As I packed a small case to go to London I wondered why ever since Joseph arrived nothing remotely eerie had come to pass. Was Joseph some kind of good luck amulet for Stanley Hall? If it were so, Mr. Howard should never let his son depart this place. And while I picked up my Bible something familiar glided out of it, it was Mr. Howard's neckwear which he used to tie my cut hand. I picked it up and stored it away in one of the drawers of the dresser of my maid's room and as I was thinking how silly it was to think someone had taken it my door opened by itself.

"Mrs. Hall?" I asked turning around to see who it was, "Mrs. Hall... Joseph?" I changed the name maybe it was him following me and when I saw no one in the halls I closed the door behind me to finish packing.

Then once more the door swung open as if urging me to go, or waiting on me to leave, this house or whatever it was certainly did not want me to remain and I obeyed by grabbing my suitcase at once to take it down to the carriage. There were just two things to do before I went and it was to write a letter for my aunt Mrs. Green to find me work and to say goodbye to Joseph.

"Miss Stewart?" Joseph asked as I finished the letter for my aunt.

"I was coming to say goodbye Joseph."

"So you are going to London?"

"Yes to my grandfather's funeral."

"I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, but..."

"What is it?"

"I... I well, I lost my grandfather it is a fact but... Is it really loss if I never knew my grandfather? Not that I did not wish to, family should be together but it is sad that I do not have any memories with him."

"Yes it is sad," Joseph sat by me, "I have no memories of my mother either."

"Your mother?" Mr. Howard must have been a very young father for Joseph was only twenty years of age and Mr. Howard did not look a day over forty.

"Yes, there is a room locked upstairs, it belonged to her but my father never let me visit it so maybe it is merely an empty room." I knew it was not empty but if I told him he might feel offended or that I violated her memory in some way. "Not once did I go in there so that I might catch a glimpse of who she was, what she looked like. In fact it is as if she never existed at all sometimes, no one ever talks about her, no stories were told of her. She could have been anyone, either way she is dead and I have nothing from her to help me know her."

"Joseph," I got up at once to comfort him in an embrace, if only it had been him who went in the room he might get the photo that fell on me and see his mother.

"Sorry, I apologize I am not trying to coerce into anything," we enjoyed the embrace for a moment and then he let me go.

"I would never think that, and I am sorry for your loss."

"Her name was Laura, and that is as far as I ever gotten with her story."

"Well I am sure you have a couple of things from her if you look closely."

"Like what?"

"You must have her lovely warm hair, and the design of your lips are probably hers as well, and not to forget your glorious charm was not passed down from your father," I tried to cheer him up a bit and it worked, he chuckled.

"Definitely not," he shook his head, "and yet none of these qualities seem to seduce you, what shall we do about that?"

"Not a thing, you are perfect this way, and if you do change I shall be very sad," I sighed a heavy breath for I did want to be seduced by Joseph were he the son of anyone else. Of course it would help if he was also a whole lot less wealthy and did not come with titles to worry about.

"I shall not make you sad then, though you make it quite hard for me to feel happy about your refusal."

"I wish for your sake to be wretched but... I will go now, everything is ready."

"I will escort you then," he gave me his arm as it was impossible to treat Joseph with any less regard than he did unto others.

"Thank you," he walked me down to the carriage, Mr. Bert gave me the due salary and I was off to London.

Thinking on how Mrs. Hall covered for me after I had walked in to the prohibited room made much more sense with Joseph's story. If Mr. Howard would not let his own son in there imagine a maid, an outsider, a stranger? I was lucky to have never been found out but for Joseph's sake I wished Mr. Howard would come around and reveal something about Laura Howard's story. Laura was Joseph's mother and what son should be prevented to know at least what his mother looked like?

The carriage let me out in front of my grandfather's London townhouse which was not too far from where Mr. Howard lived. I knocked on the door and was greeted by an old woman most likely the housekeeper dressed in black with a tough demeanor.

"I am Miss Alice Stewart ma'am," I said and she opened the door wide.

"Miss Stewart I am Mrs. Trudor, your family is waiting for you in the front parlor."

"Thank you Mrs. Trudor," I gave her my bag, coat and hat.

"This way miss," she showed me around the house I never thought I would see during my lifetime.

"Alice?" Daniel got up to hug me and I held him tight, his brown curly hair had been brushed and oh how I missed being the one to take care of him.

"You have gotten taller," I told him measuring the top of his head almost as tall as mine.

"I even found some hair on my face the other day," he admitted happily.

"Looks like you will be a grown man in no time," I said back as he took me to mother.

"I think I will be as tall as papa," he talked and just then I thought I saw one of the paintings Mr. Howard had painted hanging on the walls of my grandfather's house.

"Hi mother," I said and saw her sadness when I kissed her hand.

"Alice how good to see your face," she looked like she had not slept in days.

"Yes it is," she just looked worried as to ask why were we asked to come in the house and then I saw mother had been looking at a portrait of my father on the wall.

"He was so young," mother talked of the portrait.

"Yes and is this my grandfather?" I asked seeing a shut coffin in the middle of the room.

"Yes Miss Stewart," a man responded me, "I am Sir Paul's lawyer, Mr. Lawdon sorry to meet you under the circumstances." He introduced himself we shook hands then my mother nodded and he tipped his hat before sitting on a chair.

"Mr. Lawdon why did he die?" I was curious to open the coffin and see my grandfather up close for once in my life.

"Senility, it was his time unfortunately."

"And my grandmother?"

"Her death came because of the gripp."

"That is... unfortunate."

"Yes they were both good masters, Miss Stewart."

"Good... So why are we here? It's just that our grandfather did not let us attend our grandmother's funeral I do not understand why he would want us here now." I asked and my mother grew confused by my questioning, she had never heard me talk like this the time spent with the Howard household had altered my manners.

"Your grandfather left you each a letter except for your youngest Joan and when you have read it we shall discuss further information," the lawyer said then left us alone for a minute.

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No part, character, names, plot, setting, conflict or resolution, point of view, theme or symbolism of this story may be replicated.

Copyright: All Rights Reserved to A. Sena Gomes.