Nancy walked downstairs in two minds of whether to finally go back or to stay and hope that after 8 years things would get better, but she knew with the latter she was kidding herself after 8 years things wouldn't get better unless she faced her past.
She was greeted by the warm smiles of her few remaining family members,
'Morning my little sparrow', her uncle greeted her, his eyes smiling at using her childhood nickname. She smiled back at him,
'You've got a letter there, must be Lenore updating you on the latest London fashion and her many rich admirers' he joked nodding to the table.
Lenore was Nancy's closest friend since she'd come to live here, a year ago Lenore had moved to London to help her sick grandmother, when her grandmother had died Lenore stayed in London enjoying the parties and the fashion and not having to work thanks to a large inheritance.
Nancy smiled at her uncle, he was never a fan of big cities, he travelled round most of the world sticking to more rural, countryside areas than big cities, Nancy picked up the letter and began to read her friends latest exploits;
Dearest Nancy,
Have I mentioned before how much I adore London, well if I haven't I adore it, I'm never leaving and I've met the most wonderful man, William, he was in the army, comes from a very good family and he's so good looking, I think he may be the one Nancy dear. You must come visit me it's time we put your past to rest you can't avoid London forever, you'll never see me again because I'm certainly not going back to that stuffy village so you'll have to come here to see me, I'll arrange it all we can do whatever you want all you have to do is say yes, and besides I need my best friend here I'm certain William is going to propose and how can I marry a man without having my best friends approval of him, you have to come meet him Nancy I'm begging, and mostly I just want my best friend with me I detest these society types they're all so stuck up and they instantly look down on me because I'm not from London, please come I know I'm rambling on but I need you Nancy, I need my bestest friend pleaseee come, pleaseeee send me a letter back you know I look forward to them,
Love you always-best friend
Yours Sincerely
Lenore
Nancy sighed and noticed a small scribble at the bottom of the page
'P.T.O'
She turned the page over to see one more scribbled note from Lenore;
'I knew you'd say yes that's why I'm sending a carriage to pick you up tomorrow'
Nancy laughed loudly, her uncle looked up startled,
'What's Lenore done now?' he said smiling
'She's asked me to go and see her in London'
'And rather than wait for your reply I'm guessing she's already sent a carriage'
'Close, it's coming tomorrow'
'Do you want to go?' he asked, she noted the concern in his voice he was trying to hide,
'Yes, she's right I cant keep avoiding London because of what happened I have to face things,
'I keep forgetting you're a grown up now, I still expect to see that small gangly teenager every morning' they smiled at each other, she knew uncle Harry would understand,
'Aunt Maggie's not going to like this is she?'
'I think she'll be more understanding than you think, plus she won't let you go unless you agree to stay at her friend Mrs Hudson's boarding house, so she knows someone will be keeping an eye on you for her, leave it to me sweet pea I'll talk to her'
He smiled and winked at her before going back to his paper,
'This blokes all over the papers you'd think they'd get a good picture of him, got his arm in front of his face in this one'
' Who uncle?'
'Holmes bloke that's been working with Scotland Yard'
'You're becoming quite obsessed with him uncle' Nancy said laughing as she re-read the letter from Lenore.