The airport was packed. Everyone was trying to get away for the Millennium. Sarah left the plane and headed towards the gate where Bryan had told her he was going to wait for her. She imagined he would be waiting with open arms for her behind the fence there.

However when she reached the fence and looked around for him, she couldn't see him anywhere. She headed towards the WH Smith shop and decided to wait there as she thought he must have been delayed.

15 minutes later there was still no sign of him. She was standing in the doorway opposite the fence and there wasn't anyone there, anyone resembling Bryan anyway. She walked back and sat down on a bench nearby to the fence.

Suddenly on the airport speakers she heard the announcer say "Would Miss Sarah Cross please make her way towards the West exit". Sarah immediately arose and headed West. She dragged her extremely heavy suitcase behind her, she had hoped Bryan would help her with it but as she sighed she decided she couldn't have everything.

When she reached the exit she was surprised to see a brunette man with his arms crossed but holding a piece of card with her name on it in one hand, smiling at everyone leaving. He noticed her and smiled, "You're Sarah aren't you?" he asked.

Sarah nodded though she was unsure whether it was the right thing to do. She didn't have a clue who he was. "I'm Eddie" he introduced himself. Sarah held out her hand for him to shake and was surprised that instead he grabbed her and hugged her. "You don't know how Bryan's changed since he met you!" he told her "He's finally his old self again", he let her go.

She was slightly confused but had heard Bryan mention his name quite a bit so she was no longer worried. "Where's Bryan, he told me he was going to meet me?" she asked. "To be honest love," Eddie told her "I don't know where he is, He told me he was going to the library, don't ask me why, and when I called he still wasn't back yet. I knew you were coming so I thought it best that someone was here to meet you. We can't have you coming to Dublin and not getting a good welcome". He took her suitcase and led her out to the car park.

He took her over to his car, which was a dinky, little red mini. Sarah smirked as he loaded her suitcase into the boot. Eddie turned around, "What are you laughing at?" he asked. "My friend has a yellow mini" Sarah told him, "it's just a funny coincidence that you have one too." Eddie smiled "Your friend has good taste in cars then!".

Eddie drove Sarah to Bryan's parents' house where she was to stay. Bryan had his own house but he wasn't there either when Eddie drove there first. Sarah was a little worried, as was Eddie who tried not to let it show, not wanting to worry her.

Eddie rang the doorbell and they waited for Bryan's parents to open the door. "They're going to hate me!" Sarah thought to herself. Eddie noticed her expression, she'd raised her eyebrows and looked incredibly nervous. He nudged her "Don't worry, you'll be fine. They don't bark and I've never seen them bite either!". Sarah smiled at him a laughed a nervous laugh but was still on edge.

Brendan, Bryan's father opened the door. He looked at Eddie, then across to Sarah. He had a stern look on his face and frowned at Sarah. This suddenly changed however into a huge smile. "So you're the young lady who's got my lad running up huge phone bills!" he asked.

Sarah smiled, she had really worried until Brendan had smiled. She could tell already he was a joker, just like his son. It was nice that he'd tried to make her laugh even before saying hello. She quietly said "yes", wondering why her voice had suddenly raised to a considerably higher octave.

Brendan grabbed her in a big hug. Sarah just about managed to turn her head away from his shoulder so that she could breathe. The hug had taken her by surprise and she wasn't ready for it. She looked across at Eddie who was laughing to himself. He shrugged his shoulders at her.

Brendan let go, "Where's my son then?" he asked Eddie. "Dunno?" Eddie replied "I thought he might have come back here". "Sorry lad", Brendan told him "He's not here". He looked over at Sarah who was starting to shiver, not used to the Irish weather. "Where are my manners?" Brendan exclaimed "Come in, come in".

Bryan walked home in a daze. He was wearing a baseball cap and no one recognised him. He probably wouldn't have noticed if they had. He just couldn't believe it. From the historical notes he'd researched, he'd found out the whole story.

Charlotte Flemmings was a rich landowner's daughter in Yorkshire. One of his servants Benjamin Foster had won her heart.

They had been childhood friends but eventually got closer and closer but had had to keep their romance a secret. She had however been betroved to one of her father's closest friend's sons, Nicholas Chorford. When Chorford had eventually discovered it he'd told her father who had immediately sent her away.

She however missed Benjamin terribly and had returned in secret. When Chorford found out, he was angry that even after he'd been publicly humiliated, she'd still had the nerve to return to Benjamin. He then promptly had gone over to Benjamin's house and discovered them in a compromising situation and shot Benjamin in bed before he even knew what was going on.

Charlotte had become hysterical but very distant after this, not talking to anyone and refusing to go home. Days after her lover's funeral she'd shot herself too, while sitting beside his gravestone.

Bryan hated this story. He hated it even more because it made sense. The small house, the bang, how her dreams had continued and his hadn't, everything fell into place. He reached home and went in, collapsing onto his sofa and burrowing his head in his hands.