Chapter 1- Whiter than Time

Today was a horrible day, absolutely horrible! I open the door to my home just outside the city, it nestles its foundation on top of a hill that overlooks the entrance into the city and captures the best view of my home from the rooftop. However, the snow makes the sight look even more spectacular then in the summer of spring. Anyways, walking inside the head butler of the house, William H. Graythorne, welcomed me with his usual warming smile as he stood clad in his suit holding a tray with a single cup emitting steam from it. Most likely its hot chocolate, my favorite.

William: Welcome home, Master Alexi, how was your...day?

Seeing the expression on my face he snickered a little and called for one of the maids to help me out of my winter coat to reveal the rest of my new...attire.

William: Master Alexi, if you don't mind me stating, when you left this morning you were wearing you school uniform with diligence and finesse...

The maids took my coat and school bag and walked away holding back their laughters. William held back chuckles of his own when he saw the girls school attire that I was made to wear. A white and navy blue plaid skirt that stopped at mid thigh (though on me it looked like a terribly short mini skirt), red sheer stockings, black kitten heels and a white blouse under a sleeveless navy blue vest with the schools emblem on it.

Alexi: Yes, and that was this morning when I was dressed appropriately till Hannah and Annah pulled me out of lunch and had me reenact a murder that happened at a sister school of theirs.

William: They pulled you out of your studies in the middle of the day?!

Alexi: I fit the description of the murdered girl and they asked me to fill in, I got out of an awkward conversation with Nicky Westminster, thank god for that.

I said taking the cup from the tray. Taking a sip I let out an exhale of satisfaction as William took the tray and settled it under his left arm.

William: I swear, that girl has issues beyond the mental ones she's diagnosed to have already.

Alexi: Agreed. The other stressing part of my day was having to go all the way to Sebastian's office near Mudchute to buy him lunch.

William sighed knowing where the rest of the of my thought before it was even said.

William: I'm inclined to have asked if you met any suitors on the way there.

I saw the smirk on his face and smiled slightly at the joke before taking another gulp of my drink.

Alexi: Brother had to endure all the vulgar and suggesting comments that were thrown at him by his colleagues and bystanders.

William chuckled and walked into the living as I followed taking another sip of the chocolaty beverage. The living room, darkly painted in colour was a warm place for our family to sit and bond during holidays and parties. Dark furniture from wall to wall with glass or porcelain figurines and family photos and awards.

To my surprise I saw that the living room was still barren of the holiday decor that was called for this season. The tree had been set up but there was no decorations on it nor the lights, the walls were still cold as if they weren't wearing any clothes.

Alexi: Why isn't the house decorated yet?

William: Your parents asked that we waited to bring out the decorations till the entire family was together.

Alexi: Another "family bonding" thing they were trying out no less. Where are they then?

William: They went to go see you Aunt Judith because she had gotten into another accident, poor gal.

Alexi: Another one? How?

I asked sitting on the red and blue couch in the living room.

William: Sleep walking, that's what the doctors and the police had deduced.

Alexi: Bullocks, somehow the woman has insomnia yet she sleep walks, she's faking obviously.

I am right. There have been several other times that my Aunt Judith has gotten herself into predicaments due to her "insomnia". I've seen with my own eyes that she gets up in the middle of the night and either rehearses or does her nightly routine of false mischief. William then stated that this time she had fallen off the balcony and was found sleeping on the chandelier, feet dangling like the faux crystals adorning the brass.

William: You are your fathers' son, always with a keen eye for details.

Alexi: Sebastian and the twins knew as well but since Uncle Bran's death I guess Aunt Judith just wants some attention.

Uncle Bran was married into the family when I was seven, he was a swell man and had a problem with deduction so Sebastian, the twins and myself would play detective to help him hone his skills so he could protect people like his new wife, brother-in-law and nieces and nephews. Sadly he passed in his sleep while writing a novel about solving a case with the family's help and getting a reward from the queen. We got his work published for Aunt Judith so she could read it every night to remember him.

I looked at the tree and let a sigh escape my lips as i nestled the cup on my partly exposed thighs. No one was here to set up the tree, again. This has been the fourth time that the tree has not been set up a week before a major holiday and that I'm left alone to do everything myself.

William: Master Alexi...

I look up from my lap and see William and some of the maids with boxes in their hands that had "Christmas" written on them in fathers handwriting.

William: Though we may not be blood related but the staff of the house would love to help you set up this years tree and the trimmings.

I smiled at them and sat the cup on the coffee table and stood.

Alexi: I would be delighted if you all assisted me, but I would like to change first before we start.

William: I'm glad you thought so too.

I ran up stairs and into my room which is technically the attic. My room wasn't planned out in the blueprints when the house was made and when I was deemed old enough to inhabit it for myself. My room was designed like an office but with the usual styling of a normal high school boys bedroom. My room had light blue walls with creme and light pastel orange boarder. My bed looked almost like a closet with bins filled with files at the top nearly touching the ceiling. I had a desk directly across the room from it where I wrote in my journal and did my homework. Adjacent from it was my walk in closet that housed all my clothes and soon to be this school girl uniform. Absurd thing, sad fact is that I have a feminine face and my hair is long and can be put into a short ponytail.

Also adjacent to my closet was my wardrobe that was filled with my winter and summer coats and jackets. I always needed then since I got cold in class and the house for some odd reason always had a draft coming in from somewhere. I closed the door behind me and immediately took off the vest and plopped down on my bed and began to unlace my shoes.

Voice: You Londoners wear the strangest things...

I jumped at the sound of a mans voice. Was this really an intruder? Couldn't be, what kind of intruder would invade a mansion on top of a hill, outside of London and would come in through the attic instead of the more practical places? I've had a rough day, from a cold morning to having my ears talked off by Nicky, my sisters making me wear this bloody outfit and having to be cat called by almost every man in England!...I'm losing my mind. I'm going to take this other shoe off and then shed myself of these-

Voice: Going to ignore me are you now? That's not nice at all now is it?

Jumping off the bed I go to my desk and grab the letter opener and walk around the room barefoot trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.

Alexi: Who're you?!

Voice: Come now lad, we haven't got much time, we are on a clock here.

Alexi: Why are you speaking as if you know me?

Voice: I do know you, Alexander Kingsland.

I froze in fear and held the blade my side. A disembodied voice knows my name and is requesting that I follow it somewhere, what the hell is happening today?

(I hope this tickled your fancy, the story will get to the good sexy parts later in the chapters, most likely in the third or fourth. Leave any comments about anything and tell me how much you love or hate it, I don't care either way what you say, you read it if you commented about it. )