Freedom • Lord Tewksbury

TWO

Catherine awoke to her handmaiden, Hannah, knocking on her door.

"Come in!" Catherine responded, her voice breaking slightly. She rubbed her eyes as Hannah opened the curtains. Hannah was about five years older than her, and acted much like the sibling Catherine never had.

"Good morning Miss Catherine," she greeted, a cheery smile on her face.

"Good morning my dear Hannah. How are you?" Catherine asked, as she got out of bed.

"I'm wonderful Miss. Are you ready for your journey?" Hannah asked as she helped Catherine get into her corset.

"Very ready," Catherine responded, her plan once again coming to mind. She was so close to being free, she could practically taste it. Catherine and Hannah continued to chat lightly as Catherine got dressed into a simple, light blue dress. She left her brown hair down, in it's curls to be more comfortable for her trip.

As soon Hannah left her room to make sure everything was ready for her trip, Catherine went over and grabbed the box of money she had been saving under her bed. She had created the emergency stash several years ago, adding whatever money she was given into it just in case. Today, it was paying off.

She shoved the money into an envelope, and then put it at the bottom of her case, before packing a few of her favorite dresses, and a few other essentials.

Within the hour, Catherine was waving goodbye to her parents, for what she hoped would be the last time, and watching as they got smaller as the carriage drove off.

Was she sad that she was never going to be at her house again? Yes. As a matter of fact, she had shed a few tears over it that morning. However, nothing could stop her from wanting to get out so badly, so she was excited to finally be rid of the place that only brought her misery.

***

The trip to Ferndell Hall felt like an eternity. Catherine had taken to embroidering a handkerchief for her aunt, perhaps to bribe her into letting her stay. Although, she didn't think she would need to. Her Aunt Eudoria would hear her case, and without a doubt would let her stay at Ferndell Hall.

Catherine, along with her Aunt Eudoria, and cousin Enola Holmes, would come up with some excuse, some story, as to why Catherine couldn't return.

Perhaps they would fake her death, the thought bring Catherine a bit of excitement. The adventure that she had been waiting for her entire life was just beginning.

The grin on her face grew as she spotted the familiar, vine covered walls of Ferndell Hall. It truly was a beautiful sight. While some would think the place to be a disgrace for how unkept it was, Catherine admired the beauty of nature that was so prevalent around the manor.

As the carriage pulled up to the door, Catherine noticed something was off. Her aunt and Enola weren't there waiting for her like they always were.

Catherine thanked the coachman, and grabbed her trunk, before making her way towards the door. She knocked, and waited for a response. It took a minute or so, but soon the door was being flung open.

"Miss-Oh, who are you?" The man who opened the door asked. Catherine's eyes widened when she realized that it was her cousin Mycroft who had answered the door.

"I'm sorry for startling you. I'm Catherine Scott, your cousin," Catherine responded, trying to jog the man's memory.

"Well what on earth are you doing here?" Mycroft asked.

"I always come to Ferndell on the third weekend of the month. Have you not been told?" Catherine asked, although from the way Mycroft's eyes narrowed, she knew that her question had been a mistake.

"I'm afraid that you're going to have to return home Miss Scott. We are taking care of some family matters right now, and have no time to entertain guests."

"Oh, but I am family. Don't worry, I don't require any entertainment, I can manage perfectly fine on my own," Catherine assured him. Mycroft went to say something more when he was joined by another person. His younger brother, Sherlock Holmes.

"My Catherine, you've grown," Sherlock said, giving the girl a warm smile. "Please, come in."

Sherlock moved Mycroft out of the way, and opened the door fully so that Catherine could enter, taking her bag from her hand.

"Thank you Sherlock," she responded, smiling. Sherlock had always been one of her favorite people, even though she was very young when he left Ferndell.

Sherlock led her into the home, after he shut the door, glaring at Mycroft who was scowling at the young lady.

"Catherine?" She heard. The brunette's eyes fell on her cousin that was a year younger than a her, Enola. Catherine grinned as Enola approached her, wrapping her into a tight hug.

"Hello my dear Enola," Catherine greeted. She then whispered into her ear, "I was not expecting your brothers to be here."

Enola pulled away and gave her a tight lipped smile, which worried Catherine all the more.

"Come, I'll help you get settled in," Enola told her. She glanced behind Catherine to see Sherlock holding her trunk, and reached her hand out for it. Sherlock raised an eyebrow, but gave his sister their cousin's trunk, and then the two brothers watched as the girls walked up the stairs and out of sight.

As soon as Catherine and Enola were in Enola's room, Enola shut the door and Catherine raised an eyebrow.

"What is going on Enola?" Catherine asked. "Why is everyone acting so strange? And where is your mother?"

"I don't know," Enola answered immediately, and Catherine furrowed her eyebrows.

"You don't know where your mother is?" Catherine asked. If her aunt was missing, it could be a massive wrench in her plan for freedom. But more importantly, where was her aunt?

Enola explained how she woke up on the morning of her sixteenth birthday, just four days ago, and had found their house empty. She told Catherine how she sent for her brothers, because she thought that they would know something.

She then explained Mycroft's plan to send her to a finishing school. Catherine knew that Enola would not do well in finishing school, as a matter of fact, it would be a disaster.

"So what are we going to do?"

"We?"

"Enola, I am not going to let you do whatever it is your planning alone, and I am not going home, so you're stuck with me."

"Why are you not going home?"

Catherine explained her situation to Enola, who immediately agreed with her not returning when Catherine finished. It was near nightfall by the time the two girls finished catching up with each other, and they both realized that they had accidentally missed dinner when their stomachs growled.

They laughed and then headed down to the kitchen to see if there was any food left for them. They scoured the cupboards, but there was nothing in sight, which confused both girls.

"Mycroft had all the food put away," they heard, and the two whirled around to see Sherlock leaning against the doorframe.

Catherine frowned at this news, but didn't say anything, as Enola began to complain to her brother about everything that was happening.

Catherine was only partially listening to the conversation as she thought about the whole situation. Why would her aunt just randomly disappear? Why would she abandon Enola? What reason could one have for leaving their child completely alone? But perhaps she could relate to Enola in a way.

Her parents were physically there, but emotionally, Catherine had been alone all her life. Except for when she was at Ferndell, and now Ferndell was not as she remembered. They had to find her Aunt Eudoria, and restore Ferndell. They had to.