Lady Mary had just woken up from her nap and she heard a knock at her door and she called out, "Come in
please."
The door opens and much to Lady Mary's delight it was her dearest friend and servant, Martha Sowerby.
Mary looked up and said, "Martha is it really you?"
"Aye Lady Mary it is me Martha. I have come to serve you once again." Martha said.
"Martha, Martha I am so glad to see you." Mary said.
"I heard ye were back and I came immediately to serve you. I heard the sad news of Lord Craven's passing
away." Martha said.
"Yes Lord Archie passed away and his funeral and internment will be tomorrow it will take place at St. Ann's
Anglican Church in Thwaite Village." Mary said
"I see ye need help unpacking." Martha said
"Oh yes, I don't have much." Mary said, "I mean to get around to do it, but the trip from Switzerland to
England has left me tired out."
"That is why I am here to help ye and serve ye." Martha said and walked over to Mary's luggage and started
to unpack it.
"Oh Lady Mary, how beautiful whereever did you get the flocks?" Martha asked
"Some were presents, some were not. You may have one or two of them for surely I will not be wearing
them." Mary said, "They are not my style."
"May I have the pink and yellow one Lady Mary." Martha asked
"Yes of course take them they are yours." Mary said, "I dont' like such gaudy dresses. I prefer mine simple
according to the rules of simplicity."
"Oh thank ye Lady Mary I wil save them to wear to church on Sunday." Martha said placing the dresses a side
and continued to put Lady Mary's things away.
As Lady Mary and Martha reminiscence with each other. There came another knock at her door and Mary said,
"Come in Collin, who else can it be."
Collin opens the door to Mary's room and says, "I see you are up and Martha is helping you to unpack."
"Yes I am glad to see she is still here. I would miss her." Mary said.
"How did you rest?" Collin asked
"I rested very well. I had a dream about the garden." Mary says.
"How did you rest my dear Collin?" Mary asks
"I would have rested better if you were by my side." Collin says.
"Collin my dearest love I have never been touched by a male I am still a maiden. I wish to remain so until
we are legally wedded." Mary said
"I can understand that you wish to save yourself until our wedding night." Collin said.
"Yes I want it to be special for both of us." Mary said.
"Any time spent with you is special." Collin said.
"How sweet of you to say so." Mary said kissing Collin.
Collin was taken back by Mary's display of love and affection. It was a side of Mary he had never seen and
smiled and kissed her back.
"How shall we ever live without Uncle Archie?" Mary said
"We will have to learn because it is what he would expect of us." Collin said.
"I am glad atleast he has the last 13 years of his life spent in happiness ." Mary said.
"Yes father actually got out and started to see old friends after you brought us both back to life." Collin
said, "I knew that father would never remarry as his love was only for my late mother as my love is only for you."
Collin said.
"I have no memories of my late parents being happy." Mary said, "My late mother was such a socialite."
"My late father was dedicated to his military duties." Mary said, "The only time I saw father was on my
birthday and Christmas. He gave me a gift of money."
"Mother never once came to see me. I was nothing but a burden to her so therefore she never saw me after
I was born." Mary said.
"I remember my father. He was tall, distinguished looking, and handsome." Mary said, "I thought my late
mother very pretty I would watch her from a distance. She never saw me watching her."
"Mary did Uncle Albert ever talk about my late mother his sister?" Collin asked
"I was very young but on occasion my father did talk about Aunt Lily with great love and affection." Mary
said
"I once heard my late mother tell my late father that Aunt Lily had married a man with a infirmity and if
she had any children by him they would also be born with it." Mary said, "My late father got mad and told my late mother she
was never to talk about his sister and brother in law disrepectful. He said to mother, Rose if my sister Lily is happy with
Lord Archibald Craven I am happy for her." Mary said
"Mother sat there and laughed and said, "Your sister never did have good taste in suitors. She will regret
it."
"My father got mad once again, and mother remained quiet for she knew he had a temper but knew how to hold
it." Mary said.
"Aunt Rose was a despiteful young woman." Collin said
"Mother was a courtesan." Mary said, "She flirted with every man at Governor's House."
Collin listened as Mary relays some incidents that happened before they both died of cholera.
Mary ended and Collin said, " I am sorry Aunt Rose was that way. I saw a picture of She and mother together
taken out in the garden right before they sailed to India in 1899."
Mary was silent and said, " It is the past let it stay in the past."
"Yes a good idea." Collin said holding Mary in his arms.
Martha had excused herself so Lord Collin and Lady Mary could be alone together.
The afternoon turned in evening and the evening into night as Collin and Mary sat in her compartments listening
to music and talking with each other.
They both knew the next day was the Funeral and Burial Intenment of Lord Craven.
Mary and Collin were talking before they knew it it was time to say good night to each other until the next
day that they walked together in front of the horse drawn carriage that carried the casket of Lord Craven to his final
resting place.
