Lady Ann's Folly: Chapter Four - Part Six

Ann stood gaping in horror at the closed front door of Griply Hall, unable to believe that she had acted with such terrible folly.

If only Hattie hadn’t come to the door, she might have persuaded Powell to let her see “Lady Ann,” if only briefly. Though she knew in her heart he would never have listened to her, a mere commoner. Now she was locked out and she knew all too well the fate of any peasant caught breaking in. Burt had been whipped to within an inch of his life and gaoled! Would her fate be any different? And how could she even be sure she had a chance of getting to Mavis before she was caught?

She didn’t dare compound her current mistake with another one and she wasn’t in a complete disaster. She still had the pendant. She had the power to exchange forms with anyone she chose.

She even considered knocking on the door again and trying to force a swap with Powell, but surely he wouldn’t cooperate. He would cry for help and whoever came would find them both dressed in the wrong clothes. The pendant might be taken away.

No. She had to be careful. She had to tread slowly and surely. Just one wrong move now could doom her to life as a working class strumpet for the rest of her days.

What should she do? She had no idea!

Banging on the door again seemed the simplest option, but she was terrified the Earl would get involved. And if not that, then what? Go down to the Dog & Pony and serve drinks? No! Never!

It would be interesting to be Mavis around other people and to try out her life for a while, but she knew exactly where that kind of thinking led. The former Lady Ann had been so turned around by doing that that she ended up wanting to stay that way. No. She couldn’t risk that for a second.

“Gor blimey,” she muttered. “I’d like to give that Mavis a thick ear for droppin’ me innit like this!” Then she realised what she’d said and put her face in her hands. “Oh Gawd. Why did this ‘ave to ‘appen to me?”

There was simply no reliable way to get to Mavis now. Powell would be on the lookout for her and he’d been given instructions to involve the Earl immediately. It was safer to lie low overnight and then keep watch in the morning – approach Mavis when she got the chance rather than trying to break her way in.

But that left her with hours to kill and a night in the cold.

Unless...

She looked back in the direction of the stables.

There was always a place for her to stay down there. And it would certainly be pleasurable. There was the risk it would make her become more like Mavis but it was the reason she became the girl in the first place. Looking on the bright side, this was another great opportunity to take some good along with the bad.

Ann played it over in her mind, looking back toward the house.

The fact was that she didn’t need much incentive. Maybe there was a more strategic action she could take – maybe breaking in to the house in the dead of night was the best option – but really all she wanted was to be back in the arms of that brawny lad, riding the force of his ruddy great todger into the wee hours.