The Marchioness

chapter 8 22nd june 1867

As the golden rays of the setting sun danced through the window aurelia and Mrs Jenkins sat together on the end of aurelias bed as Mrs Jenkins stroked aurelias golden ringlets neatly tucking them behind her little ear as she began.

"your mother... Lady Gwenllian... She was just... She was the best! She was graceful like a Swan in the way she walked and she had beautiful long brown hair that fell in curls just like yours. Her smile was said to be able to light even the darkest of rooms, she was a kind soul". Mrs Jenkins smiled with tears forming as she reminisced.

"Was she beautiful? What did she like doing? Did she like books? Did she play outside? " aurelia inquired excitedly.

"one question at a time" Mrs Jenkins giggled to herself.

"yes she was extremely beautiful and yes she loved books she had a little library where she would sit and read for hours your father would joke she must have fallen into one of her books as you would never see her whilst she was reading" Mrs Jenkins chuckled.

That's absurd aurelia laughed to herself how would one fall into a book? "do you mean like Alice? When she followed the white rabbit?" aurelia pondered. Mrs Jenkins had recently read Alice's adventures underground to her and she had become bewitched.

"hmm well, I suppose so my dear" replied Mrs Jenkins rather perplexed but the notion seemed to make aurelia happy and that was enough for her.

There was a knock at the door and the door slowly opened.
"Sorry to disturb dear but could you lend a hand downstairs," asked an exhausted Mrs Jones.

"yes ma'am right away, I shan't belong" replied Mrs Jenkins leaping to her feet.

"right I need to go and help a bit I will be back soon and we will read Alice's adventures okay" she smiles ruffling aurelias locks.

"What shall I do until then?" she asked with a raised brow and a pittyful frown. There wasn't a lot to do in the manor as a child and even less to do without anyone to play with.

"I'm sure you will find something do my dear, see if you can find the white rabbit" chuckled Mrs jenkins and she began to leave the room.

After waving Mrs jenkins out of the room Aurelia sat on the end of the bed and thought a moment. Maybe she would..maybe she could...Maybe she would have an adventure just like Alice. But where? That's it! The woods!. Aurelia leapt to her feet put on her coat and shoes and began her adventure.

As Aurelia closed the bedroom door behind her she could hear the twins down the hall.

"Aurelia, come here!" they yelled in a whispered tone.

"What now", she said rolling her eyes as she walked towards them.

"Is she still here"? asked Idris with his face scrunched up in anger still.

"Who iris?" She asked

"Yes, that tart" Idris snapped.

"She is not one and yes she is still here" Aurelia barked back. She wasn't sure what a tart meant other than when Mrs jone would make them but she could tell Idris did not mean a fruit pastry.

"Why do you defend her?" Idris yelled pushing Aurelia

"She is nice, why are you so mean" replied a rather angry marchioness

"She isn't nice, father is already married she is nothing but a soiled dove" Isaac screamed. Aurelia had no idea what a soiled dove was, she wasn't sure that the twins did either but she knew it didn't sound very pleasant.

"Father was married, but mother isn't here" she replied just as her father had earlier. But this only made the twin's rage grow evermore.

"Of course, she'd say that she killed her" Idris snapped nudging issac.