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THE MANGROVE LEGACY 2010 Kit Marlowe

From Chapter One:

From behind the door Caroline Alice Mangrove could hear the unaccustomedsounds of disagreement between her parents; which is to say, she heard herfathers throat clear and her mothers gentle weeping. Lord and Lady Mangrovehad been arguing in near silence for many days on end. Alice (as she had beencalled since childhood when her nurse trembled before the three syllables of herinitial name and, struck dumb, failed to speak again until the child was weaned)feared that the topic of their disagreement was likely to be her impendingmarriage. To whom she had been given was not yet clear. Her parents had cometo some sort of impasse and the meaningful glances exchanged that morning atbreakfast could only signal that things had worsened to nigh on a fever pitch.When she heard her father rustle his newspaper, Alices wide blue eyes brimmedwith tears and she fled the chaos to take refuge in the solarium.The gentle green fronds of the ferns and orchids soon soothed her troublednerves. Life was a harrowing prospect when you were seventeen, unmarried andwealthy. It was a very dangerous agealmost too old but still in the realm ofpossible. Her parents had been too protective, she thought for the hundredthtime. As if to chastise her for this disloyalty, the bland face of Mr. Radley, thegardener, appeared before her.

Evening, Miss, he said, pulling at his cap, oblivious to the fact that it was onlymid-afternoon. Mind the orchids, theyre a bit stroppy today. Forgot to waterthem yesterday.Yes, Mr. Radley, I wont be a moment, Alice said hastily, gathering up thepages she had spread before her and blushing with embarrassment that he mightsee what she had. Why do dresses seldom have pockets, she thought crossly,folding the papers roughly.The philodendrons are all right, Mr. Radley called, but Alice had already

scurried for the library, hoping to encounter a sanctuary at last. But as sheopened the door, whom should she find but her cousin Elizabeth Jane, whomeveryone called Lizzie. Well, not the servants, obviouslythey in fact called herMiss Elizabeth Jane. As if to demonstrate the fact, Mrs. Perkins stepped in behindher and said Miss Elizabeth Jane, a letter has come for you.

Alice was unprepared for the sudden change in her cousin, whose handsomeface had blanched white. While she remained unmarried still at the age of

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"Oh, I love secrets!" Alice crowed. "Tell me! Is it about that handsome young manwe spotted talking to Mr. Bennett at the Assembly Ball last month?!"Lizzie regarded her cousin with obvious puzzlement. "Why on earth should it beabout him? No, no, it is about this letter.""Oh." Alice had entertained many pleasing thoughts about that still namelessyoung man in the idle weeks since. "Oh, it's not from Arthur Boylett," shecontinued with dismay. She knew her father had leaned in his direction as far asher suitors went and was very cross to imagine that she may indeed have tomarry that dull young man."Alice," her cousin said, rousing her from a growing despondency, "Noteverything is about you. This letter is actually from --" and she paused again toascertain that they were alone in the library, then whispered, "From the King ofNaples!"Alice paused thoughtfully. "Africa?""We paid Miss Travers far too well," Lizzie said, frowning as Alice's father wasalso apt to do when speaking of the recently sacked tutor. "No, Alice. Naples is inItaly.""Ah.""The King. Of Naples." Lizzie cocked an eyebrow at her younger cousin."Why is a king writing to you?" Alice asked at last.Lizzie smiled. Alice had long ago noticed that when that happened, Lizzielooked very cunning indeed. It was most unbecoming in a lady. "We haveworked out a plan to --"Just then the door of the library flew open and very flustered Mrs. Perkins shotinto the room again. "Oh, Miss Alice!" she sobbed, "Come quick, your motherneeds you!""What is it, Mrs. Perkins," Lizzie said, somewhat cross at having her ownrevelation upstaged.Mrs. Perkins was wringing her hands as she blurted, "It's your father, Miss Alice-- he -- he's dead!"