Diamonds Fall

by Rebecca Gibson

  Yours forever,

  Anna

  She slid the letter into an envelope, sealing it with a kiss before passing it to a servant with strict orders and a shiny penny she had stolen from her father's desk.

  Her mother found her several hours later sitting in the now cold room. She walked over to the wall next to Annabel's desk, pulling a string that was attached to a wall of bells in the servant's quarters.

  "Why are you sitting in here without a fire? You're supposed to be in bed and you need some lunch. What are you doing?"

  "Thinking," she answered.

  "About what child? Don't mumble, it's not becoming."

  Annabel raised her head.

  "About the innocent man who is being condemned to a lifetime of misery as we speak."

  "Oh Annabel, please let it go."

  "I can't let it go Mother, it's unjust."

  "Since when did you care for such things?"

  "Since I realised what a horrid person I was."

  "You've never been a horrid person my dear, you have just known your position in society was higher than everyone else's."

  "Do you hear yourself Mother? Why are you here anyway?"

  Her mother sat down on one of the heavily stuffed arm chairs, her face flushed with pride.

  "I have written to Lord Brogan with regards to your return and he is as excited as us for his son to see you. Theodore is a really perfect man Annabel, please try to like him. He will arrive in time for a late dinner in a week's time. Time enough for you to be looking at your best again." She sighed deeply, looking at Annabel's swollen face, which had crumpled into a dejected expression of misery, and placed her hand on her only child's.

  "I do love you Annabel, please try to remember that."

  She strode out of the door without offering any more reassurance, her posture as erect as always, unaware of the guilt she had instilled in her distraught daughter. Annabel felt as if she was being pulled in different directions by everybody, unable to please anyone without destroying the other.

  Did she fight for the man she loved and destroy the lives of her family or destroy the other half of herself to please her blood and class? She wiped her eyes, accepting a tray the maid had brought into the room. As she nibbled absentmindedly on the plain food, taking the gulp of medicine left in a small crystal sherry glass, there was a knock on the door and Annabel looked up as the maid, now finished with the fire, opened it. Cuthbert, the head butler, walked in bowing.

  "Miss," he greeted her.

  "Cuddy," she smiled. He was a kind, jolly fellow that she had always been fond of. He smiled at this shortened version of his name, originating from an age when Cuthbert was too much of a mouthful.

  "There are some visitors for you in the second parlour Madam."

  "The second - did they leave a card? Who is it?" She shot to her feet.

  "Well Miss they aren't...your father insisted you would want to-"

  She grinned, joy spreading through her body. She sprinted past Cuddy and down the stairs, skidding to a stop just in front of the parlour door. She tore it open to reveal Patsy sat awkwardly in the chair closest to the door and Billy rocking Genevieve by the fire. She threw her arms around each of them in turn, squeezing so hard she feared she may break them.

  "Can you bring us some tea please Cuddy?" she asked the butler who had followed her and was therefore now wheezing in the doorway. "And some plain ham sandwiches, you must be starved." She directed the last utterance towards her guests.

  "Miss...aren't these people-"

  "Do as I've asked please Cuddy, don't question me. These people are the reason I am alive and should be treated with reverence not disgust."

  He bowed, backing out of the room. Annabel grinned at her friends.

  "Oh and Cuddy, a bottle of milk for the baby as well, thank you."

  "What happened to you?" Patsy broke the silence and Annabel's smile faded.

  "The police found us, they assumed Daniel was my kidnapper and arrested him."

  "No, we found tha' out ourselves. Wha' happened to your face?"

  "I was visited by Tom last night."

  Patsy gasped, clapping her hand to her mouth.

  "It's alright, he has been arrested. He is locked up now, he shan't hurt you again Patsy. I can promise you that at least."

  "Thank you," Patsy whispered. Her shoulders slumped as if in relief and her eyes clouded over slightly.

  "Please don't thank me. I've torn your family to shreds. Look at Daniel, locked away for crimes he never committed just because of his association to me. Which reminds me, you must adopt another surname, you cannot be Prince anymore, it's too dangerous."

  "I don't want that name anyway," Patsy replied with her old fire.

  Annabel sighed in relief at their cooperation.

  "But, what about Daniel?"

  "I don't know Patsy. I've tried everything I can think of. I've spoken to the police and to Father but I fear it will be no good. No-one will let me leave, they think my mind has gone. They are keeping me sedated. I couldn't leave even if I tried. But I miss him so much."

  Billy came over and patted Annabel's head gently, she smiled up at him.

  "You're pretty," he muttered. Annabel reached up and took his hand.

  "Thank you Billy," her voice was thick. "You're very handsome yourself."

  He puffed out his chest proudly and grinned, looking back down at Genevieve.

  "Your papa says we can't stay in the house, he said if we `ave to stay we'll sleep in the stable."

  Annabel scoffed at Patsy's words.

  "No you won't, you'll stay in my wing of the house. He simply can't object. I'll fill it with the best furniture I can find. I - I know it's not much but I can give you money if you want. If you don't want to stay I understand. I'll give you whatever you need."

  The rest of her sentence was broken off as Patsy hugged her tightly.

  "We don't want your things Anna, we jus' wanna see you."

  "And you will, every day," she smiled. "Billy? Do you want to work with the horses? I told Father you're the best stable hand I ever saw. I don't want you to work for me, it seems so demeaning but Father...I don't know why he's being so difficult. I thought he'd understand."

  The grin on Billy's face at the mention of horses was so large, she thought she might burst from the joy it caused in her breast.

  "Billy work with rich horses?"

  She nodded.

  "An' live in the big house?"

  She nodded again. "Jen will never go without anything."

  She thought it impossible but Billy's smile grew even bigger, splitting his entire face in two. He was practically bouncing on the spot although Annabel felt she was giving them so little.

  Just moments later, Cuthbert came back with a tray full of small sandwiches and a large pot of tea which Annabel made up for them. They ate greedily, Annabel watching them, happy she could at least give them some joy.

  "Best food I've ever had," Patsy said, crumbs flying out of her mouth.

  "You should taste the salmon," Annabel laughed, Patsy's forehead creased in confusion.

  "Wha's salmon?"

  "Oh um it's a fish. From - from the sea or river or something. It's really good, I'll bring you some soon but first you have to get used to less rich food. I made that mistake my first night back and was really ill so don't eat too much please."

  They both stopped eating at the thought of getting sick. Instead they told Annabel all about how their horse had took off through the forest at some loud noise and they had found themselves in the main town. They had slept in an abandoned barn with holes in the roof for that first couple of nights, the weather being too bad to venture far. They had approached the big white house that very morning but been shooed away by the gatekeepers before they could even say their piece.

  "Then a couple hours age some men in shiny clothes took us here."

  "I told Father to look for you, I knew he would!"

  "I don' think th
ey like us much though."

  "They don't like anyone much Patsy, trust me. They hate me with a passion. Follow me, I'll take you to my dressing room and get one of the maids to draw you up a bath."

  Peeking out of the door, she ushered them out and up to her room where she rang the bell to get the fire lit, a bath drawn and two sets of clothes brought up. The maid looked shocked for a minute, glancing from Annabel to the two poor people and the baby sitting amongst the splendour of her quarters.

  She returned with a simple black dress like the one the maids all wore, along with a pair of black trousers and a shirt for Billy. Bathing quickly, complimenting every one of Annabel's many possessions, they got changed behind the screen. Seeing them stood there in the household uniform Annabel was a little embarrassed at her own finery, glad she'd done up her hair simply and worn the cotton dress. She slid the fancy hair comb that Patsy had returned to her in the village, now polished back to its former glory, into Patsy's hair which the maid had arranged into a series of braids, twisted into a high bun with a few strands falling around her face to frame it perfectly.

  "No Anna, I can't take that!"

  "You found it, please take it."

  "But it's yours."

  Annabel laughed without humour.

  "Patsy, I have a sickening amount of possessions, please take this one."

  Patsy stared at herself in the mirror, even in the simple dress she looked awed at her reflection, gasping as Annabel draped a heavily embroidered shawl around her shoulders and fastened it with a solid gold brooch.

  "There," she whispered. "I'm sorry it's not much but it's better than that thing." She glanced at the balled up brown dress Patsy had been wearing, just as the maid scooped it into her arms, holding it as far from her body as possible.

  "Not much? Anna it's beautiful!" She twirled around, watching as her skirt ballooned around her ankles revealing the leather boots laced on her small feet.

  "We'll have to visit my dress maker so you can get some dresses properly fitted."

  Patsy practically shone with happiness.

  "I wish Daniel could see this." Her face suddenly fell.

  "Me too," Annabel whispered as a beautiful image of Daniel in tails flittered into her mind. She closed her eyes to stop the image fading but inevitably it did. She drew in a deep breath for courage and smiled at Patsy's reflection as Billy came back in, fiddling with the braces on his shoulders.

  "You look handsome Billy," she said.

  He stopped fidgeting and smiled.

  "I know it's not as comfortable but you look really good."

  He stood tall and proud, kissing her on the cheek and blushing at the compliment. He caught himself in the mirror and smiled wider, pointing at himself. They had fun bathing Genevieve next. She gurgled in happiness as the warm water soothed her tiny body, washing away the last traces of illness from her silken skin. With the right medicine and nutrition Annabel felt certain she'd be a healthy child. They fashioned undergarments for her and then wrapped her in a woollen shawl. Her pink face practically glowed. Annabel took a shawl for herself. Securing it around her shoulders, she led them back out of her room and down the labyrinth of corridors. Just before they reached the servant's quarters they found an empty corridor of rooms, less grand than the rest of the house but still expensive looking and somewhere her parents were unlikely to mind being used. They walked up to a door identical to all the others in the lengthy hall. Feeling for the cold door knob, Annabel swung it open.

  "This will have to do for the moment, I'm sorry but I'll have fresh sheets brought in and we'll do it up as soon as possible."

  The look of joy that crossed over the two faces standing before her, just at the sight of a guest suite, broke Annabel's fragile heart, making her realise how ridiculously over the top the rest of the house was. The suite had a small living room containing one large, cosy looking sofa, set before a tiled fireplace. Three doors led off of it into an adjoining bedroom, dressing room and another much smaller room of no apparent purpose.

  "I'll have some proper furniture put in tomorrow and some more food brought up soon." She whispered. "I'll come and see you as often as I can. Please don't leave. I feel sick offering you this after you saw my room."

  "Don't Anna. It's the best home we've ever had."

  "But it's still not enough," she glanced up at them. "You deserve all the riches in the world."

  She kissed each of their foreheads carefully and walked over to the sofa. Patsy took a seat beside her and clasped Annabel's hand in her own. It was hot and clammy.

  "Thank you."

  Annabel closed her eyes and squeezed back Patsy's hand.

  "You all mean the world to me, truly."

  None of them heard the door open at first, nor the soft footfalls of the doctor, until he was stood in front of the sofa.

  "Miss Annabel, you were instructed to stay in bed."

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The rest of the week passed in a sedated blur with Annabel believed too mentally unstable to be awake for longer than it took to eat. On the Saturday morning, when Annabel had awoken to a strange, unfamiliar sense of clarity, only to be confronted by two butlers clearly working as her prison guards, Annabel found her mother seated at the foot of her bed.

  "Why are you here?" Annabel demanded, shifting so she was out of the woman's reach.

  Her mother simply looked up at the ceiling in exasperation.

  "Today you are to meet Theodore, remember? Put your ring on. The engagement is to be announced in the paper today. A much less lavish announcement than I had planned but the first ball was ruined."

  "No! But-"

  "There are no buts Annabel, you are going to marry him and now the entire world knows it."

  "Then you are going to be sorely disappointed Mother for I shall not. Not after the way you have treated all the people who had a hand at saving my life!"

  "They only needed to do, whatever it was they did, because you wondered off in the first place Annabel."

  Annabel chose to ignore that statement. So someone had seen her leave the park after all. "Where are Billy and Patsy? What have you done with them?"

  "The peasant and the idiot?" her mother scoffed.

  Annabel leapt up with a surprising amount of agility and seized the woman's shoulders in a vice like grip. Her mother looked on, startled.

  "Don't EVER call them that again! Those people have more courage, more intelligence and more love than anyone I have ever met. How dare you degrade them with such titles?"

  "Get off me Annabel. They are working in the house. The male is our new stable hand, the girl in the kitchen. They are still staying in the rooms you put them in, in direct disobedience of your father's orders I may add. And whilst you're telling me how to behave in my own house, I don't want to see you fraternising with the staff, you understand? I catch you with them just once and they will no longer be able to call this their home. Don't forget, we could always extend Daniel's sentence. I don't think he would think too kindly of you if he had to stay in prison forever now would he?"

  Annabel let go of her mother quickly, disgusted by the mere sight of her. The elder woman stood up, smoothing down her skirts as if the conversation that had passed between them was one of the utmost civility.

  "Theodore Brogan shall be here for an early dinner this evening. I'll send some maids in so you look somewhat like your old self." The woman sighed. "One half of me wishes you had not been found, you have changed so unrecognisably."

  That stung Annabel more than anything else and she sat back down on her crumpled bed covers, lacking the energy or will to even move.

  The maids came in, as expected, as soon as Lady Hoddington left the room to prepare their mistress to meet the man everyone wanted her to marry, whilst she couldn't remove the image of the one man she wanted.

  For the dinner that night she chose a dress as close to mourning colour as she could get away with. It was a deep silvery grey, embellished with white ostrich
feathers at the hem which flowed into a sweeping train. The sleeves puffed out at the shoulders and fit snug just above her elbows, where they were met with long white opera gloves. In her ears hung a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings, a matching necklace rested just above her chest. She looked simply perfect; no one who caught sight of her could deny that fact. Slipping her feet into a pair of beaded, high heeled slippers she tried to swallow the huge swell of grief, guilt and betrayal that threatened to swamp her. Taking a deep breath and composing her face into a hard, emotionless mask, she made her way down the stairs; placing herself to catch the light just perfectly in such a vain manner it had her clutching her stomach in a sudden burst of nausea.

  Once in sight of the most elaborate of the parlours, her mother rose to her feet, dressed in a fitted red velvet gown that complimented her dark hair, swept up in a more carefully constructed version of her usual tight bun. Her throat, ears, wrists and hair shone with diamonds every time she moved.

  Lord Hoddington stood by the large fire that could be a room in itself, wearing an expensively tailored suit and tails in a deep black, a red cravat secured with a diamond pin at his throat to match his wife. This parlour had an ornately painted, high ceiling dripping with crystal chandeliers fit for royalty. The carvings on the fireplace depicted angels and cherubs to match the ceiling. Every piece of the expensive furniture had been specifically placed to show off the family's wealth to the best possible advantage. There were paintings done by the most famous artists in the world covering almost every inch of the walls. Three floor to ceiling windows across the left hand wall overlooked both the drive and the best section of the grounds. A portrait of the three current Hoddingon's hung above the fire, reflecting them in all their splendour. A large set of double doors off to the right led to the main dining room dressed with equal splendour.

  "Well done Annabel, you look almost perfect," her mother said approaching her. "Although you could have chosen a brighter colour."

  Annabel gave her no recognition and simply walked past her to sit in a high backed chair by the window.