Lady Ann's Holiday: Chapter Twenty Nine - Part Five

9

Hattie said and did nothing immediately.

Both Burt and she were once again frozen, just as they’d been when he stumbled into her bedroom a few minutes earlier. But his actions here were painfully obvious. There was no room for misunderstanding.

He had entered the manor house against all instruction, and worse, he had violated the bed chamber of not one but two of the Earl’s daughters. And he was plainly a thief. The pendant was right there in his hand. The lock on its hiding place was broken.

“Please m’lady,” stammered Burt. “I know what this looks like but that ain’t wot it is. Just give me a minute to explain.”

Hattie said nothing. Her features registered still only shock.

For his part, Burt was still well and truly off balance. As never before he felt trapped in this man’s flesh – no longer by some continuing magical effect but simply by the physical reality of it. Touching the pendant again had sealed the effect, closing him indelibly into that identity.

“I know I shouldn’t ave come in ere,” said Burt, his words spitting out rapidly, “but I ad to fetch something o’mine. This ere pendant, see?” He held it up. “It’s mine ye see – you can ask er ladyship erself – and I needed it.”

“So you decided to just wander up here and get it?” said Hattie coldly.

Burt bobbed his head, only belatedly thinking to pull of his cap, recognizing the deference to this woman that used to be his younger sister.

“And to find it you riffled through my sister’s clothes?”

Burt bobbed his head again.

“Through her undergarments?”

Burt did nothing. His face and neck turning a deep and dirty red.

“And then you decided to break open her dressing table drawer. Is that correct? You thought you could just take what you wanted?”

Burt nodded pitifully. “Please miss. I ad to get it. It was an emergency.”

“An emergency?”

“Aye. I ad to ave it right away. I’m sorry miss. I know it was wrong o me, but I’ve learned me lesson; I swear I ave. I just needed to get it. Please don’t tell the Earl you saw me in ere. He’ll punish me something chronic for this. I’ll be lucky if I don’t end up in prison. And I didn’t mean no arm. I swear I didn’t.”

Lady Harriet’s face closed over, any expression vanishing to become just blank introspection.

Everything that had happened and it came to this: trapped in the body and brain of a dirty commoner, completely at the mercy of what had once been his younger sister.

“Please m’lady,” he said. “What you decide’ll affect the rest o’me life. I ain’t never done wrong by ye. Please let me go back outside. I’m sorry I came in ere; I really am.”

“’Never done wrong’ by me?” said Hattie. “’Never done wrong’?” She scoffed at him and Burt’s face fell. “You filthy little man. How dare you!” She thrust out her hand, palm up. “Give me that pendant. Now!”

Burt looked down at it, then up at Hattie. She wasn’t going to help him. She wouldn’t let him escape. She was going to see to it that he was punished. This was his last and only chance to keep hold of the pendant.

But he had been in this situation before – the pendant in reach and an order from one of his betters to hand it over. He knew he couldn’t keep hold of it. He knew what his orders were.

But there was another option here; surely the only real option he had.

Put on the pendant. Embrace Lady Harriet. Swap places with her!

All his problems would instantly go away!

“Give it me!” she snapped, pushing her hand further forward.

Burt stared at the open palm then down at the pendant. It would be so simple. So quick. He could be Lady Harriet; become one of the gentry again, even if it wasn’t his original body.

“You will do as I tell you. Hand – me – the pendant!”

It was so simple to conceive of but how could he do it? He was being given a direct order from one of his betters – the lady Harriet no less. He had to do what he was told.

“Give it to me!”

He looked into her face, at her pretty eyes and dewy cheeks. He looked at her curvaceous body and beautiful dress. That could be him. In a matter of moments he could change places with her.

But that sent a shudder of repulsion through him. It didn’t matter that he knew who he used to be. He wasn’t a woman no more. He was a man. He couldn’t imagine anything worse than losing his manhood and becoming a soft and soppy woman. He wasn’t some sissy. Being a woman was the last thing he wanted. He’d rather go to prison than that.”

“Burt!”

He wrapped up the pendant in its cloth and hesitating only a second longer he passed it to her.

Hattie took it and held his gaze for a moment then walked across to the dresser and closed the pendant and its bundle back in the top drawer out of sight.

Burt waited, clutching his cap tightly in his fingertips, fumbling with it nervously as she passed back into his field of view. He felt abashed and utterly humiliated, and worse, he recognized the chain of events his foolishness had thrown him into, leaving him incapable of seizing a way out, even when one presented itself.

“I’m so sorry miss,” he fawned. “Please don’t tell the Earl wot I done. I’ll do anything you say. I’m beggin ye. Please don’t turn me in.”

Hattie looked at him blankly. Then she gave him a slow sneer. She walked to the door, widened the gap and called out, “Father!” 

10

The tall man, Blake’s face made a grimace as he ripped at Ann’s dress again, tearing the entire front open and revealing her bosom and stomach completely, jerking another stifled cry from her gagged mouth. The grimace became a leer as his eyes slithered across her naked torso and legs.

The dress was a ruin now, covering only her pelvis with any success, tears of it ribboning into the crooks of her elbows and caught in the rope tying her wrists.

She wanted more than anything to be able to fight her way free but she had inherited more than just the wiles, looks and breeding of the original Lady Ann. She also had her cowardice and dismay at violence of any kind. She felt completely under the power of this brute of a man and his jeering audience in the doorway.

Never since this entire debacle had begun had she been more determined to return to her former body and life, and she made a vow, as the tears burned her cheeks and scorched her eyes, that the second she had the ability to accomplish it, she would change back into a man.

“You’re mine you know,” whispered Blake. “And you shouldn’t worry none.” He lowered his upper body closer to her. “I ain’t like those apes out there. I’m a gentleman, me. I know ow to treat a lady.”

He gave a deep chuckle then took hold of Ann’s face, bringing his lips to hers.

She winced, trying to pull away, but there was no strength in her to combat his. There was nothing she could do to stop him.

Blake put his lips to Ann’s, pressing close. Her cheeks were rigid. Her mouth was locked. Surely there could be no pleasure of intimate contact for him. But as he broke contact she glimpsed the swollen fold of cloth in his dirty trousers and knew what it meant. Then Blake lowered his face to her breast, thankfully blocking the view.

He gave her one little glance and a smile, almost playful, then he opened his lips to take her nipple in his mouth.

A man’s call came from out in the warehouse. Blake faltered. There was a deep bang far away. Then a crash.

Blake lifted his head. The men in the doorway had turned their backs. Two men out of sight were calling.

“See what’s going on,” barked Blake.

More shouting. A whistle, long an shrill. A second whistle even closer.

The men in the doorway were shouting. They vanished, running in different directions. Blake hadn’t moved. His entire body was tense. He looked down into Ann’s face, his expression muddled.

Ann heard the word “Police!” shouted by more than one male voice.

Blake pulled a knife out of his pocket.

The shouting got closer.

Blake’s hand rooted through the hair at the base of Ann’s neck, taking hold tightly, snapping her head painfully back.

The shouting was even louder; even closer.

The knife caught what light there was like a sliver of solid light.

Then a policeman appeared in the doorway. He assessed the situation and demanded Blake step back.

Blake was wrenching on Ann, pulling her upwards, holding the blade to her neck.

The policeman’s hand was out. Both men were bellowing. Their words didn’t make sense.

Then the policeman was knocked out of the way by a strong man’s hands and Richard strode into the room.

Blake was demanding something, pressing the knife up under Ann’s chin. She was weeping in terror and anguish.

Richard said nothing. He took in the room calmly, seeing Ann, seeing Blake, seeing the knife. Then he raised him arm, leveled his pistol and pulled the trigger.

Blake fell backward. The knife toppled clear. His head hit the floor.

And then Richard was at Ann’s side, lifting her gently up, pulling the gag free, pressing her against his chest and enfolding her in his arms. “It’s alright darling,” he said. “You’re safe now. I promise. These men can’t do anything for you now.”

The policeman untied her wrists and she flung her arms about her fiancé, tugging him even closer. “Oh Richard,” she gasped. “Oh my darling Richard. Thank you! Oh thank God for you! Thank God for my wonderful wonderful man!”