The procession with the Stanleys, the Walkers, the Campbells, the Scotts and the Thomas' began as we reached the burial site which had been exclusively built for the Stewarts. Mother had been in charge of making a beautiful memorial where my grandfather, grandmother and father were buried now and where my sister's coffin would have its proper place inside too. Daniel left as soon as the procession was over to be with mother back home and I hoped this would help mother never think on such a crime against her life for there was already too much to weep for.

The local family priest came to bury another member of the family with a few warm Christian words of encouragement he made it quite kind since children were of little consequence in society.

"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. And so may this little girl Joan remind us how precious her life is to the Lord, and the time she spent on Earth for the joy of her earthly family now may it be the same in heaven, Amen."

As the priest finished his message my sister's coffin was led inside the small building. I wished I could see it, how happy my father would be to receive her once again but all I saw was black, smoky air, a priest, and the coffin.

"Amen," I saw the oppression settle in.

The friends who attended came and offered their condolences while I stood outside the memorial with a black veil over my face by Martha's side who would not leave me.

"Martha may I be alone for a while in the memorial please?"

"Shall I wait for you outside?"

"No that's quite alright, thank you for all you've done the past few days but I shall be fine today, Edna is waiting for me, you may go be with your family."

"Then I will see you tomorrow to say goodbye before you go back to the country."

"Thank you," Martha kissed my cheek and I waved her goodbye stepping in the middle of the darkness where my family had met its end.

"Alice," Mr. Howard drew close as if he had waited for everyone to be gone and stepped inside the memorial of my family.

"I... Uh... Thought you gone sir," I said feeling not passion, not anger, nor delight, everything was frozen at the present encounter of Mr. Howard, everything had been put aside for this occasion.

"I had to ask, how are you? The last time we saw each other you fainted and you were already frail of health so..." He altered between questions and statements not knowing which to say.

"Well I cannot afford to be frail of health; my mother needs to be looked after and I will not pass on the responsibility."

"Of course but who will care for you? Mr. Henry?"

"God, and his angels, they have kept me alive though the purpose behind this I have yet to find out," I looked over at each name, each life gone but had each mission been completed?

"I shall pray then for your caretakers since I must leave you to be your own savior..." He lifted my veil to look in my eyes but he saw only the ashes of mourning in them.

"Sir thank you for inquiring after my health but..."

A tear fell from his eye, the first one I ever saw from him and it left me speechless though I was curious to know why this specific event opened his sentiments. What had overcome Mr. Howard so intensely he cried? But when he kissed the temple of my head holding on to my neck it allowed me to finally cry as well.

"It seems I cannot let go, if you could only fathom what I cling to Alice."

"Sir speak not, words never make sense at the face of death," I said letting him embrace me in his tall black frame under the heaviness of his arms.

This was to be the only moment of consolation afforded so I took the time to dwell in the refuge of it, I do not remember who let go first, was it him or I? Because I could have spent days in the stillness surrounding us, the moment after the closure of a life made mine look as if it'd go on forever and I went home to my black castle.

"Alice," he bowed and so did I saying goodbye without the specific word and walked out alone to my carriage.

Yet what did Mr. Howard mean by his attachment towards me? None could dare to try to disentangle what was far too messy to focus on a moment like this it was prudent to have silenced him.

"Lady Alice," Edna waited for me by the carriage to go lock the heavy gate to the Stewart's family memorial of death once I was out.

"Edna," I said to stall her.

"Yes milady?"

"Make sure there is no one in there please."

"As you wish milady."

At home Mr. Henry waited for me in the library Edna passed on, and Mrs. Trudor had provided him with tea while he waited for my arrival. My brother was upstairs with mother and I walked in to see Mr. Henry with Edna's accompaniment since Mrs. Miller had been uniquely devoted to my mother's well-being.

"Lady Alice," Mr. Henry said and Edna stood by the door.

"Mr. Henry I thought you went home with your family."

"I did but I thought I'd look in on you and Mrs. Stewart, how are you both?"

"Um please have a seat, and my mother and I are as to be expected that we are."

"Right it's just that at the funeral Mrs. Stewart was very devastated."

"Yes she is," I was frank with a sigh when he touched my hand though we were in front of Edna.

"I wish I could take this weight off your shoulders."

"That is very kind Mr. Henry," I tapped his hand and let go I could not be less of a lady in front of my staff.

"I know this is a blow but I had so many expectations to talk to your mother about our engagement and yet here we are."

"I... I shall have to mourn for a year Mr. Henry we cannot even approach such a topic until then."

"A year? But you only need to be in total seclusion for two weeks not a year."

"I know but mama cannot survive London so we will be going back to the country."

"For a year?"

"Yes."

"A year is an eternity," Mr. Henry was very bothered and I knew what would follow this talk.

"I am sorry but nothing can be done, and it is probably best, for we shall part ways as good friends."

"No, I shall never be your friend," he got up.

"Mr. Henry this means you have the freedom to fall in love with someone else, if we are not attached then you may go on with your life."

"No my mind was made up when I asked for your hand and I shall not alter."

"You may, it is possible," like it was with Joseph but it was not right to disclose this information to make my case.

"No let us be engaged before you go into mourning then."

"No we shall not."

"Why not?"

"Because it is too soon and sudden."

"Then in a year do you promise to renew your sentiments to me and announce our union upon seeing that I will not have changed my mind?"

"Mr. Henry in a year so much can happen," like his mother will help him find some other suitable lady for the family.

"Look I am taking a risk, what if you decide you to be courted by some other bloke? I need to hear you say that in a year, when your mourning is past, you will be mine."

"Yours?"

"Yes my wife, do you not see how our union must be so? Your grandfather approved it, both our houses shall remain in tune with each other and we will be the happiest couple for we will teach the whole of London how to really dance at a ball."

"Mr. Henry," he touched my hands again and kissed them.

"Or how will I have any peace of mind leaving such a beauty in the country?"

"I think it best if..."

"I am sure about this so please give me some certainty about us or I shall have to scream until your mother gives me the permission to engage myself to you."

"No, please, I shall commit then," I looked at Edna who looked worried about what I was ready to commit to but what harm could it do to be courted by Mr. Henry in a year? Better him than any other. "If in a year you still have the same affections for me you may ask my mother."

"I will Lady Alice, alright then I guess I shall leave you then, I will write to you, have a safe trip and dismiss all the men who come knocking at your door for a dance."

"Goodbye Mr. Henry," I got up and he kissed my hand then left while Edna stared at me, "Edna?"

"Yes milady."

"It'll be okay, Mr. Henry will court me and then we shall decide if we are suited or not."

"Yes milady," she answered and we both tried to forget the unexpected way I had attached myself to Mr. Henry.

The London house was locked and we did not finish the season as I had promised mother we would do, soon we were back in the country house. We repeated the same mourning ritual as when my grandfather died except this time the black was not the burden it was the grief, the heartache and mother's half living soul. We drew our blinds down, covered every mirror in the country house and mother's purple shadow under her eyes grew sadder as the months passed, Daniel stayed for three weeks before returning to his studies.

One day though after Daniel had gone back, and my aunt Isla Green, who stayed with us for a weekend had also gone back to her employers, I caught mother taking too much of a tranquilizer. Mother had slept for a whole day and a half when I noticed there was something amiss and if I had not taken the medicine away called a doctor to examine her he said the next time she might not have woken up.

"Mrs. Trudor what do I do?" I asked as my mother slept and I watched over her.

"Go to sleep Lady Alice and let the new nurse watch over her."

"She fooled the last one and look what what's taken place."

"You are doing everything you can but if you do not rest you may end up in the grave before your mother milady."

This was when I knew whatever ghost had been in Stanley Hall had followed me here to haunt my life at my grandfather's grounds where the next months of my life and those around me would take the most unexpected turns in a journey that started once upon a December of two years ago.

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Part 3 is up now

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