They left Hart Manor little more than an hour later.  The suitcase that Jessica now wheeled alongside her to the waiting car, held various items of clothes, books, photo albums filled with pictures of friends and family.  She also took her portable computer with several personal files and some paper and pen journals that she’d been keeping for the past seven years, one book per year, her current one being deposited into her shoulder bag.  She would have quite a bit to write this evening, if she had the time.
The trip to the agency lasted for more or less half an hour, during which they sat in silence.
Eventually the police officer turned on the radio.
After a few songs a news announcer came on, reporting the day’s headlines.
“Reports have been confirmed that a woman has been confirmed that a woman has been found dead on board one of the Stella Cruise Ships in the outer bounds of the solar system.  Whilst the victim has been identified, the name is being withheld.  Police currently have no key suspects.  The guests on board the ship are all in uproar as no details concerning the death have been released and rumours are flying that the woman was brutally murdered. 
“Despite the confusion, very few people seem to want to cut short the cruise, speculation is that most people would rather risk what could be potentially dangerous so that they get their moneys worth.
More updates in an hour.”
More music began to play off the back of the report.
“That’s all there is these days on the radio, badly represented news and music to highlight it” said the police officer in an attempt to lift the spirits of those who sat with him.
“Yes,” said Jessica, “I am rather shocked at the fact that they didn’t try to associate it with the Orbit Ball.”
“Mmmm,” he responded, “in the next report I’m sure someone will think of a way of roping it into the story, maybe as a ‘reminder’ of what was lost, or an angry veteran or something along those lines.”
Jessica smiled and sighed at his apt attempt at humour and they all sunk again into silence.
The agency occupied the third floor of a new office building.
The senior officer shifted in his seat to look at Jessica.
“Do you need us to wait at all?” he asked, to which the police officer furrowed his brow in annoyance at the possibility of having to waste the rest of his day chauffeuring these two around the city.
“Thank you, but I believe that the agency will be putting me up for the night and, I hope, will be delivering me to where the placement is.”  Grasping her bag she slid towards the door, a few moments later the senior officer was helping her out through it.
Turning back to the car, she thanked the police officer who replied, “Don’t mention it.  Good luck with your new life.”
She turned back again to find that the senior officer had brought her suitcase from the trunk of the car, and now he stood before her, his hand extended in farewell.
She shook it, saying, “Thank you again for all you’ve done, for whatever reason you did it, I’m grateful.”
“Well I hope that my efforts were worth it, I know that you deserve a chance to make things right and I’m never wrong about these things.  I hope that you find what you’re looking for,” he said, and bowing slightly, climbed into the car which promptly took off in the direction of the spaceport.
Jessica was left with a look of surprise and confusion etched across her face.  How had he known what she planned?  Had he simply put himself in her shoes, or did he know more than anyone realised?
If only she’d had the sense to ask him straight out, but it had caught her so off guard that even as she watched the car turn a corner and leave her sight she could still barely comprehend the thoughts that were now flittering around her head.

Later on, in the cheap Bed&Breakfast that the agency had put her up in, she allowed herself to think more on the subject.  Her mind had come up with some rather interesting and absurd reasons to explain the senior officer and what he had said.
The first theory being that he had formed some kind of attachment for her, giving him a higher likeliness to figure out what sorts of things she would be thinking nor feeling.
The second being that he did in fact have something to do with her father, giving him a rather solid reason, for better or worse, to be interested in the family.  He had said that it was not them that he had put in all the effort for. 
But was it for her or her father, or possibly even someone else higher up the power plate that he had done it for.
Whatever the outcome it must be investigated further, as well as finding out what had happened when her mother had visited the coroners as well as learning what, if anything, he knew about Jared’s supposed death.
First things first though, she’d have to work for while, to save some money to get where she needed to go.  And right that moment all she could do was lay her head down on the lumpy, floral pillow and sleep.

By the morning she felt only slightly more rested.  All she had seen again were all the horrific memories, experiences and ill gotten emotions that were not hers, although this time, vivid as they were, the seemed less potent or shocking and bizarrely less unwelcome than they had been the previous night.
Resolving not to allow herself to be completely consumed by the feelings that now threatened to engulf her, she thought no more on the darkness that lay, now dormant, in the back of her mind. 
She turned her thoughts to the new job to which she had been assigned, which, for the time being, was to be her new home.  At least that was until she had gathered enough money to last her on her own for a while, at least for a month.  On the wage that she had been hired at, she had figured it out to be about a month’s work as well as selling a few small items that she had brought from Hart Manor specially to sell. 
She had no intention of telling her new employers that she would only be staying for a month, she would just have to tell the agency that she didn’t get on with the employers and they would allow her to leave.
With the money saved a few cheap journeys would be bought; one to the coroners, one to find the senior officer and then on to wherever her information would take her.
The job and accommodation were a long way from home, in an unfamiliar neighbouring county.  The job itself was to be as a personal maid to the new young wife of the owner of some huge estate.
It was the only job that was vaguely local that she had the talent for, however it did not please Jessica to know that she would be living with someone else’s happiness, in a situation that she could have had, had fate decided to allow her, instead it had postponed or completely abandoned the day it was to happen for her.
No
More from this disturbing notion that ever, Jessica knew that one day she would be with David.
No, fate couldn’t be cruel enough to give her a glimpse of pure happiness only to then to take it all away and smash it into pieces.  They would have to fight for it, to hold on until the timing was right, to prove that they were not only supposed to be together but that they deserved it.
She knew that no matter what, her true feelings for David would last forever and ultimately bring them together.
Before breakfast a care packet, care of the agency, arrived for her containing three lots of standard uniform which was dull grey denim jeans, black strappy tops, white short-sleeved shirts to go on top and just one pair of black, flat-heeled shoes.  No jacket was provided, the note said that the placement would provide any jackets, jumpers or coats that were needed.  The note also notified her of an appointment with a hairdresser that she must go to before she was due to be collected, to colour her hair the standard issue ash blonde colour and straight, off-the-shoulders cut that was required as part of the agencies standards.
After breakfast, her haircut and a considerable wait, a small yet expensive looking car arrived from the estate.
The driver seemed like a friendly sorts of chap.  He introduced himself as Trevor and although he looked to be in his early forties, he seemed to have a genuinely lively disposition and bucket loads of energy.
“How you findin’ the change miss?” he enquired, “to come from your world down to ours, ‘specially in a manner such as that, I couldn’t think it’s much easy for ya.”  Jessica stifled a sigh and smiled, “it’s not so bad, I wasn’t always a rich, society driven young woman.  I just need to find who I am again.”
“Well you’ve nothin’ to worry about, in the interest of helping a new recruit in their transition, the head of house has briefly briefed us on the situation so’s we’re all as sympathetic and can… well help you settle in.  And I can tell you that no-one’s been told more than they need know.”
“Thank you,” she said with a more heartfelt smile, “I’m glad to learn that there are still people of good character that can be relied on.”
He loaded her suitcase into the trunk of the car and, closing the door behind Jessica, got in next to her, started the engine and drove off, heading out of town.
“You’ll be wantin’ to know about the folk you’ll be workin’ with, aye?” he asked about three hours into the journey.  So far they had been idly chatting about their families, friends and about life before the end of the war.
“Well there ain’t many of us, the master don’t particularly like ‘aving people workin’ for him where he don’t need ‘em.  He keeps enough to keep himself an’ the house lookin’ good.
“All there is a the moment is Ms Moore, she’s the head of house, Miss Staines, the cook and her younger brother, Master Staines, he does the cleanin’, then there’s Mr StClaire what takes care of the gardens and house plants.  And of course there’s meself, I do any drivin’ that anyone in the house needs as well as any odd jobs, like fixin’ things and helping out when people get sick and need time off and the likes.”
“Sounds like you have a rather comfortable little family within the household” commented Jessica, “are you all close?”
Trevor grinned, “Yeah, they all live on the grounds, s’ept me.  My house is in the village, less than a mile away.  I would walk to work and back each day if it weren’t me job to drive.”  He chuckled, “I think me missus would prefer me more if I did a bit more walkin’.”
Jessica smiled and continued to gaze out of the windows as the fields and country lanes all passed them by, “I do hope that I’ll fit in.”
“Oh I’m sure you’ll get on fine with everyone.  You’ll probably find most of ‘em a little shy and quiet at first, but once you get to know ‘em all you’ll see they’re all fun an’ friendliness.”  The look on his face when he paused spoke volumes, “Of course Ms Moore’s a bit more stern than I lettin’ on, she’s tough but fair though and it might take some time but you should probably come to appreciate and every like the ol’ bag.” 
Again, he chuckled, “The master’s none for that ‘better than you’ rubbish, so he gets everyone to call him by his first name an’ calls everyone by theirs.  Ms Moore didn’t seem to take too well to being called Jennifer at all.  She can be a real stickler for society.”
Jessica chuckled, “I can’t wait to meet her.”
Something had started to push at the back of her brain, as though she had remembered something and then instantly forgotten it.  However again she was given no time to try and recall it.
“Well you won’t have to wait any longer,” said Trevor cheerfully, “we’re here now!”
They had turned onto a majestic estate, rich in greenery surrounding a huge building which held such intrigue and beauty in its facing walls, that Jessica’s eyes grew wide and she fell silent in awe.
The house itself, if you could even refer to it as such, was at least 3 times bigger than her home had been, however, despite its size, it had a welcoming charm to it.
Three layered flights of stairs lead up to the front of the building, covered in local plant life and beautiful gardens and played host to a cascading stream that played in various pools on its route to meet a pond beyond where the driveway bridged it.
Arches held up first floor balconies which held yet more greenery.  Above the first floor started the roof, which after the second floor, covered the rest of the building, allowing for a grand crest and a few scattered windows.  The crest itself sported a Griffin sheltering a village, probably the role of whoever the mansion was originally built for.
At the foot of the stairs stood a woman, with her issue grade coloured hair tied back into a neat ponytail, mid-forties is what she looked but Jessica had never been a good judge of age.
As she stepped out of the car, the woman stepped forwards and shook her hand firmly, “Welcome to Cridhefield Estate Miss Faileas,” she said with a forced yet friendly smile on her face.  “I am Ms Moore, if you do well here you may come to call me Jennifer.  You’ll know when that time comes, as it will be the day I call you by your first name.  So for the time being, Miss Faileas, we shall remain formal.”
“Very good Ms Moore.  I’m very glad to be here and to meet you.”
“Good,” she turned to Trevor as he wheeled Jessica’s suitcase to where they were stood, “could you take that up to Miss Faileas’s room, thank you Mr Barnes.”
And with that she, she turned back and gestured towards the house, “shall we?”
Jessica nodded and looking at Trevor, caught his raised eyebrow and found herself stifling a giggle, “Thank you, ‘Mr Barnes’, I shall see you around?”
“Oh yes indeed Miss Faileas, sooner than you’ll be expecting I’ll wager.”
Jessica smiled and started off up the steps after Ms Moore.
“This certainly is a beautiful home,” she commented, “have you been here long?”
“Only these past few years, I came here with the master when he acquired the estate.”
Reaching the door, Ms Moore opened and closed it behind them, “of course, I was with the master at his family home, but a dispute between him and a certain family member drove him to leave and so I came with him.”
This last part had been lost on Jessica as she took in the scale and beauty of her new surroundings, the grand stair case, the arches leading to more rooms that appeared to be full with finery.
The space was wide and open and again somehow, warm and inviting, made much more personal by the presence of several pictures of a woman though several stages in her life that hung in various places.
On closer observation Jessica saw that the woman’s elegant facial features seemed rather familiar to her even though she was sure that she had never know such a woman.
There was something here that all linked together, it was in her mind, but the pieces of the puzzle would not fit and there were more than a few eluding her completely.
Swallowing a sigh, Jessica followed Ms Moore, who had moved of into the drawing room.
Entering the room gave Jessica the impression or wealth and love, and upon looking around, shock.
Her breath caught in her throat, her feet rooted themselves to the floor, shivers stole over her body and her hand slipped to her mouth.
Above the grand fireplace sat a large life sized portrait of the owner of Cridhefield Estate.
And the owner of her heart
David