Ch. 3 - Pt. 1 - Alison & Nathaniel
Alison ~ 1849 ~ Oxford, England
I don’t know why I couldn’t stop crying, or why his words always had the power to break my heart. Sebastian never loved me. I knew that now. Maybe I knew all along. But hearing it…actually hearing it out loud…left me in so much pain.
I sat on the ground; right where he left me, surrounded by orange and red leaves. I had lost the ability to even move. I buried my face in my hands, my red hair falling over my eyes, like a shield, and I cried and cried. I felt as though I might never be able to stop weeping and it frightened me. I wanted to get up and run after Sebastian - grab onto his arm and say ‘why? Why won’t you love me? Please, please love me!’ But of course I couldn’t actually do that.
‘No one will ever love me and I will always be alone.’ I thought.
A cold wind blew through my hair and I shivered, hugging my arms around myself. I should’ve worn a sweater. I looked around me and saw that dusk was descending around me and I was all alone. I was suddenly frightened, as though I were in the middle of a graveyard and not a city park.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and I screamed.
“I’m sorry to frighten you, miss,” a man said, “Are you alright?”
I turned and looked up into his warm brown eyes. He seemed like a kind man, around my age; twenty-one. He had honey-colored hair, worn fashionably long - and a top hat. He was just staring at me and I realized that I hadn’t answered him.
“Yes,” I said, wiping my eyes on the sleeve of my dress, “I’m sorry, sir. It has just been a dreadful day for me.”
“I’m Nathaniel,” he said, taking my hand and bringing it to his lips, “Whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?”
“Alison Morris,” I told him.
“Forgive me for saying so,” He said, “But this park isn’t a safe place for a young lady this time of night.”
“I know,” I said, “I’ve just had my heart broken. Sebastian is marrying someone else. I no longer care about my safety or anything else.”
Nathaniel laughed at me, not unkindly.
“That may be so,” he said, “but if you’ll permit me to worry for you, perhaps I could walk you home.”
“Alright,” I said, and he took my arm and led me out of the park.
When he saw where I lived he looked surprised.
“This is your home?” He said, “Your father is Professor Morris? Of course!”
“You know my father?” I asked, but was hardly surprised. Everyone at Oxford knew my father.
“Yes, yes” Nathaniel said excitedly, “I studied History under him - an excellent tutor.”
“Yes he is,” I agreed.
“I am a Classics Scholar,” Nathaniel told me, proudly.
“So am I,” I said, and when he looked bewildered I added, “Oxford may not permit female students, but my father does. He taught me everything I know.”
Of course the only polite thing to do at that point was invite him in.
My father greeted us in the front hall, his pipe in his mouth, “Ally, my dear,” he said, “I was just wondering where you've been!”
“I found her wandering in the park Professor,” Nathaniel explained.
“I am NOT a puppy dog sir,” I said, annoyed with him, “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
“Thank you for returning her to me,” my father laughed, “You will join me for a drink. Ally, see if you can find your friend here and I something to eat.”
“Yes, father,” I said.
I left Nathaniel in the den with my father, drinking brandy, and discussing Plato.
Nathaniel ~ 1850
Nathaniel walked down the wooded path through the park. He was looking forward to seeing Alison. Everyday he would meet her at the same park bench after his classes were finished for the day. He had never met another girl like her. Most girls he knew were silly and had nothing of interest to say. But Alison was different. They could talk for hours about the ancient Greeks. And she had read all the same novels he had. Both of them had an interest in contacting spirits and believed it to be possible. He could imagine her face in his mind now - her bright smile and red flaming red hair - her hazel eyes that sometimes looked green. Nathaniel had no doubt that he would marry her.
As he rounded the final corner before the path opened up he heard Alison’s raised voice, yelling at someone.
“Let me go!” she was saying, “Leave me alone! Sebastian, No!”
Nathaniel hurried forward and could see the man next to her on the bench. He had his hand on Alison’s chest and was trying to kiss her.
“Oh, you wanted me before” the man said, “Suddenly I’m not good enough for you anymore?”
“Let go of her” Nathaniel demanded, grabbing the man by the arm and pulling him away.
Sebastian staggered forwards and tried to take a swing at him.
“This is none of your business,” he shouted, “This is between my fiancé and myself.”
“I am not your fiancé,” Alison said indignantly, “You already have one, remember?”
She stood up and straightened her clothing.
“Are you alright?” Nathaniel asked.
“Yes, Sebastian is merely drunk,” she told him, “Nothing to worry about.”
“The man owes you an apology,” Nathaniel said.
“He isn’t going to apologize,” Alison shook her head, “Pay him no mind, let’s just leave.”
She took Nathaniel’s elbow and pulled him away with her.
Alison
We started to cross the ancient stone bridge over the small creek. We were almost completely across when Sebastian yelled to me, “Alison! How quick you are to leave me for this prissy bookworm! Did you give yourself to him too? Like a common street walker!”
I looked away, embarrassed. But Nathaniel’s hands clenched into fists and he turned back towards the man.
“Nathaniel, no!” I cried, grabbing his arm to stop him, “Please don’t fight. He isn’t worth it.”
“I let it pass the first time,” he yelled to Sebastian, brushing off my hands, “This time you aren’t going to get away with talking to her like that!”
Sebastian, never one to run from a fight, charged forward and the two of them came to blows in the middle of the bridge.
Frightened, I stepped back away from them and flattened myself against the low stone railing, which pressed against the back of my legs. I covered my eyes - hating the sight of violence. I could hear them yelling and hitting one another. Truthfully, I didn’t want either of them to get hurt.
“Please stop this!” I yelled to them. But they were too caught up to listen to me. At one point they both almost fell into me, but I stepped out of the way in time. They landed hard against the edge of the bridge and for a moment I was afraid they both would tumble over the side. This had to stop now.
Sebastian punched Nathaniel in the face and Nathaniel fell. As he was getting up, I rushed to him, grabbing onto his arm, hoping to stop all of this madness before it got any farther.
Nathaniel
As he hit the ground and as he saw his own blood falling onto the bridge from his nose, Nathaniel was filled with rage. How dare this man act so uncivilized, and in front of a lady?
As he started to lift himself up, he felt a hand grab his arm. This was the last straw! Without even thinking about it, Nathaniel swung, and his fist connected with what he thought was Sebastian’s face.
He heard her cry out in surprise and pain, before he was able to focus and see Alison stagger back - her own mouth bleeding.
She fell into the stone railing behind her - reaching out wildly to get her balance.
“No!” Sebastian yelled - reaching forward.
Nathaniel himself, felt frozen in place - watching as Alison's hands reached back and found nothing but air, and she tumbled over backwards, right off of the bridge.
'It's not far - there's water,' he was able to think in the split second before her heard the sickening CRACK - that he somehow knew was her head hitting the rocks below.
“What have you done?” Sebastian yelled, “Good God, man - what have you done!”
Nathaniel paralysis ended and he rushed to the edge, joining Sebastian and looked over. Alison lay below in the shallow water - her body sprawled in an unnatural angle, her green dress billowing around her. Even from this distance there was no missing the blood clouding the water by her head.
He rushed off the bridge and down the embankment to her side. The water was like ice against his ankles as he carefully cradled her head and lifted her.
“She shouldn't be moved,” Sebastian was saying.
Nathaniel didn't trust himself to speak to the man. The only thing he cared about was getting Alison home to her father.
Professor Morris was quick to fetch a doctor, and everything was done that could be. And Alison didn't die that day. But she never again opened her eyes.
Nathaniel stayed by her side night and day, praying for her to live. She hung on for almost two weeks, before one day Nathaniel was startled awake by a cold draft and the feeling of a hand on his shoulder. He turned around but no one was there. When he looked down at Alison he saw that she was no longer breathing. He put a hand to her pale face and felt that her skin was cold. Alison is dead because of me, he thought, and knew that he would never forgive himself.