No love for Louisa

Two

One of the strict conditions that Louisa's uncle Joseph had set out for her, once she came to live under his roof, was that she was not allowed to ever mention her parents, or talk about her life with them before she came to Thorn view Grange. 

 As those memories just reminded of her painful loss, Louisa found herself able to comply with this restriction easily enough at the beginning, and focused on her new life, which included attending to her Aunt Katherine, doing such tasks as reading to her when she was feeling particularly fatigued and wanted to be entertained in some way, also keeping her company whilst doing embroidery together and sometimes if her aunt was having a good day she would help Louisa improve her piano skills

When the genteel company and friends came to pay a visit, she was always assigned back to the nursery floor to spend time with her younger cousin out of sight, never really being introduced to anyone, reminding her she was not really considered family, and was hidden away like something shameful.

But despite this, Louisa had still managed to find enjoyment with certain freedoms she never had experienced before, especially when she got the chance to accompany the younger Rosemary along with her Nanny, Nurse Betts, for long walks in the woods, and discovered her love for nature and the outdoors.

It would fire up her imagination, and she would make up tales to amuse Rosemary, about fairies and elves and strange creatures, that was until Nanny Betts discovered her storytelling, and putting an end to it, chastising her that it was not proper and decent, and she should not put such nonsense into Rosemary's head.

Although she did not view Thorn view Grange her home as such, because it was a place where she had been hidden away, and reminded of unfortunate circumstances, she still had a little twinge of regret leaving it behind when they set off for London over a month later.

She had almost forgotten what it was like to live in the city, but when they arrived on the outskirts, she found it appeared even more crowded and dirtier than she remembered as a young girl. The further they travelled into it, the sights and sounds brought back some of those repressed childhood memories of living there with her parents. Louisa found it a little unsettling, reminding her she had once been a cosseted loved child, which seemed unreal now, and that life belonged to someone else entirely.

But when they finally arrived at their destination, a row of rather grand elegant houses, it was all very unfamiliar to her, The coach slowed down and finally came to a halt in the middle of the wide street in front of one of the houses she assumed belonged to Rosemary's Aunt Hettie.

Although her uncle Joseph was also in London, he had arranged to stay elsewhere which caused Louisa some relief. Being in his company always made her feel uneasy with his open animosity towards her. She knew he would have not have really agreed with her joining them in London, if it wasn't for the fact that Hettie Marshal convinced her uncle that it was over ten years since Louisa's mothers death, so the sad circumstances and scandal of the whole incident was probably mostly forgotten about in today's polite society, and her appearing alongside her cousin Rosemary, would not do any damage to her younger cousins reputation, in fact, they would probably be lauded for taking, Louisa in, and giving her a home, so it would be a good thing.

Rosemary had been so looking forward to this moment, it was hard to keep her contained in the carriage whilst the coachman walked up the black painted steps and then knocked on the grand front door of her aunt's House. But once it was opened by a footman, Rosemary didn't even wait for the coachman to return to open the door for them, instead she flung it open herself.

"Do try and contain yourself Rosemary, you don't want to start the season being let up with a broken ankle, and missing all those dances and Balls you are so looking forward to" Louisa implored her with slight anxiety, visioning her cousin tumbling out of the coach head first in her rush.