The Haunted Mansion

AUTHORS NOTE/PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE

"My beloved, Edward,
Despite my love for you I am afraid I cannot accept your proposal. I was beyond elated when you asked to meet me under the willow, our sacred place. It is clear to me now that our love cannot go on. I've tussled over and over and over with the future we both wished for and came to terms with our placements in society. Slaves and Masters are not meant to be affiliated together in this world we find ourselves. I am so very sad that the harsh reality of our circumstances took so long to become transparent to me. Our love story could never succeed, even hidden away in your Mansion. You saved me and that was enough for me to feel complete and at peace with this choice. I can only pray that what we shared was enough for you to go on and be the leader you were destined to be. My love for you persuades me to let you go, for I am not for you and you will see that in time, Edward. The love I have for you will never die. Bury me under the willow where we spent days and nights laughing and loving each other. I am grateful and fond of the memories we share, my love. Find me in the library, by the time you will have read this I will already be gone, but my spirit will never be lost to you. I've taken a poisonous elixir and as a token of my love I have released you. I love you dearly and shall continue to in heaven. Farewell, my beloved, Edward.

Stephanie Liza Henshaw

A chill ran down Edwards spine, his finger tips grew numb letting the paper slip from his fingers and fall to the marble. An expression of horror spread across his solemn face and he looked up to Ramsley, the butler, a straight faced old man who always managed to look undisturbed.

"Is something the matter sir?" Ramsley asked.

Anger stuck Edwards features. "Who gave this to you?" His fists clenched.

"Ms. Henshaw, sir. I had left her in the library, mere moments ago." Still straight faced, he continued to speak. "Should I bring some wine in for the delighted couple, sir?"

Edward had already sprinted from his bedroom suite not even bothering to wait for Ramsley to finish speaking, he barely even heard Ramsley as he spoke and the butlers voice had fell far into the distance. Edward turned the corner and scrambled down the main grand staircase.

"STEPHANIE! My love!" He yelled, he ran across the foyer and into the library, a place he spent most of his time lost in a book. The door had been left open. As soon as he stepped inside he halted afraid to venture further. The room appeared empty and it was deathly silent. As his eyes looked around the room he saw a pile of brown curls folding over the lounger. The closer he drew he began to see the face attached to those curls, and then her limp body encased in the beautiful golden gown she had breathlessly danced about in just that night at the ball.

They had danced for hours until he brought her to the garden where he had proposed to her. She was unsure and wanted to speak to her mother and father, both slaves, before she gave him an answer. He had agreed for her comfort, but he was so entranced by her, that he would make sure he'd have her as his wife either way.

His face tightened and he screamed in pain. In between his tears, he fell down at her side. He gripped her lifeless body and cried into her side. Why would she do this? Why would she leave him? Was this his fault? Had he pressured her too much that she felt there was no other way? These were all thoughts running though his mind but now they were not the only ones. Through tears he apologized repeatedly and kissed her everywhere. She was growing cold but the warmth was still within her, her body hadn't been lifeless for long.

He kissed her lips not caring about her mention of poison, he wanted to go with her, it was his fault and he deserved no less then death and in death he could be with her. He could taste wine on her lips, he snuggled up to her and waited but nothing happened. There wasn't enough poison on her lips to kill him. Even in death, she was beautiful. A goddess. He removed some curls from her face and gave her a once over.

"I will join you soon my love. If we can't be together in this life. Then in the next." He stood from the lounger and lifted her body from there. She felt lifeless but he had to get her to a doctor to be sure she couldn't be saved. Ramsley appeared on the staircase and looked down at Edward carrying his love into the entrance of the Mansion.

"Ramsley. I desire a healer. Bring the healer to us." He collapsed on the ground and began to cry and shout in anger and pain. He didn't know how long it took but soon Healer Gabriel who worked on the grounds at the Mansion came rushing from the stair case.

"Help her! Do whatever you can!"

The healer dropped beside him and checked her pulse. "What happened?"

"She drank poison. I left her in the garden not half an hour ago. She couldn't have drank it too long ago."

The healer had a stern look and glanced up to the straight faced butler. Edward couldn't see it but the healer and the butler shared a look of confidentiality.

"She's gone sir."

"No!! Bring her back!!" Edward sneered, I don't care what the costs are! Do whatever you must!"

"There is nothing! She cannot be saved, she is already gone sir."

"No!" He yelled at the healer, his voice echoing throughout he Mansion. "NO!" His face fell into her neck and he sobbed. "No." He said lightly, this time to Stephanie.

A few pauses later Gabriel spoke up. "She was a slave... if people from the outside knew about the ongoings around here sir they'd have your head. Bedding a slave sure, but the abominations going on the past months have been uncalled for. Very dangerous happenings."

"She didn't deserve this! Her life was worth more then every life in this place! This Mansion can rot for all I care." He growled. He didn't care the she was a slave, he didn't care about the law, he didn't even care about his own head. He had a plan, they would have a family and he'd keep the doors to the Mansion closed to outsiders besides the families that lived on his properties, they would live happily. "Know your place healer, don't forget your status doesn't allow you to speak out of bounds."

"Sir..." Ramsley began. Edward looked up and noticed the guests from the ball had all scattered around to watch, at least a few hundred people stared at him. They wouldn't understand his love for a slave, they wouldn't understand any of it and that made his anger worse.

"Leave us!!!!" He boomed at all of them. All the guests in the room watching scattered. Some left out the front door, ran back into the ballroom or escaped to the guest rooms upstairs. Everyone left including the help. They left Edward alone with her body.

His mind raced and his thoughts caused him to tremble. The future they could have had was gone and it was all his fault.