A/N I'm so sorry I haven't posted lately. I've been ridiculously sick, but felt well enough today to edit and post this. I will post the next one within a couple of days since I'm kind of behind. If i missed any edits, I'm sorry. I'm still not at 100%. Thanks for reading and hope you like it!

“If you don’t create change, change will create you”-Anonymous

When Alla awoke, she noticed that the curtains had already been drawn and her bedroom door was opened. She immediately sat up, bringing the covers to her chin. Many servants hustled about in the hallway outside her room. How many servants were in the employ of the duke? How many did the man actually need? She knew that she would have an automatic aversion to him already. His high-handedness in demanding that she remain in bed caused her to develop an instant dislike for the man. There was also the issue of the leeches. Granted, she was appalled at the idea of a squirmy slimy thing sucking her blood, but how was he to know she didn’t like leeches? What if she adored them? She outwardly smiled at the absurd thought.

Her smile instantly transformed into a frown. Why was her bedroom door open? That was strange. Also peculiar, was the fact that she did not hear Brawna and Edith come into the room that morning. Yet her curtains were drawn, a breakfast tray was set on her nightstand, and it looked as if her room had been cleaned. Either the two slithered in so as to not wake her, or she had been sleeping like the dead. Admittedly, she had been up late the night before, crying. It probably looked as if someone punched her in the face again.

Her stomach rumbled, reminding her of the tray of food on her nightstand. She picked it up and began eating her breakfast, though she wasn’t able to eat much. The issues she had thought about the night before still weighed heavily on her mind. She replaced the tray when she had eaten enough to satisfy her stomach, silencing it at last.

After staring at the wall for a few moments, frustration mounted. Who was he to stipulate whether or not she could get out of bed? She was a grown woman, wasn’t she? Where was Breanne, anyhow? This was not going to be a good morning. She was already miffed. One thing was certain; if she stayed in bed a moment longer, she would physically combust. She would not live as if she were a complete invalid. Alla roughly flung the covers aside and slowly slid her legs across the slick sheets and over the side of the bed.

After slowly inching her bottom along the edge of the bed, she touched her toes to the rug below, careful not to put all of her weight on her feet just yet. Lord, her legs hurt. The nightgown she wore slid up to her thigh, revealing large, ugly green and blue bruises.

Ignoring the sight of her unseemly legs, she finally allowed her feet to touch the floor. Turning herself so that her stomach was against the bed, she grasped the edge of it, and tried to inch along the side. She had not yet put her full weight on her legs, a fact that she was happy about, since jolts of excruciating pain were already traveling up both of them. She was very surprised that her legs were in such bad shape, but on the other hand, she did fall quite the distance.

Alla contemplated changing, but decided that she would stay in her night gown since only the servants were home. Why make more work for herself by trying to reach the armoire?

Using the bed as leverage, she continued moving alongside the bed. Once she’d reached the foot of the bed, she used various objects throughout the room in order to reach the door. If anyone saw her, they would probably think she made quite the spectacle.

When she reached the door, she braced both hands against the sides of the entry way, and poked her head out. Servants still hustled about, but paid no attention to her. Grateful for her seeming insignificance, she took in the sights from where she stood. Looking left, she saw a long hallway that wrapped around a corner. To her right, there was a large winding staircase which seemed to be about the width of three doors, leading to a downstairs area. Everything was so open. Large windows allowed the sun access, causing the staircase and upper floor to become brightly illuminated. A chandelier hung in the entryway; bobbing, as a servant endeavored to clean it. Directly before her, cherry wood railing ran past her room and along the stairs.

Alla contemplated calling for a servant to help her cross the hallway and reach the rail, but she didn’t want to take a chance that she would be sent back to her room. Deciding that she would just have to endure the pain, she quickly tried to take stumbling steps to the rail. Her legs immediately cramped and buckled under her, and she would have fallen flat on her face if a strong hand didn’t catch her. She looked up.

Godfrey’s face remained unreadable as he brought her to her feet. “Please don’t let go,” Alla quickly begged, feeling his grip on her arm easing.

“This is highly improper, Miss Bates.”

“I understand. If you could just guide me to the rail, I’ll be out of your arms with haste.”

“You should be in your room, mum,” Godfrey chastised, leading her to the rail. “We do not walk about in our nightclothes here. It is inappropriate.”

Alla grasped the rail and turned to look at Godfrey. “I didn’t think it would be so terrible since there are only servants about,” she explained.

“In England, we keep propriety foremost, regardless of who is around. We do not walk about in our nightclothes, and we do not wear clothes that are reserved for those of the opposite sex.”

Was he lecturing her on the trousers she wore on the ship? Well, she would give it right back. “Yes, yes,” she said thoughtfully, nodding, as if she were contemplating his words. “In that case, I suppose I shall not give you the gown I had in mind for you, it’s such a shame… it really was your color.”

Godfrey’s nose turned up in the air and he abruptly left her, heading downstairs. Alla chuckled, but then instantly felt guilty. Maybe she shouldn’t have teased him as she did. He probably wasn’t even aware that she was only teasing. In fact, she wondered if he was even aware of what the word meant.

Using the rail, Alla guided herself down the hallway and finally reached the top of the staircase. Here is the hard part. The staircase wound so much, she wondered if it would ever end. She focused intently on making sure that she didn’t fall forward on her face. The stairs were made of cherry wood just as the rail was. They were beautiful, though she never thought she’d describe stairs in such a way. It took her a long time to finally reach the first floor, and when she did, sucked in a breath of wonder. Marble floors designed in swirls of black, gray, and white covered the entire bottom level, but an open door downstairs led her to believe that all of the rooms were carpeted. More chandeliers trailed down the ceiling in the main hall, as if they were bread crumbs leading to a prize.

Colorful flower arrangements were set on different marble tables situated throughout the bottom level. If the servants thought it odd that she was standing there, stupefied, they didn’t mention it. Many of them rushed past her not saying a thing, except for the occasional “Pardon.” A small giggle brought her out of her daze. She looked down and warmly smiled.

“What is so amusing, William?”

He pointed at her. “You’re in your nightclothes,” he said giggling again.

She quickly looked down, feigning surprise at her clothing, which caused him to go into hysterics.

“I thought that this was my gown, William. Isn’t this what girls wear during the day here in England?”

He shook his head ‘no’ and clutched his tiny stomach as he continued to laugh. Alla shrugged. “My mistake,” she said shaking her head in disappointment. “Since you have already seen me in my nightclothes, I might as well stay this way.”

Still holding onto the rail, she endeavored to go down to his level, a feat that she could only half accomplish. “Can you tell me what these rooms are?” she asked pointing down the main hallway.

“Thas’ the study,” he said pointing to the left side of the hallway, “and thas’ the library,” he said as he pointed to the door across from the study.

“Hmmm. Library, huh?” Well a distraction would be welcome if she’s to remain bedridden, she thought, ignoring the fact that she wasn’t presently bedridden. “I think I would like to see the library,” Alla acknowledged.

“Daddy don’t let anyone inside the library,” William informed her. “Only daddy goes in there.”

“Daddy doesn’t let anyone inside the library,” she corrected him. “That’s nonsense, and it’s quite odd that your father doesn’t let anyone inside a room that’s supposed to be for everyone to enjoy. He makes no sense,” she said more to herself than to the young boy.

She stretched from the rail to the marble table that sat before her. “Whatcha doin’?”

“I’m going to the library.”

“But daddy doesn’t—“

“Your father isn’t here, William.”

“But daddy’s—“

“Don’t argue with your superiors, William. What daddy doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Just promise me you’ll keep my secret.”

William vigorously nodded. Alla cocked her head, skeptical of the young boy’s ability to keep secrets...though… he did keep her secret about being awake, so maybe he would succeed.

She held onto the table and looked ahead to her destination. Small fingers grasped her arm, causing another smile to stretch the corners of her mouth.

“What’s wrong with your legs?” William bluntly asked.

“They hurt,” she said simply.

“But why do they hurt?”

“I fell.”

“Fell from what?”

Do children ever stop talking? Alla paused. “I fell from a pole.”

William scrunched his face. “A pole?” he asked doubtfully.

“I’m sorry that it’s not too exciting of a story.”

“What kind of a pole?”

Alla sighed with the exertion of trying to reach the room, and answer all of William’s questions at the same time.

“The kind that’s on a ship.”

William’s steps slowed and his eyes grew large with excitement. “Were you on daddy’s ship?”

Alla grunted when more weight than she intended was put on her left leg. “Yes, I was on daddy’s ship,” she confirmed.

“Did you meet any pirates?”

Alla thought for a minute and then smiled. “I did, his name was Branchester.” She made sure to say the name a little scary and in a raspy voice.

“Branchester?” William repeated the name in awe. “What was he like?”

“He was horribly bossy,” she began. “He bossed everyone around and kept his prized possessions to himself. He wouldn’t share with anyone. He was a mean man too,” she added with a nod. He had everyone under his very bossy thumb. He wasn’t a very pleasant person to be around, William,” she finished.

“Wow,” he breathed. Then he looked in front of him. “This is the library.” Alla smiled with satisfaction, looking at the large mahogany door. William had distracted her so much with all of his questions that she didn’t even realize how fast they were making it to the library. He turned the knob and pushed the door open, causing the hinges to creak loudly in protest. A burst of warmth instantly hit her face as soon as the door opened; as well as an unwelcoming stale odor.Alla leaned forward a bit so that she could brace most of her weight on the door jams.

What she saw astounded her. It was the largest library she had ever seen. It was also probably the only room that did not have tapestries, or paintings hanging, and for good reason. The walls were literally covered in books. The bookshelves alone looked as if they were about two and a half stories high. On the far side of the room a tall ladder stretched from floor to ceiling. Books of every color imaginable lined the mahogany colored shelves, some large and others small. At the far end of the room, there was a desk that was littered with an empty glass, a few papers scattered about, and a bottle of brandy.

Alla looked around to the other side of the room. The curtains were drawn over one large window. Below the window was a burgundy colored velvet bench. She turned to invite William to join her in the library, but found that he had disappeared. She turned back to the room and carefully took a step in, still holding onto the side of the door jam. A quick yank on the back of her nightgown caused her to look behind her. William held out a cane.

“It’s daddy’s,” he informed her. “You can use it, though. I won’t tell.”

“Thank you, William,” she said taking the cane from him. “That’s very thoughtful of you. Do you want to come in here with me? I’ll read you a story, if you wish.”

William appeared tempted by the suggestion, but finally shook his head. “Daddy says I can’t come in here.”

“Doesn’t your father read you stories?”

William solemnly shook his head. “I can’t go in there,” he repeated.

“Maybe some other time,” she suggested. William looked doubtful as he nodded his agreement and then ran off. Her ire rose at the man who was supposed to be her employer. How could the man not even read a story to his young son? It appeared as if he had all of the wealth in the world, and apparently, that was all he cared about.

Using the cane, she hobbled into the grand room. There was even a fireplace. Goodness, this should be the drawing room. The room was so large. The big house back at the colonies could certainly fit into this manor five times over, she thought in amazement. The library alone had to be bigger than at least a quarter of the big house. Although she still felt considerable pain as she walked around the library, exploring, she felt as though she were doing herself some good by using and stretching her legs. She ran a hand along some of the books, causing dust to instantly settle onto her fingertips. Her brows creased in confusion. It was odd that the books were covered in dust while the hearth was used. Embers in the fireplace cast a soft glow throughout the room. He obviously made use of the library, so why did he not take care of the possessions inside of it? It was as if the room was used only partially. The contents within the room are most definitely neglected, save for the brandy, she silently observed. She looked at the bench with longing, and was happy to see that she would have access to books even if she sat down. Since sitting seemed very appealing to her, she made her way, with slight difficulty, over to the bench, and took a seat. She then leaned to the side and pushed the curtain back, hoping to view the property. A large bush covered her view of everything, except for the sky. Wonderful. She had seen plenty of the sky when she was aboard the Coureur de la mer. She wanted to see the town! Very soon, she promised herself. She would be out and about and would do all of the things she wanted to.

Alla frowned, realizing that she had worn herself out already. She sat there for a while, resting, and let her eyes slide over the many books that sat on the shelves nearest to her. Her eyes caught on a peculiar title. Just as she was about to take hold of the book, the door burst open.

“Excuse me miss,” Edith blurted out. “I was told you were in here. I hope you don’t mind the intrusion.”

Alla tried to hide her disappointment as she slid the book back into its former spot. “Not at all,” she lied, folding her hands daintily on her lap.

“It’s young William, miss,” Edith began huffing with exertion. “I’m needin’ your help with ‘em.”

Alla wondered what mishap the boy could have possibly gotten himself into in such a short period of time. She immediately struggled to come to her feet and Edith rushed over, hoisting Alla up from the bench. Alla grabbed the cane as Edith placed herself on Alla’s other side, helping her along.

“You should be in upstairs, miss,” she lectured. “Beggin your pardon, but I don’t think the master would approve of you bein’ outta your bed.”

“I needed a change of scenery, Edith, so please let’s not bother the duke with this insignificant matter.”

Edith nodded and continued helping her along. They were presently walking through the hallway of chandeliers. Alla outwardly smiled at the fitting name she had given to that particular section of the house. She didn’t have much time to look around and explore, for Edith rushed her along so quickly, as if her very rear was on fire.

“What was that miss?” Edith asked with a polite smile.

Alla suddenly realized that she chuckled out loud at the visual she had gotten. “It’s nothing Edith,” she responded. “Where are we going?”

“Young William is outside. Usually, I’m able to lure him in, but not this time,” she explained apologetically. “I am sorry to bother you…”

“Please, say no more. It is no bother, Edith, truly.” Alla was more than happy to have an excuse to go outside. She would finally get a breath of fresh air. Godfrey stood at the entrance of the manor, and when the two women got closer to him, he opened the door. Alla made a point of thanking him, but he didn’t acknowledge her whatsoever, and avoided eye making contact. Perfect. Now she would have to find some way to make amends with him.

Once they stepped outside, Alla froze. Edith jerked to a halt when she realized that she was the only one moving, and looked at Alla questioningly.

Alla was stunned. It was the grandest, greenest place that she had ever seen. To call the area a yard would be a severe understatement. Greenery covered acres of the land before her. As far as she could look, both right and left, she couldn’t see the end of the duke’s property. A wide lane lay before her which led up to the main iron gates. In the middle of the lane, there was a fountain statute of a woman who poured water from a jug that she held in her right hand into the fountain of water. Other statues were situated at each corner of the manor and the whole property was enclosed by an iron fence. Along the inside of the fence were large bushes that, Alla suspected, ran all the way around the property. Although she could see the front fence, she could not get a view of the sides. The property was great, indeed.

“Miss?” Edith cut into her thoughts.

“Yes, Edith, I’m sorry,” she responded. “It’s quite a view.”

“Yes miss, when I started here, I remember I was trippin’ over me feet because I wasn’t payin’ attention to m’ duties. I was in awe of the place, just like you seem to be,” she observed.

After a while, Alla was forced to speak again. “Edith, forgive my impatience. We have been walking for some time now and I haven’t a clue as to where we are going, or even why. I don’t mean to complain but my legs aren’t in the best of shape. Could you tell me how much further we have to walk?” Surely they had to be getting closer to wherever they were going. They had walked so far that the manor, though huge, almost seemed as if it were small now.

“Beggin’ pardon miss. We have only to go to that grand tree,” she answered, nodding ahead of her. Alla followed her gaze and acknowledged that the tree was grand indeed, but why were they walking towards a tree? Before she could put the question to Edith; another servant rushed forward from the direction of the tree. Alla didn’t recognize her or know her name, but deciphered almost immediately that the servant was upset.

“I’ll not try any longer, Edith. The hellion spit on me!” she yelled.

Edith placed her hand on her chest and gasped. Alla watched the exchange in silence. The agitated woman continued. “He can fall and break his tiny neck as far as I’m concerned.”

“Now, Beth—“

“Don’t, ‘now Beth’ me, Edith. You know I’ll do anything for ye’, but I’ve had all I can take from the likes o’ him. Frankly, I’d rather be scrubbing the privy!” She finished her statement on a grand huff and then picked up her skirts and ran back to the manor, ignoring Edith’s calls for her to come back.

“Oh dear,” Edith looked properly worried. “Come along, miss,” she gestured for Alla to walk along with her. Edith came to a stop before they reached the tree. “Mind for spit,” she warned. Alla held in her laughter. “Thank you for your assistance, Edith. You can release my arm, now.” Edith let go of her arm and Alla tried to walk forward. Even using the cane, the pain was excruciating when she was walking alone.

When she reached the trunk she leaned heavily against it, turned her back to it, and slid to the ground, relieved to take some of the weight off of her legs.

“Ladies don’t never sit on the ground,” a small voice called from above her head.

“And young gentleman don’t spit on ladies,” Alla returned.

Silence.

Edith threw her hands up in despair.

Alla stared at the ground in front of her, plucking blades of grass from the earth. “Won’t you come down from the tree William?”

“No!” he shouted.

“And why is that?” More silence. Alla slowly stretched her legs out in front of her. “William, do you plan on living in the tree?”

“Yes, I’ll not move. I don’t wanna.”

“Really? How do you plan on relieving yourself?” A faint giggle reached her ears.

“I can do it. Do you want me to show you?”

“William—.”

More laughter.

“I thought we were friends,” she stated forlornly.

“You’re my friend,” he answered earnestly.

“Well, then won’t you tell me why you cannot come down?”

Again, Silence. Then finally, “I’ll tell you but she has to leave first.”

Edith placed her hands on her hips, instantly reminding her of Mable. “I’ll not be leavin’, William, until you bring your stubborn self outta that tree!”

“Edith, would you mind bringing me a glass of water? I have a feeling that I shall be here for a while.”

Edith nodded, turned and left. With William’s stipulation accomplished, she turned her attention to the ground again and called up to him, “Edith is gone, William. Can you tell me what is wrong, now?”

More silence. Then she heard a little bit of sniffling. “I heard her, I did!” an outraged voice yelled down.

Before she could ask William who or what he was talking about, he continued. “She said she’s got daddy ‘round her finger. She said when she gets her way; he’ll be sendin’ me off to boarding school.” He sniffed some more.

Alla found herself getting irritated. “Who said it, William?”

“I dunno her name.”

Brawna. She had to be the only person that would say such a thing. It seemed especially clear to Alla that it was her since she showed a possessive streak with the duke. Alla was surprised at the blatant disregard shown towards William, though. Brawna, although young and impulsive, didn’t seem as if she would be at all concerned with William. Her sole focus was on the duke. So why would she say such a thing?

Alla sighed. “She is all talk, William.”

“All talk?”

“She’s lying to you.”

“She didn’t tell me. I heard her.”

Alla’s head dropped between her knees. Her head slowly began to pulse.

“Who did she tell, William?”

“I dunno,” he wailed pitifully.

“Listen, whoever said such a thing lied. They neither have the power nor the means to send you off to boarding school.”

“But if she tells daddy to—“

“Your father could not possibly be so mindless as to send a special boy like you away, regardless of what any person tells him.”

Silence. “Will?”

“Yes?”

“Come down, sweetheart.”

He giggled in amusement at the term of endearment used for him, before shuffling down the tree and landing in front of her with a jump. He stood immobile before her in his torn trousers, until Alla patted the spot on the ground next to her. He immediately trotted over and sat down.

“Not that there is a proper reason, or excuse for doing so,” she firmly clarified, “but why did you spit on Beth?”

“She told me if I didn’t come down the tree that she would wallop me good. She said that …..” he trailed off.

“What did she say, William?” Alla quietly urged when he remained silent. One tear dropped from his eye, and then more gradually followed. His voice shook slightly when he answered. “She said that she was glad my mommy wasn’t alive to see how bad I am,” he whispered.

Alla changed her mind. The woman deserved to be spat upon. It took all of her will not to congratulate him on his superb aim. What was wrong with everyone? It was clear that the boy lacked the proper attention and guidance. All one had to do was speak to him in a calm manner. She put her arm around William, unsure of what to say next.

“That was certainly wrong of her to say,” she said after a few seconds had gone by. “What she said was completely untrue, William. Your mama would be very proud of you.”

His little head turned to look up at her. “How do you know?” he asked, quietly. “You didn’t know my mommy, did you?” Steady brown eyes implored uneasy green ones, begging her to come up with any reason to believe that his mama would be proud of him.

Alla responded without thinking, without doubt. “Because I would be proud of you, were I your mama.”

His eyes grew wide. Alla became uncomfortable with the silence and emotion emanating from the small child. Did she say the right thing? Really, she only said what she felt. His little arms wrapped around her in a tight hug. She patted his shoulders, giving him a quick squeeze.

“You got him down, miss,” Edith stated in awe. Both Alla and William looked up to see Edith holding a glass of water out to her. How long had she been standing there? Alla took the glass of water and began drinking while still on the ground. William stood up, brushing the leaves and dirt from his pants. “Are we gonna go inside now?” he asked Alla.

“We are,” Edith answered before Alla could do so. “And you, sir, are going straight to the tub.”

“Awww.” He turned to Alla. “Do I have to?”

“You certainly do,” she nodded.

He groaned. “I hate baths.”

“Come, come, off you go.” Edith ushered him along towards the mansion. He ran up ahead of her all the way back to the manor. Edith turned back to Alla after she watched William run inside. “I thank you, miss,” she said shaking her head. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

Alla smiled at the older woman. “It was nothing. I am here anytime you have need of my assistance.”

“I’ll assist you back inside, miss,” Edith said as she helped Alla to come to her feet. Alla flinched in pain when she came to her feet and for a second wished that William would have stayed in that tree just a bit longer. Edith took hold of the cane, which leaned against the trunk, and handed it to Alla before positioning herself on her other side.

By the time they had made it inside, Alla was perspiring; more from the strain put on her legs than the distance of the walk.

“Do ye want to go to yer’ room miss? I’d be happy to escort you. I’m sure ye want to rest up a bit after bein’ outside and all.”

“I thank you, but no. If it’s not a bother, I would like you to assist me in walking to the library.”

Edith placed her hands back on her hips, and raised a brow at her. “I’m thinkin’ you need rest,” she stated firmly.

Alla smiled at the older woman. She was nonchalantly trying to usher Alla back to her room, and when Alla said she wanted to do otherwise, Edith dug her heels in. It’s nice to be cared about in that way again.

“I promise to rest on the bench, Edith, would that satisfy you?” Alla questioned, hopefully.

“I’ll be checkin to see you keep your word, miss,” Edith warned. Alla bowed her head in submission, hiding a tiny smile. Edith then escorted Alla back to the bench in the library and left the room.

Once seated, Alla sighed in relief. Her legs had definitely had it for the day. Remembering the book that drew her attention before she was called to go outside, she reached to grab it and the door burst open. Startled, she dropped the book, causing it to land on the floor with a thud. A scowl fixed upon her face; she looked up at her unwanted intruder.

Breanne pointed at her as she came forward. “Don’t dare frown at me. It is I that should be frowning at you.”

Alla smiled at her. “I didn’t know it was you, Breanne,” she answered, retrieving the book from the floor and sliding it back onto the shelf. There was no need to tempt her curiosity any further when it was obvious that it wouldn’t be satisfied. She sincerely hoped that she would get an opportunity to at least look at the thing at some point during the day, and see if she was at least interested in reading it.

Breanne walked over to the bench and sat next to Alla, looking around. “Well, this is a grand library,” she stated. Alla was surprised that the library was spectacular even to Breanne.

“Have you never been inside this room before?”

“Goodness, no. I’ve heard that the duke has very strict orders that no person is to step foot inside…”she trailed off. “Katrina, what are you doing in this room?” she demanded. “The duke will have a conniption!”

Alla waved the statement away with her hand. “From all that I have heard thus far, Breanne, the man is always in a conniption. So, this shall not take him out of character at all, you need not worry,” she told her with a cheeky smile.

Breanne shook her head at Alla, but grinned all the same. “When you meet him, do not show him this obstinate, sarcastic side of yourself that you show to me. He will take offense.”

“The man sounds as exciting as a rock.”

Breanne laughed. “He is very attractive, Katrina,” she devilishly informed her.

“And how would you know that, Breanne, since you haven’t been able to look him in the eye? Or do you not recall making that statement?” Alla asked, grinning knowingly.

Breanne demurely folded her hands on her lap. “I recall the statement perfectly, as I see, do you. I said I could not look him in the eye, Katrina, the eye.”

Alla burst out laughing as Breanne continued. “I have however, been able to sneak little glimpses of a mouth, eyebrow, cheekbones, and I think there might be a dimple or two, also his chin and—“

“Breanne, none of that matters. You cannot call a piece of a puzzle handsome nor can you call it pretty,” she objected, still laughing.

Breanne shrugged. “You can tell, though, by the pieces you see, if the puzzle is going to be a masterpiece,” she said, and then leaned forward. “This puzzle, Katrina, is a masterpiece.”

“In looks only, if what you assume is true,” Alla argued. “If there is no draw to the puzzle, then it’s just a piece of wood.”

“I’ll not argue with you,” Breanne smirked. “You shall see for yourself soon enough.”

“What took you so long to get here, Breanne?” Alla asked, changing the subject. “I thought you were to call in the morning. It is now late afternoon,” she complained.

“I’m sorry Katrina,” Breanne said, untying her bonnet. “Mother and father,” she paused. “Well, in truth, it was mother who waylaid me and made it next to impossible for me to leave the house.”

Something dawned on Alla. “Did Torrington escort you here again, Breanne?”

“He did,” she admitted sheepishly. “He said he had to come here for something or another, I can’t imagine what.”

“Hmm, and how has your day been going so far?”

Breanne shrugged and sighed. “Very dull, indeed. Nothing the least bit exciting has happened since yesterday. I only realize that I am not in a coma when I come and visit you.”

“I concur,” Alla replied. “Thankfully, I have been able to get out of bed,” she told Breanne, ignoring her frown of disapproval. “If I stayed there for a day longer, I’m afraid I would have endeavored to send myself into a coma so that something exciting could happen to me.”

“So dramatic,” Breanne observed. “And look at you, so pleased with my observation.”

Alla smiled.

“May I ask you a question?” Breanne inquired.

“Of course.”

“Why in heaven are you up and about in your nightclothes; and why are they sullied?!”

Alla laughed and exhaled heavily. “That was two questions. It’s a long story, Breanne.”

“I have time,” she pointed out. “Shall we discuss these matters over some food? I gather that you didn’t have anything to eat this morning.”

Alla shook her head. “I have, but I am hungry again.” Her stomach rumbled and Breanne instantly chuckled. “I don’t know why it does that every time you mention food,” Alla told her, laughing.

“Mayhap because you insist on not taking care of yourself,” she suggested. “Your internal organs realize that you’ll not listen to them, and they know that I do. That is why your stomach growls whenever you are around me.”

Alla shook her head at Breanne. “You say the most outrageous things sometimes.”

Breanne grinned and announced that she was off to find a servant to see if they could have food brought to them. When she came back into the room there was a servant trailing her, carrying a tray of food. After the two had eaten, Breanne stood up.

“No, Breanne,” Alla objected. “You cannot be leaving already.”

Breanne tied her bonnet under her chin and looked at Alla apologetically. “Since I have been late in arriving home these past two days, I was made to promise mother and father that I would be back before nightfall, Katrina. I am sorry. The next day or so I will be otherwise occupied but I promise to call on you as soon as I can,” she finished, grasping her hands.

Alla sighed, realizing that she was probably monopolizing most of Breanne’s time, and should be grateful that Breanne came to call on her in the first place.

After Breanne left, Alla rested her head back against one of the sides of the bookshelves and closed her eyes. Walking the grounds wore her out, but when that exercise was combined with filling her belly with food, she was done in. She wanted to rest, but did not want to make the journey up to her room. For it would be just that, a journey. There can be no harm in resting my eyes for a bit, she thought…..just for a bit.

Alla awoke to the sound of a fire roaring furiously in the hearth. The room was dark and only lit by the fire’s light. She felt a presence over her and slowly turned her head. A large and darkly clad figure loomed over her.

She instantly screamed and sat upright. Her hand clutched her heart in fear as the figure stood, silent. Feeling ridiculous, she quit screaming, and was left breathing heavily, her heart pounding in her chest. It was obviously a man, a very…large man. But he stood over her saying nothing. Who was he? The duke wasn’t to return until tomorrow, so who could—?

“Who gave you permission to step foot inside of this room?” a deceptively calm voice asked. Although the voice was smooth sounding, she couldn’t help but notice the underlying danger inflicted in his soft tones. Her own fear of the man irritated her, but she couldn’t shake it. He was standing with his back to the hearth which caused more shadows to cast over his face.

She cleared her throat… several times, and immediately became irritated at her reaction to him. Who was he to scare the life out of her? She cleared her throat once more. “May I ask your name, sir?” she demanded, while trying to calm her racing heart. She expected an explanation for being scared witless.

“You may ask,” he bit out. “In fact, you just tried.”

Alla had to keep herself from flinching at his tone. Both didn’t say anything for a while. Well, was the man going to introduce himself or not? He stood over her, looking like an avenger. Well, this was uncomfortable. For heaven’s sake, he was standing so close to the bench, that were she to stand up, she would be touching him.

“Leave. Now!” he barked.

She was no longer in doubt of who stood before her. No one would talk to someone that they didn’t know in such a manner except…maybe the person that she had declared would be as exciting as a rock. She hastily reached for his cane which lay against the corner of the bench, but her hand froze midway there. Now he knew that she had possession of his blasted cane. She quickly looked up at the large shadow, but he said nothing. There was no way she could walk without the cane. Asking him at this point if she could borrow it; seemed pointless as well since it had to be clear to him that she’d already been doing so.

Left with no choice, she reached for the cane once more, and used it to come to a standing position, taking note once again, of how large he was. Inwardly, she was shaking. Not being able to see his face could be one of many reasons for feeling unsettled, she figured. The man didn’t back up one bit. Alla sighed with frustration. So he was going to make her walk around him; was he, even with her legs being as they were? He should be back in the colonies, lording over people; since it’s obvious that he takes great pleasure in doing so. Her head came just below his shoulders. The man was a giant!

She sidled around him, careful not to touch him at all. She had to brace one hand against the shelves, and take a steadying breath before she continued. She thought it would have made both of them, or maybe just her, less uncomfortable if only he would offer assistance, or start a conversation with her. She glowered at him. The infernal man refused to do either of those things. He stood as still as a statue as she finally let go of the shelves and continued on towards the door. Her legs were screaming in pain, but she ignored it. The sooner she was away from him; the better. When she finally reached the library door she paused, her hand on the doorknob. She wanted badly to turn around and see his face. She knew that he had turned to watch her difficult procession to the library door; she could feel his eyes upon her.

Fighting the urge to look back at him; she pulled the door open and walked through, closing it softly behind her. The hallway was dimly lit by oil lamps and candlelight, but the rest of the manor seemed dark.

She couldn’t believe that she had slept till nightfall. She thought that everyone was asleep…until she heard a woman’s light laughter echo throughout the place. Chatter and clinking noises followed the laughter. Masculine and feminine voices blended together in conversation in one of the nearby rooms. Fighting the urge to investigate the scene, Alla continued on walking towards the stairs. When she reached the bottom of the staircase she sucked in a breath, switching the cane over to her left hand while taking hold of the rail with her right. At the eighth step she paused, and though she urged herself not to, she looked up. It might as well be a mountain. Alla sighed, it was so discouraging to see the distance that she had to go, which was why she didn’t want to look up to begin with.

Halfway up the stairs her legs began to feel the strain of her exertion. She was extremely tired but fought the urge to rest, wanting to go into the comfort and seclusion of her room. Alla grimly acknowledged that she would now be more than happy to stay in bed, and away from such a bear of a person. Not realizing that she had placed the cane on the hem of her nightgown, she took another step forward, instantly losing her balance. Alla tried to grasp the rail in hopes of avoiding a tumble but it was of no use. Her arms flailed in the air for the briefest of seconds and without time to make a peep, she began flying backwards.

Strong arms caught her from behind. Alla’s chest heaved with the fear of almost being done for. Thank goodness for Godfrey. She would most definitely have to make the teasing up to him now. Alla was slowly lifted back to a standing position, and was turning around to thank Godfrey, but froze dead on the spot. It wasn’t Godfrey.

She didn’t know how long she stood there, staring at him. He was possibly the most beautiful and most dangerous looking man she had ever seen. His hair was black and she was sure it was longer than was the style, as it curled slightly at the ends over the collar on his coat. His chest was the width of two regular sized men put together. By her estimations, he looked to be made of pure muscle. What did the man eat? His face was unshaven and tanned, and she could see that he sported a small scar on his right eyebrow. His jawline was strong and wide, and his lips were presently settled into a firm frown, so she couldn’t tell if he had dimples, as Breanne had told her. She wondered if he ever smiled at all. By the time she had gotten around to looking at his eyes, the only thing that Breanne could describe, she was even more astounded. His eyes were the bluest she had ever seen. They could put the sea to shame. The longer she looked into his eyes though, the more annoyance gathered into them. Blast! She was still holding onto him.

“You met daddy!”

Both the duke and Alla tore their gazes from each other and onto William, who stood on the marble floor at the side of the staircase. Alla instantly let go of the duke and grabbed the rail.

“You should be in bed,” the duke told his son.

William stepped forward a little bit more. “Did she tell you who she met on the ship daddy?” he asked trying to distract his father from the issue of bedtime.

“Willia—,“ Alla began.

“No, William,” the duke stated, instantly curious at Alla’s interruption. He stared at her hard as he questioned his son. “Who did this… woman meet? Was it at night?”

Alla gasped in anger. How dare he make that sort of an implication; and in front of his son, no less! That was the second time that someone put her to question in that way. It infuriated her.

“I dunno if it was at night, but she met a pirate, daddy, on your ship!”

“Really?” he drawled. The duke’s eyes narrowed at Alla. If she could have crossed her arms without the risk of falling on her face she would have. Since that was out of the question, she kept her hold on the rail and lifted her chin up in defiance. Let him think what he will.

“His name was Branchester!”

The duke paused and then his eyes widened a fraction.

Alla got much enjoyment from his reaction, and a look of pure satisfaction played across her features.

“He was bossy, she said, daddy. He didn’t share nothing with no one.”

Alla quickly frowned and fervently prayed that William would soon close his cute little mouth.

“Daddy, why don’t you make no sense?”

Alla now wished with all of her might that she had kept her mouth shut. She couldn’t fault the boy since she knew he was only trying to stay awake, but it still didn’t make her predicament any easier.

The duke raised his eyebrows. “What did you just say?” he quietly asked his innocent son.

“I said, why don’t you make no sense?” he repeated, holding his palms upwards, as if he couldn’t understand why his father didn’t grasp the question.

“Who told you that, William?” the duke asked, in a soft steely tone.

William looked at Alla and had lifted his hand to point when he suddenly realized what he had done. His eyes grew wide and he dramatically slapped both hands over his mouth. Alla outwardly groaned, causing the duke to raise an eyebrow in response.

“N-no one,” he stuttered, backing away. “I’m tired, daddy. Goodnight!” He ran off, Alla assumed, in the direction of his bedroom. A full minute went by of the two of them staring in the direction that William had run off to.

“Children,” Alla dared to breathe out when the duke turned his attention back to her. “They can be so entertaining, can they not?”

“Or enlightening,” he replied sharply, staring at her.

Alla cleared her throat. “I wasn’t aware that you were my employer when we were in the library.”

His eyes narrowed again. Perhaps she shouldn’t have mentioned the library.

“I’m pleased to meet you.” She knew that she should curtsy, but again, the danger of falling to her certain demise stalled her. Impatience filtered through her demeanor when he remained silent. Laughter shot out once more from the room that a party was dining in, and the duke immediately looked in the general direction of the noise. Taking advantage of his distraction, she quickly turned around and had no sooner taken one step forward than she felt herself being hoisted up as if she were a sack of flour. Her heart hammered in her chest, again. He had, once more, scared the cotton out of her. He could have at least asked if she wanted to be carried.

She avoided looking him in the face. They were much too close to each other for her to do that. However, she tried to remain as still as possible.

“Relax,” he snapped, noticing her board-like position in his arms as he walked the rest of the way up the stairs.

“Yes, yes,” she replied as he sat her on her feet in front of her room. “Your soft and soothing tone makes it very easy for me to do just that.”

The emotions playing across his face went from disbelief to indignation. He slowly leaned down to her height so that their faces were inches apart. “If you want to be coddled, go to a nursery,” he retorted. “When you feel that you can behave as an adult, dutifully and respectfully, notify me and I shall give you your first assignment. Until then, keep to your own company,” he growled. With that, he turned on his heel and headed toward the stairs.

Alla bit off the instant snapping reply that came to her head. Things would not go well between them if she had the bad sense to voice her thoughts. He was her employer after all. She could not afford to lose her job and her housing.

“I’m sorry,” she called out to his retreating back. He stopped and slowly turned to look at her. She cleared her throat again, “I shouldn’t have behaved in such a way.” She bowed her head, and folded her hands in front of her in an effort to show meekness, before peeking up at him.

His stare was unnerving, and he raised a skeptical brow before responding. “I’ll see you no later than ten in the morning.” With that, he turned back towards the staircase and disappeared from her sight.

Alla turned towards her bedroom door, pushing it open. Her bed had already been turned down, and the oil lamp setting on her nightstand was lit. Once in bed, she thought of the events that had transpired. She admitted to herself that she was slightly disrespectful to the duke; well maybe just a pinch more than slightly. Of course he would respond in a boorish way to her, she should expect no less. The man was used to having his every whim adhered to. He was her employer, after all. The next time she saw him, she would paste a smile on her face and make the best of it. Yes, she thought, nodding. She would be respectful, and would follow his orders. She would not give him a reason for dismissing her. Satisfied with her decision she settled down under the blankets, snuggling into her bed. Tomorrow was a new day. They would get along just fine.