Evermore

Chapter One

"Look at you. You're growing to be quite the young lady," Mrs.Sherwood said in a whisper, staring at my reflection in the vanity mirror.

Mrs.Sherwood is the wife of Mr.Sherwood, the father of a tea company in London, England. She is a short, kind woman with a round and plump face that showed her kind facial features clearly. She wears the finest clothing she can afford and simply adores small teacup dogs. Although most address her by her surname, Mrs.Sherwood, I address her as Mother.

"Thank you, mother," My eyes flickered up to meet hers in the mirror.

Today is the day of my father's send off. He hadn't told me much about where he was going. All he had mentioned was that it was far too complicated for something that I, a young lass, could not possibly understand.

My eyes darted to the music box on the corner of the vanity. My mother, meanwhile, pulled my hair and tied a bow to hold it into a slick ponytail. She sighed, and smiled, almost sadly. "Ready to go, honey?"

"Yes," I looked away from the music box. I stood up, slipping a satin glove onto my hand. There was a feeling I had walking downstairs to the carriage outside. I couldn't explain it. What was it?

"G'day, Mrs.Sherwood, Lady Sherwood."

Lady, yes. A young lady, as I was so often informed.

"Good day, Sir." I nodded my head in respect at the servant who had greeted us at the bottom of the staircase, and the feeling returned. I still couldn't quite describe it.

"Come on, hun. We have to say our farewells to your father."

"Yes, mother."

Eagerness.

That was the feeling.

Eager to leave the Sherwood household. Eager to adventure. Eager to have a life of my own, where I could act the way I wanted, where I didn't have to be so precise in everything I did, from walking, eating, to speaking.

"My two girls. Have you come to bid me goodbye?"

"Yes, father."

"Yes, dear."

It was almost impossible to believe. How could I, of all people, be a polite little lady that does as she's told at all times?

The horses at the front of the carriage whinnied loudly, desperate to get on the road. I understood the way they felt.

For I, also, wanted to get out of this cage I call a home.