A Deal of Roses

Where it Began

Although she was a fairly average-looking woman, Sarah-Ann Houghton was nothing of the sort. Her appearance was ordinary; thin, but not petite, her soft pale skin and the curves of her rounded face contrasted with the bright pink of her lips and the vibrant blue of her eyes. Her thick blonde hair, which was always kept in a neat bun, was curled with ivory clips. She had on a tight, green dress laced with intricate flowers that covered her shoulders and dropped to the ground.

However plain and fair she looked, Sarah-Ann wasn't like the other ladies of the ton. These people, whom mainly consisted of the wealthy aristocrats, were like mindless dogs, always obeying the rules and customs that society had set upon them. Sarah wasn't like that. She did, what they called were scandalous things, which caused rumors to fly about her.

Yet, it was not her knack for being disgraceful in public that made her separate from the ton this time. Sarah-Ann Houghton, only daughter of the Earl of Cornwall, was in a precarious situation. Her father, Roderick Houghton, had vanished. Between her mindless worry, she had looked everywhere, but the only clue to his whereabouts was a mysterious letter telling her to go to a given address. The letter itself stated no words about her father, but she had a great suspicion that whomever sent this letter, had him. So when she realized she had little time left, she paced around her large, regal bedroom deciding what she should do. Sarah was not one to coward under frightening circumstances, but she found herself intimidated by the incertitude of everything. This is why, even though she liked to keep things to herself, she confided to her most trusted servant- Edna.

She told Sarah not to go, but her obstinate personality would not budge. So, she went. Sarah-Ann took the fine carriage that had her family's crest, and drove to the house on that humid, London day in July.

The city was grand, but many changes had arisen since she was little. After the start of the reign of Queen Victoria, Britain became overcrowded- especially in London. Although it was still beautiful and grand, much of the city's charm had been lost. The numbers arriving in London caused waste to pile up onto the street, and often times it would make people hold their nose, so they wouldn't have to smell the revolting odors. Sarah had longed that one day her city would restore itself, but she often found it harder as more businesses arrived.

As she welcomed the light breeze sweeping the curls of her hair, she studied London. Stone buildings reached far and near, and on them were precise rectangular windows that reflected the streets below. The streets themselves were rugged, and occasionally her carriage would make a faint screech- causing her to jump and her heart to quicken.

Sarah-Ann knew she could not let the dangers of the situation affect her. But, it was quite hard with her paranoia making her feel like something dark was watching over her and the uncertainty of everything.

The horses neighed and the wheels squeaked- she had arrived.

Silently, she rose out of her seat and took the small steps out of the carriage. The cobblestone house was fairly large. Wooden frames covered the many windows of the house and long stoned chimneys aligned the roof, their smoke coughing out into the air with continuous sputters.

She lingered at the mahogany door before hesitantly knocking. Her knuckles were in a tight bunch, her body rigid, and her breath held as she waited for the door to open. Thoughts flew across her mind of whom the stranger would be- most of them were negative. And would they cause me harm? she questioned in silence.

And then- the door opened with a loud creek, and large rough hands wrapped around her torso before abruptly pulling her in and closing the door with a thud.

He smelled of a thick and musty odor and Sarah couldn't help narrow her eyes from the familiarity of it. He wore a long gray patterned coat and a black top hat. His clothing were ordinary but the precision of detail indicated his wealth. However, it was his facial features that gave her chills.