🌸The Promise 🌸[18+]

Chapter 2

Mr Laywood waits for me by the door still holding my suitcase, It feels weird to be leaving the house with a stranger.

"Nova, my carriage is just up this way. Please follow me." Mr laywood says kindly, as he walks ahead while I numbly follow.

Around the side of the house are a horse and carriage. The horses are enormous, one black and one brown. I can't help but feel intimidated at their height and stance, I feel like a mouse in their presence. As we get closer they snort, making me jump.

"Thank you, Percy, we will be leaving now."

I look up and see the man Mr Laywood has spoken to, he's a small thin man who doesn't even acknowledge that I'm here, just looks into the distance waiting for us to board.

He seems sad.

Mr Laywood opens the black carriage door and gestures for me to get in first, which I do, as I sit on a black padded seat. Then he sits opposite.

"Nova, I know this seems very confusing for you at this moment, but rest assured you're safe with me."

I look at his kind face and smile, he puts his arm out the window and taps the frame signalling for Percy to start moving. I'm a little scared, but I'm also curious as to why Mr laywood would spend money to buy me.

"Where are we going?" I ask, my voice nervous.

"Far away my dear girl, far away so that your father can never hurt you again." His face reads emotion that I don't quite understand.

How does he know my father hurts me? And why does he make it sound like the purpose of him buying me was so I could escape my father?

Is this man my fairy godfather?

Sensing I don't want to talk, Mr Laywood pulls out a book from the side of the carriage door and starts to read.
I flicker my eyes to the window, watching the world go by. Silently saying goodbye to the grey, miserable rainy London.
After a while the sky seems to darken, and it's harder to watch the buildings and the trees as we pass. Mr Laywood, pulls out a match box and lights the two candles either side of us that are fixed to the sides of the carriage, then chucks the used match out the window. A crinkle from his pocket signals he's looking for something as he pulls out a paper bag of what looks like to be sweets.

"Would you like a rhubarb and custard? Or a sherbet lemon? I might have a strawberry bonbon left."

But I smile and shake my head, too tired to speak.
I have no idea where I'm going, but my eyes are heavy as I start to close them, focusing on the steady rhythm of the horse's shoes against the ground. The motion is soothing like I'm being rocked to sleep in the arms of someone that loves me.

*******

"Wake up Nova we have arrived."
Mr Laywood says softly, "Welcome to Laywood Estate."
His voice stirs me out of my sleep, and I open my eyes. I don't know how long I've been asleep for, but I feel it's been a while. When we left it was dark and now dawn is approaching and the sun is starting to come out. Yawning and rubbing my eyes I take a look out the carriage window. To my surprise, I see a huge Estate home which is painted a pale yellow with white trimmings.
I try to count the windows but I lose focus due to the motion of the carriage.
Beside the house is a lawn the size of a football pitch, with trees and shrubs surrounding it. I see little cottages to the right of the vast path leading to the Laywoods Estate.

There must be four smaller cottages and one large cottage near the entrance, I see a gardener trimming the hedges and maids with piles of white laundry walking to and from each of the cottages.