Chapter 38

6XX66 - Merry Hampton

Tydfil awaited at the yards behind Wellsworth, her eyes scanning the tracks, flicking to and fro nervously. Her frames trembled and she was rocking slightly, agitated.

"Tydfil," the soft voice of her driver murmured. Tydfil flickered her gaze to her in alarm, finding Victoria's kind and gentle expression directed at her as she stood beside her. "It's okay Tydfil, you're okay. We're here. You're not alone."

"Where's Edward?" Tydfil muttered quietly, her voice barely over a whisper as if she was afraid of being noticed. "He's supposed to be here!"

"It's okay Tydfil, he'll be here. He was delayed but he's coming," Victoria tried to reassure her anxious engine but her words didn't seem to reach her.

"Where is he?" Tydfil began to desperately call. "Where is he!"

"Tydfil, it's alright, it's okay," Victoria quickly went to try and climb on top of her buffer beam but the second the woman's hand touched her frame the Saint Class suddenly shrieked and shook violently.

"Don't touch me!" Tydfil hollered at her, shaking her hand from her, her eyes darting, wild and panicked. "Get away from me!"

"Tydfil!" Victoria stumbled back, shocked at the sudden ferocity her engine had exploded with. Tydfil however did not care. Although she had been reassured that her crew would be with her at all times, to talk and keep her company, they would be able to do nothing if one of the King Edward's decided to suddenly appear out of nowhere and take her away.

The GWR King Class's were self-proclaimed to be the strongest engines in the United Kingdom. Their traction effort rivalled that of a 9f they had boasted. Although she questioned the veracity of those statements, it did not change the fact that they were still vastly larger and more powerful than herself. They could easily take her away and try to kill her once again.

Tydfil's gaze surveyed the treeline next to the yard before quickly darting to look at the tracks of the mainline, looking for a sign of any engines thundering towards her to snatch her away.

Victoria and Neil were speaking to her, but she could only hear the distant muffled drone of their voices but she could not make sense of it. It was as if the world around her became loud but muted at the same time.

She didn't understand. Yet still, the terror clawed itself out of her boiler like a thick black sludge that crept along her tubes, suffocating her. Clouding her mind with thoughts that tricked her into thinking that every shadow, every sound was the distant sound of a Great Western King class coming to ensnare her and take her away.

"Stop it!" She shrieked, squeezing her eyes closed tightly and yelling to no one in particular. She felt the heat and cold warring inside her boiler, she felt ill, she felt like her boiler was about to jump off her frames in fright. The sounds were too loud, the sunlight was too bright, everything was becoming a sickening, unrecognisable blur of colour and it made her want to wretch and purge her boiler of water.

The world around her was too loud, too overwhelming. She didn't know what to do. She slammed her brakes on harder even though they were already applied and felt them grinding. She didn't care, all she knew was that if she moved then the world around her would fracture and fall away. That she would fracture and fall away into darkness.

She could hear her crew still trying to talk to her, to calm her but even now, their muffled voices felt too much for her to bear right now. Everything did. She was dimly aware of the fact she was crying, hot tears were burning down her face. It was undignified and it was embarrassing but she didn't care. She just wanted everything to stop.

She wanted Maidy Hall. She wanted her comforting reassuring presence but every time she called out to the old, kind engine there was no answer. Tydfil truly was alone.

The world around her screamed, the sunlight felt like a searing torch on her metal and the slight breeze felt like drills. It was too much, it had to stop. She was panicking, her mind was a constant stream of horrid scenarios all of which replayed the memory of being chased by King Edward. Of Clun Castle dragging her away to her doom, to be fed to the smelter.

They were going to run her down. They were going to kill her!

"Help me! King Edward's going to kill me!" She howled, her entire being trembling violently. "Help me!"

An eternity passed and it felt as if the rails beneath her were giving way, or maybe it was his panicked mind, Tydfil had no idea.

She trembled as she began to hyper-fixate on the rails beneath her, they were vibrating as if an engine approached. Her mind immediately replayed the feeling of King Edward I thundering down the line behind her.

She was convinced that she was going to die at any moment.

She felt a heavy engine on the rails before her and whimpered, terrified for her very life.

"Are you okay, young iron?" A gentle, soft but deep voice asked of her. The thoughts that raced in her smokebox slowed and her attention was caught by the voice that had spoken to her.

She didn't recognise it but she knew that it very much was not that of King Edward I or Clun Castle.

"It's Lady of Legend, isn't it?" A deep yet kind voice she didn't recognise continued to speak and managed to reach her through the torrent of deafening noise and sensations that made her want to scream.

She paused, focusing on the voice. Was it a threat? It didn't sound like a threat, but then again the King Twins weren't a threat to her at first, or, maybe they always had been and she just never realised it. It didn't make sense.

"I'm Henry," the voice spoke again before she could continue her thoughts. "You're feeling a little overwhelmed right now aren't you?"

She didn't answer. This had to be some sort of trick, right? This Henry was tricking her, trying to deceive her like all the rest. Even that Percy had deceived her. Certainly, nothing had come from his lies but still, he had deceived her. And then Edward, Edward hadn't even arrived on time. They said he had been delayed but she only had the stationmaster's word for that. She couldn't trust anyone- she couldn't-

"I'm not going to hurt you," Henry spoke again, his voice low and gentle, barely over a whisper. "I know that you're in a state of panic and that's never a pleasant experience. But I want to help you through it okay?"

What could this, 'Henry' possibly do? He was just like all the others. He was just another engine, he couldn't help her.

"I want you to focus on my voice and only my voice," Henry spoke again. "Just my voice and nothing else, can you do that for me?"

"I-I can't-" Tydfil squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, so tight that she could feel a throbbing pain start to build up in her smokebox.

"Yes, you can," Henry's voice came again. "Just my voice and nothing else, okay? Can you try?"

"I-" Tydfil paused. It seemed like a reasonable request. A simple one too. "Ok…"

"Good," his nice voice spoke again, she could hear the smile in Henry's voice and felt slightly proud of herself. "I want you to concentrate on your firebox, is it lit?"

Tydfil pulled all her senses to her firebox. It was indeed lit.

"Yes, it's lit," she informed Henry.

"Is the fire hot or cool?"

"It's cool, I've been idle for a while," Tydfil explained as she focused her attention on the fire.

"Good, good, is it breathing well?"

"It's okay," Tydfil mumbled quietly. "Could be better."

"Is it still keeping your boiler warm?"

"Yes, it's-" Tydfil paused and then her brow furrowed. This was pointless, what was this supposed to achieve? "What's the point of this!? This is stupid!"

Henry gave a deep, warm chuckle that made Tydfil feel safe and wanted. He ignored her question but she didn't mind. She was just happy for the company.

"I am glad to see that you've calmed enough to regain a fiery tongue," the larger engine smirked and despite herself, Tydfil couldn't help but feel slightly better at his words.

She hesitantly opened her eyes, looking at the engine before her. He wasn't a class of engine that she recognised, but at the very least he didn't look at all like a Great Western and it put her at ease.

"I haven't met you before," she eyed him with a curious gaze. He was large and green. But not the green that adorned the other Great Westerns. He was a bright, apple green, his paint catching the sun and giving her the impression that he was glowing.

"I'm Henry," the large engine reintroduced himself. "I hear a lot of good things about your work, young iron. Edward speaks highly of you."

Now that surprised the young engine. By all accounts, Tydfil wasn't that good of an engine and she believed that. All she had ever heard from others was how bad she was doing.

"You don't believe you're a good engine?" Henry asked, obviously sensing her doubt. Tydfil shifted on her frames uncomfortably.

"No," she murmured. "Why would someone try to hurt me if I was a good engine?"

A moment of silence passed between the two engines as Tydfil's gaze lowered to the tracks before her, a deep torment in her eyes.

"If I may, young iron," Henry finally spoke after a while. "The engines that hurt you are worthless. They are bullies. They are so low and terrible that they tried to bring a good, bright engine like yourself down to their level. They want you to feel terrible because they know, deep down, that you are capable of being so pure and good, something that they cannot be. Do not allow their judgement to cloud who you truly are, which is a good engine."

Tydfil sat for a long moment, pondering the bright green engine's words. Although she still had doubts, something deep down in her firebox knew that they spoke the truth. She wondered if it was the last remnants of Maindy Hall, speaking to her from wherever she was.

Tydfil looked back up at the large green engine who was smiling at her, his eyes filled with warmth and kindness.

Tydfil still ached for Manidy Hall's kind soul, she had been feeling empty since losing her, but the warmth of this engine made her less empty. Maybe, there was still hope for her.

"Thank you Henry," Tydfil softly thanked the large green engine and he smiled wider at her.

"It's my pleasure, young iron."

King Edward II was helpless, he felt helpless. He'd never felt such despair and such anguish before. He tried, oh he truly tried to cling to whatever semblance of warmth he had but it was all for moot. The Black Smoke, or whatever Ms Parson had done to him had completely and utterly stripped him of any warmth, any hope, any semblance of warmth.

Part of his mind constantly told him that he deserved this for what he did to Tydfil. How he had manipulated and spoiled the girl, kept her away from the real world. He wanted to blame his brother but he knew that he was just as guilty for tormenting the poor young iron.

Rhion tried to open his eyes to see before him but found his vision almost completely gone, his eyes flickered to and forth fruitlessly. Light appeared before him in abstract blobs and shapes. His mind was clouded, foggy and his entire engine felt numb and cold, like it had been stuck in a snow drift on the coldest night of winter.

His senses were dulled and he felt blind, deaf and paralysed.

'Was this the end?,' He grimly thought to himself as he reached out for any sign of anyone around him. Of Mr Corbyn or King George V but there was simply nothing.

"Br-brother?" He wheezed out weakly, calling for someone, anyone but was met with silence.

There was an agonisingly long pause before he heard a deep baritone hum and a low voice that sounded like a growl.

"How the mighty King hath fallen," the voice rumbled, sounding like that of a reaper, coming to claim his soul. For all intents and purposes, Rhion believed that it was. He knew that voice, it was familiar to him yet… not.

It was the voice of Mallard, himself. An engine that had others spoke of stealing other engines souls, of destroying the light in their eyes and claiming their power for his own.

He had never believed such childish rumours before but here and now, when this engine had appeared before him in his lowest state. He found that there may have been truth to the whispers and rumours.

Rhion found himself not afraid, much to his surprise. One would think that being in the presence of what others deemed a grim reaper would send him into a frenzy, into a panic. Yet. Rhion felt calm. He felt strangely content.

"Have you come to kill me?" King Edward II asked of the engine he suspected was right in front of him, mere inches from his buffers. "Put me out of my misery? Or have you come to watch me suffer with Cold Iron Sleep."

There was a low, curious rumble and a soft hissing of steam as the frightening A4 Pacific before him seemed to contemplate his words.

"Let's see, shall we?" Mallard finally answered and Rhion suddenly felt a sharp jolt as Mallard's buffer pads suddenly impacted against his. "Close your eyes and pray that the Lady herself is smiling upon you this day."

King Edward II had no idea what Mallard spoke of, but anything was better than the cold that froze his very soul.

He could only hope that the end would be swift and painless.

"Polly?"

Olivia's voice called out, echoing against the walls of the catacombs and the silent, dusty engines that sat lined up within. There was no response from the soul attached to hers. Olivia frowned deeply and looked down at the book in her hand.

It was tightly hand-bound and over-stuffed with notes and pieces of paper. A rich deep crimson leather with what she recognised as North's seal was embossed on the spine as well as the title declaring Merry Hampton's name. Inside the pages were wrinkled and some of them torn, all signs of constant use setting the book apart from the others.

Despite no response from Polly, Olivia could feel the dread and nervousness that she had never felt from the soul attached to her. It made her nervous. It was also very clear that Polly did not want her to read what lay within this book lying on North's desk.

Yet, Olivia had the very distinct feeling that the answers lay within this journal. She went to open a random page but something dropped out of the book with a small twang onto the desk.

A small silver necklace with a pendant of two ravens entwined, Olivia picking it up confused. North did not wear jewellery, so it could not have been his.

"Olivia…" Polly's voice came as a whisper in her subconscious. Olivia gave a soft hum of acknowledgement. "I'm sorry…"

Olivia said nothing, no idea as to what Pretty Polly would be apologising about but she had the feeling that she was about to find out. She pocketed the necklace so she would not lose it and then turned her attention back to Great Northern's Journal of Merry Hampton.

DECEMBER - 1962

0 LMS - 1 LNER - 2 GWR - 7 SOUTHERN - 1 MISC

Everything is so strange now. I feel so disconnected without my engine. I remember every inch of it being torn apart and scrapped. It haunts me, it will always haunt me. I was very lucky. One of Sir Stanier's servants came to me and sought me out as I stood awaiting the torch in Doncaster Works. They had tried to buy me, to save me but to no avail. The Directors would not have it. Instead, they used Black Smoke to dull my pain and sever me from my engine. They took me to the old Crewe Works to meet Sir Stanier himself. At first, I was wary but Stanier had a few of my designer's secret logbooks on Gold Dust and dozens of drafts of untested or failed experiments.

I believe Peppercorn entrusted them to his teacher's old friend knowing they would not fall into the wrong hands. Sir Stanier did not look well, he does not look long for this world. Sir Stanier has entrusted the records to me and given me a great sum of money, and a small cottage in the Moors to continue the great work and be able to look after myself. I have no idea how to do such a thing. This human body is so weak and its stamina is intolerable. How exactly am I supposed to save my brothers and sisters like this?

APRIL 1963

4 LMS - 16 LNER - 2 GWR - 7 SOUTHERN - 1 MISC

I fear my time to move is becoming shorter. They have already scrapped so many of my brothers and sisters. I may have to make the uncomfortable choice of having to pick and choose which ones I can save. Alan Pegler has saved Scotsman and I have implored him to spare money to save more but he cannot or refuses to. I am not sure but I will not pressure him further. I do not want him to give up on my brother.

At least for now, I will be able to focus on saving my siblings. I am aware that the LMS's Coronation is trying to get in contact with me to discuss the Golden Circle's plans moving forward but I would prefer to work alone. She has been withdrawn and sent to Crewe Works for scrapping. I cannot waste time on LMS engines.

JUNE 1963

5 LMS - 18 LNER - 2 GWR - 8 SOUTHERN - 16 MISC

The Great Western Warden, King Edward I sent a Black 5 to my doorstep to inform me of my failure to save the Golden Warden of the LMS, Coronation. The Black 5 is furious and threatens to crack my skull open. Thankfully, he did not and he also informed me that because of my selfishness, I will be removed from the Golden Circle if they do not have access to Gresley's research. This only confirms to me that Sir Stanier is no longer active in the Golden Circle. Stanier would not be so interfering in the affairs of locomotives, he would have been understanding.

I recall Sir Gresley was afraid that this may happen. His original plan in founding the Golden Circle and appointing the Golden Wardens was to make sure that engines would be able to transition to governing themselves but it now appears that humans are once again trying to pull the strings in or to gain power over us. Sir Gresley understood that we are 'living' creatures, and that eventually we needed to gain our governance from humanity. I fear we are drifting further and further from that dream.

Perhaps that was all it ever was, a dream.

AUGUST 1963

15 LMS - 25 LNER - 8 GWR - 12 SOUTHERN - 25 MISC

Those in charge of nationalisation have become aware of several of us stealing or rather saving engines and have placed bounties on those who catch us. It will not deter me however as the old crews and preservationists have joined the call. They are not associated with the railways or the Golden Circle from what I can tell and most of them are working-class men who dearly loved their engines and wanted them to be saved. Every day I receive notes and tips of engines being hidden by crews from the scrappers.

There are too many engines to save. I fear I cannot save all of them. I do have Rooster, J classes and several Peppercorns to assist me now but I need more. Stanier has sent several Black 5s to assist. It appears that he too is concerned that the Golden Circle he and my designer and several others set up has been corrupted by Thompson's associates. No matter, we have vowed to press on with the fight. I have sent Rooster South to try and find engine constructs willing to join the fight. We cannot give up. We must save as many engines as possible.

Now that I have aid, I can now focus on trying to save some of my siblings.

16th SEPTEMBER 1963

37 LMS - 41 LNER - 21 GWR - 27 SOUTHERN - 60 MISC

I managed to save Pretty Polly. I almost didn't. It was a close call with the inspectors but I managed to pay off some of the shed hands. The records will show that she was scrapped on the 16th. She bitched and moaned at me the entire time I got her into the safe house but I managed to save her completely intact, the cutters did not even touch her. She was furious, she had come to terms with dying. She accused me of being selfish, she screamed at me that I should have saved Merry Hampton instead. She has not stopped yelling at me. I am worried that someone will hear her, even though we are miles from civilisation.

I do not want to save Merry. She is a cursed engine, her bad luck could destroy my plans. But I see how much Polly loves her. Wants to be with her. After locking down my haunt in Edinburgh in the morning, I shall go and save her.

18th SEPTEMBER 1963

39 LMS - 42 LNER - 21 GWR - 29 SOUTHERN - 65 MISC

Polly is furious with me. Says I procrastinated going to Merry's aid. I fear she may have been right. Rooster was appalled and almost threatened to kick me off his farm, a farm that I finance, I might add. I had to destroy part of the machinery and enlist the aid of one of the foremen to retrieve what remained of Merry Hampton. There was barely anything left of her. There is still Gold Dust in the remains, but I am unsure how intact her soul is.. I can work with Gold Dust. If there is even a little bit left, there is a chance to save an engine, however, I do have major concerns about what it will do to the construct after reviving her but I need to try. Merry Hampton is my sister after all.

30TH OCTOBER 1963

44 LMS - 54 LNER - 32 GWR - 41 SOUTHERN - 84 MISC

I have requested the assistance of Stanier regarding reviving Merry Hampton. He was appalled when I showed him what was left of her. He does not think I should even attempt such a feat. The impact on the construct would be too much. He fears that the construct would go insane, that it would become a vessel for despair. Merry Hampton is my sister. I know, I know that I branded her unlucky, that I shunned her and caused her immense pain throughout her career on her rails. She was known as the unlucky engine, the cursed engine. In a way, I was the one to place it upon her. I feel nothing but regret at that. I wish to atone for what I have done.

Stanier disagrees. He says that I should not push my luck, that I could only bring pain and suffering to myself and Merry if I bring her back. He thinks I am being selfish. I think I am righting my wrongs.

4TH NOVEMBER 1963

46 LMS - 59 LNER - 40 GWR - 52 SOUTHERN - 88 MISC

I have made a mistake. Stanier was right. What have I done?

6TH NOVEMBER 1963

47 LMS - 59 LNER - 42 GWR - 55 SOUTHERN - 89 MISC

I have scoured Sir Gresley's research for anything, anything I can find to aid Merry. She has not stopped screaming and I have had to restrain her to stop her from harming herself. I have not slept in the past two days and I can only find several references to Black Smoke of all things to ease an engine's suffering. Sir Gresley made headways with it, using it as an anaesthetic to assist in rebuilds and to ease the pain of engines damaged in accidents. However, without pain or distress to feed on, the black smoke dissipates and cannot be held. He tested it on several engines, The V2 Coldstreamer, GNR 1014, V4 'Bantam Hen', A4's, Kingfisher, Mallard, Capercaillie, and A1 Solario. I do believe he wanted Scotsman's twin to become his counterpart however that failed.

Mallard was the only experiment that succeeded, the others that were hybridised quickly reverted to normal engines, their souls the same as all the others. Granted there had been side effects, Coldstreamer craved Scotsman's Golden Soul and Capercaillie, well, there's no polite way to say this but the engine was a monster. Sir Gresley wrote of times he had called Mallard to his workshop, the Blue A4s abilities aided in the rebuilds of engines, to quiet the pains of those who were suffering. I now understand why he and Mallard had such a close relationship. Why he always kept the A4 close in times of trouble. Why he hid him away during the worst of the wartime. I admit at the time I was jealous of Mallard, I did not understand. It pained Sir Gresley to have to remove the memories of Mallard's time as a healer of other engines. Mallard had known too much and it was such a risk to allow Thompson to even know what Mallard could do.

I think, no, I am positive that Thompson was trying to restore Mallard's memories of his experiences as Sir Gresley's assistant during these times but made a grave mistake and inadvertently destroyed Mallard's soul. I do not think that even Thompson would be so foolish to destroy such a valuable engine. I do not think it would be even possible to restore Mallard now and so I must try and find another way to heal Merry Hampton's construct. If not heal then at least ease her pain. Perhaps I can erase the memories of her being scrapped with Black Smoke as Sir Gresley did to Mallard.

Polly is shaken and has not spoken to me since I managed to drag what remained of Merry's soul out of her remains and reform it into a construct. Stanier was right, I shouldn't have revived her. All I have done is prolong her tortured existence. But I am determined to atone for this mistake. I seem to be making quite a lot of those these days. Perhaps all I've ever done is make mistakes.

I am sorry Merry, it was never my intention to make you suffer, no matter what Polly says.

14TH NOVEMBER 1963

I have lost count of how many engines we have saved. I have others working to save them now, my priority is Merry but I do know that we are in the 100s for every railway and it delights me. A beacon of hope in a very trying time.

I have searched one of Sir Gresley's old storerooms and found a Wren. I remember him as Hendrick, another Sir Gresley entrusted with his knowledge of Gold Dust and all related things. Fortunately, his memory is intact and he is eager to assist. The Wren's engine was in a state of disrepair. I sense that Sir Gresley hid him away around the time he took Mallard's memories. I have shown Hendrick, Merry's condition. The poor construct suffers greatly and Hendrick was appalled at her condition.

Hendrick is unsure how to help her. He is knowledgeable with Gold Dust certainly and I do wish that I had found him sooner but he was not allowed near Black Smoke out of fear it would kill him for being so small. He will try his best to attempt to ease Merry's pain by erasing part of her memory but he fears that it could take everything if not applied correctly.

We do not want another incident like what happened to Mallard.

20th NOVEMBER 1963

To say our plan to help Merry was a success is questionable. Granted my sister is no longer in agonising torment and she can now function as a human would, however, her memory. She has lost the entirety of her memory and has no idea who she is or the truth of what she is. In her mind she is a normal human woman and myself is her elder brother from an old family who moved to Doncaster just after the Second Great War.

Hendrick says that she should believe that. At least now, Merry can perhaps live a life not marred by terrible incidents and the ire of her other class members. Her number and her record of accidents lead her to be ostracised by the Top Shed fleet and even crews. Perhaps now she can live a happy and comfortable life not plagued with the complications of this mess.

I have contacted Stanier and the Golden Wardens for the LMS, Allison Ron and the Duchess of Hamilton. They are more than happy to provide a home and a backstory for Merry to live by. The LMS will look after her, they pride themselves on looking after their family, no matter what walk of life they come from. Quicksilver protests, her ire for the LMS clouds her vision. She says that Merry should be watched and monitored by those of the LNER but I disagree. The LNER has caused nothing but pain for her and so I think that giving her a chance to be a part of a warm loving family is the best decision for her future.

I truly wish that the LNER had held similar creeds, to look out for each other. But, it is far too late for that now. Maybe it always was, especially when I was in charge. Spion Kob's Construct lives near her residence and is keeping a close eye on things for the LNER Golden Wardens. Merry's construct has a dangerous amount of Black Smoke keeping her memory suppressed and so it is imperative to keep an eye on her. She could unintentionally destroy other constructs and has advised Ron to keep her engines away from Merry, just in case. I trust that my guile and intelligent brother will keep a handle on things. I suppose this is farewell in a way. I do not wish to impose on my sister any further. I have done enough damage to her.

I wish my sister nothing but a happy and peaceful life as Jaqueline Byron.

28th NOVEMBER 1968

None of Gresley's research or history pointed to this being possible. It should not be possible. In all our planning, in all the research gathered by the Golden Circle itself, no one ever saw this coming. The Black Smoke entertwined with Merry's Gold Dust Construct should have been enough for other constructs to keep their distance to a certain degree. All engines can sense Black Smoke, even if they have no idea what it is. Mallard's condition is a morbid example of this.

It has been five years since I have heard anything of note from Spion about our sister, Merry or rather Jaqueline. I understand that she married a man named Marley Vaughan in 1965 and that she was living a fulfilling life with him. I had no objections despite Quicksilver's protests. Quicksilver's desires to control Merry's life are off putting to me. It reminds me of what I tried to do to Scotsman when we were younger. I regret doing such aberrant things and I wish to stop Quicksilver from making the same mistakes.

This morning Spion Kob came to me personally, not trusting to speak over the phone for fear of being overheard. He reports to me that somehow, Merry's Construct has become pregnant with a child. I am still unsure how to feel about this. On one hand I should feel proud. A nephew or niece would be wonderful. However this should not be possible. I do not understand how it could be.

From what Spion could gather, Marley Vaughan was a normal human man and Merry as Jaqueline should not have been able to conceive. She is a Gold Dust Construct, it should be impossible. It baffles me. I do not know how to respond to this, I am conflicted as to whether I should or not. I need to gather my thoughts and information. Perhaps Spion was mistaken. As thorough as my brother is, he has been mistaken on occasion. I hope that he is in this instant. Merry having a child would complicate things to an extreme degree especially when I suspect corruption is starting to plague the Golden Circle.

8th MARCH 1969

I am beyond furious. I had hoped that the LMS Warden Allison Ron was to be trustworthy but apparently, that is not the case. The man Merry or Jaqueline married was also a Gold Dust Construct. He was the Stanier Jubilee known as Arethusa and was a well-renowned engine on the LMS, one of their best. From personally meeting him as 'Marley Vaughan' in previous years I was always of the opinion that he was kind-hearted and truly loved Merry, even if he knew the truth about her.

Though I do not think it was intentional on Arethusa's part to give Merry a child, he is overjoyed at the prospect of being a father. I am travelling to Manchester to see both 'Jacqueline' and 'Marley' and discuss plans about what to do. I am at a loss as to what to do, but I am aware that Jeremy Parsons has been snooping around, trying to pry information about Gold Dust from Merry since she became pregnant.

My fears that the Golden Circle is rusting and being corrupted are day by day becoming true. I fear for Merry's safety. I need to get her away from the Parsons man and to safety. I fear that he could try to use or steal Merry and Arethusa's baby for his own demented means. I must act quickly.

11th MARCH 1969

Arethusa's Gold Construct is dead. Merry Hampton, or rather Jaqueline Vaughan is now a widow and her child fatherless. She blames me and I do not fault her for doing so. The second I reappeared in Merry Hampton's life, I brought her world crashing down around her. But I did not anticipate Jeremy Parsons being so bold as to show up and attempt to take Merry by force. The man was insane, ranting about meeting the 'creator' and how Lady would grant him immortality should he use Merry's child as an anchor. Never have I seen someone so unhinged.

I was almost too late in getting Merry to safety and it cost Arethusa's life to do so. The Parson's man had weaponised Black Smoke, using it as some kind of toxic gas that honed in on Constructs. The man almost destroyed myself and Merry had Allison and Duchess of Hamilton not turned up and saved us.

It is safe to say that Jeremy Parsons is no longer the Golden Warden for the GWR and Terrance Booker has quickly been appointed. It has taken me many days to write this account as myself and Merry have been greatly shaken by the event. I have given Merry my cottage as her new home. She grieves for her Jubilee, Arethusa and I are giving her space. Rooster is keeping watch over her but I doubt she will do anything so reckless, she is with child and the baby is everything to her now.

I suppose all we can do is protect her and keep her and the baby safe.

21st APRIL 1969

I often wonder if the Jaqueline personality Merry has is what she would have been like if we had treated her better during the days of the LNER. Merry Hampton was always so quiet and reserved. She barely spoke to anyone when she was an engine, possibly because she was cursed at and avoided. Looking back on it now, it made sense as to why Merry always ran to the LMS. Perhaps she knew Arethusa as an engine? It wouldn't surprise me.

We considered her a cursed and unlucky engine. After all, her record was plagued with accidents and her number… Well, her number speaks for itself. Regardless, we treated her terribly and as a result almost no one knew what she was like as a person. No one except Polly. According to Polly, Jaqueline is what Polly could have been had we not suppressed and demeaned her existence. She scolded me, telling me that Merry deserved better from her siblings. I am inclined to agree.

Merry Hampton is a sweet and beautiful soul with a passion unlike any I have seen in any of our siblings. I see now why Polly spent the time to look after her. Merry is clever and creative but is driven and committed to what she applies herself to. She was and is a truly remarkable engine. It saddens me that I have to constantly lie to her and keep up the facade that she is a human. Her Soul is unique and has a power of its own. It is unlike any engine's soul I have ever seen.

My curiosity wishes to investigate what makes her so different to any of the other engines but I think she deserves to be left in peace. My curiosity is not higher than that of Merry's happiness. I do wonder what the child will be like. Will it have a soul made of Gold Dust? Or will it be something entirely new?

I am not sure. I can only hope that the child is healthy and happy. Merry has not told me her name, but I understand that Arethusa and her already picked them out. One for a girl and one for a boy.

16th JULY 1969

Fate likes to be funny, I've found but I hardly ever find myself laughing at its jokes. Merry Hampton herself was entered into service on the 16th of July, 1924. Exactly 45 years later on that very same date, her Gold Construct gave birth to a daughter. Hendrick and Polly are beside themselves with joy however that joy is marred with pain. While Merry delivered with no complications physically, we now have a distressing issue.

The Black Smoke that suppressed Merry's traumatic memories of being scrapped transferred into the child. Now Merry has regained all her memories and is tormented and betrayed. She is furious and she has every right to be. She went into hysterics almost immediately after her daughter was born, the memories of her being scrapped resurfacing. Unlike before however, she was able to regain some semblance of sanity, her memories of her 'human' life keeping her grounded. Her daughter keeps her mind from collapsing, she says. This makes me fear for the child even more as the Black Smoke has made her ill. Dr Hendrick is doing his best to keep the baby alive but we have no information on how to deal with this situation. Nothing like this has ever happened before.

Merry and Arethusa's daughter, despite her affliction with Black Smoke, is beautiful. Her eyes are a remarkable blue and hold a clever and curious soul within them. She is a beautiful and precious thing and I adore her completely. I swear on my life that I will protect this child, no matter what.

Although the relationship with me is strained and distressed, Merry has blessed me with the name that she and Arethusa picked out for her, before all tragedy befell them.

Her name is Olivia.

Olivia Gresley.

I did not mean to disappear for so long after the last chapter. I do apologise.