I left the house quietly. I had a feeling that these people would be the overprotective-don't-let-their-daughter-out-of-the-house type people. If I remembered right the town should be just to the right down the road. The short walk down the road would have been easy if I was wearing normal clothes, but I wasn't so it wasn't. My shoes had the tiniest of heels which made walking in the muddy gravel on the road even more difficult. After barely one hundred feet of walking, I decided to take my shoes off and barefoot it. It wasn't the streets of the city so it should be safer.

I severely overestimated the distance from the estate to the town. I finally got to the outskirts of the town after an hour or so of walking. I kept the time by checking my phone discreetly every then and now. The dress didn't have any pockets so I tucked it between my corset and skin. I had considered leaving it in the room but having my phone on my was familiar and almsot comforting to have. When I got to town it was...dirtier than I expected. I guess I was expecting something out of Beauty and the Beast. But of course it wasn't, it's Disney anyway. The streets were muddy. Buildings seemed worn out. People called out to others in the street. I didn't really know what the plan was to do here. Go to a British pub? Or to a local bakery? I decided on simply wondering the streets. As I passed by other woman on the streets, I realized that they worn shabby dresses compared to mine. They gave me hard, rude stares. The men I passed looked at me with a cross of lust and hate. Which to me was a very dangerous look. I was beginning to regret coming out here.

I nearly got hit with a dumped bucket of something I didn't even want to know what it was. I gaped up at the woman standing in the open window holding a bucket. She looked disappointed that she missed.  I gave the woman the middle finger. I don't care if she understood what that meant or not. If she didn't then she got the gist. She looked surprised then huffed and backed away. Alright, Elizabeth was not well liked. Which unfortunately means I'm unliked. I decided to turn around before something worse happened.

I thought I heard footsteps behind me and the back of my neck prickled like someone was watching me. I didn't look back because I didn't want to know. I turned onto a busier street. I didn't feel safer though. I don't think this town would help if I, Elizabeth, were attacked. In fact maybe this town had something to do with the real Elizabeth's disappearance.

"Elizabeth? I mean Alice." A voice called across the street. The footsteps stopped. Abraham got out of a horse drawn carriage. He pulled me inside and the carriage started moving again. "What are you doing here. Especially alone with these cumbergrounds. I would bet my title that they had were responsible for your kidnapping."

I sighed, "We don't know if Elizabeth was kidnapped. She could have just ran off." I suggested.

"Please do not talk in third person," he pleaded, almost like he wanted me just to remember.

"I'm not her I'm sorry. Perhaps I'm a cousin of Elizabeth and I don't know it," I knew I wasn't her cousin. There was no possible way. Perhaps I was her great great great great great great give or take granddaughter. A thought struck me. Ohhhhh. I know where Elizabeth went. She must have ran off to what they call the colonies now. That would make sense as to how my family got over to the new world, where she went, and why I look like her.

"No, the only cousin she has is her mothers sisters daughter. Her name I believe is Margaret." He said. "Unless. Oh yes that could very much be. Elizabeth's father had a sister who ran off very young."

"Yup that must be it. Don't tell the Duke and duchess though, I wouldn't want to,uh, upset them." I said. He nodded like he understood and took my hands in his. His hands were warm despite the nip in the air.

"I shall not utter a word to them until you wish me to. I will stand by your side." He spoke softly. He looked at me for a while and I tried not to squirm out from under his gaze. "You are different from Elizabeth and the other women."

I knew why that was, I was the only person here from the twenty first century. "Is that a good thing?"

"It is very good. You I feel as though I can have a conversation with. You also look at others in a different way. I do not know how but it seems... kinder." He said staring intently into my eyes. This time I didn't squirm. I blushed a bit but held his gaze.

"Oh. I can assure you, I have never met a guy like you, literally ever."

Abraham laughed, "The way you speak captivates me Alice."

"Hmm never been told that before. Your the one who sounds like you are spitting out poetry though." I laughed along with him.

His smile dimpled his cheeks, "If you enjoy poetry, than I will travel all of Europe seeking the perfect poem so as you may breathe life into the words as perfect as you are."

"You barely know me yet, slow down buckaroo," I said. I didn't entirely want him to stop. I compliment from the guys in my school was something along the lines of "dat ass doe." If you ignored the stupid hair and stupid clothes, he would be handsome. Maybe I could convince him to get a haircut later.

"I wish to." He smiled, "I will deliver you to your home."

"Oh please don't. They'll probably like lock me in my room and consider me mentally ill. Why don't we continue on a scheduled meeting and tell them later that you picked me up early."

"If it gets me more time with you than I'll be pleased," he said.

"Okay you gotta stop. I can't have an actual conversation with you if you talk like that." I sighed. The carriage pulled up along a large house. It was smaller than the Hemerton Estate but just as magnificent. It was made of dark red bricks and was three floors high. Smoke puffed from dozens of chimneys.It was surrounded by tall dark trees and flowering gardens. Abraham got out first and held out his hand for me. Being the independent woman I am wanted to refuse his help and step out. But I knew I would simply fall onto my face in this flamboyant dress. I gently took his hand and stumbled out of the carriage.

"Abraham, your house is awesome!"

"I do not understand that word," he said.

"What? Awesome. It means awing from where I come from."

"Wherever you come from has a strange and complex dialect,"

I laughed, "Then I'll have to teach you how to speak like me."

"I would be honoured," he said as we went to sit by a water fountain surrounded by bushes of flowers.

"'Kay that's the first thing. The idea is wanna be able to say the least amount of words."

"Such as you are beautiful instead of you are the epitome of beauty and the stars bow at your feet." He suggested.

"Yes but instead of saying 'such as' you would say 'like.' You also gotta combine some words. Got to becomes gotta, do not becomes Don't, you are is you're." I said trying to simplify modern English.

"I believe I may get it," he said then laughed, "I mean I've got it."

"Boy you catch on fast!" I laughed. We roamed the gardens until it was nearly dusk laughing and talking. We talked about 'where I come from' and  things like school, fast food(which he called a quick feast), feminism and racism(which he was pleasantly surprised by. He said he never thought about it that way) and fruits such as lemons and oranges(which he tried once.) Then I was dropped off at my estate.

After a extremely boring dinner with the Hemertons(beef carrots gravy and Yorkshire pudding) I retired to my room. As always, Eleanor was already in my room preparing for night.

"Hey Eleanor," I greeted her as I came in kicking off my shoes.

"Hello Miss Alice. I am just heating up your bed iron. How was your day?"

"Quite interesting. The towns in this time is interesting."

I heard her stomach rumble from across the room, "I apologize, Miss Alice."

"Have eaten supper yet?" I asked. It was about 9 o'clock.

"I have had my portion for the night. I will be filled when I have dinner tomorrow."

"Wait do you not have 3 meals a day?" I asked astounded.

"Only on Holidays. Everyday we have a cup of porridge and that's our food for the day," she said like there was nothing wrong with it.

"Then we're going to go get you something proper to eat," I marched out the door heading toward the kitchen. Eleanor called  protests behind me but I ignored her. I was on a mission. The kitchen staff had already gone to bed so the kitchen was dark and cold. I snuck in and looked for anything I could grab. I found a few chunks of cooked meat in the ice box , an apple, slice of cheese, and a slice of bread. I snuck back along the dark hallways, only small candles lit up small sections of the halls.

"What do you think you are doing young lady?" Mr Hemerton said from a dark corner of the hall. I jumped dropping the apple. I hope she didn't care if it was bruised.

"I, uh, was just getting a nighttime snack," he looked at me skeptically so I added, "I've been hungry ever since I got back. I think they were starving me."

"Of course my dear. Next time just ring for a maid instead of labouring down to the kitchen yourself," he moved on from the hall, going into the library. I quietly scuttled back to my room and dropped the food on a table.

"Eat," I instructed.

"No really its fine," she insisted.

"I am not going to bed until you eat all of this," I said. She sat down trying to seem like she wasn't pleased with such an elaborate meal. She ate slowly and quietly. Particularly enjoying the meat and apple. "It's not fair that they treat you so unfairly. How much do they pay you?"

"Um, £2 a year. But it is not that horrible since I get a bed to sleep in and food."

"Only £2! That's outrageous!"

"It is a lot better than a lot of people have in town. I must be going now. Have a goodnight Miss Alice," she left taking the remaining piece of bread with her.

I crawled into bed and immediately fell asleep.