(( Sorries for the late reply! >_< Also, if your knowledge of Greek and Roman Gods isn't as extensive as mine, Proserpine was the Roman ruler of the underworld, so his joke was shes the ruler of the..'underworld' he calls home))

He smiled and softly placed a hand around her shoulders. She was so warm. He felt his cheeks flush, then suddenly they were interrupted by the driver. "We're here" He said gruffly before they even stopped. James scowled at him.

As soon as they came to a stop, James opened the door forcefully and whistled very loudly. A small man with bad posture rushed out, holding two dogs on leashes. Sitting on Theodore's back was a cat. On the man's shoulder was a second cat, and yet a third cat came slinking around the mans feet, almost making him fall.

James smiled, looking to them all affectionately. "Henrietta, this may not be how I had planned for you to meet, but these are my beloved pets. The black dog is Theodore, the spotted one is Oliver." He motioned to them at he named them off, "The cat on Theodore, who is the black dog, is Albert. Hes my know-it-all. The cat on the man's shoulder- oh, yes, that man is a close friend, his name is Cane." He leaned in a whispered "Spare him from ridicule, hes a foreigner with strange ways." He leaned back out and continued, "The cat on Cane's shoulder is Proserpine, shes our very own ruler," He grinned and chuckled a little at the joke, "And, trying to cause calamity as always, Prometheus, at Cane's feet."

He shakily walked closer to the Coach, but as he took a step, Prometheus darted in front of his foot, causing him to trip. Prometheus then slyly jumped into the Coach and cuddled up on Henrietta's lap innocently. As Cane fell, Proserpine dug her claws into his shoulder then hopped to the steps of the Coach. She looked up at the two of them and meowed, then crawled in and found a dark comfortable space under the seat. Oliver ran full speed and jumped into the small cabin, which was getting more and more cramped as the animals piled in. James chuckled as Oliver curled up on the opposite seat, almost falling off.

Theodore, however, was much more cautious. He trotted over slowly, smelled Henrietta, barked once, and started growling. James slapped the dog harshly on the nose and stared him down. In a dark voice he growled "Theodore" and almost began snarling. The dog whimpered for a few seconds and then put his ears back. He breathed on Henrietta and licked her hand before slowly climbing into the coach. Theodore laid comfortably on the floor, by their feet and Albert yawned as he moved to lay comfortably on him.

James smiled at Henrietta nervously "I apologize, a woman should not have to sit in such cramped conditions, but I simply can not go on without my pets." He leaned down to pet Theodore and Oliver and smiled at them. He then leaned over to close the coach door, waving to Cane as the Carriage moved on, going to leave the city. He called out "Goodbye Cane, I thank you!" Cane meekly tried to wave, but was still on the ground, recovering from the sudden shock of it all.

Henrietta did not know how to react to this sudden chaos. The ride had not been long, she had just run away from her home, and she had never had a pet in her life. The horses her family owned were taken care of by men that worked the stable. So, she sat there and blinked for a little bit, just watching these animals. She looked to the man outside of the coach and thought Did that man care for these animals while Lord Alexander was away? She looked to Cane, giving him a confused smile.

"I...this..." She gently shook her head in amazement as the coach jolted into action. "Amazing. Shocking. you have rendered me thoughtless, Lord." Truly, her mind was blank. She thought back on the past fortnight, remembering the night that she met Lord Alexander. Everything seemed to be happening so fast. "Where are we going now?" She peeked out of the window.

He smiled gently "We are going to the countryside. It's closer to France.There is no record of it ever being in my family's name, it's actually in Cane's name," His smile became more mischievous and he leaned slightly closer "But don't tell him that"

Suddenly his face melted back to a soft, caring smile and he gently put a hand on her cheek. The coach hit a bump as they left the nicely paved roads of London and entered a forest. Jame's face was bounced uncomfortably close to Henrietta's and he immediately blushed and moved back.

After a half hour or so of silence he looked up at her as if he were going to speak, then the driver interrupted as they hit another bump "There's been a Coach following us for some time, sir. What action is required?" James looked angry "Any action that will get rid of them." He snapped sharply. The driver then made the horses speed as fast as they could by whipping them harshly and yelling. The Coach suddenly became very bumpy.

Oliver whined, his back paw falling on Theodore. Theodore looked around in a daze and went back to sleep. Proserpine and Albert were no where to be found, hiding under the seats as usual. Prometheus dug his claws into Henrietta's legs and hissed a little. James tapped the cat on the head and he loosened his grip on Henrietta. The coach that was following them had given up and they slowed to a comfortable pace again.

Henrietta sat in silence with him, keeping her eyes from his after the first bit of bumpy ride. She started to pet the cat on her lap and began to fall asleep. As she began to sleep, her mind wandered. She thought about the surrounding countryside of France, that she had heard so much of. She knew that France was all the rage for dress fashion and that some of the best wines came from there.

She fell into a light sleep in the silence, dreaming of France but was awoke by the speed of the coach and the nearly hysterical cat. She blinked and frowned, poking her head out of the window. The following coach was further behind so, she could not tell to whom it belonged. She assumed it was someone from her home, perhaps Lord Calvin, or it could be a simple coincidence.

"I would think that there are not many people that travel this far from England. What do you think they could be doing here?" She continued to pet the now purring cat.

He rubbed the cats head as well and smiled a little "Probably someone sent by your father" He said solemnly, worrying now. Oliver looked up, startled. James sighed "Yes, Oliver?" He whined slightly and laid back down.

James looked out the window as heavy black clouds approached, and spoke softly "And like a storm cloud, the darkness rolls in. When I am alone, you are my friend, and even the skies weep for your demise..." He trailed off as the lightning lit the sky, and the thunder cracked, drowning him out.

Henrietta had a worried look on her face. They were in the middle of nowhere, and not just a storm was after them. All of the events seemed to have a dark tone about them. She thought of her father, and rubbed the bruise on her neck. What will I do if he comes for me? I cannot go back there, to be wed to Lord Calvin...a fish merchant!

Soon after the thunder, came the lightening, and the rain. It was so loud, Henrietta feared that if she said anything, it would be drowned out so, she sat in silence, petting the cat on her lap. She looked to James and smiled softly. Perhaps life will not be so dreary with you. Though I will miss Emma dearly.

Henrietta tried to sleep on the rest of the ride, but the rain was unrelenting. From time to time, she would peek her head out to see if that other strange carriage was following them, but she could never see it. She imagined that the rain brought their journey to a crawl. After a few hours, Henrietta wanted to stop and stretch, however, the rain kept them from doing so. The driver probably wanted to make it to their destination as fast as he possibly could. She could not blame him. These were horrendous conditions to be in. Knowing that they would just endure until the journey was through, Henrietta sat back and sighed, occasionally looking to James, waiting to reach her new residence.

By the time the rain stopped, it was pitch black, James had stayed up silently arguing with himself, because the rain always kept him awake. He fell asleep almost the instant it stopped. He woke up briefly at dawn and saw Henrietta gently resting her head against the door, the light caressing her face. He admired her for what seemed like forever until he fell back asleep.

It wasn't until late afternoon the next day that James was awoken by the driver opening the door and his pets piling out. He gently shook Henrietta and spoke softly "We're here, love" He smiled at her as the driver skillfully balanced all his pets, much easier than Cane had. This man was the one usually taking care of them when James had left, so he was almost as good as handling them as James was.

Henrietta awoke and rubbed her eyes. She stepped out of the carriage and stretched her arms up high. "My, what a long ride that was!" She twisted this way, and that. She was itching, literally itching to get out of her corset under-garments.

She turned to see the house in the light shining through the dark storm clouds. It was gorgeous. She found it so beautiful, in fact, that the breath left her body. She had never seen a dwelling with more property attached to it, not even in London. The first story windows started at the floor and almost went clear to the ceiling. She wondered how many rooms it had, how many kitchens and where the servants slept. With a house so large, the only place she could see in her mind's eye for the workers was probably as large as her old home.

She turned and threw her arms around James' neck. "I have never seen a house so marvellous!" She kissed him on the cheek. "I cannot wait to see the inside of it!" She stayed there, clung to him.

He smiled and gently put his arms around her, and felt his cheeks flush when she kissed him. "I can give you a tour as the driver brings your bags in. You'll have to forgive me, I'm not used to accommodating guests, so there is not much furniture." He reluctantly let go of her and gently took her hand, leading her closer to the home. "I don't come this way often, so there is no food at the moment. I brought a few things for the night, and tomorrow we can take a trip to the nearest city to do some shopping." He smiled big "We can even get some furniture, if you'd like!"

She smiled a smile that could light an auditorium. "Is Paris near by? When can we go there?! I cannot wait to tell Emma!" Just then, her heart sank. She didn't know if she could ever talk to Emma again. She rubbed the bruise on her neck. If she did talk to Emma, she was afraid that Emma would say something to her father and her brother and right now, Henrietta did not want to risk it. "I suppose it will have to wait until some tempers cool in London, though."

***
***

Back in London, Edmond had received word that his coachman had stopped pursuing Alexander's coach a day ago. He crumpled the letter and threw it across the room and then reared back in pain. His ribs had not fully recovered just yet so, he was still stuck in his home, working remotely through letters and frequent reports from the bobbies. On the bright side, no one had seen another murder since the last one in the Close had been reported. He grew chilly at the thought. Some psychotic man stalking the streets of London, praying on the weak. And for what? What fame and fortune could come of it?

Alma came in with a tray. On it, a teapot and some teacups and saucers. He looked to her. She avoided his gaze. "My man has stopped chasing Alexander. I cannot believe he would kidnap her in the bright of day!" Alma had told a small lie. "What is this world coming to?!"

"In such a large city, you cannot expect everyone to do well by the letter of the law." She set the tray down on a table near the bed where he lay. She delicately poured the tea, dropping a sugar cube in each. As she sipped her tea, she looked past him.

Edmond grumbled in response. "Still, a man of such stature committing such a deed. I am sure if he were not the kin of that damn 'secret society' you're so fond of, he'd be dead by another man's hand."

He smiled softy "Yes dear, Paris is much closer than London, in fact. Only a short drive that way-" He pointed down a small road that looked menacing and looked back to her, "I'll make sure you can contact your friend without being in peril."

He led her into the home slowly and gave her the tour of the house and finished with the master bedroom "And this, love, this will be your room" He smiled, looking around the newly furnished room. There was a bed, a tea table, a dresser, and a rug in the middle. He had made sure it had furniture before he even asked her to run away. He pointed to the bathroom door "There, you have your own private bathroom, a door leading to the main kitchen, and a door leading into the hall, and if you need anything, I'm a few short paces away."

The driver made sure all the animals were inside before he went for the luggage. The cats scattered the house, exploring their new home, Theodore immediately ran to James' side, and Oliver ran to Henrietta and started licking her hand. The driver reappeared in the house, they could hear him clobbering around with all the luggage downstairs.

James rushed away to help the man, and quickly reappeared with Henrietta's luggage. He gently set it down on the table in front of them and smiled "If you don't mind, I must unpack the food and my clothing, and a gentleman does not watch a woman put her....various clothing..away" He blushed a little, referring to her undergarments.

He left the room and Theodore followed him, but Oliver stayed with Henrietta, laying down at the foot of her new bed. James first picked up the bag with all the food in it, as some was perishable, and took it to the kitchen. He set out a pan for cooking breakfast tomorrow, and set some eggs and meat into a small box of ice. He left the bread and jam out on the counter, close to the wood stove.

He set the bag in a cabinet under the counter tops, then went back to get his two bags. He carried them to his room, slowing down as he passed Henrietta's, and proceeded to hang all his suits in the empty closet, set his hat on the top shelf, and packed his sleeping clothes and undergarments into the old dresser drawers.

His room looked much more lived in than Henrietta's, the bed frame was rusted and the mattress was worn down, there was no rug, and the table had a wobble. He didn't have his own bathroom, but there was a bathroom at the end of the hall, which was very close. There was a locked door that lead to Henrietta's room, which he thought about going through.

Before she had time to ask any more questions, James disappeared and busied himself. She placed a hand on her bust and took a deep breath in, adjusting her skin underneath her clothes as she breathed. She gently pat the head of the dog licking her.

In her solitude, she looked around the room. The furniture was quite well crafted and did not much look like the furniture from London. Henrietta walked about the room, touching everything gently with her gloved fingers. When she looked at the dusty residue on her finger tips, she noticed that there was not much so, the furniture could not have been there for long.

She wondered just how long he had been planning this little excursion of theirs, and how he could keep such a large Manor secrets from the suits in London. She came to the large window that looked down on the forest around them and realized that she knew nothing of the man's past, family, or resources. Where did he get the money to afford this? Who is his family? Her father had kept secret from her the ways of the London Underground. She knew nothing of Cumulo Hall.

Opening her case, she realized how sloppily she had packed. Everything needed a fine pressing. She would do it later, she decided, leaving all of the clothes strewn lazily about the table where the case lay. She walked into the bathroom. Everything had a gold finish to it. The glass and tile still looked brand new, as if the place had been built just the day before. Henrietta daintily removed her gloves, gently running her bare fingers across the smooth porcelain sink, the shining golden knobs of the drawers there, the finely upholstered walls, and one of the newer flushing toilets. ((I had to look up some stuff on this. For a long time in England, bathing was considered sinful. It wasn't until late into the Renaissance that the public opinion of it turned around and ACTUAL PLUMBING started to exist there. They were one of the last countries in Europe to pick it up. Isn't that neat? /nerd))

Without thinking, she began to unlace her dress, getting ready to bathe. She turned on the hot water and sat on the stool in front of the mirror, looking at herself. I am filthy. This will be nice. Carefully, she stepped into the hot bath. Once one foot was in, she melted into the large tub, dunking under the water and laying back to relax.

((Holy crap, I would definitely die back then. As if religion and underage marriage wasn't bad enough, BATHING WAS A SIN?! No way man, not for this clean freak. And don't worry, I'm a huge nerd too, next week I'm cosplaying misty and spent 3 hours just on the shoes XD ))

James walked slowly out into the hall and noticed the door to Henrietta's room was open. He smiled at Oliver, and the dog wagged his tail and looked up at him. James softly spoke to Oliver, "Where did she go?" Oliver immediately got up and walked to the bathroom door.

James blushed a little and knocked softly on the bathroom door "H-Henrietta...w-would you like some.." He blushed darker, feeling odd speaking to a woman as she bathed "Would you l-like some dinner? I've brought s-some food, mostly...um...m-mostly for breakfast..." He melted against the wall next to the door waiting for a response, his face was bright red at this point.

Henrietta perked her ears. She heard him but just barely. She frowned. She didn't want to get out of the tub. Shrugging, she stepped out and walked to the door. It was only then that she realized she had no robe. "Oh bother." She said. "I will keep my composure," she whispered.

Opening the door slightly, she poked her face out. "What did you say? I couldn't hear you." She looked at him. "Why are you so red? Is everything okay?" She wanted to go to him to make sure but, it was not appropriate at this time for him to see her without clothes. "Oh! Oh!" A naked arm shot out of the door. She pointed to the table where her clothes were strewn about. "Grab my night gown! Silly me, I seemed to have forgotten to pack a robe. There are nice towels in here, though."

Henrietta moved from the door, grabbing the nice, new, fluffy, white towel, and dried herself off. Silently, she screamed. Opening her mouth as she normally would but, no noise came out. Her face turned red. How embarrassing! She looked back and saw her night gown poking through the door. She grabbed it quite swiftly and put it on. "There." Henrietta covered her cheeks with her hands and took a few calming breaths to make the red go away. If we are going to live together, we must learn to deal with one another in all situations.

She opened the door and saw James standing there, like a stone. "Are you all right, Lord?"

James said nothing and simply stared at her in shock at she poked her head out, and quickly fetched her night gown when she asked. He fought the urge to look back, hard. As soon as she was dressed, he relaxed more. "Yes love, I'm fine, it's just improper for a gentleman to interrupt a woman bathing. I was asking if you would like some dinner."

He looked at her with a slightly tilted head, and smiled softly "I only brought a little meat for tonight, but tomorrow, after a good night's sleep and a nice filling breakfast, we can-" He was drowned out by thunder booming and almost jumped. He fought the urge to run and hide under a blanket, not wanting Henrietta to know of his fear of lightning. He sighed a little and continued "We can take a trip to Paris for food and more clothing, if you'd like. We can even get you a bath robe."

He smiled softly and took a step closer to her, warmly embracing her in his arms. She smelled divine. He quietly spoke two words before retreating to the kitchen,"Thank you.." From the kitchen he called "If you'd like something to eat, you can wait in the dining room, it will be ready shortly." The driver silently appeared at her doorway and motioned for her to follow him "I will show you the way to the dining room, miss"

She breathed him in. He had a good smell about him. She startled when she heard the thunder but, recovered well. She startled again when the driver came in and said something. That man seems to watch us. She cocked an eyebrow at the man as she stepped to follow him. "Yes. I believe that I shall get lost for a while yet before I am able to find my way around."

As she followed the man, she noticed that the house seemed cold, and empty. "Will Lord Alexander be joining us?" The man grunted. She did not know if that was a positive or negative response. I shall have to do something about the welcoming ambiance of this manor. It all seems so cold.

((Kinda uninspired, ATM. I am thinking we should introduce some major Cumulo Hall players and get the ball rolling on some nefarious schemes. Allenson Hall is going to stay quiet for a bit until I can come up with something for them to say/think/feel. What are your thoughts?))

(( First, I'm so sorry for such a late reply. I went to a friends birthday party out of town on Saturday and ended up staying until earlier today. I'm so so so sorry!! I think some cumulo hall characters would be great now, it seems a little dull, currently. ))

James walked in shortly after Henrietta was seated with two plates, full of cooked meat, with some toast with jam on the side, set them down, and came back with two cups of tea. He ate slowly, being careful not to spill anything. The dinner was very silent, save the booming thunder outside. There were two lit candles at the table and three set around the room.

As soon as James had finished eating, there was a particularly loud boom, and through the silky curtains, they could see the crack of lightning down the sky for at least 5 seconds. Even with the curtains pulled, it lit the entire room up as if it were daytime. James stood up abruptly and mumbled softly "excuse me." He rushed his plate and cup to the kitchen, then ran off to his room. He gathered some night clothes and went to bathe.

He sunk deep into the water and held his breath, shaking. He hated thunder storms. After a long while in the tub, he noticed he was pruning and got out immediately. He dried off well and got into his night clothes. He took a peek into Henrietta's room, and saw she was already asleep, with Oliver laying with her. Theodore had been waiting in James' room and wagged his tail as James entered.

He laid down, uncomfortably close to Theodore, shaking as the thunder continued booming. The rain relaxed him, and just as he began drifting to sleep, the thunder would come again and jolt him back up. Late in the night, he got fed up of this, and went to Henrietta's room. He knocked softly on the door then opened it, holding a glowing candle near his face. He called out to wake her, "H-Henrietta?"

Henrietta heard a voice in her head as she slept. It sounded like James was saying her name. She smiled. Hearing it again, she opened her eyes. "Lord?" She said, as she sat up. "What is it? I thought I was dreaming. Are you all right?"

***
***

Late in the night, in an abandoned building that reeked of oil and fish, sat a very well dressed man at a desk that was in the middle of the room. He was considerably older than most of his counter parts but, that did not bother him. He wore his long silver hair back in a well brushed tail. His tail coat was finely pressed, as were his slacks. His gloves looked as though they had been freshly starched. The man smelled clean, and of something else. Most would say that it was of some fancy toilet water ((cologne/perfume)), or perhaps some exotic soap. Those that recognized the man knew that the additional perfume was that of power. As frail as he looked, he had more power than any member of Parliament.

People only knew him as Burton. To the knowledge of most he had no last name, and if he did it died somewhere, ages ago along with everyone that knew it. People would not consider him so much callous as he was curt. He was not one to bandy about in conversation. What he said was clear and precise, and God help you if he had to repeat himself.

Burton sat at his clean desk. All that could be seen on it was an ink well, a pen stand, and a candle. There was one drawer, and one drawer only. In it, he kept three things: a ledger, some parchment, and some envelopes. The man pulled out a piece of parchment, an envelope and his ledger. He began writing:

Lord Alexander,

It has come the The Lady's attention that you have recently relocated your operation to the manor in France.

It is of great importance that you pay a visit to one Jaque Le Martin. As you may, or may not know, he is the mayor of a local township just outside of Paris. The Lady has declared that he is no longer of service to The Hall and Operations Associated Thereof, and he therefore, must be dispatched in the ways that only an artisan as you can render.

Traveling with this letter is a box. The Lady has requested that Messr Le Maritn's heart be delivered in it post haste.

Signed,
Burton of Cumulo Hall

Burton neatly folded the letter, placed it in the envelope and sealed it with some drops of wax. Putting the letter aside, he grabbed the ledger and opened it. There were many names in the ledger, some with lines through the names, others with no such marking.

Quickly he turned to Jaque Le Martin. He made a neat and precise line through the entry in the ledger.

The man closed his ink well, put his pen away, closed the ledger and placed it back into the drawer. He grabbed the candle holder and walked to a far door where a very emaciated man stood. Burton handed the letter to the man saying "To the manor in France. Handsomely. Her Ladyship does not like to be kept waiting."

James' head sunk down, so all he could see was his feet. His voice fell to a hushed whisper that even he could barely hear, as he watched his feet walk slowly towards her bed. He spoke once he got next to her bed, almost silently "I'm..." He hesitated to tell her, not wanting her to know of his weakness. He closed his eyes and sighed "I'm frightened..." He dropped to his knees and buried his face in his hands, and spoke louder now, "It's the storm...I despise them so..."

Henrietta looked at him in surprise but quickly, her face softened. She tossed the blankets off of herself and came to him. She gently picked up the candle holder and placed it on the stand next to the bed and then came to him.

Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, she knelt down. She looked at him for a moment and her other hand raised his chin up so he could see her face in the faint glow. "Chin up, darling. Storms are nothing to be afraid of." She smiled at him, trying to reassure him. She gently stroked his hair out of his face and embraced him while they sat there on the ground.

Henrietta tried to think of something else to say to him but, she was at a loss. She knew that when she was frightened, there was not much someone could say that would calm her down. But a soothing voice and a peaceful embrace did her good, so she hoped the same was true of James.

As the thunder boomed and the lightning sizzled in the sky above them, she could feel that he was still trembling. Henrietta took James by the hand and rose to her feet, leading him the few feet away to the bed. "Decency be damned, eh? On such a night that Hell unleashes it's fury skyward, I feel that we are the last of the world's concerns." She blushed. This was the first time since being tutored that she had spoken improperly, and the first time she had ever said the word "hell."

Henrietta pulled the sheets back for James and daintily walked over to the other side of the grand bed where she had been sleeping and slipped herself under the covers.

James melted in her arms and continued to shake as the thunder boomed louder. He smiled up at her innocently and spoke softly "Thank you, love." He watched in shock as she invited him to the bed. He had shared a bed with a woman before, he had no need for morels and decency, but he knew that she did.

He slowly and cautiously climbed into bed with her. He pulled the clovers all the way over his head and peered through the darkness to her, smiling a little. She was actually comforting him. He moved a little closer, making sure not to invade her personal space or scare her away.

Henrietta considered just how comfortable she was with this. She had never been in a bed with a man before, and while she found James to be quite wonderful, she was not ready for all of this. The last few days had been rather hasty. She took a deep breath as James inched closer to her, wondering why he kept thanking her. She had not done anything that was worthy of praise, except perhaps this.

She relaxed her muscles a bit and moved in closer to him, keeping her arms warped around him. She rested her chin atop his head and listened to him breathe, not realizing just how tired she was. Henrietta drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

He smiled and warmly embraced her before drifting to sleep. He had dreams of their day tomorrow, Paris, and even the breakfast. He slept better than ever before. In the morning he got up slowly, careful not to wake her, to have her breakfast prepared for when she awoke.

He snuck away to the kitchen and began to cook the eggs. As they sizzled, he painted the toast with a light amount of jam, and started building the plates. First, the break, a little extra jam on the side. Next, the eggs, partially on top of the toast, mostly taking up the rest of the plate, he set them gently on either side of the table, careful to line them up in the center of the place mat, with a knife and spoon on one sie and a fork on the other, and a glass of water delicately placed above the ensemble.

He went slowly back to her room to gently awake her "Henrietta, dear, I've made you breakfast."

As Henrietta awoke, she took a deep breath and the aroma of the food hit her nose. She blinked slowly. He glance first fell on the window where she saw that it was cloudy and gloomy out. She was sure there would probably be another thunderstorm. She then looked at James at smiled. She delicately sat up and stretched. "Did you sleep well?"

She stood up and walked over, grabbing her robe and wrapping it tightly around her petite figure. "Breakfast smells delicious." There was a smile in her eyes as she said it and brushed her hand gently across his cheek. Without saying anything else, she stepped out of the room and looked down the hall way in either direction. The house still seemed so empty to her.

"How long have you had this house, Lord Alexander?" She asked. She walked down the stairs, feeling the carpet underneath her bare feet. This house must be much larger than mine. Upon that thought, her mind went to dark places. She rubbed the fading bruise on her neck, and there was an empty sadness that took over her face, until she snapped back into the moment. "It's quite a lovely home, if a bit empty..."

He smiled "Yes, I did, thanks to you. I'm glad breakfast smells good." He blushed and touched her hand as she brushed it against his cheek. He turned around and followed her out slowly, thinking about his response.

After a few moments, he concluded "It's been in my family for 17 years. It was first my fathers, when he got married they moved closer to the city. My brother inherited it after that, but never visited, so it became mine..." He hesitated "Though, now that I think about it, it's really any of ours who wants to get away. It just so happens to be called mine."

He carefully lead her to the dining room and smiled, pulling a chair out for her. I hope everything is to your liking. Quickly, almost instantly, his coach driver and only servant in the house appeared. He smiled softly, holding up a sealed envelope "For you, sir" James looked up swiftly, and eyed the wax seal on the letter. He felt a cold sweat begin.