Jack arose that morning. The sunlight peeked through the panes on his window. He ran a hand through his rustled raven black hair. "What a lovely fall morning." He said smiling. He rose out of his bed, and walked across the cold room. The dark wooden floorboards creaked beneath him. He reached his boudoir and chose an outfit for the day. A casual yet elegant brown suit. It was fall, the year was 1882. He went back over to his desk, and looked at the papers. Investments and bank certificates crowded most of the desk. He looked at the small letter that had been sitting on the corner of his desk for almost a month now. He picked it up, to read it again, for almost the millionth time.

Master Johnathon,

I have written to inform you that my grandniece will be moving to your town of Hallows Wood. She has just suffered the death of her parents, my brother and sister and law, who perished in a terrible fire. She will be living with my oldest brother, Franklin, who can be somewhat protective. Please welcome her and bestow upon her your kindness. I will visit soon upon her arrival as well. Many thanks and I will be seeing you soon,

Your good friend,

Timothy Dransworth

Jack gave a slight chuckle, as he placed the letter down. Timmy, or Timothy, was an old mentor, and a good friend to him. He was also a close friend of the family. Timothy and Jacks own father had attended the university together. Jacks father had Jack study under Timothy in investments and how to handle money, after Jack had finished school.

Jack sighed. He was slightly anxious. He fixed his tie in the mirror. He kept adjusting it over and over. Jack couldn't get it as perfect as he wanted. The young Miss Dransworth was arriving today, and the Skelersons were preparing a special banquet for her arrival. Most individuals in the town were invited. Hallows Wood, was a very wealthy town. Well, it really was a small city rather than a town, and everyone lived quite comfortably. Mind you, it had a few factories here and there, with lower class workers, but that was the few. Most everyone was middle class, with several upper class members. This included the Skelersons. As Jack walked to his door, he noticed the calendar. "Ah! Only 3 more days till the Hallows Eve celebration!" He thought to himself. Hallows Eve was an important date on the calendar. The town and its inhabitants loved superstition, especially ghosts and demons and such. Yes, they were religious, but they enjoyed engrossing themselves in fantasies of witches and ghouls.
"Master Johnathon, the Mr. and Mrs. are waiting." Peters, their butler, called out. "Coming Pete" Jack called back. He adjusted his tie one last time, and took a long look at himself in the mirror. He saw a tall lean man staring back, taller than most. He looked at the narrow face, with deep brown eyes and raven black hair. "Master-"Peters began again. "Coming!" Jack cried. Jack quickly ran downstairs. He almost flew down the elegant mahogany staircase.

He then swiftly and casually landed in the breakfast room. His mother and father were sitting in two elegant stuffed chairs, having tea. "Goodness Johnathon, you bolted down those stairs so quickly! That is NOT how you were raised." His mother sighed softly but sternly, while drinking tea out of a porcelain cup. "AND you slept through breakfast. Johnathon, it is a half past ten! We are already at tea time!" His father said sternly. "You cannot continue behaving like this at your age! My son, you are already 18, almost 19. You'll be marrying soon! This is not how you will be able to behave as man of the house." Jack sighed as he sat down. "Do not worry father, it was only this morning." He said, reassuring the man. Juliet walked in. "Would the young sir like tea?" She spoke, in almost a whisper. Juliet was a quiet girl with brown braids, who worked as the one of the maids in the estate. "Yes please Juliet. Tea would be lovely." Jack said, giving her a charming smile. Juliet turned red and walked quickly off into the kitchen. "You SHOULD stop doing that John dear." His mother sighed, placing down the cup and saucer. "Taunting the working women like that. They might receive the wrong idea." "Oh mother" Jack sighed. "Do not fret. I intend on marrying someone of high class, like myself." "There is Duchess Marilynn down the road." His mother replied. "I do believe she fancies you." "And there is Miss Selina and her older sister Miss Eleanor," Jacks father stated. "Why are you wasting your charm on these, working people? You should be courting them." His father sighed, picking up a book. "But-, I do not find anything…interesting about them." Jack stated. "What's this about being interesting? They are upper class girls and highly respected. THAT should be interesting enough." Jacks mother replied in a stern voice, picking up her tea again. "I am going to go take a walk." Jack stated, as he got up from the chair. "Jo-" His mother started. "No Charlotte, let him be." His father stated softly and solemnly. Juliet came in with the tea. "Juliet. There will be no tea for Master Johnathon right now." His father said solemnly. "Oh, yes sir." Juliet murmured softly, walking back to the kitchen with the tray.

Jack was briskly walked out of his house. "Interesting. Hah! Those girls are about as interesting as those encyclopedias in the drawing room!" he thought to himself. "Sure they're…charming, sweet, but there is no spark to them. No special…thing!" Jack thought to himself. He sighed exasperatedly. He sat on the wooden bench beneath his favorite tree, near the front gates and fence of his home. "Something is missing. I feel this…emptiness...I need someone to fill it." He thought to himself, placing his hand on his chin, so that his elbow was on his knee in a pondering-pose. "Jackey! Jackey! Jackey!"Jack heard three voices calling out his name. It was the three middle class orphans, Lucas, Savannah and Benjamin. They were orphans, in the sense that their parents had either abandoned them or had died. But a kind man named Octavius, who had taken them in. They did not go to school, because they did not like it. They enjoyed working, but mainly pulling pranks on people. "Jackey! Have you seen the new lady?" Benjamin asked. He had a round face. He was wearing a somewhat dirty shirt with one sleeve rolled up. "Yes! The new Miss!" Lucas said smiling. His face was long and narrow. He had a somewhat neater shirt than Benjamin, but he still looked a little rugged. "She's very pretty! Like a dolly!" Savannah cried out. Savannah had wavy hair that poofed out. She wore a dress with an apron and rugged boots and bloomers. Jack smiled. "No, I have not seen her yet. From the way you describe her though, she does sound quite lovely." He said to the orphans. "Yes! And Ottie has been interested in her as well!" Savannah cried out. "Yeah, Ottie seems interested in her!" Lucas added. "Oh really." Jack said in a somewhat serious voice.

Octavius Bullsman. He was a man in-between classes. Middle and Upper. He did have control over wealthy sums of land, yet he was a gambling man. A big gambler at that. Everything he wanted to make into a game for money, or something. Always trying to gain. Jack had grown up with him. When Octavius was young, they used to be best friends. He was funny, smart and cunning. Everything changed when he reached 13, and his mother died. His father was not a very supportive father, or a good one at that. Octavius attended school till the final grade, but never attended a university. After his father passed, Octavius inherited loads of land from his one uncle, because he was his uncles' only living relative. This was when he began gambling. He would have his winning streaks, then his loosing. He enjoyed flirting with the ladies as well. But, Octavius did have a heart. The orphans, he had found them in one of the cities on his gambling travels. Feeling sorry for them, he took them all in. Of course, most of the money that they made went into a "savings" for them. But Jack had hope that one day Octavius' heart would return to its normal self.

"Lookey! Lookey! The window!" Savannah cried, shaking Jack, snapping him out of zoning out. Jack looked diagonally across the way into the window. There, he saw HER.