Lady Ann's Holiday - Chapter Twenty Two - Part Two

5

Burt was well and truly tired of feeling sorry for himself.

There was still no sign of Lady Ann coming back and he was fully resigned to the fact that he had to go on living his life until she saw fit to return but he had had more than enough of hating every minute of it.

He reminded himself that he had chosen to become a man in the first place – he’d chosen to be Burt – even if he could no longer understand quite why. This was his holiday from his former life and if it was an extended holiday then surely that was a good thing in a way. He’d wanted to really experience living life as a lower class working man and now he was. Moping about it and feeling bitter was a waste of time! He was determined to go back to enjoying it as much as he could.

When he was done for the day with work he set off down toward the village, whistling a tune that he remembered his old da used to sing when he was a boy. It felt good to be finished with work for the day and it was a lovely warm evening. He took the route across the fields so that he could enjoy the countryside.

While he walked he listed in his mind all the good things about his life that he might as well enjoy while he could.

He was fit and strong. He loved his muscular body and the feeling of confidence it gave him; the masculine swagger in his stride.

He was a hardworking man who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty; not like Harry or those toffs in the hall or the house servants who wouldn’t know hard work if it came and bit them on the arse. He was amazed at how proud he felt about that – how good it made him feel to think of himself that way… as long as he was forced into it anyway. Obviously he would rather not have had to do it but he was trying to look for the good in his predicament.

He was a well-endowed man with a huge great donger and thinking of it there in his trousers gave him a wonderful sense of superiority. He bet it was bigger than every other man he knew: Harry for sure and Jeb most likely; surely that nasty gentleman he’d seen on the train platform wot used to be one of his suitors in his old life: Lord Richard Hurley.

He was single, and that meant he had the freedom to give his cock out to any woman he found. He’d not had much luck in that department lately but he was sure that was more to do with his attitude than anything. When he first became Burt he’d had an indomitable confidence. As a result he’d had women right left and centre. It was since he’d lost all his money and spent that time in the stocks that he’d lost his mojo and most of that was because he’d been down in the dumps about understanding just how limited his position was now he was stuck in this life.

But he was being positive now. He was looking for the silver lining. He’d accepted he was stuck being who he was for now and so he wasn’t worrying about it too much no more. He was determined to get his old manly confidence back and then use it to win back Mavis.

And the first order of business there was to make her jealous. And to do that he planned to bed as many women in the village as he could!

He walked on, chuckling to himself, feeling better by the minute.

If he was stuck being Burt he was going to bloody well get every bit of enjoyment out of it that he could!

6

Ann told the servant, Thornton, to wait for her and walked on alone to the edge of the lake, looking out across the calm surface, watching the gently spreading ripples from the light wind.

She didn’t know quite what she had wanted to achieve today but she knew she hadn’t succeeded and she knew she was being foolish anyway somehow. All of this was ridiculous. The very idea of wishing that she be cruel and callous was preposterous. Why would anyone wish such a thing?

Although she knew why she wished it with all her heart.

But it wasn’t worth it. For what if this silly wish came true and she really became as oftentimes petulant and vindictive as the original Lady Ann? She might become cruel enough to renege on her promise to give this body back but she’d spend the rest of her life as a nasty and hateful woman. And she didn’t want that. She really didn’t.

She closed her arms tightly round her stomach, staring across the rippling sheen of reflected sky and a question slid into her mind that surprised her, capturing her attention suddenly.

What did she want? Really?

All her life as Burt she had followed the orders of her betters. Now, she’d been catapulted into this strange exchange at the whim of her namesake, again with no real power or control. Yes, she’d fantasized about betraying… him… but that was all it was: a fantasy. She wasn’t the kind of person who would do that and it was absurd to imagine that she could become like that – or that she’d be happy.

No.

But that still left her with the question.

What did she want? Really. And…

And what was she prepared to do to get it?

7

Burt walked into the Dog & Pony with a newly rediscovered swagger. He walked up to the bar and put down enough pennies for a pint then he turned round and surveyed what punters were in.

Mavis was taking drinks round as usual with the same scowl on her face she’d been wearing since the day he’d been thrown in the stocks. He didn’t much look at her but sauntered over in her direction. She stopped, preparing to make some snitty remark, but Burt walked right by her without a glance and sat at the table where two bawdy girls were gossiping. Behind him, Mavis looked slightly put out but Burt ignored her.

“Eh up girls,” he said. “Ow do?”

One was blond, the other brunette. They weren’t beauties like Lady Ann but they bulged in all the right places. “Ahright Burt,” said the blond. “You look different.”

“It’s cause I ain’t mopin around no more,” he said. “I thought I’d go back to enjoyin life if that’s alright with you.”

They giggled. “That’s alright with us Burt.”

He grinned. “Good. Cause I was wonderin if’n you was ere the night I ad me todger out and was flappin it around.”

The brunette gave off peals of delighted laughter but her friend blushed deeply. “Oh we remember Burt!” said the Brunette. “It’s all we talked about for days!”

Burt took a long swig of his beer. “That’s what I ‘oped you’d say. Cause I was wonderin if a couple of pretty lasses like you might want another look.”

The blond girl twittered with mirth and embarrassment while her bawdier friend put her soft hand on top of Burt’s. “I thought you were with Mavis. We wouldn’t want ‘er scratchin our eyes out.”

“Needn’t worry about that,” replied Burt confidently, and loudly enough so that Mavis could hear. “Mavis’n’me are over with. I wants me some real action now, if’n you know what I mean.” The girls laughed and Burt took the opportunity of throwing the rather sour-looking Mavis a quick wink. Then he gripped the brunette’s fingers and put his other hand on top of the blonde’s. “Now then ladies. How’s about I buy you another drink and then we can slip off somewhere then maybe’s I’ll let you see if me cock ain’t even bigger than you remember.”

“Alright then Burt,” said the blonde. “Don’t mind if we do.” They both giggled and Burt got to his feet to fetch the drinks feeling a welcome and overdue swell of male pride. This was more like it and it was exactly what he needed. It was what he’d been missing while he pratted about feeling sorry for himself. This was what being a man was all about and he loved the feeling of masculinity – the thrill of flirtation. He loved being fancied by women for his strength and virility.

He was remembering why it was that he loved being a man.

Why he loved being Burt.