Lady Ann's Folly: Chapter One - Part Three

Ann followed her father into the drawing room, hurrying to catch up. Her mother was in there still, talking to Aunt Geraldine and Uncle Patrick while her younger sister, Hattie, sat on the window seat reading and the children played on the floor.

“Well that was a waste of time from start to finish,” said Howard, pulling at his gloves and shrugging off his coat.

“What happened?” asked Elizabeth, the Countess, Ann’s mother.

“I’ll tell you what happened,” replied Howard. “I was raked across the bloody coals!”

“Howard, please, the children; language,” said Aunt Geraldine, gesturing to Reggie and Felicity, cross-legged on the rug.

“Dash the children! I’ve never been more humiliated in my life!” He stomped over to where the liquor was kept then remembered himself and glanced toward the open door. “Powell!” There was no response. “Powell!!”

The elderly butler rushed into the doorway. “Yes m’lord?”

“Pour me a brandy. And hurry up about it!”

“Yes sir.” He hurried to do so while Ann sat on the piano stool.

“It can’t have been that bad,” said Elizabeth.

“Oh it was, I can assure you,” replied Howard curtly.

“I still don’t quite understand the problem old chap,” said Uncle Patrick. “You were perfectly within your rights to act as you did. You’re the Earl.”

“What did happen?” asked Aunt Geraldine.

“That bloody stable hand,” grunted the Earl, taking his brandy without a word or look of thanks.

“I told you,” said Elizabeth. “Hattie caught him in Ann’s bedroom last Tuesday, rooting through her undergarments.”

“Oh dear. Of course.” Aunt Geraldine covered her mouth with her handkerchief. “Simply atrocious behaviour.”

“He was trying to steal a necklace of Ann’s, claiming it belonged to him.”

“Harriet called me in of course,” continued Howard, “and I dragged the blackguard out; gave him fifty lashes of the whip in the town square then threw him in a gaol cell.”

“Exactly as you should have,” said Uncle Patrick. “I don’t see what the problem is.”

“There wouldn’t have been one if Harriet hadn’t egged me on to take it further, wailing about being propositioned by the blighter and other such nonsense.”

Harriet lowered her book and stared at him in incredulity.

“I called in a magistrate – wasted plenty of good money expediting the whole thing – then got the cur sentenced to prison – largely on Hattie’s word as witness.”

Uncle Patrick lit a cigar. “Again, quite right.”

“But that isn’t that they took issue with,” said Howard. “It was the bribe.”

“Bribe?” asked Aunt Geraldine.

“My wiser daughter, Ann, persuaded me to show mercy; the blackguard had been punished enough and all that. After giving it some thought, I agreed. But this jumped-up imbecile of a magistrate had got the damn fool idea that he represented a higher authority than mine! Until he saw the inside of my pocketbook that is, the hypocrite.”

Uncle Patrick chuckled. “These petty officials are all the same. They should be shot, the lot of them.”

“I’m afraid I still don’t quite follow,” said Geraldine. “Why did all that necessitate you travelling to York?”

“Because some blighter of an MP, barely any older than Ann there, summoned me to give me a dressing down!”

“Diabolical behaviour from an elected official,” said Patrick. “No respect for his betters.”

“The arrogant little turd thought he had the right to put me in my place! He even said that prison wasn’t out of the question. For me! The impudence of the man!”

The ladies exchanged understanding glances.

“I’ve never been talked to like that in all my born days,” complained the Earl, “and I wouldn’t have had to if it hadn’t been for Harriet stirring up trouble.”

“Me?”

“Yes of course you,” humphed the Earl. “If you hadn’t whined and wailed so much I wouldn’t have bothered with anything more with the lash for that swine. It was because of you that I pushed for a prison sentence at all! You were practically begging the magistrate to sentence him during that ridiculous hearing!”

“I did nothing of the sort!” cried Hattie, folding her arms crossly. “It was you who insisted I stand as witness. I didn’t want to!”

“Don’t talk back to me my girl,” warned Howard menacingly. “I’m already extremely livid with you. I would advise you not to say anything that would make matters worse.”

“But it wasn’t my fault,” she whined.

“Hush dear,” snapped the Countess. “Don’t contradict your father, especially in front of guests. You know full well that you are to blame.”

Hattie gaped back at her, flapping her lips like a drowning fish. It was comical and Ann couldn’t help releasing a short giggle. Her sister heard it and glared across.

“Well perhaps you should just admit your wrongdoing,” said Ann, smirking, knowing exactly how unreasonable her parents were being and how irritated Hattie would be by her remark.

Hattie got to her feet, red faced and fuming and stormed out of the room. Ann let out a little laugh and then covered her mouth.

“Really Ann,” said Elizabeth. “You aren’t helping.”

The Earl lit a cigar of his own and puffed away, swallowing the rest of his brandy. “Mark my words,” he said. “That girl hasn’t heard the last of this. I hold her entirely to blame for that palaver.”

Ann did her best to smile politely.

“You’re quite right dear,” replied Elizabeth. “She needs to accept responsibility for the trouble she’s caused.”