SUNDAY NIGHTS WERE KNOWN universally to be entirely uneventful. Polite society preferred to have excitement on Friday and Saturday nights, but on Sunday, preparations for a dutiful fresh week began, so Sundays always flew by in a blur of quiet solace or calm company. However, this particular Sunday night in Portsmouth promised to be everything but. Lady Diana Beaumont and Lady Alicia Kirkpatrick weren't exactly sure if everyone in Portsmouth had gone through a Sunday night such as theirs. Inside, they hoped so, because that would entail a dozen other people feeling and going through similar predicaments as them, and surely that thought was comforting. As the carriage started pulling up to the Brockenhurst estate, Diana saw the figures of her family standing at the gates, their presence darkened and made prominent by the yellow lights blaring from inside the main hall. The night was a blanket of cool darkness, and the same moon shone overhead. It was calming, coming out of the chaos to return to the stillness of the night.

The stillness didn't last however, as the carriage came to a halt and Isaac Algernon quietly helped the ladies out of it. The Countess rushed towards Diana, throwing her arms around her niece and bursting into sharp sobs that made Diana's heart feel as though it was being pierced. Her hands shook as she sucked in a sharp breath, trying to stop herself from crying, placing both of them on her aunt's back in an attempt to comfort her. Oh, how a loved one's sobs shattered her like nothing else.

Over the Countess's loud sobs directly echoing in her ears, it didn't take long for Diana to notice that her other aunt, had been bursting into sobs of her own as she embraced Alicia. Arthur Fleming and Frank Templemore stood a few paces behind, their hands behind their backs and their faces trained into stern composure, yet Diana could feel her Uncle's stance weaken as his lips twitched and eyes crinkled. She was grateful for her little cousins being nowhere in sight, the sad looks on their faces would've broken her beyond repair.

"You both are staying here for the remainder of your time in Portsmouth, and I refuse to be argued with," The Countess Agnes Templemore declared, authority evident in her voice as she sniffed and stifled another sob.

Diana and Alicia had been sent to their rooms with ladies maids, bathed, dressed in comfortable linen gowns with warm shawls draped around them, and were now seated in the drawing room of The Countess's private wing of the Brockenhurst estate, with cups of warm chamomile tea in their hands, all on the lady of the house's strict instructions. Diana tucked a strand of her loose raven hair behind her left ear as her gaze dropped to the singular tiny white chamomile floating in her tea.

"I second that," Frederica Fleming spoke up, determination clear in her voice, "I am beyond thankful for all you girls have done for me and Arthur and our children, but I cannot fathom the danger you have been through, it is horrific to even think about."

"All because of Lord Buxton and Lord Algernon," The Countess agonized, "How dare they involve you and risk both your lives for their disputes?"

"Lady Templemore," Alicia pleaded, "It wasn't their fault. It was that William Percy who sought to involve us. His sole purpose was to have something to hold against the gentlemen." She put her half full tea cup on the table and reached her hands up to gather her loose brown hair to the side, sighing.

"Aunt Agnes, Aunt Frederica," Diana spoke as she addressed both her upset aunts with quiet desperation lacing her voice, "They were willing to give everything to him for our sake. Their business, all their hard work, to feed whatever demands that reptile made of them. Please don't hold them in contempt; they don't deserve your disapproval."

The Countess sighed, before making her way to her niece and sitting beside her on the sofa. She brought up a hand to Diana's cheek and stroked it, her eyes softened and affectionate; "You have come to care for him, haven't you?"

Diana's eyes shot up at her, and she nodded slowly, "But that isn't why I'm defending him. They both truly are deserving gentlemen. I have been so blind, Aunt Agnes, so blind and prejudiced fully see the good in him."

"I understand," Lady Templemore spoke, shutting her eyes as he nodded once, "And I approve. But first, I would need to have a talk with both of them, and a strict talk at that. Lord Algernon excused himself and left before I could demand any amends or explanations. And I would like to converse with both of them about everything that has transpired, it would simply not do without."

"No," Diana quickly let out, "It isn't necessary, he- hasn't," she paused, not knowing how to continue. He hasn't made his intentions clear, she thought. In fact, Diana wasn't exactly sure if Lord Edward Buxton even had intentions with her, she wanted him to, she hoped he had, but she wasn't sure how she'd tell her Aunt all that.

"I see, they are not very expressive gentlemen, are they?" Frederica Fleming chimed in, her tone teasing as she tried to lighten the atmosphere, "Because I've seen and observed first hand how much they care for you both, and I am not one to be lead astray that easily."

Forcing a smile, Diana's lips parted, but before she could say anything, Alicia spoke up, "Aunt Frederica, Lady Templemore, I think it's time Diana and I return to Southampton."

Diana looked at her cousin, caught by surprise at her statement. A few hours ago, Diana had thought the same thought. The thought of returning home felt welcoming, and it had made her feel so dizzy with want. But leaving her family here, made her feel dizzy with sadness as well. A flash of all the feelings Diana felt reflected in her cousin's expression before Alicia disguised it away.

"Yes," Mrs Fleming let out, "It would give me so much comfort knowing that you both will be safe back home. I can't help but blame myself for all that you two have gone through here, all because I was selfish and hopeless."

"Nonsense," Diana cried, before getting up to embrace her aunt, "We will be happy to return knowing that we've been of service in any way that we hoped to."

"You have, oh, you have," Frederica Fleming sniffled, tightly holding on to her niece. Alicia frowned at her tears as she got up and joined the hug, forcing back her own.

"It's settled then," The Countess clapped her hands in delight, "I can't say I'll be sad to see you both go because in all honesty, I wasn't glad you ventured out here in the first place. And recent events have confirmed my predicaments entirely."

"Oh, Aunt Agnes," Diana muttered as she shook her head fondly before breaking away from Aunt Frederica to embrace The Countess.

"I'll have a carriage called for the first thing in the morning, the earlier you leave, the earlier you'll arrive," Lady Templemore instructed with a smile, patting her niece's back slowly.

"I am alright, Aunt Agnes, truly," Lady Diana Beaumont reassured The Countess for perhaps the hundredth time that following Monday morning at the Brockenhurst estate. Having vocalized those words for such a number of times made Diana realize that maybe they weren't entirely true. She wasn't alright. She was an entirely different person now, having experienced what she experienced. Surely her definition of the word alright had changed as well. The truth was, she wasn't quite sure what being alright entailed now. Was she breathing? Yes. Had the burdens on her mind ceased? Yes. Was she excited to return home? Yes. Did she feel full and content? Not to be sure. Did she know what would fix that, or rather, who could fix that? Yes. But those were fragments she had divided being alright into, and she wasn't exactly sure whether to dictate them to her aunt in depth.

"I'm glad," The Countess of Brockenhurst sighed in relief, "I wouldn't want your mother to think I couldn't take care of her daughter better than she does."

"What? That's ridiculous," Diana dismissed, playfully linking her arm around The Countess' as they all walked out the Brockenhurst estate towards the carriage that waited outside, "You take care of me like no other."

"Is drowning you and allowing you to get kidnapped, included in that statement?"

Diana gasped in disbelief, "Aunt Agnes, please. That was not  your fault and I can't possibly stress that enough. It wasn't anyone's fault and I won't have any of you taking the blame."

"It did happen under my supervision," The lady of the house counter spoke, her voice lowered in remorse.

"So many other things happened in your supervision that I can never forget," Diana interjected, a smile forming on her face, "I would much sooner go through all of that again knowing that I'd have you at the beginning and end of it all. There can't possibly be anything better for me than that."

The Countess Templemore stopped before the carriage and frowned in fondness, before turning to embrace her niece once again, silently holding her until chatter erupted in the atmosphere and the pair's loved ones came happily pouring through the doors to approach the carriage.

"Diana, we've had a letter from my mother and we are summoned back," Alicia called as she approached with a letter in her hand, letting out a chuckle, "Just in time."

"I sent another last night, addressed to your mothers to tell them they can expect you back in a day," Frederica Fleming spoke, touching Diana's arm softly. She could feel that the consolation was both for herself and the arm that been though such pain. It was better now that she was going home.

"Do you have to go?" Michael Fleming's voice came from his mother's side and Diana and Alicia smiled at their little cousin. "We will write to you, and we expect you to visit us. You will won't you?" Alicia shot him a pointed glance with a smile playing on her lips.

"After all, we visited, didn't we? And now it's your turn," Diana chimed in, bending doing to lightly squeeze his cheek playfully; an action the growing boy didn't approve of, but allowed just for the occasion.

A series of footmen, followed by the butler came out, holding Diana and Alicia's belongings in suitcases and fastening them on the imperial mounted on top of the carriage. The Countess had appointed them the use of her personal carriage all the way to Southampton so that the ladies wouldn't have to go through the trouble of switching to a passenger coach for the journey.

"We will, we will," Little Theodore chimed in happily, hugging Diana and Alicia one by one as they both bent down to receive his hugs.

"And you write to us the minute you get back, so that we know you reached safely," Arthur Fleming announced, raising his brow pointedly at both of the girls.

"Of course, Uncle Arthur," Diana smiled at and Alicia nodded in agreement.

"Diana, walk with me?" A voice interrupted and Diana turned to face Frank Templemore, who had just joined the party outside. He looked uncertain, and hesitant, with dimmed eyes and a forced smile, and it all made her own smile slowly fade. She glanced at Alicia, who smiled her encouragement which also hinted that they still had time before they departed.

"Of course," she replied, before excusing herself and following Frank for one last stroll in the gardens of Brockenhurst. She heard laughter behind her, and turned to see her aunts, Uncle Arthur, and her little cousins laughing at something Alicia had said, and she smiled at the view before turning to acknowledge Frank again.

"Wow, this weekend has been unlike what I presumed it would be," He broke the silence, letting out a nervous laugh. Diana chuckled in response, glad that she could laugh about it so soon. It made her realize just how strong she and Alicia were together, Diana would be far from laughing if she'd gone through all of it alone.

"I am glad everything worked out, for your business endeavour," she observed politely.

"It did," he nodded, before turning to glance at her, "I don't think it could've been possible without your belief in me, so thank you for that."

"I think you can do anything you set your mind to, with or without my support," she dismissed pointedly, playfully punching his arm as he chuckled.

"So," Frank cleared his throat, "About Lord Buxton," he paused, his gaze dropping to his feet as he thought of how to continue.

Diana linked her hands together, as she rubbed her thumb slowly. It was the moment of truth, and all her life she'd taken the universe's signs whenever that moment came and had always spoken the truth, "Frank look, I-,"

"He's a lucky man," He interrupted her, his voice assured and content, soothing Diana's anxiety instantly.

"There isn't exactly anything between us, per say," she started, shrugging to wash off the sadness in her tone, before she met his eyes with determination again, "But I've come to care for him in a way I've never cared for anyone before. I'll always love you Frank, like a sister and a best friend. You are talented, smart and so kind, and one day you will find someone who will reflect all that and will deserve you; come storm or spring."

"That means a lot, coming from you," Frank looked at her, a small smile on his lips.

She nodded at him, smiling back before her gaze moved to the path ahead, strewn with beautiful flowers. The Brockenhurst gardens were undoubtedly the reflection of spring, even in early winter. Diana wondered what they'd look like once snow started to fall; she was a little sad she wouldn't be able to witness that, but she could imagine it just as well.

"He should be here, you know," Frank dismissed the silence again, his tone pointed, "They both should be. After the trouble you and Lady Kirkpatrick faced because of them."

Diana bit her bottom lip and managed a shrug, "They have legal matters to attend to." Her words did little to convince herself, and thus she could imagine they offered no convincing to Frank as well.

"Well," he sighed, before pausing and turning to face her with encouragement on his face, "I hope he sees sense, I hope both of them see sense, before they end up losing the most precious thing that has ever happened to them."

Diana frowned in fondness as her eyes welled up. "No, no," Frank announced, throwing his hands up and turning his gaze away from her to look elsewhere to distract himself, "You cry, I cry. So please do me a favour and keep it together, dear cousin."

She giggled and sniffed, nodding happily at him as he offered her his arm and they both pivoted to walk back towards the carriage that waited before the Brockenhurst gates.

"Aunt Agnes," Diana started, holding The Countess' hands in front of the carriage, "I think we should agree to keep last night's incident a secret from our parents," she finished, exchanging glances with Alicia who nodded anxiously while she sat in the seat.

"Oh, no my dear," The Countess exclaimed as though Diana had asked her to go against her beliefs, "I must relay the happenings of last night to your mother to prove my point further on how she should not have sent you here in the first place. I expressed my verbal discontentment to you and to your mother, who might I add, thinks I react in vain. In accordance with last night, I did far from react in vain, and I should like for that to be made clear."

"Well, I'm sure we can bring it up, perhaps a month or two from now," Diana suggested with a raised brow and a teasing smile, "Then you can win over mother in any way you would like and we can all laugh about it."

"That's fair," The Countess mused, and everyone else laughed.

"Now make haste, you mustn't be late," she instructed as Frank Templemore helped Diana inside the carriage. He nodded at her and she smiled, before he got away and motioned to the postilion, who nodded, clicked his tongue and pulled on the horses' reins as the carriage moved forwards.

"Good bye, we wish you a safe journey, girls," Mrs Fleming cried, waving her hand kerchief as the carriage moved away. Everyone else echoed their farewells as well and waved frantically, while the departing ladies waved back just as enthusiastically before soon the faces outside of the Brockenhurst estate were too far from sight.

Sitting back, Diana clutched Alicia's hands and squeezed it in consolation, "We are going home," she spoke softly with an excited smile.

"Yes, and I can't believe it," Alicia mused, squeezing her cousin's hand in return, "Is it strange to say that I'll miss it here?"

"I think so, which is why I'm not the one saying it," Diana teased.

The Brockenhurst estate grew smaller by the second until all the ladies could see of it out the carriage windows was a small rectangular frame the size of their thumbs, surrounded by a lake of green. It was early in the morning; the sun had taken its usual place in the sky and was now shining brightly on the departing party. Frank Templemore had conversed with the postilion of the carriage about taking a different route to Southampton, now that the ladies won't require switching to a passenger coach and taking the usual city route to the other county. Alicia for one, was glad for it. Having recalled their arrival journey, she had much to resent about travelling.

After about a mere twenty minutes, the carriage came to a halt and the ladies sat up with a start. "Oh dear," Alicia whispered, alarmed as her heart skipped a beat. Had she thought too soon for her desire of an uneventful journey?

Diana peeked out the window, and realized that they had been stopped by a rider and their horse, which, had blocked the path of the carriage. She could make out a single horse with only a single rider on top, and something dropped in her in disappointment. She was startled by herself, hadn't she learned not to hold high expectations in Portsmouth? The one thing her presence there had taught her was that things never went as she expected them to go.

"It's an approaching rider," Diana pieced together the information, as the unfamiliar man got off his horse and tied it's reins to a piece of metal in front of the carriage, nodding at the postilion. Then, the person approached the doors of the carriage and opened them.

It was a man dressed much like the men at mills or wine warehouses dress, and Diana and Alicia had seen their fair share of both. This man, had dirt on the side of his face, yet he seemed unaltered and fresh, despite what his messy clothes suggested.

"Lady Beaumont and Lady Kirkpatrick?" The man spoke, his questioning eyes moving between the ladies.

"Yes," Alicia answered with authority, "Who are you and why have you stopped this carriage?"

"I have been asked to deliver these to you," The man responded, his tone dismissing any other notion that may form in the ladies' minds. He looked down to his side, removed his baggy shirt to reveal a pocket in his trousers and he dug his hand in it to pull out two pieces of paper with writing on them. He handed them over and Diana received both of them, exchanging curious glances with Alicia.

"Wait, please. There's more," The man let out as he ran off towards his horse, digging in the pockets of the saddle he had mounted, and returned holding two fresh roses in his hand. One a deep red, and the other a ream white.

Diana gasped audibly, she hadn't meant to, but it just escaped her control. After handing both the flowers to Alicia, the man smiled and nodded as he tipped his hat and rushed over to his horse before either of the ladies could inquire more of him or of the things he had brought. The carriage was immediately on its way, and Diana and Alicia saw the unidentified rider's figure grow smaller and disappear altogether as he rode away.

Your courage makes my jaw drop,
your bravery makes me look a fool
in comparison. On this journey of
yours let me tell you, I'm a bigger
fool for you than ever there was.

Diana gasped again as she finished reading the note addressed to her, turning it around, she realized it was once again an anonymous one. She gulped, as tingles sprung all over her body, her eyes looked at Alicia with their carriage on the road once again. 

You are too smart for someone
like me, and your intelligence has
me in awe. On this journey of
yours, I'll tell you, I think you have
no flaw.

Alicia looked up from her note to meet her cousin's eyes, and in them she could tell, lay everything that she was feeling so vividly inside.