TIMELESS REFLECTIONS - SaRfIna17 - Original Work [Archive of Our Own] (2024)

Evelyn Bennett stared at the flickering cursor on her computer screen, the familiar comfort of her New York apartment now feeling stifling. Her life as a successful novelist had been meticulously crafted, every detail under her control. But a single phone call had shattered her carefully built world.

Her father, Richard Hawthorne, was dead.

She hadn't spoken to him in over fifteen years, not since he left her and her mother to return to England after a bitter divorce. New York had become her sanctuary, a place where she and her mother, Margaret, had built a new life. But now, the past she had buried was clawing its way back.

Richard's death had left her the sole heir to Hawthorne Manor, an ancestral estate in London she had only seen in faded photographs. The lawyer's voice on the phone had been calm, yet insistent. Her presence was required to settle the inheritance.

Evelyn had initially refused. She had no desire to cross an ocean for a man who had abandoned her. But Margaret, ever wise and practical, had urged her to reconsider.

"You need to go, Evelyn," she had said, her eyes filled with unspoken emotion. "It's a part of your heritage. You deserve to see it, to understand where you come from."

And so, with a heart heavy with reluctance and a suitcase hastily packed, Evelyn found herself boarding a flight to London. The journey felt surreal, as if she were stepping into a story that wasn't her own. As the plane ascended, she stared out the window, watching New York fade into the distance, her mind a whirlwind of dread and curiosity.

London greeted her with a cold drizzle, the weather as somber as her mood. The taxi ride to Hawthorne Manor was a blur, her thoughts consumed by what lay ahead. When the car finally stopped at the grand gates of the estate, Evelyn's breath caught in her throat.

Hawthorne Manor loomed against the grey sky, its Gothic architecture both majestic and intimidating. Ivy clung to its stone walls, and tall, narrow windows stared back at her like unblinking eyes. The grandeur of the place was undeniable, but it felt alien, almost foreboding.

Stepping out of the taxi, Evelyn felt a shiver run down her spine. Mr. Thompson, the lawyer, was waiting at the entrance, his demeanor professional yet kind.

"Welcome to Hawthorne Manor, Ms. Bennett," he said, extending his hand. "I'm here to assist with the legal formalities."

"Thank you," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's... overwhelming."

Mr. Thompson nodded sympathetically and led her inside. The interior of the manor was just as grand, filled with antique furniture, ornate chandeliers, and portraits of stern-faced ancestors. As they walked through the halls, Evelyn felt an eerie connection to the place, as if the echoes of her lineage were whispering to her.

That night, unable to sleep, Evelyn wandered through the dimly lit corridors of the manor. It was then that she heard it-a child's laughter, faint and ethereal, echoing through the halls. Curiosity and a strange sense of foreboding propelled her forward. She followed the sound to a hidden basem*nt room, its door creaking open as if inviting her in.

The room was dusty, filled with forgotten relics, but one item stood out: an ancient, ornate mirror. Evelyn approached it, captivated by its eerie beauty. As she reached out to touch it, she felt a sudden push from behind, and with a gasp, she was pulled into the mirror's surface, swallowed by a vortex of swirling colors and sensations.

When she finally regained her senses, she found herself in a lavish bedroom, the decor unmistakably Victorian. Her modern clothes were replaced by a luxurious gown of the era. Panic gripped her as she looked around, realizing she was no longer Evelyn Bennett of New York.

She was now Lady Maria Carlisle, the daughter of a powerful general, living in a time long past.

Evelyn's journey through time had begun, and the secrets of Hawthorne Manor were about to unravel. Thrust into a world of intrigue, romance, and danger, she must navigate the complexities of the Victorian era while seeking a way back to her own time. But as she delves deeper into this mysterious past, Evelyn begins to question everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. Will she uncover the truth and return home, or will she be forever lost in the echoes of time?

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1.What if you inherited a mysterious manor and discovered a hidden portal to the past?

2.How would you navigate life in the Victorian era while hiding your true identity?

3.Can a modern woman survive and thrive in a world of Victorian secrets, romance, and intrigue?

4.Will Evelyn uncover the hidden truths of her family's past, or become trapped in time forever?

5.What secrets lie within the ancient mirror, and how will they change Evelyn's life?.

Tell your thoughts in comments.