Dear Past, You Suck!

I Don't Think We're In Kansas Anymore

Theodore and Nathaniel sat quietly across from me in the coach as we travelled toward my 'estate.'  We passed several fields as we rode. I couldn't see anything out the window but I could smell it. The smell of cow crap made me want to vomit (more than I already did.)I felt uncomfortable and unsafe with these potentially crazy men.Are they actors or do they genuinely believe it's the 18th century?  Every once in a while they would look at me in a wolffish way  that made a chill run down my spine. The town we rode through seemed to be an old English village, which made me confused as there was no neighbouring town like this nearby. 1756, I thought as we passed a fourth horse drawn carriage, maybe I'm the crazy one.

  I was relieved when we finally began to pull into my 'estate.' It was a large house, one of the ones that someone off of a show like downtown abbey would live in. In the low light though it looked haunting. The windows stretched with gloomy light coming out of them.The light from the house and from the carriage revealed a large and well groomed garden that stretched the length of the long driveway. Shadows from nearly unseen trees cast reaching shadows into the drive way. I'm sure it would be impressive in the daylight but at night...well let's just say if my car broke down here I would not be knocking on their door for help.

The men  tried to helped me out of the carriage by grabbing my arms to help me down, which I shook off defiantly. It seemed we were heading towards the front door so I myself walked alone to the door and knocked deftly on the door. One way or another I would be going here, might as well go myself. The men quickly ran up to stand beside me before the door opened. A middle aged man opened the door.

  "Hello can-" he paused mid sentence as he looked at me, "Miss Elizabeth! Come in, I'll get your parents." He scurried away leaving me awkwardly standing in the open door. I hesitantly walked into the house standing in the hall. My footsteps echoed in the nearly empty room. A shiver inexplicably ran up my spine- from amazement or fear, I'm not sure. It was a large hall with stone floors that gleamed and a wooden staircase, elegantly carved and polished. Candles were the only light source it seemed in the hall leaving dark spots in unlit nooks and corners.

  A man and woman along with what I assume is the butler came nearly running into the room. They didn't stop and for a second I was worried they would plow into me. Instead of running into me they envelope me in a large stiff hug.

"Oh my dear Elizabeth! We did not think you would ever return!" The woman said as tears began to fall down her face. She  was a large woman with salt and pepper coloured hair which was pulled up high on her head with a few tights curls around the nape of her neck. She wore a flower patterned pink dress that seemed like she was unable to move in. The man didn't seem to be as happy as his wife. He stood stiffly and straightly, only giving me a curt smile. He wore a similar but more upscale version of the other two men's clothes.

"I've been trying to tell-" I begin to try to explain that I wasn't who they thought I was but was interrupted by the stiff man.

"Are you the men who found her?" The stiff man asked. The two brothers nodded. "Very good. Let us men  step into my office and discuss your reward." The three guys left before I could protest once again that I was not Elizabeth. The brothers seemed very eager to get to this man's office.

The woman held me at arms length which I gently tried to escape from. She looked at me concerned "Oh where have you been? Who took you, your father will make sure they pay for their crimes."

"I've been trying to tell you, miss, I'm not your daughter. I've never seen you in my life. I'm sorry you lost her but I really must try to find my way home," I said finally, but tried to put it as gentle as possible. She stepped back looking confused and concerned. She ran off into the other room briskly before coming back. She gently guided me into a living room and pushed me into a stiff seat. Everything about this place seemed to be stiff.

"You just relax in the parlour until Wilfred can come back with a doctor," she said as she took a seat across from me, "My poor darling, you are suffering from delirium."

"Oh you misunderstood me. I am not confused, I know where I live I'm just not sure how to get back is all.I really must get home as soon as possible. I've already got a family waiting for me, miss." I said again, this time slightly frustrated.

"Mother, I don't want to hear anymore of this 'Miss' nonsense!" She said, "Augustus will be glad to see you when he returns from boarding school. All of his letters include if we had heard anything about you. Also Abraham will be more than enthused to see you. It was a shame that we  had just announced your engagement when you disappeared."

This woman really wasn't understanding what I was saying. " These names mean nothing to me."

"Awh I suppose you do not remember yet. You will remember them soon," She sighed. I chose to give up on speaking to this incompetent woman and opted for playing with the hem on my shirt. The doctor showed up nearly an hour later. He touched my forehead and asked me a few questions before deciding on a verdict.

   "She is just distraught. She should rest for a few days. Give her this tonic every morning." He said handing a bottle to my 'mother.'

  "What is in that?" I asked not trusting this doctor. I knew what the supposed 'doctors' were like in the past. Not to mention that he came with only this bottle and no tools before even talking to me.

  "You don't need to worry about that My Lady," I gave him a unrelenting glare and he gave in, "If you must know, it is a mixture on Whiskey, honey, rose hips, mercury and fish oil."

  "I'm not taking that! Did you even have a method to putting these things together?" I asked raising my voice slightly. The doctor and Mother gasped.

"Proper Ladies do not raise their voices or question a mans advice, Elizabeth." Mother said.

"Do not blame her, duchess. She is not feeling like herself. I advise getting her cleaned up and in some proper clothes and getting her to bed."

I was quickly escorted upstairs by a young maid around my age. She lead me to a dark bathroom with a bath already filled with steaming water. 

"Would you like any assistance Lady Elizabeth?" She asked standing in the doorway of the room.

"No, I'm alright, I think.  Also please don't call me Elizabeth. I don't know who she is but I am not her." The girl studied my face for a few seconds then moved onto my clothes. She shook her head a few times.

"Who are you then?" She inquired. She seemed almost... relieved that I might not be Elizabeth.

"I'm Alice. What about you, what's your name?" I asked her.

"I am Eleanor. I guess I will leave you for your bath then." She shuffled out the room leaving me to my bath. I didn't feel comfortable staying in this house but I supposed it would have to do for now. As I sank into the nearly too hot to handle water, I was trying to figure out what I thought about where I was. I was definitely in England, that was for sure. Everyone here spoke in some sort of British accent. But was I really in the past. I wanted to say no but it was just too real. If I was in the past, than how did I get here? And more importantly how do I get back?