Lady Ann's Holiday: The Final Chapter - Part Eight

Ann crossed the hall to the stairs and ascended. She made her way quietly to her bed chamber and went in, closing the door behind her. She went to the dresser and took out the box with the little lock.

She took the key from around her neck and unlocked it, then she removed the pendant. She lifted it by the chain so it dangled in front of her. She scrutinised it, thinking about Richard’s kiss, then she opened out the chain and lifted it over her head, letting it fall into place against her chest.

She walked to the tall mirror on the wall and looked at herself. She ran her slim fingers down her smooth arms and cupped her lovely face in her palms then she fingered her lovely soft hair.

She was an elegant beauty.

A trapped and cosseted beauty forced to live the life that others chose for her!

But no more. There was a way she could take control of her life and she was going to do it at last. She was going to make one last choice that would propel her into a life with an entirely different set of restrictions but a vast array of freedom besides.

She steeled herself then went to the door and opened it, walked out into the corridor and closed it behind her.

Ann marched to the top of the stairs and started down, becoming more and more sure of herself with every step. She had known what she had to do when she lay on the floor of her cell during her abduction. She had allowed herself to become distracted. She’d known what she had to do for the first three weeks of her “holiday” until her own greed and petulance had tricked her into thinking otherwise.

She was going to become Burt again – she was going to become a man – and she would have a different kind of happiness for the rest of her days.

She passed through the hall to the east passage, heading for the side door, her footsteps cracking hard against the stone, but as she swung round the next corner she came up hard against Gladys and the maid cried out as the tray she’d been carrying tipped up in the air, spilling tea things all down her.

Ann cried out too, staggering back, avoiding most of the splatter, and then all that tension and determination turned to rage.

“Gladys for God’s sake! Why don’t you look where you’re walking!? You stupid ignorant girl!”

“I’m sorry m’lady.”

“Sorry? Sorry!? How dare you get in my way, you ignorant heifer!? How dare you!?”

“I’m sorry miss. I’m so sorry.” Gladys got down on her hands and knees, snatching for the broken crockery and teapot, using her skirt to mop up the spill, and Ann glared down at her, hands on her hips, absolutely furious.

Then a moment of absolute stark realisation fell over her and her body became numb.

She couldn’t do this. Of course she couldn’t. She couldn’t give up her station and become a servant, far lowlier than this girl here. She couldn’t become Burt.

She’d been foolish to think she could, even for an instant.

But that instant was enough to chill her to her heart. For if she could think it once she might think it again. How many times now had she faced adversity and thought only of fleeing into her former life? What if one of these times she really went through with it and doomed herself to the life of a servant forever?

No.

She had to take away the source of that temptation.

She had to get rid of the pendant once and for all before anything could persuade her again.

She gripped the pendant on her chest in her hand tightly, sharpening her resolve to a razor’s edge.

It was the only choice that made sense.

Get rid of it.

And she knew exactly where to do it.