The weather was becoming warmer, the days longer. At the school, all the boys had changed into their summer uniforms. The mood was high, for summer was on its way. Daniel and Everett spent their free time after school nursing and currying their horses in the stables. Everett had made his compliments about Pride. His own horse was a mare named Duchess, an elegant grey Hackney. She was very beautiful.

"The school is so quiet these days," Everett said while combing through Duchess' silky mane. She stood completely still, her tail swinging back and forth. Daniel let go of Pride's hoof after he finished picking it; he merely hummed in response. Everett sighed and rested his arms on the mare's back. "It really is a drag, don't you think?"

"What do you mean? I like it," Daniel said as he picked up Pride's next hoof. The colt was not as patient as Duchess. He reached over the half-wall that separated their stalls and tried to get the mare's attention by nipping at her neck. Duchess merely flipped her ears.

"Daniel, surely you don't mean to tell me that you like boredom?" Everett said with scorn.

Daniel accidentally let go of Pride's hoof and stood up. He frowned at the blonde young man. "I never mentioned anything about boredom."

"This school is boring!" Everett exclaimed, making a grand gesture with his arms, "Nothing ever happens! Everyone just goes about their own businesses."

"Well, this is a school," Daniel said, feeling confused, "I don't know what you expect."

He stooped to pick up Pride's hoof again and continue picking it while Everett watched him. He fell silent, simply mumbling, "I guess..."

For a while, only the sound of the other horses in the stables and the birds chirping outside could be heard. Daniel's mind was a whole other place, though. He wanted to make time to go to the post office this week so he could see if Serena had written to him. He felt excited and nervous all at once; if she had replied to his letter, was she going to mention anything about the kiss? Perhaps she would act as if nothing had happened, like she had during the rest of the summer holiday.

"You know what could be funny, Dan?"

Daniel snapped out of his thoughts and looked up. Everett stared at him with wide excited eyes. He blinked a few times, then shook his head. "No?"

Everett bit his lip. "Imagine if all the horses in the stable ran loose on the school ground!" Daniel stared at him with a perplexed expression. Everett either ignored it or didn't notice. "Maybe we'd finally make the patient Wallace flip! But I think Mr. Martins would be the funniest of all. His face would turn completely red, even more so than when he doesn't get his extra portion of meatballs!"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Everett," Daniel said, "The horses could get hurt."

Everett snorted and rolled his eyes. "You're always so negative, Daniel. Just forget about it, then." The blond boy continued currying his horse without uttering another word. Daniel merely shrugged and focused his attention on Pride again.

Daniel stood by the counter, patiently waiting for the young Mr. Lewis to come back from the package storage. The postmaster was tending to the other customers. It was particularly busy today, so he had called his son in to help him take care of the business.

It didn't take long. The young man came back out to the front, shaking his head apologetically, "I'm afraid there are no letters for you, Mr. Wilkinson. If any letters got lost, they may still be in London."

Daniel tried not to look too disappointed. "I see. Thank you very much."

"Have a nice day, sir," the man said. Daniel bowed his head in response, already making his way out of the post office.

The sun shined brightly down on the historical market town, but even that wasn't enough to cheer Daniel up. He had really hoped, he had been almost certain. He tried to comfort himself with the thought that maybe it was his letter that got lost on its way to Serena instead, but he had still hoped that Serena would have written to him nonetheless, even if she didn't receive a letter from him first. At least there was still the possibility that her letter just never got sent off from London, or was lost between there and Canterbury.

Daniel sighed as he crossed the Buttermarket. He went around the large cathedral and was walking past a small alleyway in the building when someone suddenly grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the alley.

"Hello, Wilkinson. It was just you, I was hoping to see."

Daniel's heart almost skipped a beat, but he soon calmed down. He was getting too used to this, and he knew that he would have to explain himself now. "Henry, I'm sorry about the delay, I've been-"

"Oh, so you do remember? I thought that maybe you just had your silly little head filled with so many trivial things that you forgot," Henry said, poking Daniel's forehead, "Where is my money, Daniel?"

Daniel bit his lip and averted his gaze. "I don't have them..."

He was violently grabbed by his collar and driven up against the wall. "Last chance, Wilkinson!" Henry snarled through gritted teeth, his eyes even madder than usual. "I'm losing my patience!"

"Henry," Daniel looked directly into Henry's eyes, his hands locking around the older boy's wrist, "I don't think opium is the answer. It's doing your mother more harm than good..." Henry's eyes widened in disbelief. Daniel saw all his fears, worries, anxiety and sorrow in that single moment. He had hit a nerve.

All the air in Daniel's lungs disappeared. He clutched his stomach and fell on his knees to the ground, gasping and struggling to breathe. The older boy had no control of his emotions. Tears couldn't be contained as he thundered, "YOU JUST MIND YOUR OWN DAMNED BUSINESS, YOU SCUMBAG! I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOUR ADVICE!"

Daniel received another kick, but it didn't hurt too bad. Henry was too out of his mind to place it properly. At most it would form a very large bruise, but nothing more. "Last chance, Wilkinson," the blond said in a low voice that held as much of a warning as the words he spoke, "Last chance. No more games. I want the money now!"

Daniel didn't answer. He still had trouble breathing. He merely watched Henry from his position on the ground as the boy turned around and walked away.

It had become urgent now, not only to Daniel, but also Henry. They were both afraid of losing someone they really cared about. Daniel had to go into Henrietta's office again, and this time he couldn't allow himself to fail.

The old tree in the backyard was tall enough to reach the second floor. Miss Turner said that it had been there for more than a century. Young Mr. Evans probably used to climb it every now and then when looking for a bit of adventure.

Today Daniel himself was venturing up the tree, but there was to be no adventure. He had to get the money this half term. He could not get around it any more.

Daniel deemed it too risky to steal Henrietta's key. He had been into the bedroom to try and get the copy again, but it was gone. It worried him. Perhaps Henrietta had grown suspicious of his sneaking around his parents' hallway and hidden the key in another safe location.

Either way there was only one option left. The large tree that stood tall in the backyard would have to suffice; it was ever so fortunate that the tree branches were strong enough to carry him. With a bit of refinement and clever thinking, he would be able to climb into the office through the window.

It wasn't locked. Daniel wondered why, as it definitely seemed unlike Henrietta to forget to lock such an easy way in, but all the same he praised the lord. It didn't take more than mere seconds to set foot inside the office and close the window behind him. Henrietta's office looked as tidy and clean as the last time he had been in here. The main desk stood in front of him, but he walked right past it; he had searched through it the last time, and had found no key – only very dangerous documents. He had no intentions of looking through it again.

Daniel started his search for the fortune in the shelves; he looked behind every book and map, but of course that proved fruitless. Afterwards he looked in the drawers and cabinets, he looked between every sheet of paper, all documents, but there was nothing indicating the location of any money.

To be honest, he wasn't quite sure where to start. The office wasn't very large, but it had a lot of cabinets and chests of drawers everywhere and none of them looked like they contained any safe. As the time ticked by, he began to feel discouraged. Maybe the money wasn't even in here.

Daniel leaned up against the wall and sighed heavily. What was he going to do? If the money wasn't in the office, then where could they be? He couldn't think of anywhere else. It seemed unlikely of Henrietta to hide them somewhere that wasn't as secretive and locked down as her office.

While the voice in his head started screaming at him to give up, he looked at the painting hanging next to him. It was fairly large. He didn't know who the painter was, but he was very talented. The painting was of a colourful forest with a small house in the clearing. It reminded Daniel of his house for Serena. The detail in it was amazing.

Suddenly he noticed something odd, and the voice in his head fell silent. The painting didn't lean completely against the wall. It was sticking out a little. There was something behind it.

Daniel frowned. He grabbed the painting, lifted it off the wall, and there it was; the strongbox. Daniel couldn't believe his luck. He smiled. There we go.

But just like he had suspected, a key was in need – and Daniel didn't have it. He bit his lip and looked around the room once again. He had to find it. He really hoped that it was somewhere in here.

Everything was always so quiet down this hallway, so Daniel would know if anyone was coming. The steps would be heard loud and clear on the other side of the door, but fortunately no one was headed his way right now. He rummaged through all the drawers and cupboards again, but the key was nowhere to be found.

Daniel thought long and hard. What would he do if the key wasn't in the office? He couldn't wait any longer. He might not get the chance again.

He walked around the room aimlessly, trying to see if there was something he hadn't noticed earlier. When he was about to give up and hang the painting to cover up the strongbox again, his lucky star suddenly smiled down at him once more.

Daniel walked closer to the main desk, a frown furrowed deep between his eyebrows. A large carpet covered most of the floor in the office. The main desk was placed right on top of its edge. Daniel saw the dent.

He crouched down and tried to move the desk a bit. It gave way and revealed a large slide mark underneath it. This desk had been moved back and forth across the carpet before.

Daniel felt his heart begin to beat, adrenalin pumping through his veins. He stood up and began to push the main desk completely away from the carpet. It did not take much effort. Soon, the edge of the carpet was free to be flipped up.

Daniel crouched down again to feel around on the floor. One of the boards skidded a bit. He knocked on it; it was hollow. Biting his lip, he slipped his fingers in the corner and lifted it. The board let itself remove without a fight, and underneath it was a small wooden box containing a bunch of envelopes – letters – and a key. A silver key, perfectly matching the strongbox.

Yes! Daniel thought and smiled widely, feeling incredibly elated by his finding. Of course; if Daniel had a loose board in his room that could be useful for storing secret belongings, Henrietta might as well have one, too!

He ignored the envelopes and grabbed the key, running to the strongbox and putting it in the lock. It clicked and opened, just like that.

Daniel's eyes widened as he opened the lid. There was a lot of wealth in there. Stacks of coins, silver and gold. Jewels. Diamonds. He couldn't believe that the late Mr. Evans had left all this to Henrietta, yet she had just killed him. He must have cared about her a lot.

He tried to shake the uncomfortable thoughts and get down to business. Ignoring the gems, he instead started looking through the coins. He could find nothing less than a crown. It really was a lot of money; surely, Henry would be satisfied with this.

Daniel locked the safe again and went back to the secret compartment on the floor that was still wide open. He put the key back in the box, placing it between all the letters – just like it had been before. He was about to put the board back on the floor, when he noticed yet another odd thing. It wasn't the key this time. It was the envelopes.

A tickling warm sensation formed in his stomach, but it did not feel good at all . Daniel's eyes were wide as he reached for the envelope that caught his eye. He tugged a bit, and eventually it gave way.

He looked at it. It was dated December 8th, 1833. But the disturbing thing was who it was addressed for.

Daniel J. Wilkinson

The King's School, building 4, room F14

Canterbury, Kent

Daniel's heart dropped to his stomach. He felt numb. This could not be real. It had to be a dream or some hallucination. It could not be real.

The envelope had been opened already. With shaking hands Daniel opened it again, reaching for the sheet of paper inside. His heart pounded hard against his chest. He swallowed a big lump in his throat and began to read.

My beloved Daniel,

I am sorry to be ever so persistent, but why are you not answering me? You were the one who wanted to write more often. I thought you missed me. Is your life at the school really keeping you so busy that you don't have time to write me a single letter, telling me how you are doing?

I think about you each and every day. The Christmas lights and carol singers roam the streets here in London, but I do not feel the spirit. I want to ride Lady Margaret astride again. I want to go back to the summer days. I just want to be with you, especially now that my family is facing such hard times. Even though I haven't heard from you, I hope so dearly that you are thinking of me as well.

Aaron finally died last week, so now there really is no heir. My parents are fighting, and my sisters are ignoring the topic, refusing to talk to me about it. Every chance I get, I go to visit Mary and her parents, the good Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins. As things are now, I feel much more at home with them. They are always so kind towards me.

At least Regina finally found a suitor. He is courting her now. I think his name was Mr. Nathaniel Sawyer. A perfect gentleman, Mother said. An eligible bachelor. I am so happy for her, but she does seem awfully stressed, though. Kat is very negative about it. I don't think she likes him, but everyone else does. I hope their engagement might be announced soon enough.

Please write me soon, Daniel. I long to hear from you again. Stay well.

Sincerely yours,

Serena da Silva

It was right here. The letter he had been waiting on for months. Right here, in Henrietta's office.

A big wailing sound was the only thing in Daniel's head right now. He couldn't think. His thoughts were a big mess, storming in his mind like a hurricane. Suddenly something hit him.

This was not the only letter. There had been letters before this one. Others, he didn't receive.

He started floundering through the other envelopes, soon realising that not only some of them were addressed to him – they were all addressed to him. All seven letters in the small compartment in the floor.

The earliest one was from September 15th, 1833.

My loving Daniel,

I cannot say just how glad I am to receive a letter from you so soon. It is as if you read my mind. I would love to be able to write to you more frequently. I already miss you, if only you knew how much. It would be the most delightful thing if you came to London. Please forgive my sentimentality, but I just realise that I care so much about you. You make me feel happier than ever before, and that is a great comfort in such a time like this.

I've only just arrived home in London, and we received some very unpleasant news. My Icelandic half-brother, Aaron, was hurt when he was out hunting. Apparently one of his friends mistook him for being a deer, a tremendously big one. He was shot, Daniel. My big brother. I am so worried. The doctors can't do much, for the wound has already become infected. He is receiving treatment but is still unconscious. We can only wait and hope.

Daniel, it's such a disaster. Daddy's fuse is shorter than ever; he constantly goes off at my mother. Aaron was supposed to inherit everything, the estate, the fortune, the whole business. He is the only heir, the only son of my father. If he dies… I cannot stand to think about it.

I try to keep my mind busy and reminisce about our summer together instead. It really was unforgettable. If only I could relive it. Will you promise me that we make it just as good, perhaps even better, next year?

I feel sorry about how it ended. I just didn't know what to say, Daniel. You seemed really sad. I should have asked what was wrong. I will now; what is wrong, Daniel? Do you regret? I have so many questions. I apologise. I am not thinking straight at the moment. I am just so worried for my brother. I cannot even go visit him, for I have no means of travelling to Iceland.

Please, do keep my locket with you at all times. I feel safe knowing that I am close to your heart. Then I can pretend that I am in your arms again, even if miles separate us. I cannot wait to come back, Daniel. Please, let it be summer again soon. I want to be back in your arms and forget about all the bad things.

Yours affectionately,

Serena da Silva

Sweat ran down his forehead. How? he thought, How?

He couldn't stop. He ripped open all the envelopes, reading each and every letter. They blurred together, the words relocated in the sentences. He couldn't tell where anything started or ended, it all just formed one big letter in his mind while Serena's wistful voice echoed in his head.

… I miss you so much, Daniel...

Why are you not answering?

Daniel...

… Please...

I apologise...

Are you angry with me?

I care about you so much…

… makes me feel so lost...

… I never even realised before...

Do you regret?

… means nothing...

… confused...

Everything is so tense…

I want to go back...

Canterbury is my rightful home…

… that day...

… scared...

… summer...

Again ... one day...

The society...

… last...

I just want to be with you, Daniel.

"Apparently, I am not the only one with a secret."

Daniel's heart nearly jumped out of his throat. He had been so consumed in the letters that he hadn't heard the steps in the hallway, let alone the lock of the door clicking and opening. He looked up with wide eyes, feeling nothing but utter horror.

Henrietta closed the door behind her and locked it. "Did you really believe me that foolish, Daniel?" she said. Her eyes were more piercing than ever before.

Daniel stared at her. He couldn't manage anything other than a few words, "You... B-but... H-how long …?"

"Oh, I've known for quite a few months," Henrietta said nonchalantly, slowly striding across the room, eyeing him like a snake watching its prey. She picked out something from her pocket; Hazel's hairpin. "You have underestimated me, Daniel."

The realisation dawned upon him. He forgot the hairpin. How could he have been so stupid? He felt panicked; a million thoughts ran through his mind. Would she kill him now? She couldn't do that. She would never get away with it.

She stopped a fair distance away from him, chuckling. "Remember to breathe," she said, "We can't have you drop dead now, can we?"

She obviously enjoyed seeing him this terrified. Daniel clenched his teeth and glared at her with more hatred than he had ever felt before. She had him right where she wanted him, that hag.

Henrietta crossed her arms, "Don't show me that attitude, Daniel. It's not suitable for a young man."

"How did you do this?" Daniel snapped, "How did you manage to keep me from receiving the letters?"

"Simple," she said and raised her eyebrows, "I just made a deal with the post office to have all letters addressed to you redirected to your home address instead."

Of course. He had never even thought of that. If she had suspected anything, that was an obvious and easy way to find out if he had any secret contacts. He felt so stupid. He really had underestimated her.

"You …!" he growled, "You killed your own husband!"

Henrietta's face suddenly became much darker. "I did what was necessary," she said in a low voice, "And you will say nothing. Else, I will have your friend's parents know about your relationship."

Daniel bit his lip. Obviously, Henrietta's crime was a great deal worse than his. But he was finding himself in a very difficult position. She knew about Serena. She knew about him sneaking into her office. Maybe she knew about him stealing her money.

Even though she had done something cruel, he surely would be greatly punished as well – maybe even imprisoned in some institution – and then he would never have a chance at a normal life again, let alone a successful one. Ever.

He clenched his eyes close and fisted his hands. Why did she have to know? Why did he have to find out? Things were even more complicated than before. He wanted to go back to being blissfully unaware. This was too much. It was too heavy on his shoulders. Too many dreadful secrets.

"I won't tell anyone, Daniel," Henrietta said, "as long as you keep my secret as well. I have nothing to lose. I've got money and a good reputation. But you will lose everything."

She was right. He had no choice. He felt like he could scream. His shoulders slouched in defeat. "I'll keep quiet."

"Good boy," Henrietta said and nodded, "A wise decision indeed. It was about time you made one."

Daniel didn't answer. He merely gazed down at all the letters in front of him. Serena's pretty cursive writing stared up at him, pleading, begging. It was painful.

Henrietta watched him for a while. Then she walked back to the door, grabbing the door handle. "Now, clean all this up. I want it to be exactly like you found it. And you will never come in here again, understood?"

"Yes," Daniel mumbled without looking up. The door closed.