prologue
Chelsey martin walked down the rocky path along the river bank. Technically she was not supposed to be here. Nanny was afraid that she might slip n fall. But Chelsey wasn't afraid, her papa had thought her to swim when she was four. She wasn't a baby anymore. She was twelve. Infact Chelsey loved getting her toes wet. She would take a swim everyday but she couldnt risk getting her clothes wet.
Chelsey walked further up. Normally she didn't like other kids but she liked Rupert; although his name sounded like he was an old man and she often told him this, he was the most fun person she had met. He was the gardeners boy from the estate on the other side. Strictly speaking meaning nannny speaking she wasn't supposed to play with the help. But she didn't get along with her cousins. The girls who wanted to dress up and play with their porcelain dolls and the boys who were mean. They never let her go anywhere with them.
She begged them to take her with them when they went for fishing. But they wouldn't . She could cast a line better than anyone of them. Especially the bigheaded Wilbur. But he was the eldest of all of them. He didn't like her. And his favourite past rume was to torment her.
He was the heir to her fathers earldom. And Chelsey hated the thought that he would get everything when her father died. Which didn't seem right. But as mother and father have no other children than her meant that as of now he was going to be the next earl of Westley. Up until an year ago wilber had been threatening to make her beg on tge streets when he became the earl. Her nanny had foubd her crying one night and explained that she wouldnt be left destitute and her mother and father will make provisions for her.
Rupert was late again. Today he was going to show her how to pick mushrooms. Find the poisonous ones and the good ones. She could do fun things with Rupert he was fifteen too the same age as Wilbur but he never called her a baby or made fun of her dress and ribbons and most importantly he let her join him when he did his work.
"Chelsey" she hear him call. "I was helping pa with the hedges "
He was running towards her. Out of breath and giving her his huge smile.
He came and stopped near her
"Well " he said " are you ready? Did u brinklg a basket or something. How long have you got"
"Its ok. Nanny just had lunch. She will be sleeping till a good hour more at least and i snatched a basket on the way here no one was in the kitchens." She told him
It was a good thing her mother only trusted her with her old nanny meaning nanny was now a good sixty years old. Chelsey was too old for a nanny but Mrs. dinkle didnt want to retire yet and her governess and tutors always left her alone as long as she did her work and she wanted it to be that way.
The last thing she wanted was an able bodied person be kept in charge of her. It could be worse than her nightmares.
"This way" said Rupert and the walked into the forest
Chelsey learned a lot that that day including that not every thing beautiful is good for you.
Chelsey managed to get up to her bed before nanny came to check on her. Nanny always assumed that Chelsey slept when she went for her little lie down and this was always fine with Chelsey.
And everything was fine until the last day of summer even the big head had gone back a week before because he wanted to spend sometime with his parents before he went off to Eton.
Chelsey met Rupert as usual. She realized that she was going to miss him. And this time it hurt a little differently when she thought about not seeing him. It was different from how she missed her dog buster when she went with her parents to London or even how she missed her cousin Margaret who she really liked. She realized she had known Rupert for only a few months. She had only met him this summer wen she had been walking near the stream and saw him going fishing.
