It was a windy April evening when Helen and Emily set off in the coach to the Carruthers residence. The horses pulling the carriage were restless, and they pulled at a rate the coachman didn't agree with. As he held them on the reigns, the coach lurched from slow to fast in sequence, throwing Emily and Helen around until they both began to feel travel sick. Helen leaned out of the window and shouted, ''Driver please, we are being thrown around mercilessly, kindly do something about it.''
When they arrived, the two ladies clambered out of the coach, grateful to be on firm ground. Emily looked at the house. It was a large English manor house with a great lawn in front of it. The oak tree in the middle reminded Emily of the tree at their previous home in Kingston. The one her father had made a tree house in. A footman in a wig and breeches accompanied them to the ballroom in a side wing to the house. When they went inside, the party was already underway.
The ballroom was the most magnificent room Emily had ever seen. A highly decorated ceiling held six large chandeliers which she noted were swinging gently back and forth as the warm air rose to them. The dance floor was full of couples dancing in rings around each other. Emily so hoped she'd fill her dance card because she loved dancing. Her mother had taught her all the popular dances, and on the odd occasion she had gone to a ball, she'd received compliment after compliment about her dancing.
''Emily, look.'' Emily followed Helen's outstretched arm.
''Ah, cousin James. He looks very handsome, doesn't he,'' she said.
''No, I am not talking about my brother, I'm talking about the man next to him. Mr. Dirksen. He's so handsome.''
Emily looked at him. Helen was right, he was the most handsome man in the room. Tall, dark and beautifully dressed in a blue tail coat with matching waistcoat and white trousers, he looked so noble.
James saw the two ladies and motioned for them to come over. ''Emily, I don't think you know Mr. Edward Dirksen?''
''No, indeed I do not. My pleasure sir,'' she said curtsying.
Edward took her hand and touched his lips with it. ''The pleasure is mine,'' he said. ''Miss Emily, James has told me a lot about you. He says your dancing is exemplary, would you do me the honor of adding me to your dance card?''
''Yes, sir, it would be a pleasure. I look forward to it.'' She noticed how Edward looked at her. It was the look her mother had told her about. When a man's eyes drop from your eyes to your chest, it's one thing, but when his eyes travel back again you know he is interested in you, she'd always said. And if her mother had known how women looked at men, she would have seen that Emily was more than interested in Mr. Edward Dirksen.
''I am sorry to hear that your mother passed away recently,'' Edward said. Emily dropped her eyes to the floor. ''I see that I have upset you. I only mention it because the same thing happened to me, five months ago.''
Emily looked up at him sympathetically. If he knew how she felt, he would understand why she sometimes didn't want to get out of bed. ''I am sorry to hear that. It is a terrible feeling isn't it?''
''Yes indeed it is. Perhaps I should have expected it at my age.''
''Why, sir?''
''I am twenty-nine, and I suppose the older you get, the more likely it is that your will lose your parents.''
Ten years older than me, she thought. Interesting, why hasn't he got a wife? It isn't because of his looks, perhaps he has been too cautious and prospective wives had become tired of waiting for him. ''I think whenever it happens it is terrible.''
''Let us talk of something more pleasant,'' he said. ''May I tell you how extremely beautiful you are?''
''Thank you, sir. I am pleased you find me so. May I ask what you do for a living?''
''I am a gentleman. I support several good causes but mostly I am involved with a church group which helps people in need.''
''So you are rich,'' she said with a smile.
''Yes I suppose you could say I am. My family owns an estate in Surrey called Cobham Hall. Perhaps you've heard of it?''
''Yes, I have been there. I am sure my father did some building work there. I used to go with him. It was in summer, maybe three years ago.''
''Yes that's it. I think the firm was called Lucas.''
''Then it was my father. I remember your house. Oh, it's very beautiful, and the gardens are fabulous.''
''My mother was the gardener, I'm afraid it doesn't look nearly as pleasant now.''
They danced with each other, and he was very impressed by Emily's ability. She was light and graceful, and the sight of her smiling at him as her breasts wiggled made him feel excited. He already knew he wanted her.
*****
Henry Lucas bit into one of the apples his daughter had brought him. It was the only one he had left, the others had all been stolen, as had the bread and butter. As the sweetness engulfed his palate, he closed his eyes and thought of his wife. When her pretty face rolled across his mind, he cringed at her last words. ''Look after our daughter.'' He hadn't, he was stuck in this place, leaving her to fend for herself.
''Henry Lucas, are you in here?'' a voice shouted from the front of the cell he was sitting in with twelve other men.
He stood up and looked at the shaft of light coming in as the door opened.