Westminster 1822

Golden Carriage

Emily was readied and thrown into the golden carriage with the white flag flying the Bentley family emblem on it. A day away from Westminster wouldn’t hurt especially since Ella was fuming, Emily thought. The carriage pulled away from the Castle, starting her long journey to her fiancé’s home.

Ella watched from her bedroom window as the golden carriage that would have carried her had her Father made the right choice. The slow, low melody of the music box her Mother gave her offered her some sort of solace. Two lovers waltzed to the soft tune.

They looked happy in Ella’s eyes, like they’d live happily ever after. Her gaze darted to the window where a carriage had disappeared with her sister. The front door opened and Furlong walked in. She placed her hand on Ella’s shoulder.

‘Perhaps Emily will be alright with her new family.’ Furlong said.

‘It’s you I worry for now Ella.’ She added.

Ella shrugged her hand off and slammed her music box shut.

‘Just wait until I have what it want. Emily will wish she had accepted my offer in the beginning.’

‘Your Father will not change his mind. Better to make the best of the situation. The Kelly family are an estimated family—’

‘Their a family with dying power, little political sway and minimal real estate. If Harris Kelly marries me it’ll surely save his family and I shall be no ones saving grace.’

Furlong held her hand from jumping to her chest. Ella paced the length of her room, the wheels turning in her head.

‘All I need is Father to change his mind and I firmly believe I know how. If only I could the walls of the Castle to speak.’ She smirked.

‘They’d surely tell many tales.’ Furlong added.

‘Stories you won’t tell me. I will have to find out for myself dear Furlong.’ Ella flashed Furlong a devilish grin before sashaying out the bedroom door.

***

The top of the Castle had to be a sanctuary for secrets. Ella made the long journey to the attic. No one had been up there in years. The door wasn’t locked. It was a forgotten place.

Ella pushed the door open, unsettling dust bunnies and moths. The square stained glass window looked like it rusted to the wall. Ella was thankful there was light.

‘Damn Emily for making ruin my dress.’ Ella grumbled.

She started by the boxes by the window. The dirt on the box stained her pure white gloves. Nothing but crumbled papers inside. Behind the tower of boxes were lines of oil portraits. The first one she saw was of the Marques as a young man. Then another one of the Marques with him and his parents. The next one was an oil portrait of her Mother and Father as a young couple. It was the last portrait.

Ella took a step back and frowned at her dirty gloves.

She turned to search the other side of the room. There were paintings of her grandparents and great grandparents but none of the woman Ella was dying to find.

‘Why aren’t Emily’s Mother’s paintings up here?’

Ella spent hours tossing and turning boxes and ripping covers off. Her dress was ruined and her mission was a failure. There wasn’t even a single painting of Emily’s Mother. Ella thought her Mother had them all burned. When she walked out of the underside down attic a thought popped into her head. Either the pictures were burned or the woman didn’t exist.

***

The carriage rocked and raged. Emily had been traveling for hours, being smashed against the wall. Emily tried to hold on to the wall as the carriage violently threw her across the bench.

‘Hold on my lady!’ The driver yelled just as the carriage lost a wheel and flew into the bush.