Hello everyone! Apologies for the long delay in a chapter as I am working a 6 day a week job with 12 hour day so I have had no time to write! Anyway enjoy this chapter and please review. Love Miffygirl18 xxx

Chapter 58 – Unwanted Revelations:

As the weeks passed, the skies slowly lost its permanent hue of soulless grey and the ground started to thaw as spring reared its sleepy head. Every day except if the rain was intolerable, Annabelle dutifully took Tiko out on his daily walk in the park and she was enjoying them more as the weather was becoming warmer and sunnier.

"Tiko! Catch!" Annabelle called out as she chucked a good-sized stick and sure enough Tiko bounded after it. He was quickly growing up and would soon no longer a small chocolate drop of a puppy. He was loyal like his namesake, not far from Annabelle's side either under the table in the schoolroom, dozing in her lap when she read in her room or keeping her feet warm as she slept.

"Good boy!" Daisy smiled as he came back, proudly holding the stick in his mouth before dropping it so that they could throw it again. Daisy was accompanying her as Jane and Tarzan could see that both the girls were now very good friends and they felt that Annabelle needed regular playtime with a girl of her own age. Even though Mrs Griggs groaned about the diminished help in the kitchen, everyone could see that Annabelle was a lot happier with having Daisy as a companion. As Daisy threw the stick, Annabelle spotted something, something small and green poking out of the ground that she had never seen before.

"Look! Miss Lyons!" Annabelle called out in excitement as she went over to investigate and saw that it was a small budding plant, slowly emerging from the ground.

"Yes Annabelle, what have you found?" Miss Lyons came over to the girls, Annabelle pointing at the plant whilst Thomas stood a few feet away.

"What is it Miss Lyons?"

"Why that is a snowdrop Annabelle or 'Galanthus nivalis' to be precise. It literally translates as 'milk flower of the snow.'"

"I thought it was too cold for flowers to grow now," Annabelle replied as she observed the tiny white drop shape of its petals.

"They are usually the first plants to grow. They are a sign that spring is coming."

"So we will see more flowers?"

"Yes, snowdrops first, then daffodils and then the bluebells. They are all flowers that grow from bulbs and they grow en masse, so you will see a carpet, a sea of white, then yellow and then purple with the bluebells."

"Really!" Annabelle's eyes were wide with excitement at the thought of a carpet of flowers.

"Yes, there is woodland near my family home in Oxford where snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells grow by the thousands. No one knows when they were first planted, but it was my favourite place to play when I was a girl." Miss Lyons swallowed as memories of her running through the trees and laying amongst the sea of flowers with no one but the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze and sweet birdsong. It was the only place that she truly felt free, it was the only place that he didn't get her.

"Will there be roses?" Annabelle's voice suddenly interrupted Miss Lyons' reverie and she shook her head as she came back from her daydream.

"No, not until the summer."

"I love roses," Daisy smiled at Annabelle, "I hope one day I will have a sweetheart that will give me one."

"One!" Annabelle retorted, "You deserve a whole bunch of roses Daisy!" Daisy beamed at that and gave her friend an affectionate squeeze.

"Do you have flowers in Yorkshire too Thomas?" Annabelle asked as he approached the group of the women, finishing the dregs of his cigarette.

"Oh aye Miss Anna," he nodded sagely. "We 'ave lots of wildflowers in t'Dales. We 'ave seas of flowers too, gorse and heather. It's a raight bonny sight seeing t'moors turning purple."

"Yes quite," Miss Lyons nodded, avoiding his gaze and then her mouth dropped in exasperation. "Ok Tiko! You naughty boy!" Tiko had rolled around in a patch of wet mud and was now caked in the stuff!

"Well at least it's t'same colour as 'is fur!" Thomas chuckled as Miss Lyons struggled to clip the lead back on Tiko's collar whilst trying to avoid getting mud on her skirts.

"It's not funny! Tiko stay! Stay!" Miss Lyons snapped as Tiko dashed around her so that the lead wrapped around her legs, covering her wool skirt with mud! The girls couldn't help giggling at the state of the young governess. Thomas dashed over and soon untangled her, Miss Lyons tossing the lead to him in frustration whilst Tiko panted happily, completely unaware of the trouble that he caused.

"Time for a bath, for both of thee," Thomas smiled his irrepressible smile but she didn't smile back. Her pale blue eyes seemed to have a listlessness to them, ever since that fateful night in the laundry room. If eyes were windows to a person's soul, then he could not see one in them. Without saying another word, he held onto Tiko's lead and the group headed back home, now in a sombre mood.

"Do you think that Miss Lyons hates Thomas?" Daisy whispered to Annabelle, the two girls watching the two grownups walking in silence with a large space in between them.

"I don't know," Annabelle replied. "They were friends a while ago, maybe they had a fight?"

"Well he is still sweet on her, even if they are no longer friends."

"Really?"

"Are you blind Anna!" Daisy rolled her eyes to the sky. "Thomas is constantly making sheep's eyes at her and I saw him trying to hold her hand the other day but she brushed him off. He is head over heels in love with her."

"So why does Miss Lyons reject him?"

"Beats me," Daisy shrugged her shoulders. "She's a fool, Thomas is so handsome and so kind."

"Sounds like jealousy to me!" Annabelle teased and Daisy laughed as they both knew that Daisy was very keen on the butcher's boy Peter.

When they got back to the house, Mrs Fairfax was none too pleased at the sight of the mud-caked Tiko. "Get that dog washed right now," she huffed as they arrived through the servants' entrance, "before he destroys all the cleaning that we have done today!"

"Yes Mrs Fairfax," Annabelle nodded after hanging up her coat. "Shall we wash him in the kitchen?"

"Certainly not! Mrs Griggs will have a fit and rightfully so if a speck of dirt gets on tonight's roast goose! Miss Lyons, will you please assist Miss Annabelle in washing the dog in the laundry room? Daisy, go and get the tin bath and heat some water. Miss Lyons?"

Miss Lyons' eyes widened at the mention of the laundry room. Flashes of Bran, the pain of him assaulting her, the iron and his lifeless body crossed her mind and a powerful sense of dread rushed through her body. Immediately her heart started to pound so fast that she felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. Her breathing became shallow, she felt sick to her stomach and all she wanted to do was to escape away from the danger. The fear was indescribable and she clearly felt like she was going to die, right there and then in front of everyone!

Quick as a flash and without anyone noticing, Thomas deliberately let go of Tiko's leash and the young dog dashed into the kitchen!

"Sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" Mrs Fairfax gasped in horror at the muddy dog running amuck! She was soon rushing after him with Annabelle and Daisy in hot pursuit as Tiko ran out of the kitchen and into the main house.

Thomas hastily grabbed Miss Lyons and pulled her into the pantry, closing the door behind him. Amongst the stocked shelves Miss Lyons gasped for air, hot tears burning her eyes. "Charlotte," Thomas turned to face her and saw her shaking figure in the gloomy light. "Thou art safe, Thou art safe now. Bran cannut hurt thee anymore."

"I, I, I can, can, cannot, br, br, br, breathe," Charlotte barely managed to say between shallow, rapid gasps and Thomas cupped her face with his hands.

"Charlotte, look at me. Just take nice, long deep breaths like missen," Thomas adopted a calm, instructive tone, making sure that she kept her eyes on his. "Just like missen, in…out…in…out…in…out." Thomas breathed in and out slowly and deeply and Charlotte managed to copy him, holding onto his wrists for support as her body shook uncontrollably. After a minute or so, she felt her breathing relax and her heart rate slow down to a more even pace.

"Thou art safe Charlotte," Thomas said softly once she had calmed down, his hands still cupping her face. "Thou art safe, I am 'ere, I'm raight 'ere, I'm raight 'ere.'

"Thomas," Charlotte replied, her hands still holding onto his wrists. "Thank you…I don't know what I would have done if Mrs Fairfax or the children saw me like this. You saved me, you're always coming to my rescue. My knight in shining armour."

"No," Thomas said and then paused, "I was nut around when thou needed rescuing t'most."

"That wasn't your fault Thomas," Charlotte insisted and Thomas looked away in shame for a moment.

"Well I can start making up for it now I guess," he turned back to face her, his hands still on her face.

"You already have," Charlotte replied softly and the two of them looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Thomas leaned in and tenderly kissed her forehead, still clammy from her anxiety attack. Charlotte tilted up her chin and her lips softly caressed his. They shared a slow, quiet, gentle kiss, full of emotion and tenderness, Charlotte still clasping his wrists as he cupped her face.

When their lips parted, Thomas gulped nervously. "Charlotte, I -" he started to say the most important words, words that he wanted to tell her for God knows how long. But he heard a slight creak and he turned to see Tiko's nose sniffing around the bottom of the pantry door and the muffled sounds of Daisy calling out his name. That meant that Annabelle and the others would soon be in the kitchen.

"Go upstairs and change yer skirt," he said softly as he let go of her face, inside he was kicking himself at the moment being ruined. "I will go and wash Tiko. I'll make sure that thou never 'ave to go in t'laundry room again."

Miss Lyons nodded, drying her eyes with the back of her hand before taking a deep breath and went into the kitchen. She walked past Annabelle without saying a word and Thomas left it a few seconds before emerging from the pantry.

"What's wrong with Miss Lyons?" Annabelle asked as she took hold of Tiko's leash so that he couldn't escape again.

"Nuthin'," Thomas shrugged as nonchalantly as he could. "She just went to change 'er skirt that's all. Shall we wash this mucky pup then eh?"

"Oh you got him," Mrs Fairfax said as she entered the kitchen, still red faced and puffing from chasing him. "Daisy go and get Martha and you two can clean the mess in the hallway. Miss Lyons can help Annabelle wash the dog."

"I'll do it," Thomas said, taking off his valet jacket. "Miss Lyons is changing 'er muddy skirt."

"Well she can change it after washing Tiko can't she," Mrs Fairfax replied and her haughty tone made Thomas' temper rise.

"I said I'll do it," he replied as he rolled up his shirtsleeves. His tone was sharp, almost struggling to hide his anger. An uncomfortable silence filled the kitchen, Mrs Fairfax taken aback at Thomas' biting response.

"Come on Miss Anna," Thomas eventually nodded to the young girl who was watching with baited breath at this tense scene. Mrs Fairfax said nothing and stepped aside to allow the valet to go into the laundry room and sort out washing Tiko.

"Really?!" Daisy was incredulous as Annabelle recounted the moment to her next day as the girls' helped prepare for a dinner party that Jane and Tarzan were hosting that night. "You must be joking Anna!"

"It's true," Annabelle insisted as she peeled carrots whilst Daisy kneaded bread dough. "I also saw something even better."

"Better than Thomas clashing with Mrs Fairfax?"

"I went into the kitchen and saw Tiko sniffing at the pantry door. As I pulled him away from the door I saw in the crack of the door-" Annabelle turned her head to see that Mrs Griggs was preoccupied at the range and then whispered to Daisy. "Miss Lyons and Thomas…kissing!"

"You're kidding!" Daisy squealed and they stifled giggles as Mrs Griggs turned around to see what on earth the two girls were up to.

"That's bread is not going to knead itself with you two tittering away!" she harrumphed, wiping her hands on her apron. "Psalm 34:13, keep your tongue from evil and lips from speaking deceit ladies, God doesn't take kindly to gossipers. Now I am going to check on the jelly, it should be set for all the boiling of calves feet I did yesterday."

As she left the room to go to the icebox, the girls eyed other for a moment and then burst into giggles again.

"I told you that they like each other," Daisy smiled once they stopped giggling.

"They are like star-crossed lovers," Annabelle's imagination begun to run riot, "like Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde or Lancelot and Guinevere."

"Didn't they all die?"

"That's not the point Daisy!" Annabelle rolled her eyes and giggled. "The point is that they are clearly meant to be together."

"Well something is holding them back."

"Well we will just have to help them." Annabelle grinned before quickly returning to her work as Mrs Griggs came back into the kitchen.

A couple of weeks later as Annabelle walked down the stairs, Thomas was coming up and he stopped her midway.

"Miss Anna…" he stuttered nervously and then cleared his throat. "Do thou know what Miss Lyons' favourite flowers are?"

"No," Annabelle replied honestly. "Why do you ask Thomas?"

"Well it's yer governess's birthday on Friday and I just wanted to get her a little something."

"And Daisy and I can make Miss Lyons her favourite cake!" Annabelle's eyes widened in delight. "I will go and ask her now!"

"Just ask 'er casually though, I don't want to spoil t'surprise," Thomas replied and Annabelle nodded before she went on her merry way.

As Miss Lyons adjusted the fruit and flowers that she wanted Annabelle to draw for her art lesson, she was surprised when Annabelle from out of nowhere asked her what her favourite flowers were.

"Oh I don't really have a favourite," she commented as she adjusted a tulip. 'I like so many flowers."

"But if you had to chose," Annabelle persisted as she watched her governess pondering over the question.

"If I had to chose then it would have to be daffodils. They are out at this time of year and their trumpets are very enchanting."

"White ones or yellow ones?"

"Yellow ones, they are like trumpets of sunshine. Now open your sketchbook and starting drawing please."

"She likes daffodils," Annabelle whispered to Thomas as he served her dinner in the kitchen whilst the laughs of her parents and their guests emanated from above. "Daisy and I are going to make her a Victoria sponge with raspberry jam."

"That sounds nice," Thomas nodded, relieved that he now knew what flowers to get her. He picked up a platter of food to take up to the dinner party, not noticing the giggles coming from Annabelle and Daisy.

On the Friday, Thomas got up very early and went to the market where he bought a large bunch of bright yellow daffodils. He didn't care how much they cost; he would have paid a whole week's wage if he had to. All he wanted was to make Charlotte happy on her birthday, especially after what happened in the laundry room. He wanted her pale blue eyes to sparkle again, her lips to form a genuine smile and he hoped that the flowers would do just that.

When he came back to the house, Miss Lyons was in the schoolroom teaching Annabelle and he snuck up to the attic rooms. Using a hairpin, he surreptitiously unlocked her room so that he could leave the flowers and card in there as a surprise. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the neatly arranged bed and her books and papers set out tidily on the table. "Prim and proper like her mind,' he thought and then realised that he didn't have a vase to put the daffodils in.

"Damn it!" he cursed himself and then spotted a china jug on the mantelpiece and quickly decided that it would suffice. Carefully placing the flowers on the table, he went over and picked up the jug to fill it with some water when he heard something rattle around inside the jug.

Puzzled, Thomas stuck his hand into the jug and to his surprise pulled a small silver photo-frame. He looked at the photograph, wondering why on earth it was in the jug. He recognised a young Charlotte, around 12 to 13 years old sitting with two older girls and a man, and he deemed it to be a portrait of Charlotte's family.

Her father sat on a chair in the middle, looking serious but not unkind with Charlotte's older sisters on his right hand side. Charlotte was sitting on a chair on her father's left hand side and stood behind her was a young man that Thomas didn't know but for some reason recognised. He looked a few years older than Charlotte and his hand was placed firmly on her shoulder and even though you had to look solemn in photographs, she looked visibly uncomfortable at his touch.

Why did he recognise the young man? Why did he feel as if he had met him before? Thomas opened the back of the photo-frame and saw on the back of the photograph the photographer's insignia and written in pencil the words, 'The Lyons family 1894: Mr Lyons 46, Mary 19, Branwell 17, Elizabeth 15, Charlotte 13.'

Branwell, now he realised how he knew him. It was the same man in the photograph as the dead man he disposed of! Thomas' eyes widened as he realised the whole, sordid truth. The Bran that Charlotte referred to was not her former fiancé….it was her brother. She had killed her very own brother!