• Alice went back into the mansion and into the office. The Daltons stood by; Cousin Ermintrude was seething despite the plastic smile she wore. Mr. Jakes must have already told them the plans, Alice would not be living with them and the big check would not embellish their bank accounts. “Hello Aunt Ermintrude” said Alice coolly. Her cousin looked at her husband with annoyance and then without a sound, the large woman took Alice’s slight shoulders and shook them until Alice’s teeth rattled in her head. Mr. Jakes hurried to pull back the taller woman and said in a polite and cold voice “Miss. Dalton, this child is not under your care and therefore you do not have the right to shake her in that matter. That privilege is reserved for your children who by the way, from the behavior I have seen from them, they need it. “Cousin Ermintrude sneer showed her horsey teeth as she stiffly said “Come Gerald” her dumpy husband got up and before he left the room, he went to Alice and said, “You wouldn’t of liked it at the house, your lawyer I right. My kids need a whooping for the bullying.” He gave a small grin and left. Alice figured that maybe her cousin’s husband was not a bad person after all.
    The lawyers had settled the rest of the house matters. The servant would be paid with two months extra money, the mansion would be leased out and the money would go straight to Alice’s bank account and the train ticket for Alice was bought. Mr. Martin would not be going with her so Alice would be going by herself to Mr. Rolf’s home. Yet despite the fact that these matters were settled Alice felt that she was leaving so much behind. To never see this mansion gain, to go into her mother’s room and find her mother fixing her hair in the mirror, to hear her mother tell her stories and they would play with jewelry. Alice now had the jewels but unfortunately there was no mother’s slim hand to help her put on the necklace, to carefully pin the earrings or tell her stories about each ring. Her father had always been a scary man to her, so formal and had a hot temper. Alice would try to understand him, try to find out more about him, but his overwhelming presence intimidated her. The memories of her family life were was in this house, the ghosts of her parents would never leave this stone mansion and now their daughter would be living a life without them. Alice laid her head on her mother’s pillow and felt warm tears come from her eyes onto the silk lining. “Mother, I will never see your face again. You and I were each other’s best friends and now I have none. I am going to be all alone.” Alice tried not to cry aloud, but the choking sobs came from her throat, her shoulders shuddered with the thought of leaving this home. Night had approached the mansion, the moon rose high in the sky and there was a calm that pervaded throughout the house. However, the only sound was the tiny cry of the little girl whose heart was broken.
    Alice woke up early to dress her in traveling clothes. She looked sadly around her room, this used to be her sanctuary. It was within this room she had chicken pox and played with her dolls. Although she was slightly small for her twelve years, Alice knew that her childhood was ending and it was time to grow up. She looked at her favorite doll, a rag doll named Paula who had ben her first doll and her favorite. Despite the many china dolls that she was given throughout the years, it was Paula who had been there for the times she was sick, to when her parents fought angrily, she would cry her troubles to the doll and when there was a small victory, and Paula was one of the first dolls to know. Alice sadly took her out of the suitcase. “Sorry, Paula you cannot come with me. I got to be an adult now, mother and father are dead and I have to be the adult now.” She laid her doll on her pillow before dressing.
    There was a soft knock on the door and Roger came in with her breakfast tray. He had the reputation of being so stiff. He would scold Alice if he was running throughout the hallways and sliding down the balustrade, however his face was appeared to be crestfallen. His usual stiff composure was slightly broken as he placed the tray on the table. Roger gave her a stiff bow before stating, “Miss. Alice, your train will be leaving in an hour. It’s best you eat your breakfast.” He turned around to leave the room but Alice cried out “Roger?”
    “Yes, Miss?”
    Alice leapt off her chair and gave him a hug. “I’ll miss you Roger.” For a second, he did not hug back before hugging her and he said, “Be a good girl Alice and a credit to your family. “ Alice and Roger wiped their teary eyes and laughed.
    Roger put some of her suitcases in the limo. Alice and Roger soberly gave each other a handshake. The other servants stood by and tried to smile as sadness of saying goodbye to the little girl who they had seen grow up. Alice gave one last look to the grand tone mansion in the bright gray sky. “Goodbye, home” she said. Suddenly there was a pull in Alice’s heart, something she had forgotten to do or say goodbye to. Alice ran into the mansion and to the bedroom where Paula lay. She got her doll and hugged it, before saying “I can’t leave you behind.” She took the doll and ran back outside to the limo. Alice felt the car move and saw the familiar landscape move past her. Although Alice looked back to wave wildly not only to the servants and to the house but to the life she had once known. Tears pricked her eyes as she whispered “Goodbye”
    The train ride was two weeks long. This being 1910, trains were the way to go. Alice had spent these two weeks alone and written in her journal most of the time. During every train stop, she would travel around and see new sights but now she knew that she was getting close to her stop. The conductor had taken her to see the engine and to meet the train’s engineer. Alice learned how these trains worked. Alice had a good amount of luggage with her clothes and toiletries but her book collection grew with every stop, as she would buy books to occupy her time.
    The conductor knocked on her door to announce that Alice would be arriving in Idylwild where the home of Mr. Rolf. Alice felt anxiety rise in her, would she like her new home? Would Mr. Rolf be a nice man or a man like her father? Where there other people to talk to? Alice looked out of the window to see the sunny weather of California. It was a change from her home where there was a cold snap. Alice left the train with her bit of luggage, the rest would be sent to Mr. Rolf’s home. A limo waited for her and Alice went into the car and looked at the train station that was packed. It was odd that she would be coming to a place that she would be considering her home for several years. Alice looked out of the window to see the sunny weather and despite the sad feelings in her heart, she felt slightly cheered by the good weather. The sky was a deep blue and the sun was beaming its rays. There was a slight smell of fresh grass. Alice knew it was a new morning and that meant a new day, but what kind of life would she have now?