Bindlewaithe Manor

Cassie hadn't yet learned all the nuances of her kitchen machine and so it took her several minutes to get luncheon ready. She sat her two guests in the library with drinks of their choice while she prepared the meal.

She went to a linen cupboard and found a delicately patterned ecru linen tablecloth and napkins. She looked for some candle holders and placed those on the table as well. She lit the lightly scented candles. She brought in a bouquet of fresh flowers and put the vase on the table as well.

She called her guests into luncheon and served the meal. As they dined, Sten asked, "So what is the long and boring story?"

"Sten, really, it's long and boring," said Cassie.

"It never was boring to me," said George.

"Cassandra's father was from the North. New Jersey, wasn't it?" Cassie nodded. "He opened a cotton mill in the South in the 1850s and all was going well. Then, as America geared up for war, things became more tense. He sent his only daughter to England so as to be out of reach of anyone thinking of using her as a pawn.

"My younger brother and his wife, Nigel and Priscilla, were his business partners here in England. They said they would help Cassandra here. She came over early in 1861. That turned out to be fortuitous, her father and his plant were both overrun shortly after the start of the war. Her father was killed." With this last comment, he looked tenderly at Cassandra.

Cassie was amazed at the depth of pain that hit her as he noted her father's death at the hands of the Rebels. It was all fiction. Surely it shouldn't hurt this much. But tears were stinging her eyes. "This is silly," she told herself. But the grief was real.

"She no longer had funding from America. She needed to be able to support herself and I needed a governess for my two daughters. I brought her to Bindlewaithe Manor. My daughters were enchanted by her. She seemed to be just as taken with my daughters. Things were going well, I thought. And then everything stopped."

"Are Hester and Gloria here?" asked Cassie.

"I've learned that children are rarely here. It seems there are some separate stops for various types of characters. There is one solely for children. And there is another one for successful characters, I'm told. Perhaps that is simply supposed to make us feel worse about our own situations." George was near to grumbling.

Cassie looked to Sten, "That's true? There are no children here? I've not seen any, but I thought it was just that … I don't know. There are no kids?"

Sten had to agree with the Earl. "No kids in this Station. There have been a few that came with adults, but they were quickly led to the portal for their own place. It wouldn't be good to have them here. It's not a good place for children." Sten was staring pointedly at Cassie's bruised face.

"Oh, I see. Sten, George's daughters were so delightful. I'm not sure that our Boss really knew much about children. The girls never misbehaved, did well with their studies, and seemed to melt into the background when George and I wanted some time for grown-ups." Cassie peeked at George to see him again begin to blush.

"Anyway, that is where our story stopped. At least as written by the Boss." Cassie looked at George with a half-smile and twinkling eyes lighting her face. George, now bright red, smiled back.