Chapter 1

Durlish Park Estate

Berkshire, England

3rd January 1881

The light was barely there, the early winter light bluish grey, the large window of the servants hall further dimming the light due to the fog of condensation on the glass. The bitter cold of the winter chill battling with the heat from the house, the heat bellowing out of the kitchen as the kitchen staff worked hard, preparing the food for the day. The room was full despite the early hour, the servants all running through their daily chores, mentally preparing for the monotony of the day.

Sully jerked upright in his seat as with a clatter the dishes were almost dropped on the table, the dish heaped with fluffy yellow eggs too heavy for the small wiry hall boy. Sully stood and held his hand out, taking the dish containing the toasted bread so that the young boy could put the plates down without smashing them on the table.

"Thanks," Jack whispered, small and shy, his dark hair fell into his blue eyes and he gave Sully a grateful smile.

Sully nodded retaking his seat and looking back at the smooth worn surface of the servant hall table. He stayed still as the daily battle for the best piece of bread and the biggest scoop of eggs began. The first footman won the battle, grabbing hold of the spoon a moment before anyone else, seeing the other servants off with a triumphant sneer.

"When you are quite finished Griffith," Sully smiled slightly as the housekeeper strode confidently in to the servants hall and fixed the young man with a steely glare. She moved to her seat at the right of the head of the table and sat down before looking expectantly towards the breakfast. "Well someone be mother then," she barked opening her white napkin and setting it across her black uniform. "I would like to remind everyone that Her Ladyship shall be downstairs this morning at 10am to deliver her instructions for the week ahead. That mess outside in the hall will need to be moved," she looked directly at the poor put upon Jack. "Thank you Deirdre."

Sully shook his head, using the housekeeper's distraction to ensure the young boy knew he had a chance to eat his breakfast. "Thank you," he smiled weakly at the young woman beside him who had handed him his breakfast.

"One imagines…" The booming voice of the butler sounded, his sentence blocked out by the noise of chairs being pushed back as the other servants rose. "Be seated," Mr Beardmore muttered waving his hand and sitting in his place at the head of the table. "One imagines that everything is in hand for the shooting party?"

"Of course Mr Beardmore," Mrs Scott the Housekeeper bristles, her round body shimmering with a shake of indignation. "All that remains is for her ladyship to go over the menu with Mrs Amersham."

"Very good," The Butler cleared his throat, but before he had a chance to say anything one of the numerous bells rang behind him on the wooden board behind him. Without turning having worked in the house for decades he looked towards Sully, a small smile playing on his lips as he found that Sully was always half way towards the door.

"Jack," The clean shaven butler looked towards the young boy. "I trust the mess will be sorted before her ladyship comes down this morning?"

"Yes Mr Beardmore," The young boy nodded shoving the remainder of his breakfast into his mouth. Standing the young boy rushed from his seat eager to carry out his task and stay in Mr Beardmore's good book. He paused in the doorway, a small frown on his face as he took in the sight of Sully paused at the top of the stairs.

"Come on you don't dawdle," Jack jumped and turned terrified before giving a sigh of relief as he realised it was Millie, one of the chambermaids who although her position in the house was much more senior to his, spoke to him like an equal. "Is he sick?" Millie asked catching sight of Sully for a brief moment.

"No," Jack shook his head, "but something is wrong."

"How would you tell? He never says anything," Millie muttered tucking a loose strand of her ebony coloured hair into her bun.

"Sure he does, you just gotta know how to listen to him," Jack sighed. "I best get on."

Millie looked at the young boy curiously. "I'll help you, come on. Beatrice won't be ringing for an hour or so yet." She smiled reassuringly at Jack before looking back to the top of the stairs to the space vacated by the mysterious American, who had come to them under such curious and painful circumstances, wondering what communication that Jack was picking up from Sully's lonely silence.

"It's quite remarkable!"

Sully nodded his head respectfully as Alfred Hess, his Lord and direct employer studied his grey woollen jacket.

In his mid-forties the Lord of Ainscough was of a similar age to Sully, but their lives could not have been more different. The Lord had lived a life of privilege and parties, never wanting for anything, his only hardship coming when his father had died five years ago and he had inherited the estate and with it the duties that meant for the first time he had had to work for a number of hours a day.

"How on earth did you manage to get that stain out? I had thought that this jacket was beyond repair. Such a shame as it is one of my favourites, but I see it is now saved from the rubbish pile."

Sully nodded, the man before him had no real interest in how the stain had been removed and was simply pleased that his coat had been saved. "Well, very well done." The Lord sent Sully a beaming smile through the mirror, slowly his gaze shifted to the cold window, his hazel eyes widening with the sight of the condensation and the knowledge that the air outside would be bitterly cold. "Sully, I don't suppose that I could put upon the request that you walk Fallon today."

"Of course my Lord," Sully nodded respectfully, secretly pleased that he was able to get out of the house he hated so much.

"Excellent." The Lord of the house gave a sigh of relief. "Well I shall not keep you, Fallon will be in far more need of your attention then I."

"My Lord," Sully bowed his head, reprieved for a moment, able to get away from the job that he hated, able to get a moment to himself away from the chaos of the house that was in no way his home.

He crouched beside the dog as the elderly brown gundog gave up on its walk. Fat and old, Fallon had had enough, the tired animal slumping onto the frost covered lawn and gave Sully an apologetic and pathetic look.

"No matter boy," Sully scratched the animal behind his ears. The animal gave an indulgent noise, luxuriating in the attention. Slowly Sully tipped his head to look up at the house. It was a building that he hated, the huge imposing building was beautiful, but it was not his home, it was not that wooden cabin he had built for his family, it was big and airy and cold so unlike what he was used to. The people here, were kind, even the Master who for all his failings he did seem to genuinely care about his staff and he had allowed him to stay, to work his way back. Sully sighed, he hated Durlish Park, not because it wasn't his world but because he was away from his family. He knew he could live anywhere do any job when he was near them, but here so far away from them, it was so hard, so difficult. He just needed to work another few months and then he would have saved enough money to get back to America, enough money to get back to her and his children. Enough money to search for her, to find why she had not responded to any of his letters; enough money to be able to get to them and hold them safe in his arms. So tight he would never let them go again. He would find them, he would find her, until he did he was not a full person, without her he felt like nothing, like he was missing a limb, like a huge part of him was missing, his best part, his part with her.