A/N: I'm super nervous to post this story because I have no idea how people will take it. This idea has been in the back of my mind for a while now. Read and tell me what you think so far!
Disclaimer: I do not in any way or form own Twilight.
The Secret Door
Chapter One
We've been on this plane for six hours now and I've spent the last three hours aimlessly looking out the window, finding any possible animal shapes from the clouds. I tend to do this when I'm bored, and right now I am beyond bored. My parents and I are on our way to London, England. Most teenagers would think, wow you're lucky, you get to travel the world and see exciting things that most kids our age don't normally get to see. I guess I am lucky, but the thing is, we never actually go sightseeing like on real vacations. My parents work for the American Embassy, so they are constantly working day and night. We're here in London so they can speak with the British Prime minister about foreign relations and economic collaborations, something uninteresting of that nature.
My name is Isabella Swan and I'm eighteen years old, but I often feel much older than what I actually am. I'm about 5 feet and 4 inches with dark russet brown hair and a plain heart shaped face. I wouldn't call myself ugly, but I wouldn't call myself gorgeous either. I'm just an average senior in high school who is looking forward to college. The only feature that makes me stand out are my hazel eyes, which have golden brown irises.
The plane has finally landed and we're waiting outside for our private limo. My mother made reservations at an old Victorian hotel called, 'Chateau Moon'. I know, it sounds like something out of a French romance novel.
Like our countless other ''vacations", I know I'll be spending it all by my lonesome.
We're at the hotel and it has the most beautiful architecture I have ever seen. There are billowing pillars and grand oak doors that lead straight to a winding staircase. The floors are a shiny marble, I can practically see my reflection in them. There has to be at least one hundred rooms on the second floor alone.
Outside, there are statues of earlier residents that actually lived here. The gardens are colorful and seem to go on forever. My room has an enormous canopy bed and a window that looks out to a long river of swans and an elegant fountain. There are maids and butlers at every twist and turn in this place. I honestly don't feel like we're staying in a hotel. It feels more like an 18th century British estate that belongs to royalty.
My parents left to meet with the prime minister an hour ago, so I'm alone in my room, contemplating how to spend the rest of my day. I could take a walk around the gardens, have lunch, or explore the hotel. I've decided to eat lunch in the sitting room, then go exploring. It's not like I have anything better to do on this quiet Sunday afternoon. My parents don't want me walking around the busy streets of London alone so they hired three bulky bodyguards to watch over me, in case I decided to go shopping. What teenage girl wants three men following her every move while shopping?! I know I sure as heck don't.
I'm done with lunch so I decide to take a look around. There are so many paintings covering the walls. One painting in particular that caught my eye is of a young man on a horse. His eyes are a piercing green and his hair is in a disarray of copper. He looks like he could have been my age or a bit older. His features are strong and he has a sense of pride, and he's strikingly handsome. My thoughts wander, and I can't help but imagine what his life was like during his time. I also wonder about what kind of person he was. He could have been smart, a free spirit, or even stubborn. I guess I lost track of time because a maid was calling my name. I tore my attention away from the man's painting to hear her question.
"Hello miss, sorry to be a bother, but are you feeling well today?" My eyebrows were furrowed and my forehead was creased from thinking.
"Yes, I'm fine. I was just going back to my bedroom to take a nap. I feel a bit drained from the plane ride." The maid looked at me and nodded, before I could walk away she spoke with a grin, "that young man was Edward Masen. He was twenty when this portrait was painted. His family lived two hours away from this estate, during 1835. His father Carlisle, was the Duke of Hammersmith and his mother Esme, the Duchess." She then pointed to a painting of a family.
"They were the Dawn family. They were close friends with the Masens. They lived in this estate for quite some time. The man you see there was Charles Dawn, the Duke of Wellington." She eyed the woman sitting by Charles in the painting. "That's his wife, Amelia Dawn, the Duchess of Wellington, England."
"Wow, she is absolutely stunning. She could probably pass as a super model in our time," I replied.
The maid chuckled and continued to tell me more about the Dawns.
"The girl with the short hair, holding the puppy, was Alice Dawn, their youngest daughter, and the young woman next to her was their eldest, Isabella." I stared at Isabella with wide eyes and disbelief. She looked exactly like me, except her hair was a lighter brown and she wore a collection of fine pearls that I would never think to wear. We even have the same name! I was starting to feel lightheaded and dizzy.
"Miss, are you alright? Come, I'll assist you to your bedroom."
I was completely speechless, so all I could do was nod as the maid escorted me to my room.
This vacation just got a hell of a lot more interesting.
