Chapter 1

It was the year 1893, a day no different than any other beautiful spring day of that time. A blue sunny sky and mild temperature. The daffodils and tulips were out in full bloom. the trees were all in bud and the grass was a dark lime green, so fresh and a new awakening from the long snowy dead winter.

A beautiful day for a bike ride into the country she thought. Her husband had given her the bike that Christmas and it stayed in the shed all winter just waiting to be tried out on the first nice day. She could hardly wait! It would afford her a new independence she had never known before. She had seen her husband off that morning on to his way to his office in London. They weren't rich by any means but led a somewhat comfortable life on the outskirts of the city. He commuted to work by train each day. They had a small cottage in the country with 2 small gardens, one vegetable and the other flowers. She sold flowers at her little roadside stand he had built for her, in the summer. To buy little feminine things he could not afford to give her.

They had been married for 15 years with no children to bless them. And he was always busy with his job. They were close as a couple and she knew he loved her but they had grown apart in the last few years leading her into a lonely existence. He never touched her anymore although they still shared the same bed. She wasn't sure of the problem and the lack of desire on his part. Maybe he had a Mistress in town she didn't know of? Regardless of the reason, he had just lost all desire for her and it was never discussed. They went about their daily lives with a mutual regard for one another and enjoyed each other's intellectual company. He seemed quite content by it all but she had bouts of terrible loneliness and feelings of alienation.

She filled her days with domestic things and hobbies, also reading exciting stories, too. Sherlock Holmes was a favorite of hers. She also liked tales of gothic horror and Victorian romance. The long winters were spent sitting in front of her fireplace reading when she wasn't cooking delicious things for them to eat.

That morning after her husband left for work, she dressed herself in a sage green day outfit with short fitted jacket with long sleeves with puffy shoulders. A long full matching skirt with a bustle. Underneath a simple white blouse with lace collar. And tan leather high topped boots. A good riding outfit she thought. She chose a wide brimmed yellow straw hat with dark green ribbons that tied under her chin. She looked at herself in the full length glass and admired what she saw.

Her skin was pale and fair framed with very long dark hair. Her eyes were hazel and her lips were pouty. She looked good for her age. Everyone always told her so. She pinned her hair on top of her head in the Gibson style letting long tress fall down to her back. She used a pretty peridot green hair clasp to keep it all in place.

She packed herself a lunch consisting of a small baguette, a small round cheddar cheese and an apple. She filled her little silver flask with water. And packed a bottle of home made wine she had made herself the previous Autumn. Yes, it would be a good lunch on a wonderful spring day.

She left a note to her husband on the kitchen table to her whereabouts in case he would unexpectedly arrive home before her. Although she had already mentioned to him about taking the bike out. She bolted the door and went out to the shed. She strapped the basket onto her bike along with a light woolen plaid picnic blanket. All was set and she headed out for her little adventure.

She hadn't been on a bicycle since she was a girl but found she had forgotten nothing about riding. The fresh air felt so good on her face as she wheeled her way down the country lane. The birds were chirping and the woods were awake with the new sounds of spring. It was a gorgeous day to be outside and it felt wonderful to be alive. She would put all her unhappiness behind her.

She had ridden the winding roads for at least 4 or 5 miles when she came upon a little dirt path. "Just the thing to explore! "she thought. So she carefully made her way down the bumpy narrow lane. It went in quite far and was very dark from all the tall trees in the forest. The road became too rocky to stay on her bike so she hopped off and walked it the rest of the way.