Lady Ann's Folly: Chapter One - Part Five

Ann climbed the broad multi-levelled staircase and walked round the landing overlooking the hall then made her way through to her room at the front of the house.

The bedchamber was sumptuous and gave her pleasure as it always did. It was only a month since she had lived the life of a pauper and for most of that time she had been away in London It was still only three days since she had been able to enjoy being “home” here in Griply, to truly live as the original Lady Ann had, among her family and her pretty things.

She had a grand four-poster bed and a towering mirror, a dainty dressing table and cushioned chair. Gladys, her maid, was nowhere to be seen and Ann was glad of that. She was tired of the overripe commoner. She needed peace for a time so that she could still her thoughts and plan. And decide if she was really going to go through with it.

She loved being Ann. Exchanging lives with the former owner of this body was the best thing that had ever happened to her. But she still felt as though something was missing and she longed to be able to fill that hole.

Was it doubts in her match with Richard?

Possibly. But a visit with him to his holdings in Nockton Vale would establish that once and for all. Spending such a concentrated period of time in Crackshaw with Richard and his mother would aptly illustrate what her life would be like long term. She had to trust to that.

But she did miss the raunchy lasciviousness of her former life with an ache deep within her. She missed it so much she had almost been tempted to go back to it. The more she thought about the fact that the final decision had been Burt’s, the more she felt wronged in that decision. After being robbed of the choice, she didn’t know for sure whether staying Ann was for the best.

That was another reason to swap with Mavis.

And it need only be a short swap, for a couple of hours. That would be long enough for her to couple with Burt and ride out that lustful desire and at the same time it would remind her no doubt of everything that was wrong with being lower class.

The grass was always greener on the other side but that didn’t make it really so.

She toyed briefly with not choosing Mavis, but Burt himself. Didn’t that make more sense? To become her former self and make violent love with the bawdy lass?

But no. The idea of becoming a man was repellent to her really now, even though she knew she used to be one. She lusted to be Mavis but she lusted after Burt with all his manly virility.

It would be spectacular to become Mavis for a couple of hours. As Ann she was beautiful, but Mavis’s womanly virtues were rather more elaborate and evident. She imagined cupping the girl’s bloated breasts in her hands, closing her eyes and smiling, a delicious warmth building in her secret darkness.

Also she didn’t think swapping with Burt was safe. While he remained a man, his servant’s breeding kept him in check, but if he were to regain his “rightful” body, even for a short while, he might do anything to keep hold of it.

Mavis was a simpler animal. She would respond to the promise of cash payment and Ann had a mechanism in mind to prevent her running around causing trouble.

Most importantly, she would ensure she kept hold of the pendant this time throughout. There would be no risk of the wrong person foisting a new destiny upon her.

Yes. It was settled. She would go through with it.

She got changed quickly then stood at the mirror and gazed into her reflection. She stroked her soft arms then took her cheeks in the open palms of her hands, examining herself; her dark eyes and hair; her lavish dress.

Was it really worth risking losing this life of splendour, just for an hour of passion?

She chewed her lip.

Yes. It jolly well was. Especially when she was still questioning her choice of remaining as Ann.

She gathered up the money she would need and took the pendant box out of its drawer in her dressing table. She cracked it open and lifted the necklace out, dangling it from her fingers. The grey stone it was made from glittered from within the crevices formed by the intricate sigils on its surface. The spiral of gold that clasped it worked its way up into the join. Such a simple item to hold such incredible power.

But she did wish that it functioned slightly differently. When she and Burt had used it to trade places the vocal and mental changes had taken over a fortnight to become largely complete. With only a couple of hours in Mavis’s body there would be no time to experience that. The dip in that other life would be so shallow that the intense pleasure she desired would not be entirely possible.

“Would that the mental changes wrought by this trinket were a little faster,” she murmured.

But it would have to do. She popped it back in its box and put it away in her bag with the other items she’d gathered then shut it tightly and went to the door.

“Gladys!” she called. “Gladys, come here, now!”

She waited impatiently for the ignorant heifer to appear. “Yes m’lady?”

“I want you to go to the village immediately and fetch the barmaid who works in the Dog & Pony.”

“You mean Mavis miss?” asked Gladys incredulously.

“Yes, Mavis. Tell her that I wish to pay her for a small service and then bring her to me in the holiday cottage.”

“But why m’lady? What shall I say you want her for?”

“Mind your own business girl. Do as I say. Fetch her and bring her as fast as you are able, but one thing is important.”

“Yes miss?”

“You are not to tell anyone of your errand and you are to bring her to the cottage without anyone seeing. Is that clear?”

“Yes miss.”

“Gladys. Is that clear?”

She nodded. “Yes m’lady. So nobody sees.”

“Good. Now run along. Be quick.”

The maid bobbed her head and hurried off immediately.

Ann walked a little way after her and watched her go.

It was set in motion now. It was going to happen. She was crackling with excitement. She couldn’t wait.

It was going to be marvellous. And nothing could go wrong. She was sure of that.