It took some time but when I slept a nightmare invaded my struggling head...

Someone brushed my hair, and the strands were so long it almost reached the floor and although the brushing started out pleasant like a disentangling of the hair it soon turned rough. Whoever held the brush pulled on my hair hard enough that I was taken by such great force backwards to the floor as the person proceeded to drag me out of the room solely by pulling me by the hair. Screams of anguish! Yet no sounds were heard and the pain so insurmountable like each strand would rip my scalp away piece by piece...

"Alice, it's me," Mr. Howard's voice echoed me out of the nightmare.

"Mr. Howard..." I lifted my eyes to see his face and my head against his chest.

It was day though my bedchamber looked grey when I woke up in Mr. Howard's arms about to place me back on the guest bed.

"Sleep, your maid will be here shortly," I got up from his arms to stand on my own.

"No uh no I am awake sir," I brushed my hair back and cleared my voice.

"I thought it would be best none of the staff caught you in my room."

"Yes sir," I nodded and he lifted my hair away from my neck.

"Your throat is bruised here," he said when I jumped back from his fingertips on my neck.

"Where?" The air began to leave me again as my body relived the moment of yesterday, my hands were on my throat as I went over to see it in the mirror, "oh."

"I hope your dress will cover it," he asked but I was traumatized in tears from the incident still, "Alice?"

"It was her, she knows me, this was her doing, it was Lydia."

"If it was her, I will find the truth and she will never bother you again."

"If? Who else would do this to me? Who else would be deranged enough to... to..." Attempt murder, were the words I could not say out loud.

"Alice we cannot condemn anyone without specific proof."

"What kind of hold does she have on you that you would say such a thing?"

"None! No one has any hold over me! And I shall not give into you or anyone for I do not blindly trust anyone not even you whom I..." He altered his voice once again we were fighting without even knowing then he stopped collected himself and said.

"Like I said I will make sure you are safe, I must leave now; Edna should be on her way to you. Goodbye Alice," he nodded and I nodded back thinking if he was about to say the words I thought he was.

Still I turned to mirror again to see how I could wear neck scarf to cover the bruises on my neck knowing there was no way to wear the necklace intended for the dress. Then I saw a paper under my brush, though I had no recollection of leaving any paper under my brush which meant someone had come in the bedchamber again last night to finish what they started, the note read.

Promptly I rang the bell for breakfast afraid to be in the bedchamber alone and tore up the note by throwing it in the fire, though it had no aiding effect on my fears.

The house was in a stir in the middle of the day, it was a somewhat windy outdoors and the sun shone a dim light for the late winter wedding of Joseph and Miss Lilly.

"You barely touched your breakfast milady," Edna said looking at the tray.

"My apologies I was not that hungry," I waited for her help with the dress.

"Let us get you into the dress then," she dismissed it coming over to help with the skirt and corset. As she tied the dress on the back for me I cringed hoping she would not notice the bruises.

"I will wear this instead of the necklace," I said getting the purple neckwear from the vanity.

"As you wish let me help you with it," she held it from my hand but I held it back, "milady?"

"I can do it."

"As you wish," she let go and began to do push my hair up.

"Oh I..." I pulled my hair back down but it was too late she had seen it and I sank in shame into the chair. "Edna?"

"Milady?"

"Help me with the scarf?" I handed it back to her and she nodded by placing it around the neckline of the dress making sure to cover the bruises.

"Edna I..."

"Mrs. Theresa would have liked this dress on you."

"Really?" I said as she began to fix my hair up with pity or discomfort in her eyes.

"Yes milady."

"Well we should be going back home after this, so have us ready to go in the morning." I was not ready to trade Stanley Hall for my own big empty dreaded haunted house but since another night here could mean whoever tried to choke me might come back to finish the job I had nothing else to do but head back.

"Milady I was thinking..."

"Yes? Go on."

"Did you ever consider taking some time abroad?"

"Well... No, now that I think of it, why didn't I think of this of before?"

"So this is something you'd like to do?"

"Yes of course, it's a splendid thing."

"Then wouldn't this be the most appropriate moment for you to go on a tour abroad of I dunno Italy or Paris?" Edna gave me tempting ideas.

"Yes, it would, most ladies are always going abroad we should as well," this was the perfect getaway.

"Yes milady."

"I like it, and since I am almost done with my mourning this may be the only time I will ever get to travel as a miss."

"Yes now all we need is a proper tour guide to show you around."

"I will ask Martha if she can arrange a lady to take us around, it doesn't really matter where as long as it is abroad and really the sooner the better."

"When would you wish to leave?"

"If I could leave tomorrow right after the wedding's celebrations I would."

"I think it will take a little more time to gather yourself for a travel abroad."

"Yes and before we leave I must go visit mother, I need to see her, make sure she is well installed in her new home."

"Should I tell the coach to be ready to take us to your mother then?"

"Yes, I will talk to Martha and by the time we get back from mother's everything will be in place for our travel." I said and Edna was ready to follow the instructions swiftly, this could be the thing I could use as an excuse to get away from the rumors about Mr. Henry and I for the moment.

"Miss Cynthia," I called upon her as she boarded the carriage with her parents but she did not hear me I had wished to ride with them but was left behind to go alone.

"Lady Alice," the coach opened the door and once I was in there it would not move so I tapped the ceiling when the door swung open and Mr. Howard came in.

The carriages had taken everyone to the church at the command of Mr. Howard but here he was sharing the carriage over to the church where he sat by my side instead of opposite sides.

"Mr. Howard," I acknowledged his presence and he tapped the ceiling for them to go.

"How is your throat Alice?"

"Uh better sir and Lydia? Any news?"

"It is my son's wedding today in case you forgot."

"No I did not, forgive me sir," I blushed from the shame of my self-importance.

"When do you leave?"

"After the wedding celebrations in the morning."

"Your lovely suitor only leaves at night though."

"I am not under Mr. Henry's commands sir."

"But you wish to be."

"Our families are too entangled for him to be jilted without deserving it."

"Of course not, I am the only one worthy of that privilege right?"

"I remember it, every word you said; everything done, your laugh as you sent me off so let us stop reliving the moments where I believed you had a good heart, a simple heart."

"There was nothing simple about any of this."

"I know."

"Then look at me Alice," he stared and I did not look at him, instead I looked outside and then he pressed his lips on the neckwear I wore then beseeched to my better nature.

"Do not leave me this way, do not disdain me."

"Mr. Howard I..."

There was no hiding in his eyes, no shelter, I was discovered in them. The worst was when I looked in to the brightness of his binding stare believing him to be made up of goodness and love.

"Say you have changed your mind since we last spoke, say you shall never continue any relationship with Henry, say it."

"I won't sir," he frightened me like hunter in chase of a bird.

"Then I must take my last chance to change your mind," he held my head as always he knew exactly what to do when he pulled me into his dry desert mouth transferring the moisture from my lips to his.

Though what I did only made it worse, I pulled him even closer tugging on his hair that was now longer than before and sucked on his lips like a sweet strawberry unable to let go. I could no longer trust myself around him, one long gaze into my soul was all it took to erase away my mind's arguments against him.

"What do you make me? Nothing but the worst sinner," I forced Mr. Howard away from my lips, "I know what is right yet I sin."

"Alice..."

"No! Do you not see it sir? Do you realize why I cannot trust you? Look at what we have done, this is not right, while Mr. Henry awaits a word from me look at what I do behind his back."

"He cannot be hurt if he never knows."

"But I will know I have betrayed my resolve again for you."

"Because you love me."

"I will not choose this over respect Mr. Howard, if you truly loved me you would respect my wishes."

"I love you Alice," he uttered the unsaid words and I watched his face after the confession, his posture so resolute, his lips waiting to be touched again.

"You... You love me?"

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No part, character, names, plot, setting, conflict or resolution, point of view, theme or symbolism of this story may be replicated.

Copyright: All Rights Reserved to A. Sena Gomes.