As they waited for the absent housekeeper, Johnny was giving out the mail, they was post for every member of staff, and by the looks of things it was all from the same person. Almost at the same time, every opened there own letter.

Dear Felix,

Over the years you've always been there for me. Helped me in times of need, you were willing to marry me for the sake of my respect and I really do appreciate that.

However things are stretching far to out of hand for me to be able to manage any more. There is nothing you can do to help me anymore, although I'm sure you'd have tried. It's all my fault, I've not been honestly truthful with you or anyone for a while.

I ask two favours of you. The first, do something about Frank Keneally before he has chance to ruin everyone's life.

And the second, pray for my soul, I've made more mistakes than I can count, you know them, Walter, the baby, my night with Will (which you know now), however I've tried my hardest.

I wish you well in your life ahead,

Flora x

My dearest Emily,

It would be wish that you thought of me as your daughter-in-law, even if Walter and I never managed to get that far. I always thought of you as a mother, you are twice the woman my mother is.

It would also be my wish that you don't think too badly of me for leaving Walter and yourself and everyone, but you have to understand I can't take anymore.

I hope you feel better knowing that I aren't pregnant, I think I lost my only chance when I was stupid enough to loose my first baby. I would have never been able to give Walter what he wanted, so it's only fair on him, I allow him to move on. I've hurt him enough as is it. You deserve the truth I suppose. I slept with William Forest, just the once, Walter and I had argued, but it's no excuse.

You must know though, I never loved anyone but Walter.

I am truly sorry,

Flora x

P.S. You and Grace must not let Taplows fall apart in my absence.

My dearest little Gracie,

I wish that one day, I'd told you how much I love you. You were the little girl I never had and no matter what happened to you, you always managed to stay on your two feet, something I never managed to do. I have given you and Emily Taplows, promise me you'll look after everything and everyone.

Also, you must do something about your relationship with George, before it's too late. Take it from experience. If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Do it for me.

And stay away from Frank Keneally.

All the love I have left in me,

Flora x

Dear Will,

I know you must hate and despise me, but please try and forget about all that. I don't want you hating your memory of me.

Think of what you must, Frank told me what you thought of me anyway. So even if you think of me as some whore that's fine, as long as it pleases your small mind.

You let me down Will, you really did. You've let Frank hurt me. But I wish you forget about that.

Also you must know, that even though I said I was just using you that night, for that moment when I wasn't thinking about Walter, I really did love you, even if a second later it became lust again.

I must thank you, for bringing me back to life after my accident.

I hope you fall in love and can be happy.

Your lover, mother, friend forever,

Flora x

Frank,

Thanks for making me realising my path.

I'm sorry for depriving you of getting your way with someone more respectable than a whore.

Mrs Ryan.

Upstairs in her room, Rebecca was ripping open her letter.

My dear Rebecca,

I wish you the best of luck for the future. I hope you'll do the right thing and marry for love and your children, than respect. You have the perfect opportunity to marry Andrew, something I never had with Walter, so please do the right thing for those you love, me and most importantly yourself.

I'm sorry I've given up on you, but I can't be strong for you anymore. I've failed and I can't cope with that fact. So it's time I took a new path.

I hope you'll do the right thing.

I'm forever by your side,

Flora x

Downstairs Walter was opening his letter at the same time as the others.

My dearest darling Walter,

Out of all the letters I've written this has been the hardest. I don't know why it should be, I've written letters of sadness and sorrow to you before, but this time, will be the last. You must know this is nothing to do with you… well not entirely. But I can't take anymore.

I know you've found all this very difficult and I apologise if I've made it all harder. I haven't meant too. I wish you'd have come and talked to me, but even if you had I don't know what I'd've said. It's probably best this way.

However I'd hate to leave you on this earth with only bad memories of me, so I've given you something special. I've wrapped up my diary and it's on your desk. My diary from my first day of Taplows to this day. I hope you read and will understand. I want you to know it is the entire truth. Full of my deepest and darkest secrets. Some of which you won't like... some bits which may amuse you. But if you read it all you'll understand. It may help you trigger some memories and hopefully you'll remember it all. I'm sure if there are any blanks in your head, Felix will be able to fill you in.

Finally you must know that I'll always love you. I'll be watching you too, so don't go spending too much money in town.

I wish you the best of luck in the rest of your life.

Forever with you,

Flora x

Nearly everyone finished at the same time and all looked up in horror.

Emily: She's not left her room! They all dart to the door and dash upstairs.

Felix hammering on the door: Flora! Flora! They was no answer. A moment later they were joined by Rebecca who'd dashed downstairs, after finishing Flora's letter On the count of three George. He nods 1… 2… 3! The two men charge into the door. They couldn't look. Felix held his hanky chief up to his nose as he stepped into his room, the mixed smell or alcohol and something rotting. Rebecca took one glance and turned and sobbed into Andrew's shoulder. George managed to catch Emily before she hit the floor. Felix and Will dashed forward, Felix stood on the chair by the window, reaching up and releasing the rope from the curtain rail, while Will caught her, gently lowering her onto the bed. Felix took her pulse, he sighed, and carefully released the rope from around her neck. Will look around the room sadly. He picked up a split ink bottle on her desk, which was leaking over some scattered blank papers. Grace passed him a hanky chief and made her way to the window, closing the curtains. She then bent down and picked the empty bottles of brandy and whiskey off the floor, passing them to Will. Flora had laid candles on her drawers and bedside table, most had gone out, but a few or the bigger ones were still dying. Lying on a book on her bedside table was a single rose, each of the red petals had a hole burnt through the middle of it. Grace went to discard of it, but Felix lay a hand on hers and shook his head. At the end of her bed was a collection of things; a shawl, a book on Italy, a half burnt picture of what looked like herself, a piece of baby clothing, which Grace recognised as the one she'd made for Flora when she was pregnant, a letter and on the top a ring, which was undoubtedly her engagement ring.

When Emily came round, she kissed Flora's lifeless forehead and whispered a prayer for her, before turning and making her way to her room. The rest of the staff began to evaporate, a few muttering prayers, a few unable to look, a few daring to stroke her hair or squeeze her hand. Grace refused to leave her side, George tried to pull her away but she shook her head and pushed him away. Felix kissed the crown of her head and made his way out. Rebecca now kissed Flora on the cheek, followed by Andrew, she whispered something in her ear and turned. She stopped in front of Walter, who was leaning on her doorframe and staring at her. Rebecca leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, before carrying on. Andrew passed and lay a gentle hand on his arm, before following her out, leaving Grace, Will and Walter.

He needed to read the diary, he needed to understand this woman, he knew nothing about, except the fact he was once in love with her. He turned and without a backward glance, strode downstairs. With the help of Will, Grace changed Flora into her favourite dress and sat her up and brushed through her soft hair, leaving it hanging over her shoulders, they lay her back down and relit fresh candles. Grace picked up her engagement ring and placed it back on the finger it belonged, while Will lay a fresh white rose on top of the things at the bottom of her bed. Grace squeezed her hand, one last time and kissed her twice on either cheek and then once on her forehead for good luck, pulling away she whispered her prayer and stood by her desk, waiting for Will. Will leant down and kissed her gently on the tip of her nose, and then softly on her lips. Pulling away a single tear rolled down his cheeks, even if she'd never loved him, he'd loved her and always would. Slowly the pair made their way to the door, making their way out, closed it quietly… as if not wanting to wake her from her peaceful sleep.

Down in his office, Walter is unwrapping the paper around the diary and flicking it open he read the first entry.

30th June 1845

A fresh start. This is my new beginning… a second chance, I'm always ready for a new beginning. Taplows is a beautiful big building, like nowhere I've ever worked. It's surroundings is peaceful, miles of greenery with the scattered pinks and yellows of wild flowers.

The family seem alright… as alright as a family of aristocrats can be. After Lady Caroline stopped looking like she wanted to spit at my feet and his Lordship managed to look at my face rather than my breasts, I was introduced to the butler and the under butler.

The butler, Mr Jarvis, seems pleasant enough, really quite dashing. I think that is the first time I've ever been aroused by someone yelling a set of rules at me. Slightly disturbing. The Under-butler was quite different, Mr Keneally, I think he had a dead eye cause he couldn't seem to stop staring at me. I already don't like him. I was watching him earlier, one minute he's yelling instructions at one of MY maids and next he's grabbing a feel of anyone that passes him. Mr Jarvis seems much more of a gentleman. Like his friend Mr Kraus, the chef. He seems a little… not sure of the word… eccentric, but is nice enough. I think I'm going to like it here.

End of entry.

Walter stood up to pour himself a brandy… dashing… at his age? He hadn't been called dashing for a good few years before she arrived. He re-reads that first entry, how had she got such a good feel of the place and the people on her first day? Was it just the magic of her writing? Or was she just a perfect read of character and object?

The more he read of this intriguing woman's life the more he noticed his name. He was now mentioned on nearly every entry, she didn't seem obsessive, but neither did she seem aware of the fact he was mentioned so much. The more he read, the more he began to realise how early they'd fallen in love with each other, even if they hadn't known it. They were odd entries that were just about the two of them, whether they were little entries or pages. He read one entry about once during afternoon tea when their conversation had strayed from their subject and Walter was doing one of his impressions of the Earl. They was a certain paragraph she'd written that he kept reading and couldn't help thinking about.

I couldn't stop laughing! I was hysterical! As he stopped talking, the weirdest thing happened. I was pouring him some tea and he reached over my shoulder to get it and as he did, he rested his opposite hand on my shoulder. I felt a little tingle go through my body. But instead of letting go when he'd got his tea, he trailed his hand all along my back to the other shoulder.

He smiled. It was strange how one little gesture like that could mean so much to someone. As he read through more, he noticed he was not just being mentioned for good now, they'd been arguing a lot lately. However there was one little entry that seemed a break from that.

19th August 1847

I knew we should never have left Keneally in charge of the days off, he only went and mixed it all up! It's my afternoon off today along with Mr Jarvis'. I don't even want to imagine what sort of chaos the house is going to be in, with us both away.

End entry

She'd obviously written that in the morning. The next bit must have been written that evening.

19th August 1847 10pm

Mr Jarvis took me to the park, it was really enjoyable. We both ate strawberry and vanilla ice-cream as we walked round the pond and watched the ducks. As we walked down the slope, we heard a band playing in the bandstand, cellos, violins, trumpets. They were loads of people dancing on the field. Whether he danced with me to be polite or whether he used it as an excuse to wrap his arms around me, I'll never know, but I'm just glad no one recognised us.

End Entry

Walter sat back in his chair and shut his eyes, imagining that day.

It'd been the hottest day of the year and he could still remember what clothes she'd been wearing, a light blue dress, with short sleeves. If he concentrated hard enough he could smell her that day, her sweet perfume, mixed with the slightest hint of sweat, as she whispered in his ear.

Flora: You know if somebody saw us, you know what they'd think.

Walter: Let them.

He could still remember the look on her face when he'd whispered those two words.

As he read more, things got icier between them, he was beginning to reach the boundaries of his memory now. However what surprised him, was as he read he remembered it all. This particular day, she seemed to have written it in more of a hurry, she must have been writing in her lunch break. It was the day she found out about the wages scam. She seemed confused and her writing was rambled, saying what an unfeeling gentleman he was, how he'd disgusted her and how shocked she was at him. She finished her entry by writing that she didn't know what to do. Underneath that was written 8 words, which weren't part of the entry. They'd been written as if she'd been practising her handwriting or was totally unaware of what she was writing.

I think I've fallen in love with him

Later the same date was written again and the entry read.

17th September 1849 9:34pm

I couldn't turn him in.

After that he was mentioned rarely, and when he was they were words of hatred. Slowly, his nose still in the diary he went and sat at the dining table, with the rest of the staff, lower and higher staff eating together for a change, but he wasn't eating. Every now and again the staff would look up at him, as he muttered 'that was her!' or 'she never did!' He was now reading one of her cold entries about him.

New Years eve 1849

Mr Kraus wants the two of us to talk things through, I can't really see it happening. I think he thinks the two of us have feelings for each other! Could he be any more dense! I don't have any feelings what so ever towards Mr Jarvis! That's ridiculous!

As Walter examined the entry closes he saw her hand must have been shaking and their were what looked like tear smudges ever so often.

He hardly ever looks at me! He's going to Bristol tomorrow and I for one will be relieved to see the back of him! If he is going to be so cold with me I may as well just… I'll throttle him one day!

End entry

Walter smiled, he just imagine her sat at her desk, bending her quill in frustration, with tears rolling down her cheeks. After that her entries became more mushy again, saying how much she wanted him, but how much she knew he hated her. He was apparently being cold and inconsiderate to her feelings. He could now remember what she was talking about. He wished he'd handled it all differently. He was just thinking about this when a very disturbing entry caught his eye. All the men were at Cumberland except Will.

15th February 1850

I need the men back! The worst thing happened tonight! William Forest was helping me… tidy up the cloth cupboard. Alright we were flirting! But I think- I think! When he put his hand on my waist to reach past me, I- I imagined it was Walter and maybe had a------- tiny orgasm.

Walter gasped! Had he just read that right! Everyone turned to look at him, as he burst out laughing. He couldn't stop! He was in hysterics. Everyone looked at him in horror!

Emily coldly: Funny book? He nods, unable to speak Really? What's it called? sarcastically interested

Walter: The Account of Taplows through the eyes of Flora Ryan. They all look at him In other words her diary.

Felix/Emily: You are reading her diary!

Emily: Walter how could you? She is lay upstairs-!

Walter cutting across her: She wanted me to read it, she said it in her letter. She is so funny this woman, amazing. He read that last sentence again and cracked up again. He looked up at Will and nodding said Thank you, very, very, very much. Will looks puzzled at him.

Emily: Walter could you be any more unfeeling? The woman has just died!

Walter: Mother this is Flora Ryan we are talking about! If she knew you were wearing black she throttle you in your sleep. You know how much she hated being serious. Just read this entry! NO DON'T! As she reached for the diary.

Emily: Oh! her voice teasing is she talking about you?

Walter: She isn't actually! She talking about her and Mr Forest…

Will: Really? suddenly interesting

Walter: Nothing… lustful! I haven't got their yet. he says bitterly Just something about when we were in Cumberland without you. Something she said about you and I which was really amusing. He then becomes engrossed again with her entries. He was now beginning to get to the beginning of their relationship, with him returning from Cumberland, he reads the entry of their first kiss and he able to remember what she'd felt like in his hands, what she'd felt like so close.

I didn't want him to stop kissing me. I didn't want him to unwrap his arms from around me.

Felix: What is it? looking at Jarvis' tearful face.

Walter: I'm beginning to remember, everything I'd forgotten. He carefully passes him the diary and allows him to read the moment of their first kiss, carrying on to the next morning when Felix had told her about his wife and her fury and upset. Felix glanced at Walter and saw his far away face. He smiles encouraging and passes the diary back to him. Over the rest of dinner, Walter read everything he'd forgotten. The ups and downs of their relationship, their special moments, the first time they slept together, Mrs Stanwick, the mix up with Felix and the moment she found out she was pregnant, his proposal and then her accident, her calling off the engagement, his pig-headedness… William Forest, reading that broke his heart, but things she wrote after that, began to pick him up again, their reunion, his second proposal… then his accident. Reading this and what came after it really broke his heart. He'd know idea what had been going through her head, she was confused, upset, longing for someone to hold her… she'd written she'd been thinking about visiting Will's arms again, but had written she loved Walter to much to do that again. He now remember everything all this, and everything that went in between, all the day in between which she described in little detail he could recall perfectly. But what he read now was the last straw… written on the page of yesterday's date, was what Frank had done to her or tried to do to her, his threats. Then the last moments of her life… he found unbearable to read. And he knew deep down, no matter what she wrote, it was his fault. He'd driven her away and as a result, Frank had begun to take advantage and now… now she was lay upstairs… lonely. As he had read people had begun to make their way to bed, the pressure of the day, obviously getting to them and the prospect of tomorrow looking far from inviting. Now only Felix and Emily were left. He looked at them, holding back tears and slowly closed the book, laying it down on the table, before whispering. I don't think she ever knew how much I loved her. He breathed in deeply, as Felix and Emily glanced at each other. Not knowing what to do or say, when Walter burst into tears, resting his head on the table. Carefully Emily stood up and leant down beside him, wrapping her arms around him and whispering soothingly.

Emily: She did. She knew you loved her, just as much as she loved you.

Walter: I could have stopped this. Emily shakes her head

Emily: If you think of it like that, you'll never be able to move on and that's what Flora would want. To see you happy.