I just need to get my head around it,Thorn said quietly.I'll be fine. I always am aren't I?she asked sadly thinking of everything she had faced over the years, and always coming out the other side no matter if a piece of her died inside of her with the events. She looked at the King as he started to pace and wondered what was in his mind. She was tired of being the worker, of being the support, but thats what she was used to now, and just missed having someone there whenever she needed. Yet she knew that was asking too much.
I am glad to see you, but you are very different,Thorn said honestly.Edward... so when he left here that day... You didn't manage to catch up with him? I'm sorry.
Ghost looked at the King and forced herself to feel nothing. She needed to maintain some calm. When she heard the King mention he had been dying Thorn nodded. She had felt something seriously wrong that last day with the King, seeing the blood when he cough confirming it, and more so when she saw him bleeding from his eye.
Without Edward who will you rely on as your righthand man?Thorn asked.You need someone strong enough and organised enough to help you. You can't do it alone.
The days had passed since the event of Thorn's passing, the day was cold, a harsh wind blew, it numbed Jacobs face, hands and feet. Jacob missed his friend very much, in some ways she was still with him, but he felt her loss immensely, it made him angry still, and at the moment he saw nothing good in the world in which he lived. The neighborhood was quiet, the house still empty, Jacob walked up the sidewalk and to the yard, recalling that fateful day, he would never forget his friend, she was his first true friend he'd ever made. For a very long time, Jacob stood before the house, just standing in the yard, it could have been minuets or hours, he'd lost all sense of time in his current emotional state. Finally at long last he just said, I miss you thorn, I am sorry I did not protect you you., then he walked away and realized nothing would ever be the same again.
She arrived at the gates of the Manor early and getting down from her cart with her daughter Thorn looked around. It was so beautiful with the flowers in bloom, the water of the moat still, glistening in the sunshine, and birds singing their choruses, and other small critters moving around quietly in the bushes and the forest nearby. Carrying her daughter in her arms Thorn walked to the wall of the bridge and looked over the edge at the blue water, her eyes moving to the grounds of the Manor and the house itself. It all looked so peaceful, ideal. Turning, her eyes moving swiftly past the closed gates, Thorn looked at the road through the trees that she knew led to Fenia City.
Thorn paused frowning.Why was this place so familiar? Why was she drawn to this particular building?Looking round Thorn wondered, and at the sound of her daughter gurgling her eyes went to Annabel's face. The child was eagerly trying to see. Thorn smiled to see how her daughter was so awake, and interested in her surroundings.You like it here?she asked gently, watching as Annabel watched something and turning her head saw a squirrel running up a tree and into cover.
Shifting her daughter in her arms, Thorn stepped towards the tall gates, looking through at the front of the Manor, the large courtyard between. Her memory was jogged by the view, but broken. It had been many months since any had lived in the Manor Thorn was sure. Sighing, Thorn turned away and walked back to the cart to sit on the step of it to wait for the City Mentor. In the last five months she had been fighting to remember, a cloud shielding her from something. Glancing at Annabel Thorn thought how everything before her birth consisted of broken memories, and part truths. In truth she did not remember her husband. The old woman had hushed her, telling Thorn she would recall the details that mattered to her. Thorn half smiled as she recalled the old woman who apparently she had been taken to, to be healed. Quietly she waited.
Kissing his wife and twins Lbh collects the keys to the manor.
As he walks towards the house he can see a lady and child waiting.
"Greetings, sorry to keep you waiting but I did not think you would get here so soon." Lbh says.
"If you would care to follow me I can let you see the interior of the manor."
As they approach the front door Lbh glances at the lady from the corner of his eye.
He unlocks the door and pushing it open he stands aside.
"After you my lady."
"It may be a bit dusty as no-one has lived here since.......well, for some time anyhow."
"Feel free to look around."
Lbh opens some window shutters to allow light into the hall.
Turning around he catches a glimpse of the lady as she walks across a ray of sunlight and for a moment he almost thought he seen a likeness of someone but it passes quickly.
"As you can see, it does need a good clean out and coincidently, the last lady who lived here was also called `Thorn`."
"I shall leave you the keys and when you are finished just lock up."
"You can drop the keys in my office later and let me know if you want to take the manor or not."
Lbh nods to the lady called `Thorn` and takes his leave.
As he walks away he cant get the feeling out of his head that there is something about the lady.
Thorn stood up from sitting on the step of the cart when she saw a man approaching and as he neared she looked aside, not letting him catch her eye, suddenly nervous. Glancing at him she thought him familiar, but said nothing.
We haven't been here long,Thorn answered quietly, hugging her daughter to her, the child looking at the man intently.
Thorn followed the man, aware of her daughter's eyes going from him to the Manor, surprised again by Annabel's behaviour. It was almost as if she knew the place, and yet Thorn knew the child had never been here before. Thorn her self now had eyes only for the Manor as they neared the front door, unaware how she caused some curiosity in the man.
Thank you,Thorn said politely as he unlocked the door and stepped aside for her to enter.
Thorn did not hear the mention of dust, but the intonation of his voice made her glance at him before walking into a room to the left side of the large hall. Entering she saw a bright room, sofa's and other furniture covered in dust sheets, but it was the piano that caught her eye and her feet took her to it before she realised what she was doing. Running her finger tips of her left hand over the wood after lifting the large dust sheet to reveal the shining wood, hearing music in her head, turning to a bookcase that she knew somehow held music books. Thorn caught her breath as she saw a pile of books, and turned to leave this room, looking at the man confused as she re-entered the hall, sunshine streaming across the hall.
Thorn stopped walking as she heard the man speaking, mentioning the previous lady... Thorn? She looked at him properly for the first time, having avoided his eyes before, but now she looked at the tall man and listened.
Your office is where?she asked, and even as she spoke Thorn shook her head to herself for being silly.The Town Hall... I know where that is.
Thorn stopped talking, unsure why or how she would know, but she could picture the building, the large halls, the many rooms. She looked down at the keys now in her hand and it felt as if they were burning her. She heard his words but his voice seemed distant, and as she looked up again he was already leaving and she looked at his retreating back.
Lbh... was all she said, watching him leave. Quiet surrounded her now, even Annabel had stopped gurgling, looking at her mother with the oddest look on her face.
Thorn closed the front door before turning back to the hall. on the left past the lounge she had looked at were other doors and she knew the next door was to the dining room, a study further along the corridor. Turning to her right she faced another door, and walking to it Thorn opend the door, without realising it her breath held. Stepping into the room she looked round at a huge library, seeing the dust covering the shelves, books on the bookcases that lined the walls on three sides, the fourth made up of tall windows, and by a seated area french doors that she for some reason opened onto a patio area of the garden, a garden that she knew covered several acres surrounding the Manor.
Thorn stood still, not walking any further. Not needing to. She knew that through the door at the far end of the library was a smaller room, a snug area, and past that the kitchen and other rooms, scullery and stores. Turning Thorn went back out into the hall, pausing to look at the grand stairs, but not needing to go up. She would go find Lbh...
Why do I know you?Thorn asked aloud, glancing at her daughter, the child seeming to listen. Fleeting thoughts or memories flitted in and out of her mind. Since she had had Annabel, whatever had happened to her before... Thorn looked round the hall wondering why she felt a pull here. Quietly she left the Manor, locking the door as she had been asked. Walking back to the cart, left where she had stopped on arrival, Thorn did not look back. Her mind was made up. She needed to move to the Manor.
When Thorn had left the Mentor's office she had got on her cart and driven back to Dove House quietly. There was a mass of emotion that she could not understand, feelings she was experiencing and not knowing why. Looking round her as she drive Thorn saw landmarks that were not unfamiliar, and yet she did not know this City. Yet here she was, adamant about a Manor, about being there. She thought of the sitting room, the piano that stood there covered in a dust cloth. She smiled as she heard music in her head, piano and fiddle...Stop it,she said aloud, wanting the broken memory, or the dream to stop, let her head clear.
As the cart pulled up outside Dove House a little while later Thorn left the cart close to the front door and carried Annabel inside. Getting her basket she set her daughter into it, speaking softly to her that soon they would be going to their new home. For the next hours or so Thorn set about collecting her things, some she had not unpacked since arriving a few weeks since, and carried them out to the cart. Finally she carried Annabel in her basket to the cart, placing her on the seat beside her, before turning back to Dove House and looking at the building she had been living. Silently Thorn locked the door, not going back to check if she had everything, and then climbed up to sit on the cart seat and taking the reins urged the horse on.
As the cart reached the outskirts of Fenia City Thorn turned the cart towards the centre, heading to the Town Hall where she stopped outside again and taking her satchel removed a note and slipping down from her seat took it to the man at the door and enquired whether her advert for staff could be placed on the town bulletin board.
Aye, Ma'am,the man said pleasantly.Where tis note?
Thorn handed over the advert thanking him.
Wanted
House staff for The Manor
Needed are a gardener, a maid and a cook.
Thorn
Climbing back on the cart again Thorn steered the cart along the road that led out of the centre of town, through trees and on till she saw the bridge and gates, the house coming closer. As the horse's hooves clip clopped over the bridge Annabel gurgled happily, and Thorn smiled. Pulling up outside the front door Thorn alighted from the cart and taking the key from her skirt pocket unlocked the door, standing still a moment as she remembered another time, a first view of the same hallway, the happiness and anticipation... A shooting pain stabbed at Thorn's head and wincing she reached up, her hand going to her right temple as she shut her eyes. She waited for the wave of pain to ease before opening her eyes and taking a deep breath turned to look at the cart. She was confused by the memory of someone else, another time...
Come, we're home,Thorn said, a slight edge to her voice as she took the basket with Annabel in from the cart seat, carrying it carefully into the Manor, heading for the sitting room where she set the basket by a couch on the floor.I won't be long... Play a while child.
Quickly Thorn emptied the cart of everything she had brought with them into the hall and once done led the horse and cart towards the stables. There she quickly detached the cart and took her horse in, finding the place clean and organised, hay to one side, and tools for cleaning hung neatly. It was as if she was expected, Thorn smiled as she put the horse into a stall, leaving it hay and making sure there was water for it.
Quietly she returned to the House and shutting the front door behind her stood a moment with her back to the against the door, listening to the chuckling coming from the sitting room. Smiling she turned her attention to her belongings, wondering where to start. Taking a case Thorn carried it towards the staircase and as she walked up she was overcome with a strong sense of where to go. Not questioning her judgment Thorn turned at the top of the stairs and went to a door a little way along the corridor, opening it and entering a bedchamber that was so bright, the bedhangings of blue contrasting with the whiteness of the covers and the walls, light coloured rugs on the floor. Her step faltered only a second as she entered, and taking the case to a door she entered a dressing room, startled to find dresses hung there, and other items, the dressing room ready to cater for her every need. Dropping the case onto the floor Thorn walked to the rail nearest, her hand gently touching the covered dresses.Who?
Descending the stairs Thorn's hands shook slightly, her head buzzed. Had she made a mistake she asked herself. She was puzzled at the flashes of memory she had had so far. The front door, arriving... the bedchamber... the dressing room, clothes... She rubbed her temple before carrying on with putting her belongings away, household items into the kitchen. Once finished Thorn returned to the sitting room and pulled the dustsheet from the couch next to her daughter's basket. Flopping onto it she reached down and picked up Annabel and hugged her.
I think we'll be fine here Annabel,Thorn said smiling, looking at her daughter with surprise as she saw the slightest hint of a nod, telling herself she must be tired. Thorn sat a while to rest before she tackled the cleaning she knew needed doing, the desu covers that needed removing still.
Kathryn's face lit up as she read the tiny notice on the town board. She had worked in the flower shop since Thorn_Bracken died, and though happy enough there she missed the Manor. She re-read the notice again and wanted to clap her hands. The Manor was occupied again. That must have just happened as the walk she and her young man had taken, had taken them past The Manor and it had been eerily quiet. John... maybe he would like to go back as stable boy. She would find out if that was needed when she went to see the new owner. Looking at the notice for a name she went white. Thorn... someone else with the name. Seeing it there made the hairs on her arms tingle and she stepped back.
Stop yer silliness girl,Kathryn chided herself.
An hour later Kathryn walked up to the front door of The Manor, having nipped home to tidy her hair first. Nervously she knocked, looking around her, wondering if things had changed much. It had been five months since...
Hearing a knock at the front door Thorn scooped a giggling Annabel of the rug in the library and hurried to the door. She had been working on the household accounts, and planning what she would do. Orgainsed as always Thorn did not worry.
Hello,Thorn greeted the girl on opening the front door, a smiling Annabel on her hip. She smiled at the girl pleasantly.Are you here about the ads? Please do come in...
Kathryn smiled as the door opened, hoping to impress at the effort she had made to clean herself up, unsure what to expect. She was surprised to see a young woman holding her babe on her hip like any normal person, and friendly too. Kathryn looked at her as she stepped through into the hall. There was something very familiar about her, in a good way, but Kathryn could not put her finger on it.
Thank you Ma'am,Kathryn said, bobbing a curtsey quickly, realising her position.I've come 'bout the maid job. I use to be maid here before, for Tho... the other lady before you,she said hurriedly, stopping herself saying the name, blushing profusely in embarrassment at the slip.I knows the house Ma'am, and can start immediately... well tomorrow.
Kathryn reached out to tickle the baby's cheek, her whole face a smile, almost glowing with warmth. Kathryn smiled thinking this lady had a beautiful child.
