Set a year after the book ends. Book/Movie/Musical based but largely around the quote from Mrs Medlock that 'He was a sour young man and got no good of all his money and big place till he was married.' – Chapter 2.

I tried to show that he's a bit of a grump and a recluse but almost as soon as this woman appears something changes that even he doesn't know what to make of to start with.

This will be the start to a longer story about their meeting but I will post that once I've finished it.

I don't own the secret garden. I am just playing make believe with the characters from Frances Hodgson Burnett's creation because Archie needs more love. More of an explaination at the end.


Dr Craven had left hours ago with a promise that he would return in the morning to check on the patient's broken ankle in the morning before his usual rounds. He had given her strict instructions that she would under no circumstances be walking around for the next few days and once she had she had shown that she could be trusted to do as she was told, then he would bring her crutches and show her how to use them safely.

Colin had been the one to carry her in and the noise he had made had drawn his father out of his study. After a rudimentary examination of her ankle Dr Craven had been sent for. Uncle Archibald had stood patiently as Mary and Colin explained what had happened, only Mary saw how his face paled and his expression turned furious when she said she had fallen out of the dead tree in the garden and landed badly. She immediately felt guilty for giving her Uncle so much worry after what had already happened in that garden from a fall from that tree. She could not look at him after that.

Mary had been safely carried up to her bedroom by John the footman and her foot had been raised, bandaged and iced on the doctor's orders. That had been seven hours ago. Her dinner had been brought up to her but she had only picked at it and sent it back down. It was now just after midnight and she could do nothing but lie in bed staring at the dark moors outside through the window she had asked Martha to leave the curtains open at.

She had tried to sleep but she couldn't set her mind to rest.

She had tried to read but she couldn't concentrate.

The door to her bedroom creaked open a crack and her Uncle's head appeared. His brow creased when he saw her sit up in bed and grab the candle that was still lit at her bedside. He came fully into the room and closed the door carefully.

'What are you doing awake? You need your sleep!' He crossed the room to sit on the end of her bed.

'I tried. I can't sleep.' She whined. Archibald chuckled.

'Well then you cannot have tried hard enough.' He told her almost patronisingly. 'I am relived to see you well enough to moan though. Are you in pain?' He asked and looked at her foot.

'No. But my toes are cold.' Archibald smiled and stood.

'Tell me where to go for a scarf.' He ordered. Mary directed him to a drawer and he pulled out a black scarf she had not seen since she first arrived at Misselthwaite. He must have dug to the bottom for it. She gritted her teeth as he gently wrapped the scarf around her exposed toes.

'Thank you.' She smiled. 'I'm sorry Uncle Archibald.' He looked confused.

'What for?' He asked as he sat back down.

'I must have worried you something awful and I saw how angry you were when Colin said I had fallen from the tree. I begged him not to say anything!' Archibald put his hands up to stop her.

'I was cross yes. I was cross at you for climbing that bloody tree that I should have had torn down years ago but I was far angrier that another accident had been caused by that tree. But now I'm just glad that you will be alright.'

'I'm still sorry that I worried you. What will happen to that tree?' She asked.

'I have ordered it torn down. I think Lilias would forgive me. Though now you, Colin and Dickon will have a completely new section of garden to do something with.' He smiled sadly.

'Would you tell me how you and Aunt Lilias met and what she was like?' Mary asked quietly. 'You said I reminded you of her and I would love to know more about her. I have only ever seen the portrait in Colin's room.' Archibald looked pained but before he could answer the door opened again and Colin rushed in. He didn't notice his Father sat on the end of the bed when he leapt for the unoccupied side of the bed next to his Cousin.

'Mary are you alright? I couldn't sleep thinking about it! Is it very painful?'

'No Colin. It isn't painful.' She took his hand.

'I was so scared when you fell you screamed so loud!' He was practically tripping over his words now.

'Colin I am fairly certain your Cousin does not want to be reminded of this afternoon any more than she has to be. Why are you not in bed?' Colin looked at his Father in shock.

'I was concerned Father. Why are you not in bed?' He asked curiously.

'I was concerned as well. And in answer to your question Mary, no.' Mary looked crestfallen.

'Please Uncle Archibald! I'm injured!' She pleaded.

'What?' Colin looked from his father to his cousin.

'I asked him to tell me how he met Aunt Lilias.'

'Oh please Father!' Colin turned his big eyes to his father. With both sets of hopeful eyes facing him from the other side of the bed, one set an incarnation of those eyes he had adored more than a decade ago and another the eyes of a dear friend a shade removed from the other set. He sighed heavily and looked down at his walking stick and wedding ring in silence for a while.

'Alright.' He whispered shakily without looking up. 'Make yourselves comfortable.' He got up to poke the fire and add more coal but also so the children couldn't see the barely formed tears as he steeled himself to air old memories kept locked away for too long. He went back to the bed shrugging off his suit jacket and pulling off his tie and collar looking far more relaxed than both children had ever seen him in the blue waistcoat and pressed white shirt.

'Firstly, she would despise being called Aunt Lilias. It sounds far too formal and Auntie Lily would have been her choice.' Mary nodded but Colin just stared at his father from the pillows. 'Now, we actually met in the middle of the night when I had returned from a long trip abroad, I can't even remember where I had been.' There was a far-off look in his eyes as he leaned back against the bedpost, determined not to make eye-contact with either child.


It was pitch dark as the carriage rolled over the moors, desolate and foreboding in the moonlight. Archibald Craven however barely registered them. He had not yet recovered from being woken at Thwaite station and hurried off the train into the waiting carriage that would take him home. He had seen the moors almost every day for the entirety of his 29 years on this earth though, he knew how it looked from memory.

The ride from the station to the main gate took around an hour and he was beginning to regret taking such a late train but that was his way. The later or earlier in the day the fewer people who would be about. The fewer people there were about the less he would get stared at. The less he would get stared at the more relaxed he would be. It was his usual method of travelling.

As the carriage came to a halt in front of the huge doors and intimidating building Archie pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to drive off the crushing tiredness long enough for him to reach his bedroom. The door opened and the step was brought down. Archie grabbed his hat and cane and nodded in thanks to the groom. The wind on the moors was howling and whipping his coat around his legs and sending his blonde hair flying wildly around his face. It was refreshing after the days he had spent cooped up on ships and in trains and carriages on his way home. He gazed fondly up at the old building. He had been away all of five months on seeing his mother returned back to her usual state after the death of his father six months ago.

The heavy doors swung inwards to allow him entrance. He nodded to the footman and strode straight to the stairs, not stopping to put down his hat or cane or even take off his coat. That would waste time on the journey up to bed.

The hallways were dark and gloomy but some kind servant had left candles lit at intervals in the wall sconces in anticipation of his arrival but also in consideration of his mother being asleep. He briefly regretted making such a fuss for having the furthest suite of rooms from the most used areas of the house. One of the doors on his right at the end of the corridor creaked open and a candle appeared out of it followed by a figure in a white nightgown. Archie stopped dead in his tracks.

The figure glided towards him.

'Hello?' He asked quietly

'Good evening.' The woman breathed, making her candle flame flicker.

'Who are you?' Archie asked, a little abruptly.

'My name is Lilias Lennox, who are you?' She asked.

'Archibald Craven.' He answered shortly. The girl looked taken back.

'Oh. Your brother and mother invited my family a month ago.' She looked Archie up and down as best she could in the dim light.

'You have been travelling.' She said. Archie nodded.

'What, may I ask are you doing awake and wandering my halls?' He asked, looking at this girl more closely. She was tall, a few inches shorter than him in just her slippers and could not be much older than 20, bright pale copper hair fell in curls that had escaped a long braid danced around a pale pointy almost elfin face. He hardly heard her answer as he saw her eyes. Beautiful and clear pale eyes, he couldn't quite see the colour of them properly, but ringed in thick black lashes almost like a fringe.

'A book?' He asked. The girl giggled quietly into her fingertips and nodded but she couldn't quite suppress a violent shiver. Archie snapped back to reality, it was cold now the fires had largely died out. In an uncharacteristic show of chivalry he slipped his greatcoat from around his shoulders and wrapped it around the girl's thin form. He let his hands rest longer than strictly proper on her shoulders.

'Thank you.' She breathed and smiled brightly up at him.

'It's cold downstairs, you'll need that, if only to preserve your modesty.' He murmured, that smile had stirred something he had not felt for a great long while. 'I suppose I shall see you in the morning. Good night Miss Lennox, pleasant dreams.' He bobbed his head to her and strode down the corridor to his rooms.

His dreams that night would be haunted by thick lashes and a bright smile and a playful barely smothered giggle.


Thanks so much for reading.

This is the list of characters I have used and why;

Archie and Colin will come from the 1987 movie version. Yes I know it's not a favourite for most people and they're not really cannon, but I like the idea that the Cravens are blonde and blue eyed as opposed to the dark haired dark eyed description from the book. While people think they're some kind of hideous dark and brooding monstrous cripples locked away in the manor or roaming abroad shunning society whereas in reality they're the opposite in appearance. Bright and loving if given the chance like Lilias and Mary did. Lilias will also be coming from the 1987 version because damn that woman is beautiful!

Mary, Dickon, Martha, Mrs Medlock and Ben will come from the 1975 version for no other reason than I like that one the most after having grown up watching it. And Mrs Medlock is just somewhat awesome and sarky.

Misselthwaite will be located at the 1975 version grey and bleak enough to stand the winds and rains.