I was sitting on my balcony when I hear something

inside. I get up and walk inside. hello? I call. No

answer. I walk around and see nothing. I walk into

the parlor and find a window open. I walk over to it
and close it. I then walk back upstairs and close my
balcony door and go to bed.

I wake up and my maid helps me get dressed. She

fixes my hair and does my makeup. She then
puts a hat on my head. you look gorgeous
she tells me. she leads me downstairs to eat.
When I get there I scream. My mother and
father are lying dead on the ground. A hand
comes over my mouth and my maid is there.
come on sweet heart we need to go now she
tells me. I nod thru my tears. We rush outside
and get into the carriage. The driver rides
away. The maid pulls me into her arms and
holds me while I cry. She hands me a

handkerchief and I cry into it. I wipe my eyes.

where are we going? I ask. somewhere safe
she tells me. I nod. We pull up to a big house.
The maid gets out and tells me to stay there.
she rush up to the house. My maid knocks on
the door and a man about in his 50s opens it.
ah missia how are you? he asks my maid. I
am ok but we need protection lady lucy and
her husband have been murdered she tells
him. oh my lord is anna ok? he asks. yes she
is in the carriage she is pretty scared she tells
him. tears still run down my rosie cheeks when
they make their way to the carriage. Lord max
looks at the door. anna will you come inside?
he asks. yes I tell him and step out. he smiles
you have gotten so big since the last time I
saw you he tells me. he takes my hand and
leads me to the house. I sit down on one of the
couches and lord max brings me a cup of tea. I
dont drink it. my maid hands me my
handkerchief and I dab my eyes. mia will you
show miss anna to her room lord max calls. A
girl walks in yes my lord she says then looks
at me. this way my lady she says and I follow
her out of the room.

Missia
do you know who and why someone would
murder them? lord max asks me. yes they
are after anna I tell him. he looks worried
why are they after her? he asks. we dont
know I tell him. well I promise you we will
keep her safe. William my son will be home
today so he will help he tells me. thank you I
tell him. just then a young man about annas
age walks in. ah William we have a situation
lord max tells him. William walks over to him.
what is it father? he asks. lady lucy and her
husband john have been murdered he tells
him. William pales. and they where after
anna he tells him. William turns white as a
ghost but looks confused. anna? he asks.
yes you havent met her but she needs all the
protection we can provide her he tells him.
then a scream comes from upstairs. I jump up
and find anna on the ground unconscious. I run
to her. anna I whisper. She moves her head I
dont want to be afraid she tells me. I sit her
up and hold her. I know I tell her as I hold her.
she clings to me and cries. Lord max comes in
and looks at the scene.

Anna
I see lord max walk over to me. he squats down
and looks at me. you are safe here he tells
me. a single tear escapes my eye. I nod. I stay
in my room all day holding a locket in my hand.
I lay it on my bed and dress in my night gown.
After I am dressed I put my locket on and undo
my hair. opening my door I walk out and look
around. My hair falling in curly waves down my
back. I walk down the stairs and look around. I
walk outside and sit on the porch swing. I
unfold a piece of paper and look at a picture of
my mother and father. A tear falls on it. anna
you shouldnt be out here youll get sick I hear
a voice say. I look up and see my maid
standing there. I start to cry harder. oh sweet
heart she says and sits by me. she pulls me
close. She leads me back into the house and
tucks me in. I go to sleep.

Missia wakes me up and does my hair. She curls it

and pins it up. she then does my makeup and
helps me get dressed. After I put on the dress
she walks me downstairs. I stop dead
remembering this is what I did before I found
my parents dead. anna its ok missia tells me.
I wont move. Once im calm I walk down with
here and stop dead when I see a young man I
recognize. He looks up and pales your anna? I
know you he says. I bolt out of the room.

William
William you know her? my father asks. yes I
saw her being harassed by a couple guys and I
stepped in I tell him. oh my father said and
sips his coffee. I get up and follow her out.

Anna
I run into the yard and into the woods. Something
grabs me I try to scream but they tie a cloth
around my mouth and ties my hands together. I
start crying. I stomp my foot on his and he lets
me go I run back to the house still tied. The
house comes into view and I run into someone.
It turns out to be William. oh god he says
when he sees me tied up and crying. Then he
looks behind me and pales. He picks me up in
his arms and runs into the house. When hes
inside he locks the door and screams for help.
His father runs and helps untie me. I scream
when the door starts to be pounded on. It
breaks open and a guy comes in. lord max
holds a shotgun and aims it at him. William
puts his body in front of mine. leave now lord
max tells the guy. not until you hand over the
girl the guys says. thats not happening so

you leave now or I will shoot lord max tells

him. I will come back and get her he says
and bolts out. I fall down and burst into tears.
Lord max walks over to me anna are you ok?
he asks. I dont know I tell him. do you
remember what happened? he asks. I was
running and I was grabbed and my head was
slammed into a tree and I was tied up and a
cloth tied around my mouth then I slammed
my heel into the guys foot and ran I tell him.
he nods and stands up. mia get a towel and
medical supplies she has a gash above her
eye lord max tells the maid. The maid nods
and walks out of the room. where is Missia? I
ask. dont know lord max tells me. I nod. He
walks over to me and helps me to the couch.
The maid comes in and washes my cut. She
then puts a bandage on it and gets up and
leaves.

I go to my room later and dress in my pajamas.

Brushing my hair I climb into bed and go to sleep.
I wake up to a cool breeze. I sit up and look around
and see my window open. I get up and walk over
and close it. when its shut a hand comes over my
mouth. I try prying the hand off me. I grab a vase
and slam it on the guy holding me and when he
lets go I scream. He grabs me and pulls me to the
ground. I struggle to get out of his hold. I hear
running outside my door but the guy still holds
onto me. my door opens and William runs in. he
grabs me and trys to pull me out of his grip. He
then punches the guy in the face and finally gets
me out of his grip. The guy jumps out of the
window. William grabs hold of my shoulders and
looks at me are you ok? he asks. I nod but start
to cry. hey it will be ok he tells me. I dont know
how he got in because I locked my window I tell
him. Are you sure you locked it? he asks. yes its
burned into my brain to lock my widows before
bed. It was part of my routine for getting ready for
bed I tell him. ok he tells me. I finally go back to
bed and have no more accidents.

I get dressed and do my hair and makeup by

myself. Missia has not come back witch has me
worried. I put a blue shawl over my arms and head
downstairs. I run into lord max at the bottom of the
stairs. has missia returned yet? I ask. no she
hasnt but we will be outside for most of the day so
if you would join us he says. sure I would love to
I tell him smiling. you have a beautiful smile you
should do it more often he tells me and walks
outside. I follow. I sit down on a stone bench under
an old oak and watch lord max and William throw a
football. I take out my fan and wave it. William
looks at me and smiles. I put my fan up to my face
to hide me blushing. He laughs. I smile. A little
later William walks over to me and sits down next
to me. so my brother is coming to help protect
you he will be here sometime today he tells me. I
nod. do you swim? he asks. I havent went
swimming in a while I tell him. ok so we can go
swimming when my brother get here he tells me.
ok that would be fun I tell him. he smiles when he
sees a carriage pull up. he gets up and holds his
hand out. I take it and we make our way to the
house.

I go upstairs and get dressed in my swim suit. I put

a beach dress on and head downstairs. I see the
two guys talking. William looks up and smiles this
is john. John this is anna he says. William turns
back to me you ready? he asks. I nod. no worry
your safe with us john tells me. I nod. We head
out. we reach a lake and stop under a couple trees.
William lays a blanket in the shade. I sit down on it.
William sits down next to me. he looks at me then
looks at my braided hair. He reaches up and
unbraids my hair letting my curly brown hair fall
down my back much better he says. I smile and
blush. He gets up and pulls me to my feet lets go
for a swim he says. He runs to the lake and I take
off my swimsuit cover revealing my white bikini. I
walk to the lake. He turns and looks at me in aw
when he sees me. I walk a little into the water but
William pulls me in making me fall into the water
completely in. I come to the surface to find him
laughing. I smile. I splash him and laugh. He smiles
and splashes me and I yipe when the cold water

hits me. He laughs. He swims up to me and grabs

me pulling me to him so my body is pressed
against his. so this is what you look like under
those big covering dresses he says. I blush.
When the sun starts to go down john builds a
fire and I dry myself off and slip the dress on. Im
sitting on the blanket when William comes up to
me. may I have this dance? he asks. yes you
may I tell him and take his hand. He pulls me up
and walks toward the fire. We stop walking and
start to dance. I look at him and he looks at me. I
twirl and we start dancing again. I lay my head on
his chest. He pulls me closer.
When the day ends we walk back to the house.
I go to my room and get ready for bed.

William
john I am feeling very weird I tell him. dude
I know exactly how you feel I have had that feeling
before its called love he tells me smiling. I look at
him. dude you are totally in love with her I see it
all over your face he tells me. its that
noticeable? I ask shocked. He laughs.

Anna

I wake up to sunlight. I get out of bed and dress in

a dress. I do my hair and makeup by myself. I
decide to leave my hair down. I open my door to
find a bouquet of daisies there. I pick them up and
smile. I walk back into my room and put them in a
vase and fill it with water. I then grab my journal
and pen and go back out and head downstairs. I go
outside and see a swing hanging from a willow next
to a pond. I head over in that direction and sit on
the swing. I open my journal and write in it. a little
bit later I see William make his way over to me. I
close my journal when he reaches me youre out
here all alone he says. I shrug Its just nice and
quiet in the morning I tell him. he smiles. I like
your dress its not all big and spread out he tells
me pulling me to my feet. well I have more of
these dresses inside that I will be wearing I tell
him. he smiles. We walk inside.