It was Saturday afternoon and surprisingly warm and sunny for the time of the year. Arthur had been in his study, writing letters to people whose support he needed for the charity he was setting up, and working through legal details. The details had become so detailed, that he had decided he should leave it to somehow else, and he had gone out to get some fresh air instead. He could have walked in the grounds of the estate, just outside of Whitby, but he enjoyed going to a public park and watching the common people have picknicks or play games on their free Saturday afternoon. They looked so peaceful and were probably quite unaware of all the labor he and his colleagues put into keeping their world safe and comfortable and orderly. He appreciated the simplicity of these people. He didn’t mind mingling with them. At a safe distance.
 
As a matter of fact, Arthur did stand out with his immaculate attire: his waistcoat, trousers, long coat and tie a deep, unfaded black and perfectly fitted; shoes neatly polished; a black and silver cane in his hand; and a black top hat which looked brand new to finish the look. Everything about him breathed aristocracy, and the street urchins nearby soon picked up the scent, for they ran over to him and started begging for some pennies. Arthur shooed them away. He believed in charity, but only when it was well organized. These boys would only take the money home so their parents could go and drink. The children walked away sulking, when after a few refusals, they realized that the gentleman wouldn’t give in. Arthur turned his attention to a group of men in the open field playing a game of cricket and he watched the game, leaning on his cane.

Having been bedridden for about a week, she was going mad from confinement and decided to take it upon herself to get bathed and dressed in a daygown, and insisted that she take a walk. Her maid tisked her but didn't really stop her, for she understood the madness that was cabin fever. Pearl did not live far from the park, but by the time she made it there, she had to sag against the closest tree. She dropped her basket of lunch and wheezed a little, sought to catch her breath before moving to spread a blanket out so she could settle down onto it.

She took out her journal and a pencil, then started to write...

When he took her hand in his, he stared into her eyes with bleakness and said, "I have been commanded to go to India and do not know if I will ever see you again, my darling Angeline... Will you bestow a kiss upon my lips that I might carry the token of it with me into the jungle?"

Angeline was dewy eyed as her fingers gripped hard at his. "Please... don't leave me, Andrew. Take me with you... Make me your wife and I will follow you wherever you may go!"

"No, I mustn't... It is better this way. Maybe this way if I perish--"

"Don't say it aloud, my love! I cannot bear it!" She broke into sobs and let go of his hands, turning away from the man she loved...

 "Oh, bother... Is this too much?" Pearl asked out loud before scratching out some words...

"Don't say it aloud, my love! I cannot bear it!" She broke into sobs and let go of his hands, turning away from the man she loved... She looked away from him, drawing her lower lip between her teeth.

Pearl did not notice the older man taking a leisurely stroll about the place even as he was nearing her, so intent was she on her writing.

The words drew his attention from the game for a second, and Arthur looked behind him to the field on the other side of the path. Was that Miss Pearl Carrington? He knew the family, for they visited one another occasionally and the family had more money than his - though were of lesser rank - and Arthur saw them as an important source for funding his projects and for connections and influence. The Carringtons had sons who were well-bred and bound to be wealthy too, and he had a bunch of teenage daughters...

But here was their youngest daughter, all alone. Was it true then, what he had heard? That she had gone to live alone in some common cottage to - God forbid - 'make her own way in the world'? He had always held the girl's parents in high esteem, but that story made him wonder whether they had lost their minds. He approached, nevertheless, to hear the story for himself. "Miss Pearl!"

At the sound of her name, she squeaked and dropped what she was doing. When she looked up to see who it was, she stood and gave a respectful curtsy. Even if she was now an independent... for the most part... young miss, it didn't mean that she shouldn't show due respect for the Baron. "My lord," she said, then turned her head and gave a little sneeze. The girl's voice was still haggard from her illness, though she was no longer sick. Her recovery was a little slower than she would have liked, but the fresh air made her feel good.

"I trust you are having a lovely day?" She inquired as her big browns observed his face.

He frowned when she sneezed and spoke. She did look a little pale and worn. Were the poor circumstances she was living in starting to take their toll? He wouldn't be surprised. Consumption and typhoid and the like were more common among the working classes and he supposed she saw a good deal more of them than she used to. "I am, thank you. Are you alright, Miss? You look pale."

"I was ill for a week... I..." She paused and pondered if she should even say how she got ill to begin with, the whole swimming in the cold ocean thing. No, she decided. "I am just tired and worn out right now. I am mostly alright though," she finished. Her cheeks reddened just a little bit as she remembered just who she went swimming with. Ah, Pony. Her mouth curled into a slight smile as she peered at the older gentleman.

That only made his frown deepen. "I do hope your family took good care of you, and took you to the doctor, Miss?" he said, which was really a way of finding out whether she lived with her family still or whether the story was true.

"My maid took care of me," she said quietly, looking down at her hands that now clasped in front of her. Color flooded her cheeks because she remembered the day her sister showed up and how ill she was when it happened, and how the girl did not seem to care about her illness. "My brother came to see me and brought me a book, but I didn't want them to come around because I didn't want papa to get sick... you know how his constitution is around the sickly." Everyone did. Then she sighed and admitted, "I live in town now, not far from here."

Indeed, the rumours were true. Arthur felt the pleasant warm glow of being able to judge someone. Oh yes, he knew her father had a poor constitution, and perhaps that had made him more lenient, but her mother surely should have stopped it. So much wealth. So well-bred. And here they were, tearing down their good reputation. Arthur could not fathom what had gotten into them, but he felt as fascinated as he felt appalled. Even families richer than his could still prove that in the end, they were just wealthy commoners who could fall from the social ladder. Arthur wondered if this was just the first step. He would watch closely, from a safe distance.

"Is that so?" he asked, in a surprised tone as if this was the first time he heard of it. "Not on your own, I hope? The town itself can be rough with all the poor and drunkards that live there. Hardly the place for a young lady like yourself. I do hope you are staying in a good neighbourhood?" Not in one of those godforsaken yards with open drains and shared toilet houses and tiny damp cottages, where you'd catch consumption upon entering. If ever there would be money left in the local budget, Arthur intended to press for tearing down those yards and building decent housing.

“I live with my maid and I tutor students and write.” She said matter of factly. Her eyes narrowed a little as if to get a read on him. Was he really ignorant of her moving out or was he feigning ignorance? Pearl wasn’t stupid even if she could be naive sometimes, but that came with her young age. “I live in the nice neighborhood,” she said with her eyes carefully watching him… “My father insisted. It was the only way he could get my mother to accept it even if she doesn’t agree.”