Archive of Our Own

A bright red sun slipped down the sky, staining the sea below it a rich shade of crimson. The surrounding mountains glowed in the fading light, their rugged edges contrasting with the lush green forests which covered the foothills lower down like a leafy blanket. Small vessels were dotted around the coastline like white sprinkles on deep blue icing.

High above the sea was a castle, strong and square, with round towers framing each corner; it was constructed from grey stone and small dark windows peppered the walls, offering a clear view of the emerald hills and deep blue sea below, now lit by moonlight and the last few rays of sunlight.

Alone in one of the rooms in the castle sat Elizabeth, staring out of her window with a melancholy air. The beauty of the landscape captivated her, but the deepening hues of the sky robbed her of this consolation, replacing it with a star-scattered sky partially shrouded with clouds. The beauty of the night sky warmed her heart a little, but the gloom of her situation filled her with a sadness which no beautiful view could remove. As she turned her face away from the window and beheld her surroundings, she could not help letting a sigh escape her. Although her door was not locked, she still had a feeling that she was a prisoner within its walls.

This feeling of imprisonment was not unreasonable. She had lived in this castle since the death of her father, and since the loss of her only protector, she had never felt safe except when alone in her room with the door locked. As she had sent her woman out to find her a light, she felt that she couldn’t lock her door yet, and so she impatiently paced about her room, awaiting the entrance of her maid so she could retire to her bed. She could hear strange noises from the deep recesses of the castle and her frame trembled with anticipation, lest the source of the noises be something which would cause her harm. Her heart was pounding as she contemplated what horrors could be lying in wait for her, and it took all her resolve to fight these fears and turn her thoughts to something more comforting.

As her thoughts danced around her head, they turned to her mother, a person whom Elizabeth knew little about. Her father spoke little about her mother, but what he said had always been marked with sorrow, leading Elizabeth to believe that her mother had passed away; her own father had passed away while she was still quite young, handing her to the care of his estranged brother – the only family she knew of. Her uncle was never actively cruel to her, but he showed very little interest in her and often left her alone in the castle, in the care of the servants. Some of the servants, such as her maid, were kind to her, but others neglected her, often leaving her at the hands of enemies of her uncle who might harm her as an act of revenge; it was fear of these people that led her to lock her door.
“Excuse me, m ’lady,” said Elizabeth’s maid, knocking on the door. “I am here with your light.”
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief that it was only her maid, Bethan, and let her into her room. Bethan began fussing around her room, lighting the fire, as well as a lamp, and making sure that everything else in the room was in order. Relieved that she could soon be secured within her room safely, Elizabeth sat down on the edge of her bed wearily, and thanked Bethan for her kind attentions. Once Bethan had finished, she left the room, allowing Elizabeth to lock the door behind her and retire to bed, with a sense of security.

Her sleep that night was fitful, as it often was, and when she awoke in the morning, she did not feel refreshed much. She could hear knocking on her door, which she discovered to be Bethan, whom she allowed into her room to help her prepare her clothes. Elizabeth remained silent during this process, and Bethan took the opportunity to inform her of the events which had been discussed amongst the servants – mostly involving people in whom Elizabeth had no interest. Much as usual, Elizabeth decided just to nod along as Bethan re-told all the tales which she had heard from the servants.
“…and then David said that he heard strange noises from next door, but it turned out that it was just his brother playing tricks on him, but David doesn’t know that yet, although Euan did try to convince him that his house wasn’t haunted, Gwyneth made things worse by saying that there was a troubled spirit trapped in his house, which only convinced David even more that his house had was possessed, which is why, in the end, he decided to make his residence in the castle permanent in order to avoid the spirit, which was probably what his brother intended, since now he has the house all to himself, but I think David might end up persuading him into moving permanently into the castle as well, which somewhat negates his plans to live in the house alone, although he would end up with more space than at their house anyway, although he would be living with David again…” and thus Bethan would go on while helping Elizabeth arrange her room and fasten her dress. Elizabeth had little interest in the subject of her prattle, but, as she had little to discuss in her life, she enjoyed hearing about the minor inconveniences of other people, as they provided a small insight into the world of ordinary people, who were free to live as they chose, and were not orphaned and unprotected; the minor issues of others being treated with such significance reminded her that her problems were unusual and her suffering extreme in comparison with others’.

Once Bethan had finished with her dress, Elizabeth asked her to remain with her in her room, and Bethan was happy to oblige. Elizabeth had few opportunities of enjoying female company – or any kind of company – in her life, and therefore she was eager to seize the opportunity presented whenever Bethan was available. As the weather outside was overcast, but not wet, they decided to seize the opportunity presented and go for a walk before it began to rain.

Walking was one of Elizabeth’s few pleasures in life, although she was only allowed outside with supervision from one of her uncle’s more trusted servants, whom Bethan headed down to the servant’s quarters to ask for while Elizabeth prepared things which they might wish to bring with them on their walk, such as drawing tools and blankets to sit on, although the clouds made her consider that they would not be spending much time outdoors, so she found an umbrella to bring with them as well. Hooking the umbrella over her arm, and gathering everything else into a basket, she made her way to the courtyard where Bethan stood waiting, with Evan – a trusted servant of her uncle – at a short distance from Bethan, watching them nonchalantly. Although Elizabeth could not see anything, she was sure that Evan would be armed. While her uncle may not have been a particularly tyrannical person, he felt it prudent that she remained within his care in order to prevent him from gaining the reputation of one who allowed his niece to run wild and come to harm.

Elizabeth and Bethan set out from the castle, making their way up the nearby hills which allowed them a beautiful prospect of the ocean. Spreading out a blanket, they sat beside each other, Elizabeth sketching the landscape before her while Bethan appreciated the beauty in a verbal manner. Evan stood at a distance, regarding them sternly, apparently disinterested by the beauty which lay before him.

Their stay out on the hill was short, as the sky began to darken, and a kind of chill began to fill the air, pre-empting rainfall, so they packed up their equipment and blanket, and made their way swiftly down the slope towards the castle. Evan strode sternly after them, still at a distance from them. Although they tried, they could not make it back before the downpour began, so Elizabeth had to put up the umbrella so she and Bethan could shelter under it. Evan seemed to not mind if he got wet, and remained at a distance, getting rained on. Clearly Evan valued keeping his distance from the young women over his health.

When they arrived back at the castle, they had to wait for Evan to catch up so he could let them in. This break allowed them chance to catch their breath, as their descent had been rapid, and the nature of their clothing was not such as to afford easy breathing during exercise. They leaned against the wall of the castle, but the rain ran rivulets down their dresses, so they straightened up and brushed the water off their backs, shivering as it was cold. Evan arrived at the door, and used his key to let them in. Elizabeth and Bethan made their way to Elizabeth’s room, where Bethan helped Elizabeth change into dry clothes, before the two of them made their way to the servant’s quarters, where Bethan could change into a fresh dress.

For the rest of the morning, Elizabeth and Bethan sat in Elizabeth’s room, where Elizabeth added finishing touches to her sketches which she began on the hill, while Bethan sat beside her, chatting away. “So, I was thinking – my, what a beautiful shade of green for those hills – that perhaps Gwyneth and Patricia are conspiring to – you’ve perfectly captured the ruggedness of the mountains there – do something even more terrible than – the sea looks really wild in that painting – scaring someone out of their home, but it’s hard to – excellent use of short brush strokes there – tell what people are planning because they – perhaps a little more blue when painting the sea, I think – don’t tell anyone anything – ooh, how lovely. Have you finished your painting, m’ lady?”
“For now – I think it might be missing something, but I can’t work out what it is missing so I’ll have to leave it and come back to it later.”
“I can’t see anything missing – you’ve perfectly captured the beauty of the landscape in your painting, with any inaccuracies subtle enough to remain undetected. It’s quite an exquisite piece, although I know extraordinarily little about art myself.”
“Thank you, Bethan but I feel like it needs something adding to it, which maybe isn’t part of the original landscape.”
“Like maybe a tree?” Bethan suggested.
“Something like a tree, but I don’t think a tree would fit – a tree would be green like the rest of it, and I think it would have to contrast with the landscape more than a tree would.”
“I think I see what you mean.” Bethan said, thoughtfully. “You want some kind of focal point to draw the eye in, without distracting from the rest of the painting.”
“Yes, that’s what I’m looking for. I can’t think of anything that would work, so I’ll just have to leave it and come back to it later to see whether I can think of anything.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” Bethan stood up – she had been sat beside Elizabeth. “I know it would be terribly unseemly, but would you like to visit the servant’s quarters for luncheon?”
“I would be delighted to, but I think that it might be possible for you to join me in the dining room, as I believe I will be dining alone.” Elizabeth made her way to unlock the door, looking back to see whether Bethan was following her. “I think that this arrangement might be more comfortable, unless you wish to enjoy the company of the other servants?”
“Dining alone with you sounds like a much better plan – it will be much more intimate than the servant’s quarters.”
Elizabeth smiled agreeably at Bethan, and the pair made their way to the dining room for lunch.

After they had finished lunch, Elizabeth asked Bethan if they could retire to Bethan’s room, which Bethan agreed to, so the two of them made their way down to the servant’s quarters, where they entered Bethan’s room and both sat down, Bethan on a small, hard chair and Elizabeth on the bed.
“Welcome to my humble abode,” Bethan announced, waving an arm to indicate the scarce furnishings in her bedroom. “I hope that you are comfortable.”
“I am, thank you very much Bethan.” Elizabeth shifted slightly on the bed. “Would you like to join me here; it might be a little more comfortable than that chair.”
Bethan stood up from the chair and joined Elizabeth on the bed.
“It’s a shame about the rain,” Bethan commented. “Perhaps, if you’d been able to stay out longer, you’d have been able to work out what was missing from your painting.”
“The rain did somewhat spoil our plans,” Elizabeth agreed. “But I enjoyed spending time with you indoors.”
“I cannot deny that your company has been enjoyable, but we could have had those discussions outdoors, while enjoying the beautiful scenery.”
“I suppose you are right, Bethan.” Elizabeth leaned back and fell onto the mattress. “But it is much less windy indoors.”
They continued to engage in conversation until it was time for dinner, and they made their ways to their separate dining rooms, as Elizabeth’s uncle was expected for dinner.

Dinner with her uncle was never an occasion which Elizabeth looked forward to, but on this day the meal was a particularly unpleasant one, as her uncle turned the subject of conversation towards matters very distressing for Elizabeth.
“I am a respectable gentleman,” he began grandly, throwing back a large mouthful of wine. “My fortunes are extensive, and I am sure you are aware that, upon my death, you are to be heiress to my estate. In light of this, I expect you to behave in a manner befitting the respectability of our situation. However, I have received distressing reports that your behaviour is not as pristine as I would like, and that you have chosen to solicit the intimacy of your maid. While I do not object to occasional familiar conversations with the servants, the level of intimacy between the two of you is of an exceptional level. This intimacy must end, but I am aware that my frequent absence means that I cannot oversee the two of you. Therefore, I consider it of the utmost importance that I make a suitable match for you in the immediate future. The honourable Baron Thomas Jones wishes to solicit your hand in marriage, and I consider it a wise decision for you to accept - before knowledge of your private affairs reaches the public. If you refuse this offer, in favour of continuing this relationship, you will suffer my wrath.”
Elizabeth felt a growing sense of dread grow within the depth of her stomach. Her friendship with Bethan was valuable to her as a consolation for the privations of her existence, and marriage with a stranger was not a prospect which she looked forward to with excitement. Her uncle seemed to observe her displeasure at the situation but made it clear that his preposition was not going to change. Her appetite gone; Elizabeth decided to retire to her room for the evening.

Alone in her room, Elizabeth was left to contemplate the dilemma presented by her uncle’s ultimatum. While her life in the castle had never been horrifically miserable, she knew that, without Bethan, she would never have experienced happiness within its walls. Being forced away from her comfort to live with a stranger filled her with dread, and she realised that the only way she could avoid this dreadful fate was if she and Bethan ran away from the castle together. However, the castle was all she had ever known, and, even though it was not the happiest place she had ever lived, it was all she had known for years. On the other hand, her only reliable source of happiness within its walls was Bethan, and life inside it without her would be unbearable.

That evening, as Bethan was helping Elizabeth undress for bed, Elizabeth introduced the subject to Bethan.
“Bethan,” she began. “While I was having supper with my uncle, he introduced the most alarming conversation.”
“Oh no,” Bethan said sympathetically. “What did he say?”
“He said that I was too familiar with you and that I should end all ties with you – and that if I didn’t, he was going to marry me off to a stranger.”
“Can’t you just tell him that you’re going to not talk to me and then continue being my friend whenever he’s out?”
“He said he’d know if something like that was happening – it was implied that my only real option was marriage to somebody.”
“What are you going to do? Will you have to marry this man?”
“Well…” Elizabeth was apprehensive. “I was hoping that you and I could… run away from the castle together.”
Bethan was astonished. “You’d sacrifice your security for me?”
“I’m not secure in this castle – my uncle doesn’t care about my safety at all. And I’m not happy either – at least, not when you’re not around.”
“But… where would we go? What about money?”
“I have a small inheritance from my father – if we are very careful, we should be able to pay for a reasonable journey. I’m not sure about where to go, though – we’ll have to see if there’s anyone who can let us stay with them at different points along the journey.”
“How long have we got to plan this journey exactly? I don’t know enough about your uncle to judge if he’d give you a long time to decide.”
“I don’t know how long he’ll give me, but I think the sooner we can leave his influence, the better. If you can pack a suitcase and gather together the last of your wages, we can leave tonight.”
“Tonight!” Bethan stood up swiftly. “I’ll help you pack immediately – and then retire to my quarters so I can gather together what I can. I suppose that I had better help you get your dress back on again.”
“I’ll do it myself – you can make a start with the packing.”
“But what are we going to do after?”
“We can discuss that while you pack – please hurry.”
Elizabeth began to redress herself, as Bethan looked around the room for a case small enough to carry yet large enough to contain the necessary supplies. She struggled, but eventually found a case which fit into a bag; within the case she folded as many of Elizabeth’s dresses as she could fit, before placing it into the bag and filling the remaining space of the bag with a small portion of their money and other similarly practical items.

Once Elizabeth had finished dressing, Bethan made her way down to her quarters where she began to arrange her own belongings. Elizabeth gathered her remaining money and disposed of it throughout her dress – she thought that storing it just within her pockets would put them at too great a risk of having all their money taken by robbers. Bethan was of a similar way of thinking, and likewise hid her money throughout her person, as well as within her own bag.

After they had finished packing, Elizabeth waited in her room to allow time for Bethan to finish her business in the servant’s quarters. It was a tense wait. Elizabeth was filled with a great anxiety that her uncle would detect the nature of their plans and put a stop to them. Pacing back and forth, she wrung her hands and contemplated what she was to leave behind; while she had never felt safe at the castle, a look out the window reminded her of the beauty of the location. The sun had set, enveloping the scene in darkness, clouds disguising any stars in the night sky. She felt a pang when she considered that she had observed the view for the last time earlier that day without even knowing this; the ache which this stirred in her heart motivated her to take the unfinished painting and place it in the bag alongside her luggage.

After about half an hour had passed, Elizabeth reckoned that she could make her way to Bethan’s room undetected while also not rousing too much suspicion. Collecting the bag, she held it close to her body to prevent it from making too much noise as the contents rattled, unlocked the door to her room and set of swiftly down the corridor towards the servant’s quarters. The castle was unlit, but her steps were confident and lively, which she considered would be less likely to alert the other inhabitants of the castle to suspicious activity. Her footsteps echoed down the hall, making her mildly concerned that someone – especially her uncle – would hear an unexpected footfall and step out into the corridor to investigate. She tried to make her steps lighter as she approached the staircase. As she reached her hand out to open the door, she thought she heard the click of another door closing behind her. Heart pounding, she rushed through the door as quickly as she could, closing it softly behind her and running down the stairs, an action which was quite difficult to achieve while carrying a large bundle. Despite the hazards, she managed to make her way to the foot of the stairs without anything happening to jeopardise her escape, emerging from the door without hearing anything to indicate that whoever had opened the door behind her on the corridor was making a pursuit. Her walk to Bethan’s room was much less careful than her steps upstairs had been, for she knew that most of the servants were uncaring whether she remained or left.

Upon entering Bethan’s room, she saw that Bethan had finished her packing, as was sat alertly on a chair, evidently awaiting Elizabeth’s entry with much anticipation. The moment the door shut behind Elizabeth, Bethan sprung to her feet and informed Elizabeth of what she had been able to do.
“I’ve collected together all the money I could, and I’ve managed to secure us some horses – I’ve had to tie them up a short walk from the castle to avoid someone from in the castle taking them, which means that we have to leave as soon as possible, because they’re just out in the open where anyone can find them.”
“Is there anything left for you to do here, or should we leave now?”
“We’ll have to check that the coast is clear before we leave, but otherwise, I’ve done everything.”
Bethan stood up and picked up her own bag, and she and Elizabeth made their way cautiously through the door, down the corridor and out of the castle.

The night air was cold and crisp, and Elizabeth wished that she was wearing some sort of coat or shawl, but she knew that it would be too late for her to put one on, so she adjusted to the cold by pressing as close to Bethan as she could and walking quickly. The path to the horses was uneven, and they both almost lost their footing on multiple occasions, but their journey remained uneventful when they arrived at the horses. Bethan and Elizabeth both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw both horses were still securely tied up; they secured their bags to the horses’ saddles and then rode them down the hillside, through the village and into the woods beyond.

The main focus of their plan had been leaving the castle undetected, and as they moved deeper into to forest, they realised that they had no idea of where they were headed. They had, of course, prepared for when they arrived at the next village, but neither of them knew where the next village could be found, and their chances of discovering it in the dark were very small. As they continued blindly down the path, their fears of what might lie ahead grew with every step.

Despite their fears, their journey through the forest remained uneventful for several hours until they encountered a small peasant’s cottage by the side of the road. Exhausted from lack of sleep, they decided to knock at the door and brave whatever there might be within. There were no lights issuing from within the cottage, but when they knocked, the door was opened quite soon afterwards by a middle-aged woman.
“Hello, my dears,” she said as she opened the door. “You two must be freezing. Come on in.”
Elizabeth and Bethan exchanged glances before entering. The woman, seeing their horses, led the horses to a small shed adjacent to her house where she tied them up, before removing the bags from the saddles and bringing them inside. She closed the door behind Elizabeth and Bethan, who both remained as close to the door as possible.
“Don’t be shy – sit down, I’ll see if I can find something for you two to eat.” The woman said as she walked towards the part of her home that seemed to serve as a kitchen – the house seemed to consist of one large room, with a raised platform for sleeping on. Nervously, Elizabeth and Bethan made their way towards a bench which was positioned by the fireplace and tried to warm themselves up with the faint warmth issued by the dying embers of an ancient fire. Elizabeth placed an arm around Bethan’s shoulders and the two of them pressed as close as they could to each other in an attempt to share body heat. They sat shivering side by side until the old woman approached them, holding two bowls of mashed vegetables, which she handed to Elizabeth and Bethan.
“May I ask what your names are?” she asked, sitting beside them.
“I’m Bethan, and this is Elizabeth.” Bethan said.
“Such beautiful names,” the woman said. “My name is Mildred.”
“Lovely to meet you, Mildred.” Elizabeth replied, setting down the now empty bowl.
Mildred smiled in response, collecting the empty bowls then leading Bethan and Elizabeth to the part of her house where the two of them would be sleeping for the night.

When they awoke in the morning, they were greeted by the smell of cooking vegetables. Mildred was sat over a cooking pot, stewing vegetables in a broth which smelled wonderful to Elizabeth and Bethan, who realised that they had slept quite late and were very hungry. After their hunger, one of the first things they realised when they awoke was that they had retired fully clothed, and consequently their dresses were creased. They did not mind their appearance much in regard to vanity, but were concerned that, if they continued to travel in that state, they would arouse suspicion. Their host seemed to not present the symptoms of having endured a late night escapade, leading Elizabeth to wonder whether she had dreamt the events of the previous night, although there was too much evidence to the contrary to support this idea for long.

After breakfast, Elizabeth and Bethan discussed with each other what their next step would be, and, after asking Mildred how close the next village was and discovering that it was nearly a day’s travel, decided to remain with Mildred for another night and set off early the next morning for the nearest village. Bethan had qualms about intruding on Mildred’s hospitality for two nights, but Elizabeth convinced her that they had sufficient means of repayment, and when Mildred herself expressed what a delight it was for her to experience their company, Bethan felt comfortable enough to remain in the cottage for another night.

They spent the remainder of the day preparing for their journey and helping Mildred with her tasks. It was quite an enjoyable way for them to spend the day; Mildred was happy to help them with their preparations, and was of great service in assisting them with making their dresses look presentable, and in rearranging their cases to be more orderly for the journey ahead. Mildred seemed quite content to help them for the sheer joy of helping people, but Elizabeth and Bethan both felt that they were greatly indebted to her and needed to find means of repaying her aside from the manual labour which they had provided her in the garden. After searching through their cases, they gifted Mildred with a nice shawl and a sketch of Elizabeth’s which she had taken some time previously and had lost track of entirely until it appeared within the case. Mildred seemed to greatly appreciate the gift and promised to Elizabeth and Bethan that she would display it in pride of place within her cottage.

They awoke early the next morning and, after another of Mildred’s nourishing soups, set out from the cottage to the next village, with hopes of reaching there before sunset. The road was somewhat overgrown, but wide enough to be serviceable within the dense, green forest; the air was thick and damp with trapped moisture, and water from an overnight rainstorm dripped from the trees. They could hear distant noises coming from whatever creatures lived within the forest, and there were a few birds singing from the treetops with pleasing notes. Elizabeth and Bethan felt the calming effect of this atmosphere, which helped them to temporarily forget that they were fleeing from the tyranny of Elizabeth’s uncle; their time within Mildred’s cottage had also worked to refresh their bodies, but a day’s constant travel was certain to undo this before they arrived at their destination. For much of the journey, Elizabeth and Bethan chose to ride in silence, each taking the opportunity to bask in the sublime beauty of the surrounding forest.

Shortly after midday, when they paused to refresh themselves and the horses, Bethan remarked to Elizabeth that “We seem to be somewhat deficient in food for ourselves while travelling – perhaps we ought to have brought some with us from the castle so we would not be so dependent on the generosity of others.”
“Perhaps we should have,” Elizabeth agreed. “But we had very little time within which to prepare ourselves for the journey, and we did not provide ourselves with food because we had money, and to enter the kitchen to take food would have aroused suspicion and possibly put an end to our plans.”
“I realise that, but I feel that perhaps I could have taken a small parcel of food with us that we could have eaten on the journey without having to take some food from Mildred. We owe our survival to her – I would much rather we owed our comfort to her.”
Elizabeth looked up at the sky, marking the movement of the clouds; when they had stopped, they were fatigued by blazing sunlight, but now the wind had blown clouds to cover the sun and the sky was now overcast. As they had stopped to avoid traveling in the extreme heat of the day, Elizabeth suggested to Bethan that they set off again, and she agreed. They stood up and loaded the horses, before mounting them and continuing their journey to the nearest village.

When they arrived at the village, it was nearly evening. They made their way to the nearest inn, which was named, mysteriously, The Russia Frog, and asked the landlord if there were any rooms to spare. He looked sternly and said that he had not any which could accommodate them both sufficiently, as there was only the one small room going spare. Bethan felt uncomfortable, as she had a feeling that there was some kind of hidden meaning behind his words which indicated some ill will towards herself and Elizabeth. Neither was Elizabeth pleased with his message, for although she had less experience of the world than Bethan, she still understood that the landlord was not on the side of their interest. They stood awkwardly in the vestibule of the inn, uncertain of what to do, until a stranger approached them and asked to speak with them outside. Elizabeth agreed immediately, and, as she distrusted him, Bethan decided to follow them outside to supervise the interaction.

“May I introduce myself,” he began. “My name is Douglas Davis. I know that this may seem an unlikely proposal, and I understand if you are suspicious of me and prefer to fend for yourself – but I was wondering if I may be of assistance.”
Elizabeth was indeed somewhat suspicious, but she was also desperate, knowing that they had no food and very little money. “May I ask what form this assistance takes?”
Mr Davis smiled affably. “I thought that – given your desperate circumstances – I might be able to provide… well, my current residence here has sufficient – well, more than sufficient – accommodation for myself and two guests, but I am travelling alone; therefore, I offer you both a room each to stay for the night, and at least one meal.”
Elizabeth caught Bethan’s eye. “I find myself being forced to accept,” Elizabeth replied, with great trepidation. “But I am forced to ask what you want in return for this kindness – I do not want to find myself in your debt.”
Mr. Davis smiled affably. “It would be my honour to help out you two – but if you are still suspicious, I would not object to you helping me with arranging my house, if you feel obliged to repay me in some way.”
Elizabeth looked at Bethan. Bethan nodded.
“We accept your offer as houseguests.” Elizabeth acquiesced. “Would you now kindly take us to that which will be our accommodation for the night?”
Mr. Davis bowed in agreement and, offering an arm each to Elizabeth and Bethan, led them through the streets to his house, which was on the outskirts of the village. They waited nervously on the street as he walked up the garden path and unlocked the door; when it was unlocked, they followed him nervously inside, hand in hand.

The house was narrowly built, and quite tall, meaning Elizabeth and Bethan had to navigate several flights of stairs before reaching their rooms. To their relief, both rooms were adjoining, with doors that could be locked from the inside and shared a wall which wasn’t too thick to stifle any screams should they come into peril during the night. They could both agree that it was pleasant to take a break from travelling and sit down with their cases on the mattresses. As they unpacked their cases, Mr. Davis made his way up another flight of stairs, presumably to his own room. After bidding each other good night, they retired to their individual rooms and locked the doors.

To her surprise, Elizabeth awoke in the morning feeling refreshed – she had expected to either be kept awake by her misery or be disturbed in the night by disreputable folk. A knock at the door announced Bethan, whom she allowed in. Bethan seemed to be equally refreshed by her night’s sleep, and so was willing to help Elizabeth into a dress. When they were respectable, they made their way cautiously downstairs, to be greeted by Mr. Davis, who led them into the dining room where there lay waiting an inviting spread for breakfast. While they had not yet been presented with any reason to be suspicious of Mr. Davis, they decided it would be safer to wait for him to eat some of the food before having any themselves. To their relief, they saw him take some of the food for himself and eat it; they likewise took some if the food and ate it – it was very good.

After breakfast, they helped Mr. Davis with the arranging of his house, bringing life into the tattered furniture and brushing dust off the broken shelves. Bethan’s experience as a maid was somewhat apparent, as she showed herself to be far more confident in engaging in domestic duties that Elizabeth, but she used the opportunity to teach Elizabeth some of the necessary skills in housekeeping, such as how to turn down a bedspread and the most efficient way to dust a shelf. Elizabeth, while more uncertain in the employment, felt a kind of release in the distraction that the activity provided. She still felt some trepidation that her uncle might, upon discovering her flight, chose to hunt her down in order to force her marriage to the Baron, or that the news had reached the Baron, who had chosen to hunt her down himself – although the second of these two options seemed the least likely as they had never met and he therefore had no notion of her appearance to aid him in his hunt for her; however, this was still a possibility which would gnaw at the back of her mind whenever her mind was idle; thus, she enjoyed the distraction provided by her domestic activities as it drew her mind away from her trepidations.

Although they had not made a formal agreement with Mr. Davis to stay beyond breakfast, both Elizabeth and Bethan had seen enough to trust him to provide them with lunch safely. His hospitality they had evidence of – he had, after all, kept them safe for at least twelve hours – and his manners soon proved themselves to be affable, if a little reserved; while he had confidence enough to invite two strangers into his home, he seemed to have less inclination to share much of his tastes with them, even while they were sharing his home. He spent much of his time in whichever part of the house was not occupied by Bethan and Elizabeth but seemed willing enough to contribute what he could to their efforts in making the house habitable.

During lunch, Bethan took the opportunity to discuss their arrangements with Mr. Davis.
“So, sir,” she began, “I know that the arrangement was only for last night and breakfast, and we have already overstayed by lunch-”
Mr. Davis cut in. “Nonsense! You’ve more than earned the right to stay here with all the hard work you’ve been doing this morning – it has been my honour to help you, and you will be in no way indebted to me if you stayed for another night – if you were to leave now, I would feel indebted to you.”
“But you have done your share towards putting this house to rights,” Bethan said. “We really cannot take all the credit for its present pleasant state.”
“But I wouldn’t have known where to start if you hadn’t have helped me – and your skill has far outstripped mine. You have both been valuable contributors to the cleaning and arranging of my home, and I thank you for it – and a way for me to express my thanks is to contribute as much to your future comfort as you have to mine.”
Bethan could see that he was determined, and refrained from further argument. Elizabeth, however, had a question of her own. “What led you to single us out – why did you choose to provide us with this accommodation – how could you have guessed that we would be so apparently useful to you – what even led you to visit the boarding house in the first place – and how come you were so trusting of two strange young women?”
Mr. Davis gave a small chuckle. “Your questions assume that I heard nothing of you until you arrived at the village – but the truth is that I had been informed of your arrival. Your kind services to an old servant of my uncle’s – Mildred, I believe she is called – did not go unnoticed by her neighbours, and she sent word with my morning groceries that I might encounter two young women in need of help travelling on horseback – and so I made sure to check any who planned on checking into the inn that, should two young women find themselves unable to lodge comfortably, I would step in and help them by offering my own home as a place to stay.”
Bethan and Elizabeth exchanged glances; Elizabeth turned to Mr. Davis to question him further, but he stood up and left the room before she could say anything else.

They spent the remainder of the afternoon arranging their own rooms, and dined again with Mr. Davis, before retiring to Elizabeth’s room for the evening.

Spending the evening alone with Bethan in her room was comforting to Elizabeth, as it resembled her evenings in her uncle’s castle in the ways which were most pleasant about the experience, and for possibly the first time since she had fled, she felt a sense of contentment and homeliness – she felt possibly even more happy than she had done when under the care of her uncle, as the protection of Mr. Davis felt more mutual and secure than the protection of her uncle. She could see in Bethan’s face that she, too, felt comfortable in their situation, but Elizabeth knew that it was Bethan’s nature not to feel like she was intruding upon the lives of others, and that Bethan would use the opportunity presented by the protection of Mr. Davis to look for a more permanent and independent situation for the both of them. However, for that evening, Bethan’s thoughts were concentrated on the present, as she asked Elizabeth “Why don’t you have a look at that painting of yours and see if current events have inspired you as to what could be added to complete it?”
Elizabeth removed the painting from her trunk and propped it up on a desk, leaning against the wall. She stared at it thoughtfully for a few minutes. “I can’t work out what it’s missing,” Elizabeth explained. “but there’s a clear void there” she indicated the problematic area on the canvas. “and I have no idea what I could use to fill it – I thought that maybe the excitement of the last few days would have activated my imagination, but alas, it did not.”
“I can be of no help – I know very little of art.” Beth replied, likewise eyeing up the painting. “All I can identify is that you’ve perfectly captured the local scenery – I think I might miss it, you know.”
“It was truly a beautiful area – but I was only ever happy there because of you – and the painting does mean that I can admire its beauty even here. Perhaps we might even be lucky enough to move to somewhere equally beautiful in the future, but where we can both be secure in our company as we were never able to be under my uncle’s care.”
“There’s plenty of beauty in this country – but each area’s scenery is unique, and there will never be anywhere that will quite be like our first home.”
“We both have many memories of our time in that place, some positive, although we can both agree that the majority of our experience was negative.” Elizabeth paused for a moment, thoughtfully. “I wish I had known my father for longer – he died while I was very young.”
Bethan remained silent for a few minutes, before remarking “I think it’s beginning to get late – perhaps we should see whether Mr. Davis has arranged some supper for us to eat before we retire to our own rooms.”
“Yes, that sounds like a good idea – perhaps we could even change into one of our gowns – it might make us feel better”
“That sounds fun.”
Bethan helped Elizabeth change into one of her gowns, before going into her own room to change. They met up on the landing, before going down the stairs, arm in arm. Mr Davis seemed to have been waiting for them at the foot of the stairs, as when they reached it he showed them through to the kitchen, where he had laid out a much smaller spread of food. “I never eat much late on, so there isn’t much here, but if you really want more, I don’t mind cooking something more substantial.”
Elizabeth smiled gratefully. “It’s much more than we had prepared for ourselves, we don’t mind at all, do we, Bethan?”
“We are most grateful for your generosity – and neither do I enjoy a large meal late on. Really, this is more than sufficient.” Bethan acquiesced.
Mr. Davis smiled, and the three of them sat down on a few small stools to eat, after which they retired to their own separate rooms.

The next morning, both Elizabeth and Bethan awoke early, and after a short discussion reached the decision that they would reserve that day to prepare for their removal from Mr. Davis’s accommodation, either leaving in the afternoon if they were ready by then; if not, they would leave after breakfast the next morning. After breakfast, they communicated their intentions to Mr. Davis, who promised to do anything they required of him to help, said he wished them well and would miss their presence. “If you ever find yourself in need of help, write me and I will come to your assistance as quickly as possible,” he said, passing Bethan an address card. “And if you ever encounter me on your travels, you can consider yourself welcome wherever I am. It was a pleasure to meet you both.”
His tone was so sincere that Elizabeth felt quite melancholy about leaving him, and even Bethan felt that his generosity was genuine and without ulterior motives. They both thanked him most sincerely and began arranging their belongings ready to move on.

As they had brought very little with them, they were prepared much earlier than Mr. Davis was prepared to admit, and so they collected their horses, which had been taken to some stables by a friend of Mr. Davis, loaded up their saddle bags with the food provided with Mr. Davis, and continued their journey to the next village, which they were informed was “just behind the hill which overshadowed this village,” in high spirits. The wholesome cooking of Mr. Davis had filled them up comfortably, meaning that they had arrived at the next village before they felt the need to eat, by which time they felt it prudent to secure accommodation before eating anything.

The village was larger than the other one, but, like many others, surrounded by luscious green trees and rugged mountains. There was a small inn on the edge of town, which announced on a tattered wooden board that there were ‘no vacancies’, so they continued further into the village, where they found a larger establishment which seemed more promising. Elizabeth confessed to Bethan that she felt a little fatigued by the journey, so Bethan advised her to remain outside with the horses while Bethan went into the inn to enquire about any rooms which might be available for the both of them. Bethan returned quickly, with good news, so she and Elizabeth walked their horses to the stables, before going inside, where they were led upstairs by their host.

Their accommodation was to be just one room, but Bethan had been informed that their fee included breakfasts, so taking just the one room would save them some money to stay more nights, while they thought of ways to finance themselves in the long run. After unpacking their bags, they sat on the small sofa in their room and ate a portion of the food gifted to them by Mr. Davis, selecting mostly what would spoil fastest. The rest of the evening they spent trying to make the room look as personal as they could, before, exhausted, they both retired to bed.

When they awoke in the morning, they got dressed and made their way downstairs, into the room where they had been promised food would be served. It was a spacious room, with three long tables down the middle of it, small wooden benches either side. Most of the other residents seemed to be occupying the table farthest from the door, which was consequently nearly full, but the other two seemed to be quite comfortable, so they made their way to the nearest table and seated themselves a polite distance from those who were already occupying it. A well-dressed servant brought them a plate and told them to help themselves to the food which was laid out in the centre of the table, which they did.

After they had eaten, they retired to their room, where they tried to think of what they could do in the future to make money but struggled to come up with ideas. Elizabeth suggested that they could sell her artwork, but Bethan pointed out that she herself knew very little about art and would not be able to contribute in any way to that enterprise, leaving the two of them dependent on Elizabeth as their sole source of income. After a long silence, in which each hoped that the other would come up with a helpful solution, they decided to take a break for lunch, and see whether they had come up with anything – if not, Elizabeth thought that it might be fun for them to go into town and buy some painting supplies, with the hope that they could at least survive on the sale of a few paintings until they came up with a solution which would involve the two of them; as neither of them did come up with an idea during lunch, they did just that and Elizabeth spent the remainder of the afternoon painting the view visible from their window until the fading light made it impossible.

The next morning began much as the previous one had, but after they finished breakfast, and before they could leave, they were joined by a respectable-looking young man, whose dress seemed to announce a status superior to their accommodation; Bethan and Elizabeth were naturally suspicious of this. He smiled cordially and addressed them. “Good morning, young ladies,” he said, holding his hand out for Bethan to shake. “I understand that you have had the pleasure of meeting the young gentleman who goes by the name of Davis.”
Elizabeth was too startled to answer, so Bethan answered in the positive.
He smiled. “Mr. Davis is a close acquaintance of mine, who informed me of the likelihood of two young women by the name of Bethan and Elizabeth entering my village, and you two were the only young women to arrive meeting his description.”
“Did he have anything else to say?” Elizabeth asked.
“He said that it was his pleasure to inform you that his business allowed him to follow you here much earlier than expected, and upon his arrival he hoped that you would not think yourselves unwelcome to spend the remainder of your stay with him.”
“I am quite pleased to hear that we may meet with Mr. Davis again so soon.” Bethan said politely. “But I do not wish to rely on his hospitality for the remainder of my life.”
The gentleman gave an understanding look. “I have heard that many young women find the selling of fine embroidery a good way to earn some money, if that is your aim.”
“That sounds like a most excellent suggestion.” Elizabeth replied, catching Bethan’s eye.
The gentleman seemed distracted, and seemed to be speaking more to himself than to them when he said “I quite dote upon Douglas Davis – he is the most enchanting gentleman of my acquaintance. I am delighted that he is coming to stay with me again, and so soon.”
Bethan stood up from her seat, and made to leave, then seemed to remember something. “We are quite at a disadvantage here, sir,” she said. “For you know both our names, but we do not know yours.”
“I apologise,” he replied laughing. “For my rudeness. Allow me to rectify that mistake – I am the Baron Thomas Jones.”
Elizabeth was stunned and found herself in need of Bethan’s assistance to even remain upright in her seat. Her first thought was that he had pursued her after hearing of her flight from her uncle’s castle, but his concern upon seeing her discomposed seemed genuine, and she found herself explaining their situation to him in spite of herself.
“You are the Baron Thomas Jones, whom my uncle informed me that I was to marry?”
He seemed equally stunned. “You are Elizabeth Lloyd, niece of George Lloyd?”
“Yes, she is,” Bethan snapped. “What is that to you?”
The Baron seemed uncomfortable. “Erm… Well… I heard some reports… I feared reports of a similar nature about myself… I knew the reputation of Mr. Lloyd, and I thought… well, the short story is that I asked Mr. Lloyd if I could marry his niece in order to offer her an escape from her uncle’s tyranny and a chance for her to continue with any relationships if which her uncle might disapprove within the security of an advantageous marriage.”
Elizabeth and Bethan were speechless. Bethan, because she hadn’t known that it was the Baron whom Elizabeth was to marry, and Elizabeth because her uncle’s means to separate herself and Bethan were the result of a man attempting to prevent such a situation from taking place. There was a long and awkward silence before Elizabeth eventually said “I guess I don’t need to marry you now, since I’ve left my uncle’s care.”
The Baron laughed awkwardly. “I guess not – we are both of us the better off for this – I, for I no longer feel obliged for someone to whom I feel indifferent, and you, because you are no longer trapped in either a miserable, lonely castle or forced into marriage with a stranger.”
Bethan now found her voice. “We are very much obliged to you, but we must retire to our room now – we have to discuss our plans for the future.”
Bethan took Elizabeth’s arm and led her out of the room, upstairs and into their room, where they sat on the sofa.
“I can’t believe that this man asked your uncle to marry you!” Bethan exclaimed as soon as she had sat down.
“And his reasons…” Elizabeth agreed. “My uncle had warned me that unfavourable reports had got out regarding our relationship – I don’t think he realised that his own reputation was the problem, and that strangers would take extreme measures to prevent us from becoming separated.”
“Aside from that, his own intimate relationship with Mr. Davis, whom we encountered in a nearby village after being informed by Mildred – is the whole of this local area in a conspiracy regarding our health?”
“True – it’s very peculiar that so many of the people whom we have met on our travels are connected.” Elizabeth stood up from her seat and paced back and forth, before sitting back down in her seat. “Perhaps the Baron… What did you think of his idea to sell embroidery? How capable is your needlework?”
Bethan thought for a few moments, before saying “My needlework is not wondrous, but I believe that it is sufficient for commencing an enterprise, especially when coupled with your artistic endeavours. Can you sew?”
“I learnt a little when I lived in my father’s house – the rest I learned from watching you, although I am sure that it is not to your standard.”
They spent the rest of the morning discussing both their plans for future income and the peculiar circumstances that had led to them discovering favourably inclined acquaintances at every place where they had stopped.

After they had finished lunch, there was a knock at the door. Elizabeth answered it, and was handed a letter by a servant, which was addressed to both herself and Bethan. She paid the servant, then sat back down on the sofa next to Bethan, where she opened the letter. It was a note from Mr. Davis, saying that he had arrived, and was staying with Baron Jones at an address which he provided; after a short discussion, they decided to visit Mr. Davis in the afternoon, with the intention of possibly lodging with him until they were capable of independence.

Elizabeth spent the remainder of the afternoon painting, while Bethan went into town to enquire into materials and possible customers, to determine the possibility of them commencing an enterprise in embroidery. While it was dry, the sky was overcast, and Bethan returned from town early because she thought that a rainstorm was approaching. When she returned, the two of them ate the rest of their provisions – they had enough money left over to buy a few meals, and the arrival of Mr. Davis meant that they wouldn’t have to depend on the rations he had given them before they left. After they had eaten, they spent the remainder of the day packing in preparation for their removal to Baron Jones’ accommodation. Elizabeth took a hard look at the unfinished painting before she returned it to the bag, but no idea had entered her mind yet.

The next morning, after breakfast, they collected their things from their room, went to the stables for their horses and rode to the address provided for Baron Jones and Mr. Davis. The Baron lived in a large house which overlooked the village, and when they knocked on the door, they were answered by a servant who informed them that Baron Jones and Mr. Davis were both in, but temporarily unavailable, and that any guests should be showed through to the drawing room. A second servant – the groom – took their horses to the stable, and a third helped carry their luggage. They followed the first servant into the drawing room and sat down on a pair of comfortable chairs near one of the large windows, where they waited for Mr. Davis to arrive.

After about five minutes had passed, Mr. Davis and Baron Jones both entered the room, Mr. Davis greeting the both of them warmly. “Elizabeth, Bethan, what a delight it is to meet the both of you so soon,” he said with a smile, shaking their hands. “And you have met my companion, Thomas, as well. How lovely.”
“It is very fortunate that we are able to meet each other again so soon after our departure,” Elizabeth agreed. “But perhaps you are not aware of the relationship between the Baron Thomas Jones and me, which may have the possibility to make the situation somewhat awkward.”
“What, you have already met this young woman before, my love?” Mr. Davis asked the Baron. “You didn’t tell me this.”
The Baron rubbed Mr. Davis’ arm. “While we have not met, I
felt it would be a kind thing for me to offer to take her out of her uncle’s custody, where she would be at liberty to continue her relationship with Bethan without any interference from her uncle. In short, I asked if I could marry her.”
Mr. Davis gave a fond smile. “My foolish Thomas – did you not see that he would use it as further means of separating them? Elizabeth could hardly be aware of your true intentions if you never met her.”
“In truth, I acted rashly – especially as I intended to provide a similar protection for ourselves through this union.”
“Thomas – you know I said that I don’t want your protection. Why would I care if the whole world knew about us? In fact – let them know. I wouldn’t care if it were announced to everyone individually in the plainest terms. We are what we are to each other, and no one can stop that.”
The Baron said something inaudible to Mr. Davis, who smiled in response.
“So, Mr. Davis, Baron,” Bethan said. “Are you sure you do not mind our staying here overnight? You know how much I dislike infringing on people.”
“My dear young ladies,” Mr. Davies replied amiably. “You can stay with us indefinitely. We have no objection to your presence, do we, dear?”
The Baron assented. “You were so kind as to aid Douglas in the establishment of his home and we are forever indebted to you for that.”
“Anyway,” Mr. Davis interrupted. “Allow me to show you to your suite.”
He led them up some stairs and through a door, into a luxurious apartment. “I hope you won’t think this is too much,” Mr. Davis said nervously. “But this is the only place that can really accommodate two young women comfortably for a long-term visit.”
Elizabeth and Bethan entered the room and had a look around. The suite consisted of a few adjoining rooms, with ample provision for the both of them to cohabit. Mr. Davis and Baron Jones decided to give them a few minutes alone to settle into their living quarters.

Elizabeth and Bethan spent the next few days comfortably, while also taking steps to start their business. At the end of the week, however, a second visitor arrived to change everything.

It could be of no surprise that Mr. Davis and Baron Jones, after allowing two strange young women to live in their home indefinitely, would provide shelter for another destitute individual in their home – what was strange about this woman was the interest she took in Bethan and Elizabeth. She was in her late forties or early fifties, with nothing particularly distinctive about her appearance. Mr. Davis and Baron Jones had assured them that they would not inform their guest of their story, leaving it to their own discernment as to what they would tell a stranger, so they doubted that her interest would have been piqued by a dramatic retelling of their history. Her interest did, however, seem captured by Elizabeth and Bethan and, as they did not know how long they would be inhabiting the same building together, they thought that it would be best to get to know this strange woman, and see why she seemed so interested in the pair of them.

One afternoon, after they had finished lunch, the three of them retired to the drawing room, which presented to Elizabeth and Bethan an opportunity to learn some more about their fellow guest. After they had settled onto the chairs, Bethan decided to address their fellow guest.
“We have been inhabiting the same house for several days now, but we have never really been formally introduced,” Bethan began. “Allow me to change that. I am Bethan, and this is Elizabeth.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, Elizabeth, Bethan,” The visitor said. “My name is Ffion.”
“So, Ffion,” Elizabeth said, awkwardly. “What brings you here, if it isn’t inappropriate of me to ask?”
Ffion shifted uncomfortably in her chair, and answered “I don’t mind telling you, if you can be trusted not to let reports about me spread too far.”
“We promise to be discrete,” Bethan replied, “As rumours about us are what led to us being here.”
“Well, rumours are what led to my own demise,” Ffion began. “I never regarded men much, but my situation made it advisable to marry. However, my husband turned out to be an understanding man, and after I bore him a child, he allowed me to live my life as I wished. This would have been a happy life for me because I loved our child very much, but rumours about me spread, and my brother-in-law threatened to force a separation between the both of us. Fearing for the safety of my child, I chose to flee my home late one night, and live my life in secret. It caused me much misery to be apart from my child, but I knew that she would be cared for by her father, and that she would not have a life destitute as it would have been had she lived with me.
“However, her fortune was an unlucky one, as my husband died a few years later, and she was forced to live with my brother-in-law, who would not have mistreated her purposefully, but I knew that her life would never be a pleasant one while under his roof, and that any chances of a clandestine visit from me would be impossible.”
“You described your child as ‘she’,” Elizabeth asked. “I assume that you bore a daughter.”
“I did,” Ffion answered. “My daughter was called Beth.”
“Was Beth…” Bethan said nervously. “Was Beth short for anything?”
Ffion looked thoughtfully. “I think… yes, I called her Elizabeth. Elizabeth Ffion Lloyd would be her full name.”
“Did you say that your daughter’s name is Elizabeth Lloyd?” Elizabeth asked in astonishment. “And your brother-in-law… was his name George Lloyd?”
Ffion looked thoughtful. “I believe… yes, I think his name may have been George Lloyd. Why do you ask? Do you know him?”
“I…” Elizabeth said, her heart racing. “My name is Elizabeth Lloyd, and I was raised by my uncle, George Lloyd, after the death of my father. I always believed that my mother was dead, but I was never directly informed of her demise – I only inferred it from my father’s melancholy tone when he spoke of her. If your tale is correct, you may be my mother.”
Ffion began to weep. She stood up and paced back and forth, before cleaning her face and sitting back down in her chair. “My…” she said, her voice catching in her throat. “My daughter, you are really my daughter.”
“I think so,” Elizabeth replied quietly. “How many other times could this have happened in this area?”
Ffion looked thoughtful, then embraced Elizabeth awkwardly. Elizabeth returned the embrace, grateful to experience the love of a mother, but uncomfortable to receive it from someone whom she had barely spoken to throughout her life. They broke apart quickly, and the scene was ended by the entrance of Mr. Davis and the Baron.

The five of them lived together quite comfortably for the following weeks – Elizabeth used the time to help get to know her long-lost mother, and Bethan to help develop her embroidery business with Elizabeth; they did not make a large profit from their sales, and it became clear that they would have to remain living with the Baron and Mr. Davis, although their own separate income allowed them to pay something in the way of rent to their hosts, earning them the name of lodgers rather than guests, a situation which was considerably preferred by Bethan, and Elizabeth to some degree as well. Mr. Davis and the Baron also began to form a friendship with their three guests, with them ending up on first-name terms with each other.

One evening, as Elizabeth and Bethan were going through some of Elizabeth’s paintings, to see what they could sell. As they looked through, they found the painting Elizabeth had painted in her uncle’s castle, which she felt was incomplete. As usual, she rested it against the wall and the two of them studied it in their usual way.
“It reminds me of home,” Bethan said as she looked at it. “And although this is now my home, I don’t think I can sell this one – it has too much sentimental value.”
“True,” Elizabeth agreed. She thought for a few more moments, then added “I think I’ve worked out what’s missing from the painting, and I don’t know why it took me so long to realise when the answer was right in front of me this whole time.”
“What is it?” Bethan asked, curious.
“Well, I think a figure would improve it,” Elizabeth answered. “And I think that figure should be you. You lived in the area just as much as I did, and I think… well, you’re important to me, and the whole adventure following its painting have really shown me just how important – what both I and the painting needed was you.”
Bethan smiled. “You can paint me if you want.”
Elizabeth picked up her brush and palette and began to paint a figure in the landscape. When she came to the face, she carefully captured Bethan’s countenance as she looked out of the window to the sea beyond; Elizabeth enjoyed the delicate brush strokes which captured the subtle skin tones and gentle expression of Bethan’s face, as well as the way the light caught the ends of her eyelashes and the colour of her eyes in the sunlight.

Ffion, Mr. Davis, and the Baron all agreed that the painting looked beautiful when it was done, and it was displayed in pride of place in the drawing room for the rest of Elizabeth and Bethan’s time in their house. After many years selling their art and paintings, Elizabeth’s uncle died, leaving her as the sole heir, so she was able to move back into his castle with Bethan and Ffion, allowing her to gaze upon the scenery and the face captured in the painting every day for the rest of her life. Their return brought more happiness to the local area than there had ever been during her uncle’s life, and Elizabeth was happy to enjoy both the familiar scenery and the society of the women whom she loved and who loved her without any powerful men trying to separate them anymore.