Diamonds Fall

by Rebecca Gibson

  They lay for a long time afterwards, tangled up in each other's arms. Daniel held her close to his side, running his fingers up and down her spine. Annabel traced his scars, marvelling in the unconventional beauty of the man beside her. It was like this that they both drifted off into the best night's sleep they would ever have.

  Annabel awoke sometime later, the smell of earth rich in her nostrils, countered deliciously by the warmth of Daniel at her side. Leaning up on her elbow she kissed his sleeping mouth then dressed quietly and climbed outside. She washed her face in the cool water and sat down on the bank, watching as the sun slowly rose above the trees, turning the sky shades of bright orange and pink.

  As the sun finally shone down, sparkling off the clear water, Daniel appeared rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck.

  "Morning," Annabel whispered.

  "An' what a beautiful morning it is."

  They both chuckled.

  "We should get back," Daniel said after a while.

  "Yeah, Patsy and Billy will be wondering what happened to us."

  They sat by the stream for another few minutes before they deemed it time to return. Annabel wrapped her arm back around Daniel's waist to help him climb up to the forest. His limp was ever so slightly less pronounced than the day before, his cuts a little less raw.

  Daniel and Annabel parted ways just before the stable. When Annabel entered she grinned at Patsy inanely. Patsy didn't smile back.

  They sat for a while listening to the birds in the trees high above their heads. The rafters creaked as Billy rolled over in his sleep and Patsy glanced sideways at Annabel.

  "Why are you so quiet?" Annabel asked after a while.

  "It's him."

  "Who?"

  "Daniel. Whatcha doin' with `im?"

  Annabel blushed profusely and shifted on the dusty floor.

  "Um...well we...it wasn't planned."

  "Well stop." Patsy looked at her full in the eye with obvious anger.

  "What?" Annabel looked back with disbelief. "Why? He's - we're happy."

  "Yeah, but you'll be jus' as happy when you leave an' marry that fiancé back in your big `ouse and forget all about Daniel."

  "Don't be absurd, I couldn't forget him - or you - even if I wanted to. I'm a different person now Patsy, I don't want to marry Theodore. I want Daniel. Please believe me. I've never felt this way before."

  "An' how's that gunna work? Your rich folks gunna let you marry a poor boy? I don't think so."

  "Patsy we only - who's talking marriage? I-"

  "Theodore's talkin' marriage Anna. Does Dani know you're engaged?"

  "No, not yet, but it doesn't matter -"

  "It'll matter to him. Tell `im, or I will."

  "Patsy - you can't."

  "You're a good person Anna, an' I understand why you did it. I really do, but he's my brother, I `av to look out for `im."

  "But that's...no, I forbid you-"

  Patsy scoffed.

  "You forbid me? Your upper class shit won' work `ere! I forbid you to mess around wi' my brother Anna, you hear?"

  "I'm not messing around Patsy. Why are you being so impossible? I thought you would be happy for us!"

  "If you were anyone else Anna I would be, you may not think it now but when you're back with your folks you'll let him down. You've already cheated on your fiancé the first chance you got."

  "That isn't how it is Patsy and you know it!" Annabel was furious now. Angry tears were building up in her eyes, her throat burning. "I love him. I'm not just messing around!"

  "Maybe not on purpose Anna but you are."

  Annabel sat with her mouth slightly open, staring at her friend in disbelief. So this is what it felt like to be betrayed. It felt like a rusty knife had been speared through her chest that Patsy kept twisting.

  "Jus' this once Anna, don' be selfish."

  Their conversation was cut short when Billy's footsteps padded across the loft. They could hear him talking to Genevieve before he appeared on the rickety ladder next to them, crouching down once he reached the floor to devour his own helping of stew. Patsy greeted him with warmth, disguising her previous coldness towards Annabel completely.

  When Daniel entered the stable that afternoon he broke out in the most heartbreakingly large smile the second he laid eyes upon Annabel. He sat down beside her, wrapping his fingers gently around hers.

  In Daniel's presence Annabel found herself suddenly awkward. The memories of the previous night now held a more sour tone following Patsy's words. How was she being selfish? She thought that was what love was all about...if that's what this was.

  "I'm gunna come see you tonight okay?" Daniel whispered so only Annabel could hear. She nodded.

  "I've gotta check on Mama now," he continued. "An' they'll have things for me to do but I'll be `ere."

  Annabel smiled but turned her head to the side when he leant in to kiss her, causing his lips to brush her soft cheek instead. Frowning slightly in confusion he got up and followed Patsy through the door, leaving Annabel once more alone, surrounded by heavy silence.

  Genevieve was passed onto Annabel for the latter half of the day, following Billy being called out to deal with the horses and other farm yard animals dotted around the village.

  Genevieve screamed most of the time without Billy. However, Annabel managed for the first time to rock her to sleep just before Daniel found her that evening. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

  "Evenin' m'lady," he whispered in her ear, kissing her neck.

  Annabel couldn't help but smile at the feel of his safe arms around her as she leant back against him.

  "How was the outside world?"

  "Fine. Heard nothin' from Mama. She walked righ' by me, probably wouldn't even `av been bothered if I'd been killed." Annabel flinched at Daniel's blasé manner of speech.

  "She was really upset when you'd been hurt."

  Daniel snorted.

  "No, she was upset that I'd punched Trevor."

  "Was a good punch though," Annabel reasoned.

  Daniel laughed quietly. His breath tickled her skin.

  "Are you okay?" he asked suddenly serious. "You seemed different wi' Patsy. Did she say summit? She's jus' scared I'll get hurt again, that's all."

  "No - no, Patsy's fine. She's just protective. I'm alright, really."

  "Okay, well I made you a present," he said, changing the topic. Annabel placed Genevieve in her nest like structure and faced Daniel, grinning.

  "Ohh, what is it?"

  Daniel reached down into his pocket, extracting a smooth piece of wood, the exact same size as his palm. The carving was very elaborate, depicting miniature faces of Billy, Patsy and Daniel. It was phenomenal craftsmanship, the kind Annabel would never have expected to see outside of her own manor.

  "It's amazing," she breathed. "Thank you."

  "Really? You like it?" he sounded surprised.

  Annabel gave him a rare, full smile, revealing all of her perfectly straight teeth.

  "I really need to learn how to repay you...and Patsy, she made that blanket for me, oh and Billy. You've all done so much."

  "You can do this," and with that he kissed her again, igniting her whole body with electricity once more.

  "I can't do that to Billy and Patsy!"

  They both laughed, so tightly wrapped in each other's arms they didn't notice Patsy come in until she tapped Annabel on the shoulder, making both her and Daniel jump about a foot in the air.

  "What the hell Patsy!" Daniel exclaimed. "Ain't you got any sense of timin'?"

  Patsy looked furious.

  "Yes, I do." She gave Annabel a pointed look.

  Annabel tried to shake her head so that Daniel wouldn't see, barely moving at all. Patsy glared at her.

  "Has Annabel told you yet?"

  Annabel's jaw dropped.

  "Told me what?" Daniel looked between Patsy and Annabel, an expression of confusi
on creasing his brow.

  "Tell him Anna."

  "I can't - Daniel it isn't what it is going to sound like - I can't imagine my life without you, I need you more than I've ever needed anyone-"

  "Get to the point Anna," Daniel interrupted, the crease between his eyebrows deeper than ever.

  "Before I came here - before you, I - I was engaged to be married."

  Daniel looked stunned and dropped his arms immediately off of Annabel.

  "I just thought you should know." Patsy whispered, looking sheepish.

  Daniel was silent, his face stony in anger and disbelief.

  "No, you would've said. This can't happen twice. You're not, you're not engaged." He caught the panicked look on Annabel's face and backed away. "No. So - so this was all a joke for you?"

  Annabel's eyes misted over in tears.

  "No, I just - I forgot."

  It was a disgustingly feeble excuse. She was ashamed of herself as soon as it had passed her lips.

  "You forgot?! Is that what you'll do about me - just forget?" His voice sounded thick, his eyes focused just above her head as if he were unable to meet hers. "I'll jus' be that stupid poor boy that fell in love with you."

  "No, Daniel - please wait," she cried, but he rushed out the door, slamming it shut behind him with a bang that hung in the air with a heavy sense of finality.

  Annabel suppressed a sob as she climbed the ladder to her loft. Lifting it up before she could be followed, she curled into a ball and wept.

  The next day even Genevieve seemed to pick up on the atmosphere, she was inconsolable from dawn until dusk, her cries growing ever more frantic. Billy looked upset.

  "Dani mad," he stated as he rocked the baby, a look of concern creasing up his face. Annabel nodded. "Billy fault?"

  "No," she whispered taking his hand. "It's me, he's mad at me."

  "Why?"

  Annabel racked her brain for an answer to this question. "I lied to him," was the best she could come up with.

  "He forgive, you see."

  Annabel kissed him on the cheek.

  "Thank you Billy."

  He smiled at this acknowledgment and moved Genevieve to rest on his shoulder, winding her in another futile attempt to soothe her. All of a sudden she emptied her tiny stomach down Billy's back. Annabel leapt up and washed it off as fast as she could. Jen began to wail even louder.

  She could tell Billy was worried about her but Annabel felt sure it was just some small ailment. She'd heard babies were sick all the time.

  The following day Genevieve was even more restless.

  Billy and Annabel had had next to no sleep, desperate to soothe her so that her cries would not be heard.

  Her temperature had increased at an alarming rate.

  Billy was frantic. He bathed her repeatedly to bring down her fever, feeding her as much as she would take which, in her current state, wasn't a lot. Her little limbs kicked out, thrashing against the illness she had no understanding of.

  She needed medicine but Annabel had no idea how to acquire it. She searched desperately for Daniel or Patsy but they didn't seem to be anywhere. She even asked the villagers where they were but they refused to answer. Frustrated she let out a scream towards the sky, pulling at her hair like she was deranged. A few eyes looked her way but quickly bent back to their work when she looked towards them.

  Just as the darkness was once more beginning to descend over the horizon Annabel remembered the den. She took off at a run. Holding her skirt above her knees, regardless of who was watching, she darted through the trees. Her legs burnt, her lungs drawing in deep, rasping breaths as she pushed herself beyond her physical limit. Finally reaching the bank, after taking several wrong turns, she slowed to a walk in order to gain her bearings. She noticed him almost immediately. Daniel looked up, alarm crossing his features. He clambered to his feet, his ankle still visibly weak.

  "What do you want?" he spat, his voice full of fury.

  "I need help." Her voice sounded foreign as it fought to gain purchase over her lungs, sucking desperately at the air around her.

  "I can't give it. Find Patsy."

  "I can't, I can't find her. Please."

  He tried to walk away but his ankle gave out, forcing him back against the bank.

  "Goddamn it Anna, why me? Why did ya `ave to mess wi' me?"

  Annabel hated the defeated look in his eyes as he ran a hand through his dishevelled hair.

  "Is my life not bad enough?" he concluded.

  "Daniel I-" She wiped a tear from her cheek in frustration. "I didn't want to mess you around, I've never even met this man I'm meant to marry. I - us - it felt good."

  He laughed without humour. "Yeah, sure."

  "Stop being so defeatist Daniel! You're the most amazing person I have ever met and I am a selfish, vain, pretentious mess! I'm horrible and I know it, you and I both know you can do better than me." Daniel laughed again, looking back up at her.

  "This isn't about us Daniel, please. I promise I will explain it all later. Can you help me for Genevieve's sake, she's sick and I don't know what to do. I'm useless in every situation here. I hate it - I won't have her die because of my own incompetence - please."

  She was practically begging now, but she saw his eyes when she mentioned Genevieve and knew he would help.

  "What can I do?" he asked, once more trying to stand, this time succeeding, albeit slightly shakily.

  "She needs medicine, I don't know what type but she isn't well. Is there anything here that can help her? Just tell me where it is and I'll go get it myself. You're still too weak, it will be quicker if I go."

  Daniel considered this, running a worried hand back through his hair. "There's a wooden box under Mama's bed. He dunno `bout it. What's Jen got?"

  "I - I don't know, she's really hot and she's breathing really strangely. Um, she's been sick a few times, can't keep any food down longer than an hour."

  "Patsy had summit like that. She was older, I dunno what it'll do to Jen. We used a green bottle, don' even know if it's still good but it's worth a shot."

  "Thank you," Annabel muttered.

  Seeing Daniel so worried the ache to touch him grew too much. She closed the distance between them and kissed him quickly on the cheek. Before she could see the expression on his face she ran back towards the house.

  In her haste, Annabel had forgotten to come up with a plan. There was no time to be worried so she hesitated for only a few seconds before taking a deep breath and entering the house. Her naive mind, so accustomed to simply taking what she wanted, thought she could simply walk in, find the medicine and return it the next day without being seen.

  The first step happened smoothly. She managed to get into the house without detection, making her way into the second room, which turned out to be a cramped, stuffy bedroom. There was only one bed, the mattress made of straw and the frame made badly from roughly chopped wood. It looked as if it had been broken several times.

  The floor was covered in small, moth eaten blankets.

  Wrinkling her nose against the pungent scent of stale sweat and alcohol, a slightly diluted version of Trevor's body odour, Annabel stepped over the blankets as carefully as she could. Reaching the bed she knelt down, assuming this was where Daniel's parents slept. There was a strong odour of urine coming from the stained sheets, making Annabel gag. She pushed the neck of her dress over her nose but her face was now slick with her own sweat so it wouldn't stay up.

  Holding her breath and slithering beneath the bed, Annabel located the wooden box in the very back corner behind several more bundled up blankets, clothes and empty bottles. Her fingers shook slightly as she rifled through the trinkets, pulling out the green bottle with ease. She allowed herself a small smile at her achievement, experiencing a true pang of pride. She had achieved something likely to benefit another, completely on her own.

  Annabel had just emerged from under the bed when she felt a hand seize her shoulder and twist her around. Pain shot throug
h her shoulder blade as she was shoved to the floor.

  She screamed as a calloused hand covered her mouth...just like the first time. She heaved at the smell of him so close to her.

  "The rich girl stealing from my bedroom," he hissed. She could feel his excitement at the idea of the upper class girl driven into this ultimate form of submission.

  Trevor used his free hand to start pulling up Annabel's dress. At the feel of his hand on her legs a flash of anger burst through her, such as she had never felt before.

  With this sudden explosion of emotion Annabel kicked out with as much strength as she possessed, which was considerably more than when she had first arrived a few weeks ago. She connected with the place she knew would hurt him the most and he let out a high pitched yell of pain. Smirking in a way that twisted her face into an almost grotesque ugliness, Annabel clambered to her feet and seized up a rusting bucket being used as a chamber pot. It was almost too heavy to carry but her anger spurred her onwards. The contents sloshed onto the floor as she threw her arm back. When she brought it forwards there was the clang of metal colliding with bone and a spray of blood leapt out of Trevor's split skull, splattering Annabel's milky white face scarlet. She kept hitting him in a mad frenzy until another strong hand grabbed her wrist. She whirled around, about to inflict the same injury on her new attacker when she came across a pair of vivid hazel eyes. Her fingers slackened and the pot thudded to the ground, the sound muffled by the straw.

  "Daniel," she whispered still caught up in a trance. Her breathing was coming out heavy, her blood pounding behind her temples. Annabel's legs gave out beneath her and Daniel, as if the move had been choreographed, caught her in his arms just before she could hit the ground.

  He still didn't possess the strength to actually lift her so Daniel lowered her feet carefully onto the floor where they helped each other to walk out the door. Glancing back over Daniel's shoulder as they both stumbled outside Annabel could see Trevor's ghostly white face, contrasted dramatically by an alarming amount of deep scarlet blood. Its shine was almost beautifully in the dim, smokey light.