"Good afternoon Lady Alice," Joseph said with flowers in his hands, "for you."

"They are lovely," I held the bouquet filled with different pink flowers and smelled their sweet aroma before handing them to Mrs. Trudor. "Ask Edna to put them in my room please?"

"Yes Milady," Mrs. Trudor grumbled but I feared if she kept the flowers much longer in her presence they would wilt and die within minutes.

"Mrs. Stewart good afternoon," he said to my mother.

"Good afternoon Lord Stanley."

"I hope I am not intruding," he said.

"No not all, we are happy to see you," I responded while mother measured his good intentions.

"So am I," his sweet and genuine disposition did not win mother right away since no one showed to anyone's house without first sending a calling card or notice.

"Please do have a seat."

"Thank you."

"Will you have tea?"

"I shall."

"So how did my daughter meet you Lord Stanley?" Mother asked straight out instead of having some pleasant conversation first. "She has not shared the story with me yet."

"Right..." He hesitated disclosing our meeting since now that I was Lady Alice there was not much place for unmeasured honesty.

"We met when I was in service, when my circumstances were quite different," I disclosed the information I knew Joseph would feel obliged to keep.

"When our circumstances were different, still I cannot recall the mention of his name before the opera." Mama said just to see Joseph and I sweat through our fine clothes.

"Forgive me mama," I said embarrassed she chose to call me out in front of him.

"Well I met your daughter on the way to my father's house during a rain storm which she was caught under after walking to town to deliver a letter," Joseph talked to get us going from mother's pulling of my ear.

"And who is your father?"

"The Earl of Bridgeston."

"Mr. Howard mama," I made it plain for her.

"Oh I understand now."

"Joseph took me back straight to Stanley Hall and put me in one of the guest bedchambers while I recuperated from the cold I caught." I did not want her to think because he had treated me unkindly which I could tell from her face she was ready to jump to those conclusions.

"Is that true?"

"Yes and even ill she read so many books we thought she would be done with our library first than us its owners," he joked.

"So you caught such a cold while working at Stanley Hall?" Mother did not appreciate my secrecy because I never had anything to hide until I worked for Mr. Howard and Joseph.

"Yes, I did not want to worry you even though Joseph offered to send you a letter I knew I would get better soon."

"Alright then I am going to go to my room, I feel a headache has arrived," she got up no longer interested in what we had to say.

"Should I call a doctor?" I got up too.

"I should call on you both some other time then," Joseph said getting up.

"No you both may talk for a while I will call Mrs. Miller to come but I need to retire to my room, good day Lord Stanley." She nodded and so did he as we watched her leave the door open.

"Good day Mrs. Stewart" he waited for her to go and we sat down again.

"Your mother is a very serious woman I see the apple did not fall far from the tree," Joseph said smiling at me.

"Yes sadly a family inheritance," I worried about my mother.

"I thought you moved to America at one point," he remarked, "I stayed in London this whole time and not one mention of you was ever heard."

"America does not sound like a bad idea in case my time was wasted out in the country, all of this to properly transform me into a lady of London society and still I am not sure despite my best efforts I shall achieve it."

"You already have, even before you went away you were very much a lady, one I had wished to be reunited with earlier," he held my hands.

"Joseph," I took my hands away.

"Enough time has passed by Alice, please won't you consider me as your future?"

"I cannot Joseph."

"Why not?"

"Joseph..."

"What could be holding you from committing to a perfectly happy marriage with me?"

"My family, they are not exactly high born or widely accepted in society."

"I do not care for it."

"But I do, I saw my father and family suffer the consequences of being rejected by society I will not see anyone I care for go through the shunning he did."

"But it was your father's choice like it'll be mine and you should not try to keep me from it."

"But I shall by not accepting you," then Mrs. Miller walked in and sat in a chair to give us space to continue the private talk.

"Lady Alice," he shook his head, "I will find a way to change your mind."

"You must have met so many new ladies in the past year."

"I did... And you are still my best chance at happiness."

"It may be so, but what if in a year or so I am not? Please be in no hurry Joseph when making such a paramount decision in your life."

"You talk yet how long until it is too late? My own friends incited me to come; they say you shall be married before the season is over."

"I will do no such thing, they are teasing you and you should not let them, tell them they should worry themselves with their own choices on who to marry."

"Do not divert me with easy conversation, and with your coming out soon you'll be hearing proposals no doubt. At least if it were me you could be sure I was not after your money unlike others will be. And I do not think you would want to live the rest of your life with someone who's main concern for marrying was to remain rich."

"You are right but I insist I will not be driven by your very best reasoning into accepting you."

"Oh if you were not so good hearted I should hate you for two refusals," he shook his head in a humorous joking way.

"It would be a terrible pity if you did for I have just arrived to London, let us enjoy this friendship before we rush into the future Joseph what do you say?"

"I concede."

"Good for I need someone who will help fend off the ones after my money."

"Yes we cannot have that."

"No we cannot," I chuckled and after some easy conversation Joseph was ready to go.

"I will see you soon Lady Alice," he got up and as did I.

"Yes have a good day Lord Stanley," I said and he just closed the door behind him on his way out.

Joseph did not understand two things I felt myself unable to tell him, first I did not deserve him because of his good and abundant popularity in society. Second if we became engaged I would be part of the Howard family, Mr. Howard would be my father in law, and I did not wish to spend my whole life crossing paths with him. The temptation of having Mr. Howard that close would be going against what I believed was the opportunity God had given me to get away from him; from sin.

"Mama?" I knocked on the door.

"Come in," she said.

"How is your head?"

"It is fine I just wanted you and the boy Joseph to have some time to talk alone."

"I thought... Why?"

"I like him, he seems respectful of you and a little afraid of me which is good since your father can not be here to do the job."

"Mama," I chuckled.

"He is a good boy but what you make of him is what matters here."

"He is good, too good, but I do not wish to marry yet."

"I understand as a maid you always thought you would be alone but... as Lady Alice you must marry before it is too late, isn't that what Mrs. Miller would say?"

"Yes and you? What do you say?"

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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.