Ghosts 2.0

Past memories

I wander the halls of Button Hall wondering what it would have been like to have lived longer, to have enjoyed living life at Button Hall. I hope to have a new life now, well I suppose it would be a new un-life. I come upon a room which used to be the second floor Library. As I entered the room I was transported to the day that I first got ill.

I was reading in the Library when Thomas burst in with a big smile on his face. He came up to me and took my hand, making me stand up, leading me out of the library, down the stairs and out of the front door into the grounds. We ran, laughing and tripping on the way to our favourite tree. Thomas bent down behind the tree and when he came back round the tree, he was on his knee holding out a box. Thomas opened the box to reveal a beautiful ruby engagement ring, taking his hand in mine.

"Lady Arabella Cathrik, would you do me the honour of being my wife?" Thomas exclaims looking up at me hopefully. I stumble in shock, my mouth fallen agape.

"Yes, of course I will!" I cry out, tears falling down my cheeks as he slips the ring onto my finger. Thomas and I embrace, we stay that way for a while. When we pull apart, I start to cough a great deal and stumble backwards.

"Arabella!" Thomas shouts, catching me before I could fall.

"Oh, I do not feel well" I manage in between fits of coughs. "I believe I am feverish" Thomas puts a hand up to my brow and gasps.

"You most certainly are, I get you back inside as soon as possible" Thomas picks me up and starts running back to the house, once we get inside he shouts out for someone to call for a doctor. Thomas brings me into the drawing room and lays me down on the fainting couch while servants are coming to see what is wrong. I faint not long after.

When I awake again I find I am in bed, with a doctor by my side. He feels my brow, tuts and then he places his fingers on my neck under my chin, feeling how swollen it is. I see the doctor turn towards Thomas and my Lady's Maid.

"I am afraid to say that Lady Cathrik has fallen ill with Consumption" the doctor says with absolute certainty. 

"No!" I hear my maid cry out before she starts crying and faints. Thomas catches her before she fell and places her in my chair, Thomas turns around, with a face full of misery.

"Will Arabella survive? What can we do to help her?" Thomas asks the doctor in a stern voice. The doctor rises to his feet,

"Make sure she has one teaspoon of Cod Liver Oil a day, give her vinegar massages daily and have Lady Arabella inhale hemlock or turpentine. I shall visit Lady Arabella in two days time. I pray that God will let her leave" The doctor says before leaving. A servant following after to fetch everything to heal me. Thomas comes and sits by my side. 

"Don't worry Arabella, we shall get through this" He bends down to place a kiss on my forehead as I start another fit of coughing before I fall asleep again.