Lady Ann's Holiday: Chapter Twenty Seven - Part Three

7

Tears ran down her cheeks as Ann waved her family off at the station.

The Earl wasn’t ones for long goodbyes and had humphed inside to find his seat on the train while the Countess and Hattie made their farewells as Richard looked on. Ann was sad that they were going and missed them terribly already. At the same time she was so happy; so glad that she’d chosen to keep this life.

She occasionally felt the tiniest pang of guilt of stealing the destiny of the original Ann but only briefly. The idiot stable hand had given it up gladly and she’d be damned if she was going to hand it back.

“You’ve done so well for yourself Ann dear,” said her mother. “Your father and I are very proud of you.”

“Thank you mother. Oh thank you so much.” They embraced tightly, squeezing more tears from Ann’s red eyes. When they broke the embrace, Ann turned to Hattie. “I’m even going to miss you.” She smiled mischievously. “When you’re gone.”

“Har har har,” replied Hattie. They hugged. “Just don’t be quite so big-headed when I see you next. Or I’ll have to go and find my own millionaire.”

Ann giggled. “Well I’m sure Richard has many eligible young friends your age he can introduce you to. There will be some rich men among them. When they finally turn eighteen.”

“Har har,” said Hattie. “You won’t be making so many jokes when my millionaire owns more than your millionaire.”

“Well yours will never be as handsome,” said Ann, squeezing Richard’s arm.

They waved goodbye and Richard and Ann watched the train pull slowly out engulfed in steam.

“Oh Richard,” said Ann. “I do miss Yorkshire.”

“It’s a beautiful country,” agreed Lord Hurley.

“Perhaps we should go back…”

“Hmmm.”

They started to walk off the platform and back through the station to where they’d left their carriage.

“Why don’t we go off for the afternoon somewhere,” said Ann gaily. “I’d love to spend some time together, just the two of us.”

Richard immediately became tense. “Ann dearest, it’s important I set the record straight.” He stopped and turned to her. “When we’re courting is one thing, but you need to understand that my work is far more important than gadding about the capital being frivolous. My businesses don’t run themselves. I want to make it perfectly clear that once we’re married I will be working most of the time and now that the engagement is set I don’t see any reason to fritter away the day on silly nothings when there are important matters to attend to. I love you dearly but you must understand that business will always come first. ”

“Oh.” said Ann. “I see,”

She remained where she was as Richard walked on for a moment then followed slowly after him.

That hadn’t been what she imagined from her fairytale marriage at all.

And it didn’t leave her feeling as excited about the wedding as she had been by any means.

8

Burt was not happy by the end of his long working day.

He’d slaved in the fields digging the drainage ditch in the hot sun without a break. On a normal day he would have popped back and forth to care for the horses. Now he wasn’t good enough for that anymore he just had to go on with his labour.

And it was relentless. Just digging and digging and digging and digging with no end. And to make matters worse, Jeb appeared periodically to tell him to work harder and do it better. He couldn’t even be trusted to dig a hole! And he couldn’t bear his best friend ordering him about. It was awful but he’d found himself become just as obsequious to Jeb as he was to Harry or one of the quality.

He knew that was only right though and that made it harder. He was lowest of the low. He had to follow the orders of his betters without question. He didn’t have no choice. Jeb had been put in charge of him and that was that. He had to do his duty.

When he got down to the pub he brightened a little. As soon as he got inside the other men were calling his name and cheering.

“Ere he is! The man of the hour!”

“Burt!”

“Get in ere and show off your muscles!”

“It’s the boxing champion of Griply valley!”

“Come and tell us what it’s like to be the strongest man around!”

Burt grinned and bought himself a drink, briefly conscious of the impact the dip in his wages was going to have on his beer drinking. He started telling tales of the night before and laughed, enjoying being one of the lads and looked up to. He was such a dunce that normally everyone looked down on him. At least with his boxing he could be the best for a change.

He caught Mavis looking at him from across the way with a hangdog expression but he ignored her.

“Ey Burt,” said one bloke. “We ‘ear Jeb’s taken your place oop at’all, the bad-un.”

“Aye,” replied Burt morosely. “He’s done nothing but lord it over me the second he got there.”

“And you and ‘im best mates.”

“Not no more,” said Burt, addressing the whole pub. “He’s burned ‘is bridges has Jeb. He ain’t a friend of mine no more.”

“I ain’t surprised,” said the bloke.

“He can go and shove it,” said Burt. “If ee wus ere now I’d give im a piece of my mind and no mistake.”

“Ere, look out,” said the bloke. “Ee’s ere.”

Burt looked round to see Jeb enter the Dog & Pony alongside Harry. Jeb paused in the doorway then made his way toward the bar.

“Ey up Burt,” said Jeb.

“Ey up, Jeb… Harry,” said Burt, doffing his cap.

“You didn’t do a bad days work today,” said Jeb. He thought for a moment. “But you could’ve worked a bit faster.”

“Yes sir,” replied Burt. “You’re right. I’m sorry sir.”

Jeb ordered a drink for him and Harry while the men in the pub chuckled at Burt’s toadying, his face colouring from embarrassment.

The barman poured the drinks then Jeb and Harry went for an empty table with Burt in tow. When Burt went to sit down though, Harry gave him a sharp look. “Find your own table Burt. I’ve got business to discuss with Jeb. We don’t want you butting in with daft suggestionswhen we’re trying to concentrate.”

Burt’s face fell. The sniggers from around the pub were getting more brazen. He bought himself another drink grumpily then stomped off into a corner.

Mavis appeared a moment later and put her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t mind them Burt,” she said kindly. “They’re just being full of themselves.”

He smiled a little, feeling better.

“It ain’t your fault you’re thick.”

He frowned and grumbled to himself, wishing he wasn’t so far down the pecking order. But what could he expect? It was the life he’d been born to. There was no point wishing to be someone better.

That was plain impossible.

9

Ann went to bed early and lay there for some time, thinking about the things Richard had said to her during the day. She thought about her family and missing them and missing being around familiar things… desiring the quiet beauty of Griply valley.

Then she remembered the dream she’d had that morning and settled into her pillow, picturing it again wistfully.

She knew it was wrong but it made her feel good and she was angry enough with Richard to feel justified in doing it. She pushed him out of her mind irritably and let herself sink back into the memory.

She was lying on the bed…

She was lying on the bed in a little tatty room and the door opened.

Her grandmother’s stable hand came in and approached her, undoing his shirt and letting it fall to the floor; undoing his trousers.

In the real world, in her bed, Ann parted her legs a little, running her hands down onto her inner thighs as the dream Ann did the same.

The stable hand kneeled on the mattress beside her and she saw her hands go up to caress his muscular chest. She saw his chest come closer as he kissed it, his face come to meet hers as their lips touched.

She sighed with delight, letting the fantasy overcome her fully, smiling as the dream man kissed her neck and worked his way down to her naked breasts. He kissed them, suckling her as she moaned in pleasure, then he lifted himself until he was above her and looked her right in the eye.

“You’re so sexy,” he murmured. “So loose and slutty. Just what I like.”

In the fantasy she kissed him again and he returned the kisses deeply, his tongue probing inside her.

“You’re exactly the kind of girl I like Mavis,” he said.

Ann’s eyes flicked open.

She sat up, touching her lips where she could almost feel the dream kisses.

“Mavis?”

Surely not. That was idiotic. She wouldn’t fantasize about that.

But it was true.

She hadn’t just imagined that she was making love with her grandmamma’s stable hand. She had imagined that she was Burt’s slutty girlfriend while she did it!