Ella ©

The evening was clear and crisp.  The damp country air sent a slight chill through Ella.  Off in the distance she could see the fog rolling in, swallowing up the stars and surrounding wood. This fog felt different, ominous.  It felt like an evil presence was sliding over the countryside.  She stood frozen; an odd sensation began creeping up her.  It started in her toes and slowly crept up her legs.  When it reached her stomach she shivered which seemed to have broken the spell.  She gathered her skirts and ran with all her might towards the manner house, afraid to look back and see what was truly chasing her.

As she reached the gardens surrounding the house she stopped to catch her breath. Turning slowing to see how far the fog had come, she was startled to see it right at the garden gate.  Alarmed, she again gathered her skirts and ran, nearly tripping over the threshold as someone inside had seen her and opened the door. 

“Lord child, you look like the devil himself were after you”

“He was,  Mrs. Baldwin”, Ella gasped. 

“You go sit in the parlor child.  I’ll bring you a cup of tea and some biscuits.”

Ella did as she was told.  Although she was seventeen years old, she still did as Mrs. Baldwin, the housekeeper, told her.  Mrs. Baldwin loved Ella as if she were one of her own.  Ella had a mother and father, but her mother was distant and chose to ignore her only daughter.  Her mother was beautiful and elegant and clearly unhappy.  Her mother’s father and Lord Stidolph had made the match to unite their families.  The name Stidolph was old English for ‘strong wolf’ and old Lord Stidolph was just that.  Ella did not care for her grandfathers.  They were cold men who had no time for their only grandchild.