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Love is like the wild rose-briar,
Friendship like the holly-tree --
The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms
But which will bloom most constantly?
The wild-rose briar is sweet in the spring,
Its summer blossoms scent the air;
Yet wait till winter comes again
And who will call the wild-briar fair?
Then scorn the silly rose-wreath now
And deck thee with the holly's sheen,
That when December blights thy brow
He may still leave thy garland green.

~*~

Summer of 1762

Shrill laughter could be heard throughout the Rayne’s mansion in Philadelphia. It grew louder and louder as small footsteps ran down the hallways towards the drawing room downstairs. However, the running footsteps ceased at the sight of the large man lounging on the sofa and his voice booming through the mansion.

"William! Stop that now!" He barked at his only son, who blushed and flinched at the sound of his voice. William hated when he made his father mad. He hated that look his father got in his eyes that made the six-year-old feel as if he was not wanted and that his very existence was a burden. "You know you are not supposed to running around the house. Especially today!"

The boy ducked his head shyly, his curled brown hair falling in front of his bright blue eyes. "Sorry, father…" he whispered quietly as he clasped his hands in front of him.

The boy jumped back when he saw his father immediately rise from the sofa and stalk over towards him. "What did you call me, boy?"

"Sorry, sir, sorry. I did not mean it." The young boy panicked as his eyes widened with fear and began to back away from the drawing room. "I meant…sorry Ethan…so very sorry." He whimpered as his eyes began to glaze over with tears.

A harsh look passed over Mr. Rayne’s eyes as he noticed the tears that were threatening to spill from his son’s eyes and began to pursue towards him again. "Are you crying!" His voice came out as a harsh whisper as he reached for William’s shoulder. "Are you crying!"

"Ethan!" His wife’s voice called from the top of the stairs before she bounded down towards them. "Take your hands off of him!" She hissed, rushing over towards her husband and removed her son from Ethan’s tight grasp and pulled William into her arms.

"He was disobeying me, Jenny. I shall not have my son running around, being disrespectful and crying! He will never be a successful man if I do not discipline him correctly!" He growled at her.

"He’s just a boy, Ethan!" She shook her head as she lifted William into her arms and carried him upstairs towards his room. Jenny ran a gentle hand through her son’s hair so as to quiet the sobs that wracked his body. "It’s all right, William. Mum is here, don’t cry." She soothed him, kissing his hair.

"Why does Ethan hate me, mummy?" William murmured against the crook of him mother’s neck, his arms wrapped tightly around her body as he took comfort in her loving hands and voice.

"Don’t call your father Ethan, dear." She whispered against his hair before settling him down on his bed. "And he does not hate you William…he is just very stressed about visiting Mr. Summers …"

The woman sent her young son a sweet smile before brushing back the hair from his azure eyes. The tears that he had spilled now streaked his cheeks in a bright shine that was only accented by the sunlight that was shining in his room. The shudders that had wracked his body before had now disappeared and had been replaced by small hiccups. It broke the woman’s heart to see her child like this. She wished she could just leave Ethan and take William away from all this chaos, but it was not possible. It was not possible for a lady such as she to leave her husband. The looks and criticisms would be horrendous; she had a nightmare about it once.

Slowly, she helped dress her son his ‘Sunday best,’ an outfit that she had made him wear to church on numerous occasions. It was an outfit he hated but she thought it brought out his eyes.

"Mummy, will the Summers’ have anyone for me to play with?" He asked her shyly as she buttoned his shirt and put on his coat.

Jenny smiled warmly at her son, tucking a strand of his hair behind his ear before kissing his cheek softly. "I believe your father mentioned a young girl named Elizabeth, she should be around your age."

William laughed as he wiped the tears from his cheek with back of his hand before jumping from his bed and taking his mothers hand while they made their way out of the house and towards the carriage that awaited them.

~*~

"Elizabeth! Come here now!" The Summers’ nanny Fiona shouted as she searched for Elizabeth through the halls, clutching her apron as she hunted for her. "Your mother will not be pleased young lady." She huffed, poking her head into the linen closet before tramping down the hall.

A small giggle coming from the washroom caused the woman’s steps to cease. Curiously, she turned her head towards the washroom and heard the giggle again. A grin passed over the woman’s face as she slowly approached the door before whipping it open and wasn’t surprised to find young Elizabeth Summers sitting in the bath.

"There you are." Fiona chuckled, lifting the young girl out of the tub and carried her down the hallways towards her room. "You are lucky your mother didn’t find you, young lady."

"I wanted to play." Elizabeth giggled as she began to fidget with Fiona’s fiery red hair, twirling it with her fingers. " And mother can’t get out of bed, you know that Fiona. She’s prewgnant with my baby sister!" The young girl chirped as she began to bounce in her nanny’s arms, wrapping her own around Fiona’s neck.

The woman chuckled, shifting the girl’s weight in her arms as they entered Elizabeth’s bedroom. "How do you know it is a girl?"

"I had a dream about her. Father called her Dawn and she was pretty!" Elizabeth tittered as she was sat down on her plush bed but let out a small grunt as Fiona roughly removed the dress from the young girl’s body. "Why is everyone running around today, Fiona?"

"Your father is having a future business partner come stay with us for the summer." Fiona explained to her gently, placing an emerald dress over Elizabeth’s head and then ran back over to Elizabeth’s bureau to retrieve a brush. "So you are to be well behaved because this is very important to your father."

"You know, I will be good, Fiona!" Buffy chirped as she bounced on the bed while Fiona tried to brush the young girl’s long blonde hair. "Is there anyone around my age for me to play with?"

"Your mother told me that there is a young boy named William. He is a year older than you if I remember." Fiona then furrowed her eyebrows as she noted a slight pout tug at Elizabeth’s mouth. "What is wrong dear?"

"I have never met a boy before." She replied silently, folding her hands in her lap as Fiona finished brushing Elizabeth’s hair and then clasped a cross necklace across the girl’s next. "My cousin, Anya told me that boys were the devil and that they are evil."

"Do not listen to your cousin, Elizabeth." Fiona shook her head, lifting the girl off of the bed and onto the floor. "She will put silly ideas into your head."

Elizabeth giggled as she bolted pass Fiona and ran down the hall.

To be continued…





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