FicWad

Authors notes: The last of this chapter was written in a few hours so I haven’t gone over it to add or change anything, so this is just the first draft. I’ll review later and post it ASAP. Thanks for reading!!




5. The Earl

When I awoke the next morning I couldn’t recall anything that had passed between me and Jim. I lay under the heavy blankets trying to shake away the sound that the whip had left impressed in my mind.

Wait a minute. I paused. The one thing I did remember was that I had been allowed only one measly blanket, but why did I have this warm weight all over me? I pushed my body up very slowly. Every part of me protested to the movement. The efforts of the previous day were having their harsh effect on me. I looked down in amazement. My one blanket had somehow transformed into a practical mountain of blankets. I glanced around curiously. Shaking my head I uncovered my feet. Again I paused, shocked to find my feet not only in my socks, which I didn’t remember putting on, but also wrapped in two clean rags.

“That’s kind of weird. . . ” I murmured. I unwrapped the rags from my feet to let the roasting heat escape. The sleepy haze left as my feet cooled. A timid knock came at the door.

“Yes?”

“May I come in for a moment?” Jim’s voice was soft and restrained.

“Yeah.” I laughed, lifting an eyebrow. He opened the door just enough to let himself in and then shut it with a quick snap. He bowed deeply. I snorted.

“What’s up with you?”

“I—” he paused to cleared his throat. One of his hands fidgeted with his pants and the other ran through his hair, pushing the long strands away from his face.

“I do believe there has been some . . . mistake.”

“I was thinking almost the same thing.” I struggled to stand while the soreness pushed down on me. Jim hurried to help me up. “What’s all this about, Jim?” I waved my hand over the pile of blankets.

“Oh, well . . . well, last night you said you were cold so I managed to convince the captain to let me use the ones we had in storage.” I laughed again.

“And since when did you feel like you had to baby me?” I gave him a sly smile. I could tell that he had been trying to make me more of a ‘man’ through the past week. “I thought you were trying to toughen me up?” Instead of laughing like I had thought he would, his face was almost in agony. “Jim?! What is it?”

“I’m so sorry, Miss Russel! If I had known I would not have treated you in such a fashion! Please believe me when I say I meant no disrespect!” Jim’s head was bowed in shame and I could tell he was far beyond serious. He was frightened.

“When did you find out?” I still wondered why he was making such a big deal out of it. He quickly removed something from his pocket.

“Last night when I was searching for your socks, this fell out of your bag.” He held out my driver license to me. I smiled down at my picture which grinned back up at me. At the top I saw the bold, black letter ‘F’ printed under the word ‘Gender’. I snickered.

“Well, I was going to tell you sooner or later. I guess this way is just as good as any.”

“Oh, please forgive me! I really had no idea!”

“Chill out, Jim! I know you’re embarrassed but I’m not angry. You were just trying to help me to become—it’s a little weird to admit, but you were just trying to help me be a man.” Jim looked into my eyes, confused. “You thought I was a wimpy boy and you knew I wouldn’t survive on a ship of cutthroats unless I toughened up, right? I get it, it’s okay. I’m really not mad. It was kind of interesting actually,” I said as an afterthought.

“Thank you, Miss Russel.” Jim said with obvious relief.

“What’s all this ‘Miss Russel’ business? I thought you agreed to call me Imari? Unless of course you don’t want us to be friends anymore.” I teased, knowing how uncomfortable the situation was for him.

“No! That’s not it at all!” He reached for my hand but drew back promptly. “Of course I still wish to be friends. It is just that for me to call you by your first name is . . . well, it’s not exactly appropriate.”

“Appropriate? I’ve never called any of my friends by their last names, boy or girl and I don’t let my friends call me by mine either. It always reminds me of gym class.” I sighed. “But I guess if you really don’t want to call me that then—”

“It’s not that I don’t want to, Imari—I mean, Miss Russel, argh! I don’t know what to do!”

I burst out laughing. He was cute when he was confused.

“It’s okay! We’re friends so you can call me what you want. I know it’s probably your custom or something, so don’t worry about it. I don’t want you feeling nervous every time you come near me. Just remember that I view your treatment to me all in good fun, so long as I can still call you Jim.”

“Of course.” Jim laughed out a sigh.

There was a brief silence that was broken by the tolling of a bell. Jim’s eyes widened in realization.

“I forgot to tell you. We’re docking now so I need to go but please stay here and wait for me to come back.”

I nodded. “Sure.”

He smiled back. He seemed assured that I had been sincere before. He left swiftly and left me alone for a few very boring hours. I could hear the sounds from the dock: the rolling of carriage wheels, the clip-clop of horse hoofs, sailors yelling orders and children singing close by. I was getting excited. I wanted so much to be back on solid ground and see grass again. It would be one step closer to finding my way back home. Though I wouldn’t mind a little sightseeing along the. The noise on the deck softened as the crew left the ship. After a while there was another knock on the door before Jim let himself in.

“Sorry I was so long but I felt I should wait till the rest had gone. They will be staying in this town until the captain finishes his business so I don’t think you should stay in the same area.”

“Point taken.” I said raising my hands in surrender. “I’d rather not run the risk of meeting up with Yates and the others without you or the captain around. I don’t think I can take on all of them at once.”

“Yes! Though I must say you did a fantastic job yesterday.” His ear to ear grin was stunning.

“So,” I said when I noticed my face getting hot, “where am I going to stay?”

“Oh, right. Well I had a talk with Manheim and we both had the same place in mind though I’m not sure if it’s alright. We will have to ask permission to bring you as a guest, so I’m afraid you will have to wait here until I can come back for you. The estate is almost twenty miles inland. I can take a horse there myself but I’ll bring back a carriage for you so the earliest I can be back is a bit before dusk.”

“What! You’re gonna leave me alone on this ship for that long?!”

“Please, don’t worry! The crew doesn’t dare come back to the ship unless the captain gives them exact orders to do so. You’ll be safe so long as you stay in this room until I come back.”

I stared doubtfully at his face.

“What ever.”

“Is that a ‘yes’?”

“Yeah. Just go do what you gotta do.”

“Thank you! I’ll come back as soon as I can so do not go anywhere.” He gave me one long—I’d say almost untrusting—look before leaving quietly.

“Yeah, right!” I whispered to myself. There was absolutely no way I was staying that long on the ship . . . alone. One of those guys was bound to find out I was there and come after me. They knew perfectly well that their captain wasn’t going to be on the ship and I was entirely certain that they would take advantage of that fact. But that didn’t mean that I wouldn’t be there when Jim came for me. I could go look around for a while, find a place to wait and then when it starts to get dark I come running back and pretend like I’ve spent a very long day in Bordemville.

And he’ll never know! I thought. What someone doesn’t know can’t hurt them, right?

*

After waiting until I was certain Jim was far gone I put my sneakers on my feet and my bag on my back and poked my head out of the room to check if anyone was watching. All clear. I shut the door softly behind me. I looked around and took in the sight.

“Wow.” It was so strange, just like a movie. The coast stretched for miles on either side and a bustling town stood before me. There was almost a visible line down the center of the town. Clean verses dirty. On the left were men and women dressed in fine clothes with small parasols to shade them from the beating sun. Small carriages were dropping couples off and picking others up. On my right was obviously were my ‘old friends’ would be. People were lying against buildings, obviously drunk while others tripped over their feet. A fight was starting and a group of excited spectators began whooping and wailing. I had two choices. Left? Or right? I don’t think anyone would blame me for taking the left without a second thought.

I took one last look around to see if any of the crew was lurking around then started down the long ramp to the dock. My legs wobbled a little and my head spun. I had to stay standing for a few minutes to let my body adjust to land that didn’t move. I took a deep breath and started down the long runway that had to be taken before I could turn left. People glanced once at me and then took a second look to sneer or wonder what I was doing. I could just hear their thoughts . . .

‘What is that doing on our side?’ ‘Doesn’t he know that his kind don’t belong here?’

I snickered. It didn’t seem to bother me all that much what they must be thinking, though their stares were a little unnerving. Now that I saw what the women were dressed like I could understand why I was mistaken for a man. They wore long, elegant dresses and gloves, bonnets and little jackets and in one hand they held small parasols. They walked daintily down the streets and not a single one was walking alone. I laughed again, comparing their gait and appearance to mine. There I was taking long, lazy strides in Jim’s old, course pants and his wool shirt. They were salt crusted and wrinkled beyond shape. I gave a long grin to anyone who met my eyes, but soon the people became scarce and I smiled at the beautiful scenery. The ocean was a gorgeous blue-green and the waves splashed softly against the shore. The road began to slope upward and far ahead I could see some bluffs. The town sunk into the background and its noise softened into a dull hum. A small excitement bubbled in my chest as I ran to look over the bluff. As I reached it a gasp of awe escaped my throat. I was standing over a cove that surrounded a large pool of water that looked much deeper in the middle than around the edge. The sun was almost directly overhead and its rays were reflecting off the pool and onto the gray stone creating a dazzling display of dancing lights. I was completely enraptured and I didn’t notice the sound of wheels and horseshoes grating against the stones behind me until it stopped. I turned my head unwillingly away from the captivating sight.

A man sat at the head of a small open carriage staring at me. His clothes looked very bright and colorful, clearly showing his high social status. His carriage was being pulled by two gray horses that stood patiently for their master’s command.

“It’s too fine a day to be thinking about that, my good man,” he said matter-of-factly. “Life’s not so bad as it may seem at times.” He gave an encouraging smile.

“Oh, yeah?” I mumbled. “Tell that to the scar on my nose.”

He watched me with a steady gaze, glancing momentarily at the edge I was standing next to. The man took a gold watch out of his coat pocket, looked down the road and with one more glimpse at me, quickly placed it back.

“I hope you won’t do anything rash.” He gave a short nod and snapped the reins, sending the horses into a quick trot.
I followed his carriage with my eyes and saw his head turn back.

“That was weird . . .” I said to myself. I looked back over the precipice but the lights were gone. A cloud was passing over the sun, leaving the cove in a blue shade. Now my attention was drawn to how far down the pool was—it had to be at least fifty yards. My heart was beating erratically and I stumbled backward. “He thought . . . he thought—” I laughed as I realized what the man had been cautioning me against. He thought I was going to commit suicide! The idea was so ridiculously funny that I actually fell to my knees as I laughed. That solution had crossed my mind only once before on the ship but now it seemed so stupid! As long as I was alive I still had a chance at finding a way back home. My mind wandered a little as I laid on the warm, flat stones.

Home. It was so far away from where I was now. It seemed more like a long dream than seventeen years of my life. Was it even real?

“Oh, stop it, Imari!” I scolded myself. I sat up forcibly. “Now’s not the time to be depressed.”

But if now’s not the time, then when is?

“Agh!” I slapped my cheeks and got up to look back over the edge. It was a great spot for jumping, so long as you took a running start to make it in the deepest part of the pool. I found a rock and threw it over the side. As my eyes tracked its fall, something caught my attention—a pathway leading down to the pool. I ran over to the top of it and began my descent. The steps were old and rounded making them shorter.

When I finally made it to the foot of the pathway I was surprised to see a large cavern that was cut into the side of the bluffs; probably an effect of the tides. I walked slowly into it and the cool air chilled me. I was excited at the chance to explore the cave but as my eyes adjusted to the darkness I saw that it only extended back for a couple yards. But there was something that I found interesting.

Water was trickling down the back wall and into a small hole. I knelt by it and tasted. Fresh water! I drank deeply and washed my face free of the scum and salt. I took my small bag from my back and emptied its contents. My original set of clothes was crusted with salt, blood and vomit. The jeans could be saved with some extreme scrubbing, but there was no way that my white turtleneck would ever recover from its traumatizing experience. I set them aside and picked up my dark blue swimsuit and shorts.

So before I could decide against it, I got quickly into my swimming gear and put my small goggles around my neck. I replaced my clothes in the bag along with Jim’s clothing and my shoes and, tightening the strings, placed it next to the waters edge. I went back to the small puddle and washed my goggles clean. Licking the inside of the plastic to keep them from fogging over, I tightened them around my head and dived. I swam down with the intent of finding out if it was deep enough to jump from the top of the bluffs. My lungs tightened as I went deeper and deeper. Soon I had to turn back.

As I gasped for breath at the surface, I smiled. I was more than ready for the adrenaline rush this jump was going to give me. The dead haze in my brain made me feel like I was sleeping and I needed a big wake up call. It would be just the thing. The anticipation was building with each step I took to the top and a large grin filled out my face.

What do you think you’re doing? My voice told me. Here you are in a hopeless situation and all you can think about is having fun while throwing yourself over a cliff. What if you mess up and hit the shallow part? Why aren’t you doing anything to get out of here? What if your friends are in a worse condition than you? What will you do if you don’t get back in time for Jim and he leaves you?

My fists clenched furiously. I was so angry! But at what? At whom? I was angry that Jim had left me behind for the wolves. I was angry that he didn’t treat me the same anymore. I was angry about everything: my parents and their stupid divorce; the guy who was driving the semi-truck during the crash and walked away without a scratch; not having enough money to buy the things I wanted; the overdue movie I had just remembered was sitting, dust-covered on my kitchen table; and even the overpriced popcorn that I bought at the movie theater. But most of all, I was angry at myself for being angry.

I was pacing back and forth, growling at my feet. I snapped my head up and walked a good distance from the edge to prepare for the jump.

“Deep breaths,” I whispered, “and don’t think.” The deep breathing calmed me a bit. I bent low, touching the ground with my fingertips. I leapt into a sprint.

“Stop! Don’t jump!”

The voice startled me but its warning was too late. I was over the side and falling at a dangerous angle. A blood chilling scream rang in my ears as I tumbled. My thoughts came in an instant—if I didn’t correct my position before I hit the water, the impact could be lethal. There were only seconds to do so. I wasn’t quick enough. My body slapped the surface hard and the impact left me stunned and unable to move. The pain was incredible—it was as if someone had taken a cheese grater to my skin. I tried to wriggle my way back up with as little movement as I could. The moment I surfaced I was splattered as something plunged in. I choked as I tried to stay afloat and keep my mouth in the air. As I coughed and flapped helplessly, a large arm wrapped around my middle and pulled me towards the cave. I struggled up onto the rocks and pushed myself away form the helping arm.

“What the devil do you think you were doing?!”

I looked over to see the man who had helped me—the same man from the open carriage. His angry tone set my blood to boil.

“I was going to go cliff diving until you so rudely interrupted me with your shouting and distracted me.” I tried to stand. My toe caught on a nook and I fell on my face. I sat up stiffly and pressed my fingers against my eyes which burned from the sea water. I heard the man’s boots squish as he took a few steps toward me.

“Distracted you? You were trying to kill yourself!” he shouted. “As a gentleman, I could not just walk past you as if I had witnessed nothing! What would Miss Parker have thought if I had just driven past? Or worse—what would she have told the others?”

“So the only reason you would save someone is so that people will think you’re heroic?” I whispered to myself. What an egotistical jerk!

“Are you even listening to me, boy?” He grabbed my shoulder and flipped me onto my backside. I glared up at his suddenly shocked expression.

“What?” I snapped.

“You . . . you’re a woman?”

I growled, snatched up my bag and wobbled up the steps.

“Wait!” he called. “Please, wait! I won’t harm you!” I reluctantly slowed to a halt when I reached the top of the stairs and opened my bag. As I was pulling out my purple and yellow striped sweater, he came up to me and pushed his hair back from his face. Painfully I pulled the sweater over my head and arms.

“Please," he said with some regained composure. "I did not mean to be so rude; it is just that when you jumped I thought you were a man." I frowned indignantly. I may not of have had the perfect model figure, but there was no way that I had the figure of a man either! He seemed to have realized the insult and quickly said,

"I am sorry. I meant no disrespect." He kept his eyes locked with mine and I felt them soften a little.

“It’s okay; it’s been happening a lot lately.” I sighed, but the movement caused my back to sting. I winced.

“Oh, I almost forgot—you’re injured. Please let me make amends. You may travel back with me to my home and I’ll have a physician called for.”

“Thanks, but no. I’m waiting for someone to come and get me. He said he’d be back as soon as possible.”

"What kind of man would leave a lady all alone? No, you must not stay to wait for that man, whoever he may be! No, you must allow me to attend to you personally.”

“Why?”

“Well, you did say that it was my fault for distracting you and that nothing would have gone amiss had I not done so.”

“I’m not hurt that bad, anyway. I need to go back and wait for him.” I turned around but he jumped in front of me.

“No! I absolutely cannot allow it! A man who would leave you alone like that is certainly no gentleman and has no honor. I can not leave you in the hands of someone like that!”

“Even if he did leave me alone, I still trust him! He promised he’d come back! He promised!” Just then my stomach growled hungrily. He sighed.

“Will you not at least come and take dinner at my home? If you would at least do that, then I would drive you back to wait for him.” My stomach tightened. I hadn’t eaten anything since the night before—I was starving. I looked into his pleading face. Something was strangely familiar about his face—especially his eyes.

“Well?”

“Fine. But you promise to drive me back afterwards?”

“I give you my word that if you still wish to come back, then I will bring you back myself. Now since there is no one to do us the service, I suppose we will have to introduce ourselves. But before we do so I must apologize. I have sworn that I would introduce myself to any fair and respectable lady while looking my best, but as you may have observed I am not in any way ready to present myself to a beauty such as yourself."

I blushed fiercely and looked at my clothes. It was completely obvious that I was in no way a respectable lady.

"I am Lord Nicholas Bryant, the Earl of Harington" he said as he bowed extravagantly. His wet hair fell across his eyes, curling slightly. He looked up, keeping his low bow while the smile creeping onto his lips made his dark eyes slightly enchanting. It was a few moments later that I realized I was staring and he was waiting for a similar introduction.

"Oh!" I cried, flustered. "Imari Russel." I followed his example and bowed very low before blushing deeply again and springing back up.

Ladies are supposed to curtsy not bow, you idiot! I twiddled my fingers nervously and watched as Nicholas stood up straight with an interested smile—a very familiar smile. Where had I seen it before? It wasn't until he stood straight again that I noticed just how tall he was. He stood at least a foot taller than me and his shoulders were almost twice as wide as mine.

This guy is huge!

“Excuse me for a moment.” He walked away, picked up a dark blue coat and a tall hat and put them on. He came back and motioned toward the open carriage a few yards away. “Shall we?”

As we neared it I noticed that someone was already in it. A woman was collapsed over the side.

“What happened?” I asked.

“That is Miss Parker. She fainted when she saw you jump, but it is of little consequence. She has several fainting spells a day. I came this way today to take her to join my house party. If we are lucky, she won’t remember anything when she wakes up.”

“Oh,” was all I could think of to say. I climbed in and sat in the empty space, then noticed that there was no other place for someone to sit. “Um, I don’t think that there is enough room for all of us.”

“Oh, stuff and nonsense!”

Stuff and nonsense?

“It might be a little snug, but I need your help to keep Miss Parker from falling over the side.” I scooted as much as I could to give him room to sit but even then it was a tight fit—a very tight fit. I put one arm around Miss Parker to support her head and to give me some extra space. The carriage started with a jolt and the ride was very uncomfortable—in more ways than one. After about an hour, I started to feel a weight in my stomach. It was similar to the feeling I got around Captain Manheim, though not as strong. Without turning my head I looked up at Nicholas’ face. His eyes weren’t on the road but staring directly at my knees. I grabbed part of Miss Parker’s skirt and pulled it over my legs. For the rest of the trip I was determined to keep my eyes staring in any direction but his. I saw a black dot in the distance and kept my gaze steady on it. After a moment I noticed that it was getting bigger.

It was a rider and his horse galloping towards us at full speed. Nicholas pulled the carriage a little closer to one side of the road to give him more room. The
rider flew past and I watched his back as long as I could.

*

“There it is! Harrington Park.” Nicholas said as we rounded a bend. A large manor stood tall and bright a mile away, surrounded by grass fields, flower gardens and tree groves. “Now you can have a proper meal and I’m sure we can find some dry clothes for you to wear.”

I blushed. Yes, please!

The sun was getting low. Where was Jim? Had he gone back for me to find that I wasn’t there? Would he be angry?

Of course he’ll be angry! You promised that you’d wait there for him and now you go and totally blow it all by leaving in a carriage to some stranger’s house. Did you even think for a moment about this? No, of course you didn’t, Imari! You are such an idiot! Oh, I’m sorry Jim!

“Now, Miss Russel, I will bring the curricle around to the servant’s entrance first and give orders to one of my servants to find you a room—”

“A room? I’m not staying the night. I’m eating and then I’m leaving.”

“Indeed,” he smirked. “But you must have a room to change in. My servant will make sure you are not seen until you are properly dressed, have no fear.”

“Okay . . .” He took the carriage around to the closest side where a small, discreet door stood.

“Stay here for a moment.” He jumped down from his seat and handed the reins to a waiting servant. He entered the door and a few minutes later a small, plump woman came hurrying out behind him. Nicholas held out his hand to help me down. I touched it and jumped out. I heard the woman gasp as she saw my bare legs. She quickly threw a long coat around my shoulders.

“Miss Russel, this is Diana. She will attend to you and your needs. Please do not be afraid to ask her for anything.” I nodded and followed her through the door.

Immediately, she started walking away. I was almost had to jog to keep up with her brisk walk. We caught many stares from the other servants who were attending to their tasks. We had to pause in front of a large door to let a group of servants pass. An odious stench leaked out from the cracks. I looked down and saw some white powder at the foot of the door. I gratefully followed Diana away from it.

“Honestly, what does the master think of taking in wenches off the street, and when he’s having a house party, no less? And this one’s not in the least fit to be seen! Half naked and salt crusted!” She grumbled as she led me up stairs and down hallways. By the time she finally led me into a bedroom, I was completely lost. She snapped the door shut behind her.

“Now before we start, I feel we should get one thing straight. Don’t get comfortable. I don’t suspect that the master will keep you in this house for very long, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if he should turn you out his very night. I don’t know how you managed to trick him into bringing you here but I’m not going to put myself below you. As far as I’m concerned—”

“Excuse me, but I didn’t do anything! I admit I was hungry so when he offered I accepted which on my part was really stupid, but you don’t know me or anything about me so you don’t have the right to start beating me up the moment we meet! As soon as I’ve eaten, I’m gone, okay? So just chill!”

She watched me suspiciously for a moment.

“So all you want is a meal?”

“Yes, it’s bad, I know but he wouldn’t leave me alone. But I really need to leave as soon as possible because my friend is probably looking for me right now.” There was an awkward pause while she continued to stare at me.

“Well, that’s all right, now. I’m sorry for being rude, but I was afraid you were—”

“A moocher?”

“What?”

“Nothing. I know what you meant.”

“Well, it was bad on my part. I should not have distrusted my master’s wishes as I did. I will do all I can to make your stay, however short, pleasurable.” We smiled and nodded to each other. “Now the master told me that he wishes you to be introduced to the rest tonight at supper. But first we must get you cleaned up and dressed.

*

After a long and arduous cleaning process, we were finally able to remove all of the salt and grime from my hair and body—though I had Diana step out of the room for the last bit. Once she had me wrapped in a robe and drying, Diana went in search of some clothes. She said that they had plenty of dresses in the current fashion that would suit me. I sat on the small, cushioned chair waiting for her to return. I heard something come from the widow. I stood and looked out to find its source. The window overlooked a garden that ended at the edge of the grove of trees.

Running out of the trees came a group of children. At the lead was a tall boy who was waving a baseball bat over his head. They chased each other around the garden until they fell down under the window, breathless. I stared longingly down at them.

“I will find a way back! No matter what.”

The leading boy looked up and stopped laughing when he saw me. He said something to the others and they all stood, dusted themselves off and walked off in a straight line. I smiled.

“Yes, we must be careful, mustn’t we? The Man is always watching.”

“What did you say, dear?”
I jumped. Diana was walking towards me with a load of clothes.

“Oh, nothing.” I watched as she set different items on the bed. “Which one do I wear?”

“Why all of them, of course. Don’t worry; I’ll help you put these on.”

It was a strange and difficult ritual. Each piece had to be put on in a specific order which I couldn’t keep track of. There were at least four different layers until the actual dress was put on. It was a low-cut dark purple dress with gold trimmings.

“And I’m supposed to eat in this and not get any food on it?” I said incredulously.

“You’ll be fine.” Diana paid me little attention as she had to give it all to arranging my hair—something I had never taken the trouble to do. A simple ponytail was always the best. She pulled and twisted and pinned.

“But whenever I wear something really nice it always manages to get stained in at least four different places. And this is the fanciest thing I’ve ever worn. It’s going to be a completely different dress after tonight.”

“Oh, don’t be silly. There! Not so
bad even though I do say so myself.” She directed me to a mirror to evaluate myself. The dress was very beautiful and I’d never seen my hair look so good.

“I still say I shouldn’t be wearing this.”

“Oh, poppycock! Though it is a bit
too bad about that tan.” I looked again. There was a dark, prominent tan line on my neck and arms. I laughed at how funny it looked. “Now supper is to be served in an hour so you should go join the others so that you can be introduced to the others.” Diana left directly and I was left to find the ‘others’. I ventured into the candlelit hallway. It was deserted. I wandered down the passage without a clue as to where I should start looking. The place was so huge that I didn’t even know which way the front door was. I heard some laughing coming from one of the doors ahead and I stopped to listen.

“Yes, Anthony! You must go and present yourself to all the ladies and make sure that you steal every last heart in the room!” Said a young girl’s voice.

“And make sure you play cards with every last gentleman!” Said the voice of young boy.

“Hush, all of you!” Laughed another boy. “I’ll be back up to take supper with you. So please behave yourselves for the nursemaid.”

“Yes, Master Anthony!” came a chorus of teasing voices. They burst into laughs and the door opened, hiding me behind it.

“Oh, Anthony, make sure you take the long staircase! That banister is the best one I’ve ridden in ages!” came a boy’s voice.

“I will as long as no one else is around! Goodbye!” Anthony shut the door behind him, and began walking down the hall. I silently followed him, hoping he wouldn’t notice me. He was my height with light brown hair. At one point he stopped to straighten his coat and smooth his hair. I stopped too. He walked. I followed. Finally he reached a stair case and taking a swift look to see if anyone was at its foot he jumped on the banister backwards and slid the whole way down. I went to see if he made it. He had the biggest grin on his face as he straightened his coat and breeches.

“Good one,” I said. He jumped and looked up with wide eyes.

“Er, well, um,” he stuttered, trying to find something to say. I sat sideways on the same banister and flew quickly down, landing lightly on my feet. He stared open mouthed.

“Well, I could have gone down backwards too,” I said seriously, then continued with my best British accent, “but I don’t suppose that would be very proper.” I bit my lip to keep back a burst of laughter. His lips went back into a smile as well. “So, anyway. I’m Imari Russel and you are Anthony, correct?”

“Yes, Anthony Blaine.” He laughed. “I’m afraid I didn’t see you here the other day at tea. Were you ill?”

“Well, I was kind of sick yesterday, but I just got here.”

“Oh, I see. Will you be staying long?”

“No! I’m leaving as soon as possible.”

“Oh,” he frowned. “That’s a pity.” He blushed and then tried to change the subject. “Shall we enter together?” He offered his arm.

“Actually, I feel a little jittery all of a sudden. I think I’ll stay here for a bit.” He lowered his arm
sadly.

“Well, would you like me to tell Lord Bryant that you are ready?”

“Um, I guess that would be okay. I need to talk to him, anyway.” He bowed and I curtsied awkwardly.

I was standing in a very large opening with a light marble floor. I looked up and saw a huge chandelier hanging directly above me. My mind wandered a little bit.

Wow. I wonder if someone could jump onto it if they ran fast enough from the end of the hallway. They could really get it swinging.

The doors in front were much larger than the servant’s entrance and far more extravagant. Trees were carved into their faces and the edges were lined with gold. Above the doors were a series of tall, broad windows.

One of the doors suddenly burst open and a man strode in. It appeared to be the rider that had passed us on the road before. A servant appeared out of nowhere to take the man’s hat, cloak, and gloves. He was breathing hard and he looked very disturbed. I felt very strange looking at him—I knew I’d seen him somewhere before, but I couldn’t think of who he was. His face was very tan and he was a head taller than me. His hair was short and his face was shaved. From where I stood I could see his left ear—it was badly scarred.

“Please inform Lord Bryant that I’m here. I must speak with him immediately.” He said urgently to the servant. The sound of his voice made me take a few steps forward.

Why couldn’t I think of it? He was alerted by my movement and turned towards me. His eyes were surprised and he took a step towards me.

“I’m sorry, madam, but do I know you?”

It finally hit me.

“Jim! Is that you?!”