Last Train to London
Three
“So you’ve been to London before, I assume?” Kieran asked. Coralynn grimaced. She twisted her dark hair into a ballerina bun, her hands moving deftly, then let it fall when she realised she didn’t have a hair band.
“No, actually. My dad and I don’t get on too well. When he and my mum split up, I stayed in Edinburgh with her, and he went off to London to live with some bloke from when he went to Eton,” she explained. Kieran looked impressed.
“Your dad went to Eton?” he said. Coralynn nodded.
“Yeah, and after he finished there he went to Oxford, and my mum went to Oxford as well. That’s where they met.”
“Smart parents.” Coralynn nodded and fidgeted with her silver necklace.
“Yeah. It’s stressful sometimes. Mum’s a professor at the University of Edinburgh, and my dad’s an extremely successful psychologist for all the mad people in London. When he lived with us at home he wrote books and taught a course at Telford College. They want me to be the best I can be and all that rubbish. I’m not good at much other than dance.” She shrugged. Kiernan frowned.
“I’m sure that’s not true,” he said. Coralynn blushed. Why was he defending her? Kiernan, on his part, noticed the blush and was confused for a moment.
“Thanks, Kiernan,” Coralynn murmured. He smiled, and blushed a bit too. She really is beautiful, he thought, with those big brown eyes and that dark hair and that smile. He adjusted his glasses (I wonder if she likes glasses…) and glanced down at his watch.
“We’ve still got another hour and a half to go. Want to get something to eat?” he asked. Coralynn’s stomach fluttered.
“I haven’t any money,” she said regretfully. “You go on, I’ll stay here.”
“No,” Kiernan insisted. “I’ll pay. Come along, Betty Bunhead.”
“Betty Bunhead! Did you just call me Betty Bunhead?”
“I did! Now come on.”
They walked down the train to the dining car together. When they arrived, they were at the back of a line.
“I’m actually going to run and use the loo,” Coralynn muttered, embarrassed. Kiernan nodded.
“I’ll save you a spot,” he told her. She hurried to use the toilet, not wanting to miss too much time with the boy from the train.
When she rejoined Kiernan, a diminutive elderly woman was standing where she had been.
“I’m so sorry, pardon me,” Coralynn said, scooting past the woman. The little old lady looked up. Her eyes were bright blue, and her hair was fluffy and white as snow. She smiled welcomingly at Coralynn.
“Ach, are ye an’ this young lad together?” she asked, her Highland brogue thick and sweet.
“Yes, we are,” Kiernan said, glancing at Coralynn and grinning.
“An’ hoo did ya meet, if ye dinnae mind me askin’?” the old lady inquired.
“On a train, actually,” Coralynn replied. She and Kiernan smiled at each other.
“She was sitting by herself, and the seat opposite her was the only one left on the train. So I sat down and we started talking, and here we are,” he added. The old lady held her wrinkled hands to her chest.
“I dinnae think I’ve heard a finer tale in all me days, laddie.” She winked conspiratorially at Coralynn and beckoned her closer.
“Hold tight to that’n, lass. He’s a fine boyo, an’ he’ll treat ye right.” Coralynn blushed. She wished that the story they had told the woman had actually been “their story”. They had met on a train, of course. Every word that she and Kiernan had said had been true. But they had only just met three hours ago. The woman thought they’d been seeing each other. Coralynn shocked herself by wishing that they were.
Coralynn Matthews, you don’t even know this boy. You met him on a train three hours ago. After you get into King’s Cross you’ll probably never see him again, she told herself sternly. Nonetheless, she found herself staring at the back of Kiernan’s neck and the side of his face, entranced. He had the most marvellous skin, slightly tanned and without a single spot. His hair was dark and curly, and the glasses that he fidgeted with so much were just nerdy enough to be cool. He had a light dusting of freckles across his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose. His lips were a bit on the narrow side, but still full enough to be enchanting. And his eyes were lovely.
Kiernan stepped up to the counter where a woman with braided red hair was selling drinks and food, and glanced down at Coralynn. For just a moment, he stared at her, drinking in the sight of her face. Her dark eyes were big, long-lashed, and fixed directly on his own eyes. Her lips were curved up into a small smile. Her black – or was it dark brown? – hair was shiny and framed her face in gentle waves. And she was so funny, and sweet, and interesting.
“Can I get you something?” the red-haired snacks woman asked. Kiernan jumped a little.
“Er, erm, Coralynn, what do you want?” he asked, flustered.
“Just a tea would be nice,” she told him. “Mint if they have it.” Kiernan turned back to the red-haired woman.
“A mint tea and a coffee please. And a packet of crisps.” Coralynn shot him a look. He rolled his eyes at her. She sighed. The snacks handed Kieran two steaming styrofoam cups and a packet of crisps.
"Ten pounds, five p," she said, her voice a flat monotone. Kiernan handed her the money and he and Coralynn walked back to their seats.
"Thank you, Kiernan," Coralynn said shyly. Kiernan smiled broadly.
"Any time."
“No, actually. My dad and I don’t get on too well. When he and my mum split up, I stayed in Edinburgh with her, and he went off to London to live with some bloke from when he went to Eton,” she explained. Kieran looked impressed.
“Your dad went to Eton?” he said. Coralynn nodded.
“Yeah, and after he finished there he went to Oxford, and my mum went to Oxford as well. That’s where they met.”
“Smart parents.” Coralynn nodded and fidgeted with her silver necklace.
“Yeah. It’s stressful sometimes. Mum’s a professor at the University of Edinburgh, and my dad’s an extremely successful psychologist for all the mad people in London. When he lived with us at home he wrote books and taught a course at Telford College. They want me to be the best I can be and all that rubbish. I’m not good at much other than dance.” She shrugged. Kiernan frowned.
“I’m sure that’s not true,” he said. Coralynn blushed. Why was he defending her? Kiernan, on his part, noticed the blush and was confused for a moment.
“Thanks, Kiernan,” Coralynn murmured. He smiled, and blushed a bit too. She really is beautiful, he thought, with those big brown eyes and that dark hair and that smile. He adjusted his glasses (I wonder if she likes glasses…) and glanced down at his watch.
“We’ve still got another hour and a half to go. Want to get something to eat?” he asked. Coralynn’s stomach fluttered.
“I haven’t any money,” she said regretfully. “You go on, I’ll stay here.”
“No,” Kiernan insisted. “I’ll pay. Come along, Betty Bunhead.”
“Betty Bunhead! Did you just call me Betty Bunhead?”
“I did! Now come on.”
They walked down the train to the dining car together. When they arrived, they were at the back of a line.
“I’m actually going to run and use the loo,” Coralynn muttered, embarrassed. Kiernan nodded.
“I’ll save you a spot,” he told her. She hurried to use the toilet, not wanting to miss too much time with the boy from the train.
When she rejoined Kiernan, a diminutive elderly woman was standing where she had been.
“I’m so sorry, pardon me,” Coralynn said, scooting past the woman. The little old lady looked up. Her eyes were bright blue, and her hair was fluffy and white as snow. She smiled welcomingly at Coralynn.
“Ach, are ye an’ this young lad together?” she asked, her Highland brogue thick and sweet.
“Yes, we are,” Kiernan said, glancing at Coralynn and grinning.
“An’ hoo did ya meet, if ye dinnae mind me askin’?” the old lady inquired.
“On a train, actually,” Coralynn replied. She and Kiernan smiled at each other.
“She was sitting by herself, and the seat opposite her was the only one left on the train. So I sat down and we started talking, and here we are,” he added. The old lady held her wrinkled hands to her chest.
“I dinnae think I’ve heard a finer tale in all me days, laddie.” She winked conspiratorially at Coralynn and beckoned her closer.
“Hold tight to that’n, lass. He’s a fine boyo, an’ he’ll treat ye right.” Coralynn blushed. She wished that the story they had told the woman had actually been “their story”. They had met on a train, of course. Every word that she and Kiernan had said had been true. But they had only just met three hours ago. The woman thought they’d been seeing each other. Coralynn shocked herself by wishing that they were.
Coralynn Matthews, you don’t even know this boy. You met him on a train three hours ago. After you get into King’s Cross you’ll probably never see him again, she told herself sternly. Nonetheless, she found herself staring at the back of Kiernan’s neck and the side of his face, entranced. He had the most marvellous skin, slightly tanned and without a single spot. His hair was dark and curly, and the glasses that he fidgeted with so much were just nerdy enough to be cool. He had a light dusting of freckles across his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose. His lips were a bit on the narrow side, but still full enough to be enchanting. And his eyes were lovely.
Kiernan stepped up to the counter where a woman with braided red hair was selling drinks and food, and glanced down at Coralynn. For just a moment, he stared at her, drinking in the sight of her face. Her dark eyes were big, long-lashed, and fixed directly on his own eyes. Her lips were curved up into a small smile. Her black – or was it dark brown? – hair was shiny and framed her face in gentle waves. And she was so funny, and sweet, and interesting.
“Can I get you something?” the red-haired snacks woman asked. Kiernan jumped a little.
“Er, erm, Coralynn, what do you want?” he asked, flustered.
“Just a tea would be nice,” she told him. “Mint if they have it.” Kiernan turned back to the red-haired woman.
“A mint tea and a coffee please. And a packet of crisps.” Coralynn shot him a look. He rolled his eyes at her. She sighed. The snacks handed Kieran two steaming styrofoam cups and a packet of crisps.
"Ten pounds, five p," she said, her voice a flat monotone. Kiernan handed her the money and he and Coralynn walked back to their seats.
"Thank you, Kiernan," Coralynn said shyly. Kiernan smiled broadly.
"Any time."