Chapter 1 is now majorly revised.

Be warned : There is a wee bit o' cursing in the this chapter. And some angst. :o

Sorry if this seems a little off. Suggestions? Please give! Reviews shape this for the better.

Thanks to Raeroochella for her review!

'No Henry! Your like my brother. I just want to stay like this forever, please, please don't ruin this!' I say pleadingly, pulling my knees to my chest and turning to gaze at him.

"Things change Lila." I add nothing to this, letting him rot in the silence

"Dammit Lila!" In one quick fluid moment, he leans over, grabbing my chin somehow, gently and passionately kissing me. The tears are falling now, and he crushes his lips against mine. My eyes close for an instant, I even lean into him. But gasping for breath, I pull back looking at him with some shock. "Are you telling me that wasn't love?" He is asks, the barest glimmer of hope, pleading me with his eyes.

"Yes I am. If you loved me, you'd let me go." I then pick myself up to leave, brushing my tears away.

"Admit it Lila, you cannot stand to be trapped. You deserve every bit of Arlington." He says, his bitterness ripping out of him, his eyes blazing.

The blow hurts more than I would ever admit, perhaps for there being some small truth in it.

He jumps up as I do, grabbing my hand painfully well, so I can't escape.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I ask through gritted teeth, spitting the words out.

"Ask Arlington." He says, gripping my hand so hard I think I could faint.

"I think I will." This is petty, but I wan't to hurt him back so.

I spin on the balls of my heels, wrenching my hand free, and I sweep out of the room.

I find myself upstairs shaking in the little guest room, curled into a ball, sobbing without abandon. Bitter memories swirl around my mind, me running to my father as a little girl, Jenny waving her spoon saying something was odd about the Arlington Family, Henry kissing me. I bite my lip, keeping me grounded from fainting.

I cannot stay any longer here, it would be wrong. I get up, brushing off my skirt, and my tears. I pull my trunk out, quickly packing all my provisions in a haphazard fashion.

I quickly jot out a note to Mari, saying that "there was a familial emergency at home that required my leave promptly." I give my apologies, and then I quickly scratch out a note advising Emily to pack her bags and be ready at 6 o' clock sharp next morning. I deliver the notes, then return to my room.

I hop into bed, tossing and turning. I settle into staring out the window at the crescent moon, feeling completely numb. I barely blink, only to dream. It is all slips of Henry and my childhood. I get up in the dawn, abandoning all hope of rest.

I pin my hair into a twist, weaving a rose colored ribbon through out. I fumble with the buttons of a dusty rose dress gown, not lighting a lamp for fear of waking somebody up at this hour. My stupid travel suit is too much of hassle anyway. I slip my way out the front door and blink in the musty gray haze. My heart feels as if to beat right out my chest. There is no going back now though. Perhaps, perhaps if I didn't love Henry so much as a brother, I could fake ardour, but I love him too much the other way to do such a thing.

I decide now would be the best time to go hire a carriage, I am unsurprisingly the first up, luckily. I have a hard enough time hiring a cabby that would actually take me as far as Baylor, but finally I find an antique looking driver that will take me at a hellish high fair, but I am not picky, as Jane gave me a substantial shopping fund, that hadn't been used yet.

Upon the quick time before departure; I swiftly bring my bags down. I am filled with relentless energy, so I help bring Emily's down, ignoring her questioning gaze. I motion for her to enter the cab first, so I can glance once more at the little townhouse I will never see again.

I hop in the cab with resolve, biting back my emotions, and never once do I look back, not till we reach Baylor, not till home, ever. Emily tries once to reprimand me, saying how rude I'd been, but I hiss in reply that it was nobodies affair, and after that, she was seemingly pleasant, though how I wanted to wipe that knowing smirk off her face no one will ever know.

The maids know too much...

As soon as I see the small manor coming into view, I quickly hop out and try to sneak back to the stables and saddle up a horse.

But not before I heard somebody screech "Lila!". Oh. Boy.

I slowly turn around fearing the worst, Jane.

Instead, Emily is leading me back to the front lawn by my elbow. The cab takes its rumbling way off, and Emily is looking mightily peeved.

She asks "Would you mind, exactly Lila, telling me what the blazes is going on?" Her hands wait expectantly on her hips.

"I can't tell you a fraction of it now Emily." I narrow eyes to slits, grinning wryly. Lady luck is with me, as today would normally be the maids day off.

"But I really hope you enjoy your day off, now shoo!" I wave her off like a fly.

"Lila!-" She begins, but I call out for Jamie who is moving the trunks.

"Jamie! I believe Emily needs your assistance, Jamie dear!" I am off skipping down the lane - imagining Emmy squirming to come up with an instant excuse- too far so to hear her screech "Lila get back here!" And so far, that even if I did, surely I couldn't go back...

The awful thing about walking is the downpours.

I'm determined to make it to Arlington's manor, and sort this mess out, but low and behold, it is starting to rain. I am quick, jabbing the air with my hands furiously, back and forth, pacing till I see Arlington's estate. I don't slow my pace, even when I reach the drive and am no longer getting wetter; thanks to the canopy of oaks.

My little stroll ends quickly with me standing dripping wet on his marble portico steps, timidly placing three thunderous raps on a gargantuan lion head door knocker, the sort man soon learned were so barbariously garish they went out of style some hundred years ago.

Arlington opens the door himself, calling over his shoulder good naturedly to someone named "Fipps", that he would get it.

He surprisedly surveys me, - because apparently empire waisted dresses, be they all the rage or not, rose muslin, or even if they have matching roses embroidered at the hem and cuff, and if it is your favorite dress, even then the rain will pour down upon it and make it almost transparent in places and extremely rumpled- then smiles dryly at me.

"We need to talk." I say confidently, somehow leaving no doubt for what I could mean.

His mouth is set into a grim line as he swings the big maple door open, stretching his arm as welcome, and even more grimly says "Come."

Unlikely Rose

A/N: Hmm, you think he will lock her in a dungeon?? Changes galore to come...

Thanks for reading and to all my faithful readers, please stick with me, we are almost through. There will be a happy ending, of course. :)