous or wealthy as her great Uncle was - without giving off too much information. She found it uncomfortable to be talking about her family with someone she had merely met a few minutes earlier. "I grew up with my mum and dad in a simple household. Nothing extravagant, or any of that sort. I lived a really quiet life."

"Wow. I really have underestimated you."

"I'm sorry?"

"I really was expecting a snobby minger to appear out of nowhere and waltz around as the princess of wherever, but you... You're really something different." Tom smiled genuinely.

"I don't know if I should thank you. What do you mean by 'different'?"

"Well, for one, you don't look like a princess, and two, you've shown the ever so rare common courtesy. You're a brilliant kid."

Willow chuckled softly, accidentally causing herself to smudge some of the makeup she was applying on Tom's face over his lips.

"Oh, no." She muttered, wiping it swiftly away. After a few swipes on his lips, Willow had suddenly realized what she was doing and looked away to find a box of tissues and hide her blushing cheeks.

"It's alright." Tom said, removing the makeup himself, as if he hadn't noticed the awkward situation. Once Tom had gotten all the makeup of his lips, Willow went on applying the makeup all over the rest of his face. She remained silent through the rest of the time. This hadn't bothered Tom, though. He wasn't aware of it himself, but he was staring at Willow through the mirror as she was putting on his makeup. He couldn't help but realize how pretty... No, how beautiful she was. Why hadn't he seen her before? He could have chosen her instead of -

"Tom, baby?" A voice cried from outside his trailer. "Are you in there?"

Tom quickly recognized the voice and got up, excited, swung open the door, and ran outside. "Jade?"

"Oh! Tom!" Jade ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck. Tom picked her up and swung her around like a little doll.

"Jade, oh, I knew you'd forgive me. I just knew - " Tom tried to say, until he noticed Willow, standing by the doorway, watching them.

"Who's that?" Jade asked Tom.

"Jade, that's Willow. That's the niece of Mr. Beckworth. You know, the girl that everyone seemed to talk about." Tom replied.

"Oh, welcome aboard." Jade said, with a slight smile. Willow politely smiled back and looked at Tom, indicating that she needed to finish applying his makeup. He got the memo, and turned back to Jade.

"I'm almost finish putting on the makeup. I'll meet you on the set." He told her, before giving her a passionate kiss. Jade giggled helplessly and trotted back to the studio warehouse.

"That's my girlfriend." Tom remarked proudly, getting back on the makeup chair.

"Splendid." Willow said, uninterested. Tom looked at her for a minute and opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it.

Just for a moment, a tiny, meager moment, Tom had thought that Willow was the world.