Chapter 1


We come to Emerald Green known as Ireland at twilight. Across the many towns until you come to Port Lairge. Moving out of the town into the far green countryside. You come to a manor. The Manor's lights were all on downstairs, the upstairs was dark. You draw closer to the manor and up the steps, sounds of music and a party can be heard. Opening the door you step into the entrance hall. Seeing a beautiful wooden curve staircase that is the center piece of the entrance way.

Halfway up the staircase is a figure of a girl that had tripped and fell, and did not move. Her arms was across in front of her on the step. Her right check resting on her arms as tears slowly trailed down her face. The girl in question just turned sixteen years. Her eyes are a beautiful dark brown with green and gold accents; her face was kind of round, with high cheekbones, a slight broad forehead. Her nose slightly bigger than a bottom nose. Her hair was a dark brown with beautiful light red strands of hair that was natural, the length of her hair rested at the middle of her back. She was small and thin weighing about ninety-five pounds.

The upper part of her hair was pulled into a beautiful bun, and the rest hung down loosely. The dress she was wearing was a beautiful pearl pink color. The dress itself was floor length; the fabric used for it was chiffon and tulle. The straps of the dress was cap and rested slightly off the shoulders. The neckline of the dress was a V-neck along with the back though it was shallow. Around her waist was a beautiful sash that was tied. On her feet she wore a beautiful dancing shoes. The leather of them was white, the strap of them was split in the center, the front end of them was almond closed shape. The heel was three inches wrap blocked heel.

Down below the stairwell a door opened and couple of figures with hushed tones moved to the entrance hall. One a male, went out the front door and closed it behind him. The other two were females, the younger one quickly left and went down a side hall and pulled open the door to the servant's staircase, and moved up and out of sight. The older one turned with concerned eyes to the figure. Cursing the girl's family with everything she had in her mind. Ailene, she knew would be rolling in her grave with how things became much worse for the child after coming back into their care. In many ways she felt she had failed the young lady in question.

Matthew and Martha had gone way to far this time and it made her blood boil. She moved with a steady pace up the stairs and dropping down beside the girl, she ran her hand soothing up and down the girl's back as she cried. The girl had finally noticed the presence and looked up and saw the woman, beside her. She pulled herself up and the woman drew her into her embrace tightly whispering comforting words to her. Sometime later a voice was heard.

"Aine?"

Looking up and seeing one of the younger maids, "Yes, Quinn?"

"David is back with a couple of others and is in the kitchen."

Here she nodded her head, "We will be down. Go to my room and grab the items off my bed."

"Yes, ma'am." Here the girl scuttled away.

"It's time." She pulled the crying teen up and carefully steered her down the stairs and into the kitchen. There waiting was David and two others. They stood in silence that seemed like a lifetime to them all. Quinn finally came back in with the items, handed an envelope to Aine first.

Aine in returned handed it to the child. She then took the dark green velvet cloak that was given to her and settling it around the girl's shoulders and pulled the hood up. Aine smiled gently at her to ease her fears. This was the start of the last plan that should have been done a few years back.

"I have been selfish me girl, for I should have followed your grandmother's wishes well before this. I have grown to love you like ye are my daughter. It is for this reason and others I have not done my right duties towards you."

The girl's voice was soft and child-like, nonetheless it held an expression of confusion and bewilderment, like her face. "What? That isn't true Aine."

Aine ignored what the girl said and continued, "You are leaving tonight heading to a safer place, away from our homeland. A little is explained in that envelope. You are special and worth more than you realize my dear. You are loved, never forget that."

"But I'm not, if I was than things would be different from what they are!"

"Do you remember what your grandmother told you Jessica, on your eighth birthday?" Aine, asked her sharply.

"She said, she favored me."

Here Aine, nodded grimly. "That you are, you are loved and cherished. It might not seem like you are. You are truly loved."

The young girl touched the small necklace around her neck. The pendent of the necklace was a cross that was made out of pure gold. The cross itself had vines etched around the edges to form the border, and in the center was a rose.

While the two were speaking, David had left the room quickly, passed the main entrance way down the hall towards the ballroom where the sound of laughter and music could be heard loudly. It went silent as he opened and closed the door that was before the ballroom. He moved through the darken room, the only light given was that of the moon, and he made it to the safe.

It took him sometime but he managed to get the right combination of the lock to work and opened the safe. He took out some money and closed the safe. He folded up the money and placed it inside his pocket. He walked out and closed the door. Freezing as his eyes landed on his employee standing there. His tone was low with steel as he asked his worker, "What is it that you are doing?"

Before David could come up with his answer, an older maid shouted down to David. "Aine, found our young mistress, outside sitting on a bench."

Here the two men turned and looked down the hall at the sound of the voice. Relief flooded his face as he called back down the hall, "Thank you Susan. He masked that relief he felt from nearly being caught with his worker's face that he used around the master and mistress of the house, and spoke, "Some of us was looking for our young mistress since she left the party early, Sir."

Here Matthew nodded his head and watched with narrow eyes as his worker moved down the hall. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turning he saw his beautiful wife, "Don't worry dear soon we will not have to worry about our youngest, or that foolish woman. Come back to the party we are just starting the toasts."