Prologue – America 1806
Serena let a stray tear fall down her cheek as she stared at the grave, 'William Dunes' her fathers grave. She was all alone in the world now. They had tried to contact her fathers step brother, but after hearing nothing for three weeks, they had both given up hope. Who would want to let a poor 16 year old into their home anyway.
William Dunes loved his daughter dearly, he wanted the very best for his only child. But when his wife, the only woman he'll ever love, died, he lost a part of himself. He turned to drink and gambling to forget himself. Soon he had gambled away there home and William and his daughter had fled that night with only the clothes that were on their backs. For a year they had drifted to different towns and cities to try and reclaim his lost fortune, whilst trying to hide from the people he owed money to. But in the end they had caught up with him and he paid with his life.
So Serena had been left at the small inn where her and her father had been staying last, the woman who owned the inn had took pity on her and had told her she could stay as long as she worked her keep. They had buried William in his final resting place, Serena had picked a spot underneath a tree, she had placed a flower on his grave saying,
"You'll finally be with mother again papa."
Serena couldn't help feeling as though she was to blame for her fathers turnabout. She was the spitting image of her mother, with flowing silver hair and bright eyes.
Before her mother had died they were a very close family, laughter and love filled Serena's childhood, they were well off and Serena had anything she wanted, lovely dresses, a large mansion, her own maid and her own pony named Willow.
But then her mother had come down with a illness that left her bedridden, Serena had prayed that her mother would live and just as it seemed she was about to get better her mother had caught pneumonia and had died.
It was then she noticed her fathers changed state, when she had wanted comfort he had not been able to bring himself to hold her because she looked so much like his lost love. And then he had started drinking which ended up leaving them desolate and with no family to turn to for help they had fled in the dead of night. They had been relying on Williams step brother for a final chance but for all she knew he could be dead as well. Her father was a proud man and hated asking for help but he knew his time was shortening fast and so had sent a brief letter asking to take care of his daughter Serena. He obviously didn't want the commotion and so now she was left on her own.
The woman who had taken her in was called 'Helga' a tall, plump woman who was tough but fair, she was a widow with two sons and they all helped run 'The Brokeback Inn'. Serena could never thank the woman enough, she was given her own room, although it was small, it was dry and had a small bed. And so Serena began picking back together the pieces of her broken life.