A few days had passed and Alice was worried about Alexander. He wasn't the same person she'd agreed to date. He was different, ever since they arrived here she discovered that he'd changed.

True to her words Mrs Blanche hadn't let Alexander see Emily at all. Both her and Mr Edwards treated Alexander like he was a criminal. Alexander never argued with them or stood up for himself. He just let them say whatever they liked.

They'd even heard the two of them stating that they should ignore the Lady's wishes and hand him into the police anyway. Alexander didn't say anything. He just continued, pretending nothing had happened.

Alice was watching Emily play with her dolls in her dollhouse. Emily looked at her "Alice why does Mrs B keep saying horrible things about Allie?"

Alice was surprised by this question. "What kind of horrible things?" She asked.

"That he shouldn't have a job here and he should be in prison."

"They don't know him as well as you and I do. They think he's a horrible person. They think he ran away from the army because he was scared. They think he was only thinking about himself. We know he isn't like that."

"But why doesn't Allie say something to Mrs B and Mr Eddie?"

"I think he's missing you. He wants to see you, but he can't. I think he's lonely."

"You can still see him though. If he gets to see you he might feel better."

"Yes. He might."

"Give him a big hug and a kiss and tell him it's from me."

Alice laughed, "I will."

Later on that evening Alice went into Alexander's room. She sat on his bed as she told him what Emily had said. She also gave him the hug and kiss she'd told Emily she'd give him.

"I wish it was the real Em giving me this hug" Alexander said.

"Oh, am I not enough for you anymore."

"No. You are more than enough for me. I don't deserve you. I just wish I could hug and kiss the real Emily the way I can with you."

"You can when we leave here after the war's over."

"Really? How?"

"Well when the war's over you and I can find a place of our own, we can take Emily with us."

"I'd like that."

"Me too" Alice replied and the two of them began hugging and kissing again.

They held their embrace for a few minutes before they were interrupted. "Alex, I need your help with something and..," Mr Edwards opened the door "oh my goodness."

The two of them stepped away from each other. Mr Edwards was furious "WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON HERE?" He shouted.

Alexander stepped forward "I forgot to tell you when we arrived, but Alice is my girlfriend."

"I do not approve of my staff having relationships. Especially when they are supposed to be working."

"I'm sorry."

"That is not good enough. I do not want you two to be in a room together with the door closed again, do I make myself clear?"

Both of them nodded. "Alice you may go," Mr Edwards barked. With a sad look at Alexander, Alice left. Mr Edwards looked back to Alexander "I asked you to clean the table in the dining room in time for dinner."

"Yes and I've done it" Alexander replied.

"I've seen cleaner stables, do it again."

Alexander left without replying. He couldn't wait until the war was over. He hated being in this house. Every time he was shouted at he was reminded of the army, their squadron leader barking orders at them. His nightmares were worse than ever. Now they would sometimes even happen in the middle of the day.

He would hear the sound of Hans' brother in law shouting his name. He pictured Hans' wife's face as she heard the news that her husband was dead. Every time the Lady of the house cried, missing her son he couldn't help but blame himself. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to be so close to his sister. To have a girlfriend. He deserved to die. He should have died. He should be with Hans. Who was he kidding? Hans was most likely in heaven. For what he'd done, he deserved to go to hell.

It was another two days before Alexander had the chance to see Alice again. The two of them were sitting on a bench in the gardens behind the house. They were holding hands and listening to the birds sing their evening song.

"I really like it here" Alice said suddenly.

"Yes," Alexander replied "me too."

"Don't lie Alex, you don't like being here. I can tell."

"How?"

"You used to be so...funny and cocky and happy and now..."

"I just miss my parents."

"I know that's a lie. You never look at me when you're lying. You do this thing where you do your best to avoid looking at me. Why won't you tell me the truth?"

"I have told you the truth, Alice. My parents are dead, I miss them and I ran away from the army because I was injured in an explosion."

"YOU'RE LYING!" Alice shouted. "Mr Edwards said that there was a letter addressed to her Ladyship explaining what happened to her son. He never showed it to her as he didn't want to upset her."

Alexander's face went white as Alice went on "Hans was killed by a gunshot, not by an explosion."

Alexander looked away into the distance. He couldn't look at Alice now. She knew he'd lied about Hans.

"Why did you lie?" She asked "why say you saw him when you didn't?"

"I did see him. I was just mistaken that he died in the explosion."

"LIAR," Alice screamed "I'M YOUR GIRLFRIEND ALEX. WHY WON'T YOU TELL ME THE TRUTH. AM I NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO YOU?"

Alice took a breath before she continued. Not shouting this time "why won't you just be honest with me? Why did you lie about Hans? Why won't you tell me what's bothering you?"

"I can't tell you, Alice."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll never look at me the same way again. You'll hate me. You'll most likely tell Mrs B and Mr Edwards to hand me over to the police if I tell you."

"Alex, I would never do that. I love you. I won't say anything to them. You can tell me anything and I'll always be here for you. So tell me."

Alice knelt infront of Alexander and took his hands in her own. Alexander took a deep breath. "Ok," he said "I lied about Hans. And the nightmares I keep having are because I saw him die. I watched as his brother in law shouted his name before he was killed too. I have dreams thinking about what his wife and his mother thought when they heard he was dead. I think about how ashamed my parents would be if they knew. If anyone knew."

"Knew what?" Alice asked softly.

"That I shot Hans dead," Alexander paused before he finished "that I killed him."

"You...what?"

"I killed him. I was the one who pointed a gun at him and pulled the trigger. I have nightmares every time I close my eyes. I think constantly about him, his family. Now I know who they are, it makes it worse. I hate the thoughts and I want to get rid of them but I know I deserve it. I hate myself for what I did. I deserve to die too."

"NO, you don't. You are a wonderful person Alex. I love you. You killed him because he would have killed you if you hadn't. You wouldn't be here. Emily would be alone in the world. She'd have no one."

"You don't hate me?"

"Alex, I could never hate you. But did the explosion really happen? The one you said hurt your back?"

"No. It was a lie to cover up why I really left."

"You felt guilty about killing Hans?"

"I couldn't bear the thought of doing that again. I couldn't kill another innocent person."

"And where you'll be going you never will," a voice rang out. Mr Edwards appeared from behind a bush. He smirked before continuing "you'll never be able to kill anyone ever again. Mrs Blanche and I heard everything. She's gone to telephone the police. They'll be here soon."

"You can't" Alice said.

"Oh, but we can. And we have. Soon her Ladyship will know who really killed her son. She said she'd love to meet the person who killed him. Looks like she'll finally get her wish."