Chapter Fourteen: The Escape

Enrico and Elizabeth become a mere memory of acquaintances. Everything suddenly changed especially in Elizabeth's demeanor like a sudden zephyr that blew unnoticeably. Bizarrely, her demeanor becomes ugly and her treatment to others slightly turns embarrassing, sometimes she eventually rude. Everyone wonders how she became a different person, a lovely and adorable lamb that became a vicious wolf. Suspiciously, for everyone's perspective, the dark hour is yet to come.

An hour past, Mr. Filch picks up Enrico’s trail at the swing spot where he found him placing another cigar in his immature mouth, igniting it with Cigar Lighter. He waves his left hand to him signifying that he would like them in a serious discussion about some urgent matters. Upon arrival, Enrico stamps down a scorched stick of cigarette as he greeting him. It’s a quarter minutes before three in the afternoon. The sunset's illumination penetrates unto the old trees, silhouetting them from direct sunlight that bathing the whole mansion constantly.

On the other hand, Mr. Filch and Enrico sincerely sprouting a conversation about something to happen in the early dawn of Friday. It’s urgent and secret so they talk privately about this secret plan without the presence of the spying Hawkeyes. A matter of fact, when Mrs. Finnegan regains her consciousness, she recalls about Enrico's return to his hometown. So, she connives to make a plan with Mr. Filch for their concealing journey.

"Enrico, I'm sorry, I didn't want you to bother about this but Mrs. Finnegan detailed everything to me about that cigar lighter and about you." Mr. Filch taps his right shoulder thrice.

"What's her plan Mr. Filch? I believe, there’s something she has to clarify by herself, maybe her mind is confused. I think something should be revealed." Enrico gasps deeply.

"We'll accompany you lad. I want to pay a visit to my old friend, at least for the last time we could pay respect for him. Now be warned, Ms. Elizabeth and her fiancé will be out tomorrow, and oh…Mr. Finnegan will be out of town as well. so we could manage to travel smoothly at dawn." Mr. Filch smiles as he winking his right eye.

"Yes Mr. Filch, I'll be missing this place so much..." Enrico replies a nod.

At the time, their conversation concludes, they both returning to their unfinished businesses. Unnoticeably, Elizabeth eavesdrops at them, peeking behind in a certain corner of the house, covering by a porch. Even though she's far distant from them, but she has great suspicion of something they're hiding to her.

A day after, Mr. Finnegan disapparates to his business trip, yet Elizabeth and Julius Beckett cancelled their scheduled date. Thus, Mrs. Finnegan's plan might come to failure probably because of changing plan with the two. Upon hearing the news about the couple's date is postponed, Mr. Filch creeps towards Mrs. Finnegan’s room to inform her about this urgent news he grasped by his ears.

They formulated plan A and plan B, but plan A fails, so, Plan B should be considered this time. Mrs. Finnegan calls urgently Enrico’s attention through Misila’s aid. She delivers Mrs. Finnegan's message to Enrico. Mrs. Finnegan asks Enrico to drive her to their Boutique immediately about plan B’s private discussion. Both of them quickly commute, heading towards the boutique a quarter advances. Couple’s knowledge runs late as Mrs. Finnegan and Enrico have disapparated. The couple suspects about that sudden commute with Enrico. They chase them as well, following their destination towards boutique. Enrico and Mrs. Finnegan discuss directly the plan B and they succeeded. The couple arrives successfully at Les Bon's Boutique quarter minutes late. Therefore, the couple's hitching plan has failed.

At night when the clock striking at quarter seven, Mrs. Finnegan visits Elizabeth's room to check her up if she's yet sleeping or not. Their conversation commences with a provocative question that Elizabeth throws to her surprisingly.

"Mum, I have a question before I fall off to sleep." Elizabeth leans her head into her right palm.

"What is it, sweetheart? Mrs. Finnegan strokes her long hair.

"Do you like Enrico? Like do you fancy him?"

"What on earth you are pouting at? Hey, you alright sweetheart? Mrs. Finnegan disfigures her face.

"Nope, you never answered my question mother, perhaps my assumption is right...huh…do you like that boy...mother?" Elizabeth smirks

After Elizabeth raises this accusation, she receives a slapping award from her mother whose eyes starting to burst into tears again. Elizabeth twists her sight, narrowing it directly to her mother’s eyes, and disfiguring her face because of sudden incident

"Oh, I’m perfectly fine mum, what about you? Dating with Enrico without father is─” Elizabeth corners her yes to her.

“How dare you accusing me like that!” Mrs. Finnegan yells, interrupting her as her face transforming into red with gushing tears from her eyes. Both of them sob, because of Elizabeth’s sudden changes of her persona. Mrs. Finnegan contemplates after she walks out from Elizabeth's room, wiping her overflowing tears from her eyes repeatedly as she heading back to her room.

At dawn, when the clock striking at three, Mrs. Finnegan rushes to arrange her pillows and covering it by a blanket to make it looks like her still sleeping. She fetches immediately her trunk and piece of luggage under her bed. A few seconds past, her window whacks by a stone. She checks it immediately. As she opening it, the fresh frigid air collides, pressing against her face. She spots down Mr. Filch and Enrico’s presence, waiting for her luggage descending through the aid of rope they set up. Thence, she knots them up and descending it carefully to them until everything is down except for her.

Mrs. Finnegan is an acrophobic person who has fear of heights. So, alternatively, Enrico picks up a ladder and leaning it against the wall, making support to it. She descends anxiously herself towards them, shivering her knees as she defeating her fears. Momentarily, Enrico and Mr. Filch hold together the ladder for her until descending halfway from it. However, upon stepping into the ground, her long skirt clings to a piece of lumber with a hunching nail to it. She tries to clench her grip on the ladder as her left hand working to unhook her skirt. Unfortunately, upon unhooking from the nail, she jolts when she outbalance as her body falling downward. She eventually falls into the ground with almost approximately three feet below. Good news, she reclines against Mr. Filch, startling from her face next to his face too.

"Ahem...ahem... would you like to stare for longer? Or shall we go? Ahem..." Enrico clears his throat, smiling and smirking at them.

"Shut it, lad... oh, my back aches" Mr. Filch disfigures his face.

"I'm sorry ... Mr. Filch... I'm so sorry..." Mrs. Finnegan whispers.

"It’s alright ma'am, it doesn't hurt...yeah, it doesn't hurt." Mr. Filch smiles as their sight encountering.

They immediately leave, heading towards the garage at the very entrance of the gate. Upon arrival, Mrs. Finnegan worries about the gates and the car putting them in silence. They pause for a few seconds to think prudently and Enrico comes up a plan, putting oil on the gate's joints and hinges to lessen its noise. Good thing, few deserted oils left in the garage. Enrico fetches them up immediately, smearing it into the joints and hinges. At first, the sounds still echoing but for few more turns, the noise becomes weaker and succeeding in unlocking the gate. They push the car under the absence of breaks, and then they close back the gate easily.

Technically, in avoidance to chime up loudly the car engine, they push the car for few more metres away from the mansion, and then they hear the dog barking so constantly perhaps sensing their noises. So, they quickly get into the car, chiming up the engine and driving it faster as they could and their mission has accomplished successfully.