The carriage shuddered as it hit a rock in the road, Allegra Rose Gray gritted her teeth against the jaring motion, ' I can't believe I'm going back', she thought to herself again in disbelief that she had even considered returning to the place where she had spent so much of her childhood, to the place that had brought her great embarrassment and heartbreak! " You had no choice", she sighed in resignation, a woman with out wealth or prospects needed to earn a living somehow.
After ten years she was returning Blackmont Hall an large estate in the country side to take up the position of companion and nurse to the ageing Earl of Blackmont, a man she had once considered a second father, he had been best of friends with her own dear Papa having served as officers together in their youth, prompting their families to spend many of their summers together at the estate. She had loved growing up spending the sunny days running practically wild in the forest like garden with their eldest son. Xavier Henry Blackmont was her closest friend and confident, as children they had enjoyed sneaking into the kitchens to steal freshly baked pastries from under the cooks nose, trampling through the gradenders carefully cultivated garden beds and causing general mayhem for all the servants, many times they were admonished by their parents and nannies.
Another bump in the road jolted Ally out of her reverie, when would this infernal journey end; she had been traveling for two days and was tired of the uncomfortable cramped cab, she long to stretch her aching legs and take a walk in the fresh air, 'soon', she thought figuring that they should reach Blackmont by mid-afternoon.
"hm..mm Miss", the sound of the driver outside the cab roused Ally from an uneasy snooze, " yes what is it?", she responded sheepishly, she hadn't meant to doze off, "we've arrived miss", the driver announced, Allegra stretched as much as the cab allowed before realising they had indeed come to a stop. Quickly straightening her skirts and adjusting her hat, she exited the hateful cab and took her first look at the hall in many years, sucking in a breath at the sight before her she gazed at the once pristine gardens, now little more then broken a diseased twiggs in front of a dilapidated old house.
An elderly groom approach then swiftly directing the cab driver to water and feed the house by the stables before turning towards her, he stood for a moment before announcing, " why Miss Gray as I live and breath, I hardly recognized you with you being all grown-up, how long has it been nine years?", " ten Mister Nigel and you haven't aged a day", Ally replied giving the old grooms hand an affection squeeze, Mister Nigel blushed at the action, he had been one of the few servants that tolerated the antics of Xavier and herself as a child, earning a special place in her heart, " what brings you back here? Much has changed since you were here last", Nigel asked eyeing her well worn travel case and other sparse luggage, " I'm to be Earls new companion and nurse", she replied with more cheer then she felt, Nigel's cheery grin fell almost instantly.