Finding Love

Chapter 19

I was awoken in the early hours of the morning. It was still dark out no sun in sight. I was confused till my eyes focused on my Mother standing at the foot of my bed. 

"Get up, and get dressed, you must hurry." Mother said. Margret who was also in the room was getting my things ready. I was about to ask what was happening till I noticed the dress she pulled out for me. The black dress. I had not worn it yet but mother had made me get one in case of a death. I would be wearing black a symbol of grief. But who will I be grieving?

Margret helped me get dressed quickly. Once down stairs I found my family in the green sitting room. All sitting and speaking in hushed tones with sober expressions. Once my fathers eyes landed on me he rose from his seat also did John. 

"We were summoned by Mr Flitch, to the Dukes house. It seems he has passed this night." My father said. My heart sunk for the kind and honest Duke. In all honestly I didnt know him very well but he had a manor of which all men should achieve. He was kind and charming and I am very sad the the world be rid of a man this way. But my heart hurts more for Ezra. They waited a moment for me to collect my self before my father walked out the door to the carriage. John and I followed him. When I took my seat I asked "Are we the only ones going?" 

"Yes we were the only ones summoned." John answered

"Who is Mr. Flitch?" 

"He was the Dukes assistant." john answered

The rest of the ride was held in silence. As we approached the mansion it looked darker like you could see the sadness through its face. my heart sunk just a bit more. As we got off the carriage we were directed to a different sitting room I had not seen yet on the second floor.  It was an unusual sitting room there had been a table placed in here and being used as a desk. 

In the room stood a young man around my age who I had seen before he was the man that led me to Ezra's office one night while I was dressed as a man at the Black Diamond.

"Hello, I am very dearly sorry for your loss, and I am sorry for the time that this has to occur. The late Duke was insistent. Please take seats." He gestured to the seats on the table. "Miss Coves, if it pleases you The Duke would like to speak with you in his drawing room. Micheal." The butler appeared Skinny older man that lead me down into another hallway and up another set of stairs. He then gesturing to a door on the left and walked away without announcing me. It felt odd but with no other option but to go in. I knocked but I got no answer. After a moment I decided just to walk in. I walked into with little light. I could not see much in the room so I walked over to the candle that was still on and began to light the other candles I could see. Once I was able to make out the room. It was a painters studio. There were tables near the windows hold paints, powders and liquids that I had never seen. I could see Ezra now asleep on a sofa on the other side of the room. There was a bottle of liquor next to him. The sofa and small coffee table were full of unfinished paintings. Each different and some the same. Some of a house. Some of France by the looks of it. There was some that pulled on my heart a painting of two young boys that could only be Ezra and Simon by the looks of them. They were in great likeness. Even then you could see that Simon was ill. I took a seat on the sofa carefully not to disturb Ezra while I looked through the paintings. There was more of Simon as a teenager and as a young man. One with a young lady beside him. Ezra captured the way Simon looked at this young woman with such love. I wondered what had happened to her. 

"He looks happy in that one." Ezra said waking from his sleep.

"I am sorry" I jumped off of my seat and set the pictures down.

"It is fine Alice. Please sit."

I hesitated at first unsure. 

"I.. The butler let me in but did not announce my presents, and I saw you were sleeping I did not wish to wake you." as I spoke I took the seat next to him.