Chapter 1

Leaves fell steadily and beautifully from the old oak. Dappled greens, golden browns and burnt oranges added vibrant colour to an otherwise dreary autumn day. A suddenly flurry of the multicoloured leaves fell earthbound with a dry rustle and two study boots disappeared upward between branches. Once again Alex cursed being a girl and the skirts she had to wear as they snagged on a bare branch. She settled down on her favourite top most branch and looked out over all of the land that was her home. Rarely did she leave it; having been deemed a disgrace by society for her short hair and forthright ways. But she was happy here, most of the time.

Jonathan butler, her brother of four years her senior and man of the house had returned home with his wife and some of his friends and as much as she liked his wife HE had ruined her peace. The brother and sister did not get on anymore and she would be forced to be polite to him in front of his company. So for now she was hiding at the top of the hill in her tree. Leaning her head against the rough bark and letting her body be cradled by a perfect 'v' in the branch Alex drifted off into a fitful sleep.

She awoke with a start a short while later to the soft snort of a horse from the ground below. Curious as to why there was a horse there she looked down and was startled to see a strange man holding the reins to a magnificent bay and staring right back up at her. Loosing concentration from this startling discovery of a man at the base of her tree she let go to look down further and slipped slightly. She let out an involuntary yelp of surprise and grabbed hold of the tree again. At the base of the tree the stranger dropped his reins and started to climb confidently up to her.

"Hold on I'll be there in a moment to help." He called to her.

For once Alex did as she was told just to see what he did next and held on, hiding her face against the trunk. Below her lord Joshua Michaels pulled himself up the tree, wincing slightly as a branch dug into his thigh. Never, when he had set out to explore the home he was visiting, did he expect to find a woman up a tree. And now he was attempting to rescue her. It took him almost five minutes to reach her and when he did she was shaking and making strange noises. She must be petrified he realised.

"Are you alright?" he asked reaching out to touch her shoulder. Alex couldn't smother her laughter any longer and it burst out loudly. Joshua looked at her startled. "Why are you laughing?"

"I'm sorry," Alex gasped sitting herself back down on her branch, "but your face! It's hilarious you really thought I was stuck didn't you."

"But you cried out."

"I slipped and so did my mouth." She retaliated. Joshua scowled at her and she just started to laugh more.

"Well we're getting down now, it's not safe up here for you." He ordered her, climbing down and away from her.

"It's really dangerous…" she replied mockingly, climbing swiftly down past him.

"Wait!" he called after her, "Slow down or you'll fall." And with that he missed his foot on a branch and slipped down past her. Alex reflexively reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Like that?" she asked with a coy grin, "just follow me, if you hadn't realised this yet I have climbed this tree before; more times than I can remember."

Joshua didn't bother to reply; he realised now that she would always find some way to answer him back. Looking down on her, he copied her foot placement and they made it to the floor in no time at all. Now he could look at her properly as she ignored him and turned away to face his horse. She reached up and stroked the stallion's soft velvety nose and was whispering something to him. Her cropped hair was fluffed around her face by the wind and was glowing a soft red in the sun and her hazel eyes sparkled with life glinting all the fresh colours of the natural world around them. She had the possibility to be a beautiful woman like her elder sister, if she looked like a real woman that was. Jonnie amended his thoughts hastily and strode over to snatch the reins from her. She looked up at him startled a scowl settling on her brow.

"I'm leaving now." He informed her, not asking how she was getting back or if she wanted to accompany him, simply mounted his horse agilely and rode away from her towards the manor house. Alex was so tempted to throw something at his retreating back but refrained and strode off down the hill.