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  When she arrived at work that morning, fifteen minutes early, Acantha and poor old Joan nearly passed out from shock. At first, she attributed the absence of her nightmares to the fact that she was exhausted, therefore she slept deeply, unable to dream. Or maybe, it was because she had slept with the light on. But as the nights turned into days and the days turned into weeks, her nightmares failed to reappear and she actually looked forward to sleep. Cecily felt simply marvellous! On top of the world and full of life, exactly how a normal eighteen-year-old should feel. It seemed that a bit of positive thought, coupled with the determination to turn her life around had worked. And the absence of her dreams, the bane of her life, was a great start. However, there was another reason for Cecily’s renewed vigour. She had met someone. A boy.

  A couple of days after that dreadful Monday, Joan had to leave the Dairy early, shortly before close, to attend a dental appointment. She entrusted Cecily with the day’s takings and asked her to deliver them to Acantha, once she had locked up the Dairy. Acantha was in a meeting with Lord Bramble in his study, so after Cecily had triple-checked that she had locked the door of the Dairy, she went over to Bramble Hall.

  She made her way through the Great Hall and up the grand staircase to the first floor. Cecily rarely had reason to go over to the main house, unless of course it was to go to the basement via the back entrance. This was certainly the first time that Cecily had been to the upper floors of Bramble Hall, as they were mostly off limits to the staff and general public. As she turned left at the top of the beautifully polished wooden staircase, she marvelled at the centuries old portraits of various members of the Bramble aristocracy that lined the walls. Curious eyes bored down upon her as she walked across the large, rectangular landing, past the bed chambers and along to the study, which was located in the east wing of the house.

  Cecily tentatively knocked on the door. She’d had little dealings with Lord Bramble and although he was quite short in stature, his presence was most certainly intimidating. However, Cecily was quite sure that Acantha would open the door. After what felt like an eternity, the leather-padded door swung open, only it was not Acantha that stood there, with her chubby, round face and nor was it the fearsome demeanour of Lord Bramble. Stood in the doorway of the study was the most handsome boy that Cecily had ever seen in her short life. Cecily thought how very tall he was as she stared up into his ice blue eyes. They were as clear as crystal, except for a thin circle of dark blue that lined the outer edge of the iris. Long, black lashes fringed his eyes and he had thick, shaggy, black hair, which was probably longer than it ought to be, with a smattering of designer stubble to match. When he smiled at Cecily, his eyes smiled too, leaving little creases at the corners.

  “Hi there,” he said to Cecily, obviously amused at the fact she had coloured up like a beetroot and her cheeks were now clashing with her auburn hair.

  “Erm, hi,” replied Cecily. “I just brought the, erm, money from the Dairy. For Acantha, I mean, the money is for Miss Sims.” Cecily was now unable to meet his crystal gaze and she felt stupid for muddling her words.

  “Cecily, dear, is that you?” she heard Acantha screech from the room beyond.

  “Yes, Miss Sims,” Cecily shouted back, colouring up again.

  “Do let her in, Cian, there’s a good boy,” crooned Acantha, as if addressing her favourite pet.

  Cecily tried her hardest to act as cool as possible as she strutted across the cherry parquet flooring. Nothing could ruffle her feathers. But suddenly, all she could think about was exiting the room as quickly as possible. She approached the desk where Lord Bramble and Acantha were sat opposite one another and in her haste, she happened to trip on the corner of the large, heavy rug that lay beneath the desk and chairs. She managed to keep her footing and narrowly avoided ending up in Acantha’s lap. Cecily, who could not be more embarrassed, handed over the takings to her manager, not daring to contemplate Lord Bramble who looked completely baffled.

  “Good job, Cecily!” said Acantha, heartily. “We’ll make management material of you yet!” Cecily, knowing when she had been utterly patronised, smiled feebly at Acantha and turned to leave the study. However, blocking the exit, with a broad smile across his face, was the handsome boy, who seemed to be enjoying every moment of Cecily’s mortification.

  As she edged passed him, she glanced upwards in the direction of his face and mumbled, “Thanks”, eager to leave the study and the house behind her, as fast as humanly possible.

  As she hurried along the landing, she heard footsteps behind her and she knew she was being followed. Turning to descend the staircase, she saw that the handsome boy had followed her.

  “By the way, I’m Cian. Cian Bramble,” he said in a strange accent, which Cecily thought sounded Irish.

  “Cecily Stalks,” she replied in a mutter, accepting his hand which was now extended in front of her face. This guy must think I’m socially inept, she thought to herself as she blushed deeply, yet again. What is wrong with me?

  “What are you up to now?” he asked her.

  “Nothing,” said Cecily, attempting to appear airy and nonchalant. “I’m just about to walk home.”

  “Well, if you don’t mind, I’ll join you. I could do with some fresh air.”

  And that is how Cecily Stalks met Cian Bramble.

  ***

  On the short walk home, Cecily had discovered much about Cian. She found him to be very open and forthcoming about himself. He was twenty years old and from Dublin in Ireland. Cian was Lord Bramble’s nephew, being the son of Lord Bramble’s younger brother. He was studying at Trinity College in Dublin, but he was currently taking a gap year to do some travelling. Cian was studying ‘Ancient and Medieval History and Culture’ and had just got back from a trip to Europe after visiting some of the places he had been studying and was yet to study over the final two years of his degree. He’d recently completed his travels with a month in London, so now he was spending some time in Lancashire, at his ancestral home, before going back over to Dublin and university.

  Cecily had barely taken note of her beloved wood on that particular walk home. The natural surroundings that usually soothed her: the trees, the wildflowers, the stream, the birds and animals, all paled into insignificance as her sole focus was Cian. And over the past few weeks, since meeting him, so had all other aspects of her life taken a backseat, including her family, her friends and her job. Cecily, who had hardly ever been out of Bramblegate, was mesmerised by Cian and the wondrous tales of his adventures across Europe and back in Dublin. He was like no one she had met before and she was completely in awe of him. When he spoke in his deep, melodious Irish accent, Cecily could not concentrate on anything else. His warm tones compelled her to a place where nothing else seemed to matter. As he told his stories, his eyes danced with enthusiasm, making his whole face smile and Cecily was perfectly entranced by his ice blue, crystal gaze. There was something so familiar about him, as if she had known him forever. But of course, she knew that was not possible, so she took their meeting as a good sign.

  Cian had completely swept Cecily off her feet, giving her a taste of a life she had dared not dream of. They often left the claustrophobic atmosphere of Bramblegate and made for the city, Cecily chauffeured by Cian in various classic cars, borrowed from his uncle. Cian was a true gentleman and his advantageous upbringing had afforded him gracious manners. He always opened the car door for Cecily, pulled a chair out for her in restaurants and assisted her with her coat. Who said chivalry is dead? she thought to herself on more than one occasion. She often felt clumsy and uncouth around Cian, having grown up in a small village and being very unworldly, but Cian was kind and never made her feel bad. And of course, Cecily was only too willing to educate herself in the etiquette of high society. Sometimes, she felt like she was living in a Jane Austen novel. Cecily was having the time of her life. She had been transported to another world completely and this was certainly more like the change she was craving.

 
But this was more than about where Cian could take her, what car he drove or who he could introduce her to. Cian seemed genuinely interested in Cecily as a person. He wanted to know everything about her: about her friends, her family, her dreams and aspirations, about her past, present and future. Sometimes, she felt like she had been talking at him for what seemed like hours. He was such a good listener. And this in itself was the perfect therapy for Cecily. She trusted Cian and so told him about her darkest fears, about the death of her father and how the dreams that occurred as a result were affecting her relationships. She shared and let him enter the turmoil of her mind. Even when Cecily talked about the shadows, feeling crazier by the second as she spoke about them out loud, never did Cian judge her. He always had a sympathetic smile and reassuringly squeezed her hand. Cecily felt like she had finally found someone who understood her and she did not want to relinquish this feeling.

  That is the reason why Cian had taken priority and all other factors in her life seemed barely important. Cecily did feel a surge of guilt when she thought about her friends. She knew she could not avoid them forever and she also knew that they deserved more than the way she was treating them at the moment. Fen and Sol had made several attempts to contact Cecily, but she had become quite skilled at the art of avoidance. Fen had left her many messages at home, enquiring as to how she was and attempting to make plans to meet up. They had even called into the Dairy on a couple of occasions after college, hoping to see her. But Cecily either found a reason to go over to the main house or managed to swing a break. As the Easter holidays were now a distant memory, Kaden was back at college and working at Bramble Hall on weekends when Cecily was not, so she had not had to worry about bumping into him at work. Also, he had been taken out of the Dairy to work in the gift shop, as Mabel, the old lady who had been running it for years, had retired. Various members of staff were filling in while they were looking for someone to replace her. However, this had not stopped Kaden from calling her incessantly and going to Cecily’s cottage at every opportunity. Cecily was rarely home these days, so it had been easy to avoid Kaden. If he called later in the evening, she pretended to be sleeping. Cecily still did this, knowing that Kaden would be lost without her. They had been inseparable since they were children. The only person Cecily had not heard from was Jedd, but she was not surprised about this.

  She knew that she would have to face her friends sooner or later, but she was not ready to just yet. She was having the time of her life with Cian and she assured herself that the space would do them all good. There would be time for a reunion later, when Cian had gone back to Ireland, but this was another thought that Cecily was shoving to the back of her mind. She was content living her fairy tale for the time being. Reality could wait.

  Chapter Nine

  It was a glorious afternoon in the middle of May. The sun was out, baking the world beneath as it shone down. Cian had dropped by the Dairy and invited Cecily to an impromptu picnic by the lake. She was, of course, thrilled and as she was just finishing up at work, she offered to go across to the Hall with Cian and help prepare the picnic basket.

  “I’ve already done it!” Cian informed her. “You go down to the lake and find a spot. I’ll join you shortly. I’ve got to have a word with my uncle about something.”

  “Are you sure?” replied Cecily. “I don’t mind.”

  “No, it’s OK. I’ll meet you in fifteen minutes.”

  Cecily grabbed her bag and trundled slowly down the gravel driveway, glad of the protection of the giant oaks from the blazing sunshine. Although she was excited about the picnic, she was feeling a bit miffed. Cecily had a strong feeling that Lord Bramble did not approve of his nephew’s choice. Whenever he saw them together, Cecily felt that he eyed her suspiciously. I’ll show him, she thought to herself and as she headed for the lake, she daydreamed of some massive accomplishment that would raise her up in Lord Bramble’s estimation and make her good enough for his nephew.

  Cecily was so caught up in her daydream, that at first she did not notice the girl walking towards her in the direction of Bramble Hall. Just as they were about to walk by each other, Cecily noticed that the girl was looking at her intensely. Cecily could not help but stare back, thinking that the girl looked vaguely familiar.

  “Cecily?” asked the girl rather cautiously. “Cecily Stalks?”

  “Erm, yes,” replied Cecily, feeling rather awkward.

  “Oh, thank God! A familiar face! You don’t remember me, do you?” she questioned, noticing Cecily’s look of dismay.

  “Of course, I do!” exclaimed Cecily, stalling for time. “It’s…”

  “Elisabeth,” the girl interjected. “Elisabeth Stone. We used to go the village primary together.”

  Now Cecily remembered. How could she have forgotten those beautiful ravel curls and the rich, dark brown eyes that were almost black.

  “Elisabeth! It’s so nice to see you! What are you doing in Bramblegate?”

  “I just moved back a couple of days ago with my family. My father’s job brought us back here.”

  “I bet you don’t remember much about the place. You were only four when you left, weren’t you?”

  “Yes, that’s right. But I’m so happy to be back. This place feels like home, you know. We’ve moved around a lot because of my father’s work, but it looks like we’re here to stay this time! I was hoping to bump into you or some of the others. It’s funny, but I remember you really well. Do you all keep in touch?”

  “Yes,” replied Cecily, feeling rather guilty at her answer. “The others are fine. Kaden, Jedd, Fen and Sol are good friends.”

  “Excellent!” enthused Elisabeth. “Maybe you could all show me around and fill me in on what’s changed?”

  Just at that moment, Cecily heard the crunching of footsteps on the gravel driveway, heading towards them at a running pace. She turned and saw Cian coming to join them.

  “Who’s this then?” enquired Cian.

  “Hi, I’m Elisabeth Stone. Nice to meet you,” said Elisabeth, offering her hand.

  Cecily, who was observing Cian like she always did, thought she saw a flicker of annoyance pass over his handsome face, but Cian, who was always gracious, accepted Elisabeth’s hand and said, “Cian Bramble. It’s a pleasure.”

  “Oooo, a Bramble!” cried Elisabeth. “I’m just on my way to Bramble Hall to interview for a part-time job in the gift shop. They need someone for the weekends and it would fit in perfectly with college. Maybe you could put a good word in for me?” she joked.

  “Of course,” laughed Cian, “but I’m sure you’ll have no problem.”

  “I’d better go,” sighed Elisabeth. “I don’t want to be late. Can I call you, Cecily?”

  “Sure, no problem,” she said. “Nice to see you again.”

  After they had parted company, Cecily and Cian wandered down to the lake. Cian had prepared a sumptuous feast which they devoured whilst chatting and lounging in the glow of the early evening sun. Cecily was curious as to what Cian had been talking to Lord Bramble about, so after they had finished their picnic, she broached the subject.

  “Did you talk to your uncle earlier?”

  “I most certainly did!” he replied, exuberantly. “In fact, I was just about to mention it. I’ve asked my uncle if I can arrange Bramble Hall’s summer event this year. I have a lot of free time on my hands, especially when you’re at work (he winked at Cecily, making her blush) and it’s something I can really get my teeth into. I just wanted to run my idea past him and he agreed.” Cian was obviously very proud of his uncle’s approval.

  “So, what will the theme be this year?” asked Cecily, excitedly.

  “We are having a Golden Hollywood costume party. I thought that everyone could come dressed as old film stars from the 1930s and 1940s. We’ll have a big band, real dancing, a cocktail bar and maybe even finish with a bit of karaoke.”

  “What a marvellous idea!” said Cecily, clasping her hands together. “I’d better get thinking
of a costume!”

  “And Cecily, there’s one more thing,” said Cian, with a sparkle in his eye. “Miss Stalks, I would like to formally invite you to be my date at the Bramble Hall Golden Hollywood Summer Party.” He stood and made a low bow.

  “Why, I’d be delighted, Mr Bramble!” replied Cecily, her heart skipping a beat.

  As she gazed into his crystal blue eyes, her head still reeling from his proposal, he murmured softly, “You really do have the most beautiful eyes, Cec.”

  And in the moment that followed, her breath was stolen, as he took her hands in his and kissed her tenderly. As they shared their first kiss, there by the lake, she knew she was in trouble, as she had never felt such elation. There was no doubt that Cian Bramble had her eating out of the palm of his hand.

  Chapter Ten

  It was a delightful summer afternoon and Cecily was walking home from the Dairy, completely lost in thought, enjoying the serenity of the woodland around her. As Cecily gazed upwards through the trees, trying to spot the birds who were singing such melodious tunes, she thought about the coming weekend. This weekend was the first weekend of June and with it, it would bring the Bramble Hall Golden Hollywood Summer Party. There was a palpable buzz in the air as the villagers of Bramblegate prepared for the event. Lots of tickets had already been sold and Cian and the team at Bramble Hall were working hard to ensure the party was a success. As the theme was old film stars, Cecily and Cian had decided to dress up as Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Cecily had opted for Katharine Hepburn as she’d had red hair, like Cecily. Cecily had gone all out for this event and she’d had a beautiful black evening dress made in the style of the 1930s. Cian would be slicking back his thick, black hair and he would be wearing a tuxedo.

  All Cecily had thought about was the party, where she would officially be on Cian’s arm for the whole village to see. She played the event out over and over in her head, from the moment she and Cian walked in, all eyes on them, staring in wonder and awe at Cecily’s magnificent costume and equally magnificent boyfriend, until the end of the evening, when she and Cian would be slow dancing, again being admired by all present. She would be the envy of everyone there and she could not wait.