Five Days at Kingsmere Hall

How to Read *IMPORTANT*

This story is designed to be played in Game Mode, so be sure to click the "Game" button before you begin.

Five Days at Kingsmere Hall is a short interactive novella where your choices determine the course of the story. A single playthrough takes you through just one of many possible paths, so don't expect to see everything the first time.

Experiment with different decisions, explore new routes, and discover multiple endings, romances, and hidden scenes across repeated playthroughs.

Enjoy!

The story is still in progress and new paths will be written at later times.

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The carriage gave one final jolt as its wheels left the uneven country road and rolled onto the neatly raked gravel drive. After two long days of travel, the journey was finally at an end.

You glanced through the window.

Kingsmere Hall rose beyond the ancient oaks like something from a painting. Built from warm honey-coloured stone, the great house overlooked immaculate gardens, shimmering lakes, and rolling parkland stretching farther than the eye could follow. Smoke drifted lazily from dozens of chimneys while servants hurried across the courtyard preparing for the arrival of another distinguished guest.

Lord Ashcombe's annual hunting party had become something of a tradition amongst England's landed gentry. Gentlemen travelled from across the country to enjoy several days of sport, lavish dinners, and carefully arranged company.

For you, however, it promised rather less leisure.

Opposite you sat Sir Edward Harrington, who calmly folded the newspaper he had occupied himself with for much of the journey.

"I believe we've arrived, Thomas."

"Yes, sir."

"You've endured the road well enough."

"I have, sir."

A faint smile crossed his face.

"Good. I daresay neither of us shall miss that carriage once our rooms are prepared."

The carriage continued along the winding drive, the rhythmic clatter of the wheels softened by the thick gravel beneath them.

Sir Edward glanced out of the window, his expression thoughtful.

"I've not visited Kingsmere Hall in nearly four years," he said. "Lord Ashcombe has always been a generous host. The shooting is excellent, the company agreeable... and the cellar, if memory serves, quite exceptional."

A faint smile touched his lips before he looked back at you.

"I trust you've packed my evening coat separately?"

"Yes, sir. It's in the smaller trunk."

"Excellent. Lord Ashcombe insists upon dressing properly for dinner, no matter how weary his guests may be after travelling."

For a moment, neither of you spoke.

The carriage rounded a final bend, revealing the house in its full splendour.

"It will be a busy few days, Thomas," Sir Edward said at last. "There will be little time for idleness. Still, I hope you'll find the household a pleasant one. The Ashcombes have always treated their servants well."

You inclined your head.

"I shall do my duty, sir."

"I've never doubted it."

For the past three years, you had served as the personal valet to Sir Edward Harrington.

It was a position many servants could only hope to attain. A gentleman's valet was entrusted with far more than polishing boots and laying out clothes. You managed Sir Edward's wardrobe, cared for his personal belongings, accompanied him on his travels, and, above all else, remained a discreet and dependable presence at his side.

Sir Edward was not an unkind master.

Though he expected high standards and rarely overlooked a mistake, he had never raised his voice without cause nor sought to humiliate those in his service. He valued competence above all else and rewarded loyalty with quiet trust rather than lavish praise.

Over the years, an unspoken understanding had formed between the two of you. You knew how he preferred his morning tea, which jackets he favoured for travelling, and precisely how long before dinner he wished to change. In return, Sir Edward had come to rely upon your judgement and reliability without ever needing to question either.

That trust was not something you took lightly

Sir Edward Harrington was a gentleman of comfortable means, though far from one of England's great lords. He owned a modest estate in Yorkshire, where he lived alone following the death of his father some years earlier. Respected for his integrity and level-headed nature, he was a welcome guest at many country houses, and Lord Ashcombe's annual hunting party was one invitation he seldom declined.

Though still unmarried, Sir Edward appeared in no particular hurry to change that. Society occasionally speculated about suitable matches, but he always seemed more interested in managing his estate, enjoying the countryside, and maintaining a quiet life than pursuing a fashionable marriage.

The carriage began to slow.

The horses slowed to a halt before the grand entrance.

Almost immediately, the front doors opened.

The butler descended the steps with practiced precision, followed by several waiting footmen.

"Welcome to Kingsmere Hall, Sir Edward," the butler said with a courteous bow. "Lord Ashcombe has been expecting your arrival."

Sir Edward stepped from the carriage, leaving you to retrieve the luggage.

You climbed down after him and immediately set about your work. Hat boxes, travelling trunks, polished gun cases, and carefully wrapped parcels all had to be unloaded without delay. Several servants from Kingsmere Hall quickly joined you, each carrying away another piece of luggage into the great house.

As you reached for the final case, movement near the upper terrace caught your eye.

A young woman stood beside the stone terrace overlooking the drive.

Even at a distance, she carried herself with effortless grace. A pale blue travelling dress stirred gently in the afternoon breeze as she watched the arriving guests with quiet curiosity.

Before you could look for more than a moment, another servant hurried between you.

When you looked again, she was gone.

"You there."

The butler's voice was calm but firm.

"The remaining luggage belongs to Sir Edward, I presume?"

"Yes."

"This way."

Without another word, you lifted the final trunk and followed him through the towering oak doors of Kingsmere Hall.

The entrance hall was unlike anything you had seen before.

Sunlight poured through the tall windows, illuminating polished marble floors and a sweeping staircase that curved elegantly towards the upper gallery. Portraits of long-dead Ashcombes lined the walls, their painted eyes seeming to follow every servant and guest that passed beneath them.

The house was already alive with activity.

Footmen crossed the hall carrying trunks and gun cases. Maids disappeared through side corridors with fresh linen piled high in their arms. Somewhere deeper within the house came the unmistakable sounds of cooks shouting instructions over the clatter of pots and pans.

"You'll find there's little standing still in this house," the butler remarked as he led you across the hall. "Lord Ashcombe expects everything to run to the minute."

His voice was measured rather than stern.

"I'm Mr. Graves, the butler."

"Thomas, sir."

"I know."

He opened a pair of double doors leading into a quieter corridor.

"Sir Edward's chambers have been prepared on the east wing. Once his luggage is delivered, the remainder of the afternoon is yours... provided your own duties have been attended to."

You inclined your head.

"Yes, Mr. Graves."

As you carried the final trunk upstairs, the corridor overlooked part of the rear gardens through a row of tall windows.

Several ladies strolled slowly along the paths below, accompanied by gentlemen in travelling attire. One of them - the young blonde woman in a pale blue dress - paused beside a rose bed, laughing softly at something said by an older lady.

Even from this distance, there was something striking about her effortless poise.

A maid carrying folded sheets stepped into your path. Entangled in your daydreams you embarrassingly stumbled into her.

"Beg pardon," she said with an apologetic smile as the two of you shuffled awkwardly to avoid one another.

"No harm done."

She hurried on before another voice called her from somewhere farther down the corridor.

"Emily!"

The young maid disappeared around the corner without another word.

You reached Sir Edward's room moments later and carefully set the last trunk beside the wardrobe.

The journey was over.

The hunting party had yet to begin.

But already, Kingsmere Hall felt as though it held more stories than any single guest could hope to uncover in five short days.

"I shall rest for a while before dinner. See to your own affairs until then, Thomas. Just be back before the bell."

The luggage had been delivered, Sir Edward required nothing more for the time being, and dinner would not be served for another hour.

The afternoon was yours.

Kingsmere Hall was still unfamiliar, its countless corridors bustling with servants and guests alike. Somewhere beyond these walls, the hunting party was only just beginning to gather.