Diamonds Fall

by Rebecca Gibson

  "No, sit here," her mother gestured to a chair closer to the door. "That way you'll be the first thing he sees."

  She did as she was told, obediently waiting for Theodore to arrive in silence, her hands folded demurely in her lap whilst her mind wandered to the night spent with Daniel touching every inch of her skin. Slightly flushed she stood as Cuthbert came in to the room. Reflexively she smoothed her skirt so it fell down her legs in a perfect sweep of silk, the feathers swaying slightly.

  "Mister Theodore Brogan," Cuddy announced, bowing as Theodore came into view.

  He was a few inches taller than Daniel, probably just over six feet, his cheekbones and jaw sharp, as if carved from marble. His hair, combed back off his face, was a rich, chocolate brown whilst his bright eyes matched the shade exactly. He was perfectly handsome in every way, as if made from textbook instructions. His smile revealed a set of straight, pearly white teeth as he strode confidently up to her, placing Annabel's gloved hand to his lips. She dipped into a curtsey.

  "A pleasure to meet you, Sir."

  "Likewise Miss, you are simply radiant."

  She smiled but it did not touch her eyes.

  "I hope you are well following your ordeal." His voice was as smooth as silk, educated to the highest degree.

  "I am flattered by your concern Sir yet you find me quite recovered."

  "Please Miss Hoddington, do call me Teddy."

  He smiled at her again and she noticed how good that smile would have made her feel just a few weeks ago. It illuminated his entire face, making his dark eyes sparkle, yet she couldn't help comparing him to Daniel.

  Teddy's fingers were thinner, making them look almost feminine. His face was so flawless in comparison to Daniel's freckled, scarred features that she knew he had seen little of the real world outside of fancy ballrooms and manor houses. Moving to the side, still smiling, he approached her mother, kissing her hand as well.

  "Always lovely to see you Lady Hoddington."

  She flushed slightly, still affected by his beauty despite him being half her age. Her father clapped him on the back.

  "Grayson," Teddy greeted, shaking his hand. "A pleasure."

  "Was your journey pleasant Mister Brogan?"

  "Quite as pleasant as can be expected Lord Hoddington, yes."

  Teddy kept his hands clasped behind his back, his spine as straight as a board. Annabel watched him converse with her parents. Even the slightest movements of his face were exactly as they should have been. His dark eyebrows raised themselves only a fraction when Annabel's mother reluctantly began telling her daughter's tale.

  "Oh, do not fuss Mister Brogan. It has all been rather exaggerated in the papers as I am sure you can understand."

  Teddy glanced across at Annabel, his mouth opening ever so slightly as if to ask the younger woman a question, however Annabel's mother continued.

  "Indeed Annabel was taken from the park on the day of her birthday, by men who wished to acquire her fortunes."

  "I am sorry to hear that Miss-"

  "Don't be sorry dear boy, my daughter is very well. She was not gone from us long and certainly wasn't mistreated in any way."

  Theodore nodded, giving Annabel a small smile. She saw a flicker of kindness in his chocolate eyes just as a butler emerged to announce dinner. Teddy offered his arm which Annabel took, although she tried to avoid touching him as much as possible. Annabel was helped into her chair, just as Teddy's tutor had no doubt taught him. Her heart hurt, it would have been so much easier to disappoint him if he was horrible. He deserved so much more than her. She felt as if she were already married, she was in every way beside the law. This evening felt like adultery, betrayal of the highest order. Teddy could not have been more perfect if she had designed him herself but he wasn't Daniel.

  Following dinner they made their way back to the parlour to be served champagne for the women and brandy for the gentlemen, making some more idle chit chat that seemed incredibly pointless to Annabel. Once darkness had descended Annabel's father stood up.

  "Theodore, we must retire to the smoking room and leave the women to their sewing." He laughed and Teddy stood up.

  "You're right Sir. Miss Annabel is looking slightly fatigued and is quite within reason to be after her ordeal." He smiled at her, his eyes glittering. Annabel stood as he bent to kiss her hand again. "Until next we meet, it has been an honour."

  He kissed her mother as well and followed Lord Hoddington into the smoking room, no doubt to discuss Annabel and other successful business ventures. Annabel followed them as far as the east stairs; she could feel her mother glaring at her the entire way.

  Once back in the sanctuary of her room she dismissed her maids and finally surrendered to the racking sobs that had been threatening to spill over all evening, clutching Daniel's carving to her chest.

  At some point during the night Annabel felt the sharp pain of the sedative being reintroduced to her blood stream and her mind fogged over once more. She realised at that moment that, in her half-conscious state of mind, she had been calling out to Daniel. The sheets were drenched in cold sweat and tangled around her thrashing limbs.

  When she came to, the elderly doctor was seated beside her. A thermometer had been pushed into her mouth and he was frowning.

  "Ah Miss Annabel, you're awake. How are you feeling today?"

  "Like death warmed up Doctor. Why do you insist on sedating me? What do you think it will do?"

  "It is by your mother's request my dear and you do seem to be quite over excited of late. Rest will do you some good. But now please answer me. Are there any symptoms you may be feeling that would hint to a diagnosis for you? Are you nauseas at all?"

  At that moment Annabel did in fact feel very sick but she bit it back and shook her head.

  "Any aches and pains?"

  Again she shook her head.

  The doctor gave her a look, telling her he wasn't fooled and noted down her temperature.

  "Do you know what happened to Daniel? That is the cause of my upset Doctor, to know that he is-"

  "Stop worrying Miss. The man has been sentenced to ten years. It was in the papers this morning. Bludgeoned his own father to death, makes you think doesn't it? There was something about the police going to rescue two small boys, the father was found dead in his own bed."

  "What? No!"

  "Yes, his own brother gave evidence for the crime. Although I must say he fared even worse, apparently he has been abusive for years. Five charges of murder were swinging over his head if you excuse the pun. He is to be hung tomorrow I think. It's all happened very quickly, usually these kinds of trials take months or even years. Someone very powerful must want them out of the way is all I can think of. Are you sure you're quite alright Miss? You've gone rather pale."

  Annabel was breathing heavily, her eyes wide. Ten years. So it was official...but then, would ten years be that long to wait? She would be twenty eight...that was still young enough."

  The door opened slowly, startling her from her reverie.

  "Annabel, good to see you awake finally."

  "Get to the point Mother."

  The older woman sighed.

  "No fooling you is there? Never was. Mister Brogan is waiting to receive you in the main parlour."

  "What? I thought he left."

  "No, he is staying here until we can decide on a date for the wedding."

  "Well he'll be waiting a while."

  Looking angry, her mother summoned a maid to fix Annabel's hair so it was pinned in an elegant design and laced her into a pale blue day dress.

  "There, that looks better," her mother declared, pinching her daughter's cheeks when she was finally deemed presentable. "Now go, you've kept him waiting long enough and for goodness sake try not to look like you're walking to your execution."

  "But I am," Annabel muttered under her breath.

  When she entered the parlour Theodore was stood by the fire, wearing a light brown suit, his hat twitching against his knee
. He jumped when he caught her looking at him, quickly rearranging his features into a smile.

  "Miss Annabel, you're looking as lovely as ever."

  "How would you know Mister Brogan? This is the second time you've ever met me."

  He laughed, unsure whether she was joking or not. To alleviate the awkwardness Annabel gestured to a pair of arm chairs by the window.

  "Take a seat," she muttered.

  A small table was placed between them, housing tea and small cakes. Unthinking, Annabel picked one up, immediately stuffing it into her mouth. Teddy pretended not to see, suppressing a smile behind his elegant hand.

  "How do you take your tea?" he asked, looking up. "It seems absurd that I can know so much about you but not how you take your tea." He was stiff and formal, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

  "Sugar and lemon please, no cream."

  "I wanted to speak with you alone. I thought, given the circumstances, we shouldn't need chaperones."

  Annabel smiled, stirring her tea absentmindedly. The silver spoon clinked against the china as she did so, the noise sounded loud in the awkward atmosphere.

  "What are the circumstances Mister Brogan?"

  "Well, that we are, if you are still agreeable to the idea of course, going to marry."

  Annabel sipped her tea, desperate to change the topic. Theodore continued in a low whisper, his voice hesitant.

  "What really happened to you?"

  Annabel was somewhat surprised by his forwardness.

  "I've already told you Mister Brogan," she smiled with what she hoped was kindness.

  "Teddy please, Mister Brogan is my father's name. With respect, I believe your mother altered your tale considerably through fear I would run away. I don't believe anything that happened to you can have been your fault Miss, for the record."

  "Why do you insist that I call you Teddy if you cannot call me Annabel? Given the circumstances, don't you think that might be necessary?"

  "Of course...Annabel," he sipped his tea, looking thoughtfully out the window.

  "It's a lovely house you have here, beautiful. The house I spend most of my time in is very dingy. Father likes dark colours, hardly any light in the whole place. What with Mother having passed some years ago, there isn't a hint of femininity there at all."

  They sat for the next ten minutes sipping on their tea, neither one knowing the appropriate thing to break the heavy silence. Finishing her cup Annabel excused herself, retiring to her bedchamber on the pretence of dressing for dinner. She did not believe for one minute staying had been Theodore's idea but more her mother's way of ensuring her daughter would marry him.

  Her bath was drawn up and she lay in the warm water until her fingertips grew wrinkled. She found that when her head was submerged every noise was muffled, as if coming from behind a wall, giving off the illusion she had entered a different world entirely. Her maids dismissed for an hour she ran her fingers lightly over her flawless skin, remembering when it had been longer, rougher fingers doing this. She longed for Daniel's touch so much it physically hurt, wondering why he had not even replied to her letter.

  Coming back up to the surface, her lungs burning for air, she dried herself off and rang the bell, getting laced into yet another silk gown. This one was a lighter silver than the one she was wearing the day before, with golden lace sleeves which sparkled when caught by the light. The neckline was scooped, showing a small amount of her snow white flesh which she adorned with a jewelled necklace, her hair swept into an array of pinned up curls and glittering hair combs.

  Over the next few days her mother talked of nothing but Theodore, going on about how stunning a couple he and her daughter would be out in high society, flushed with so much pride Annabel couldn't bare it. Daniel was now in Annabel's every waking thought. She felt as if she wasn't doing enough for him yet was at a loss what more could be done. Whenever the topic was approached she was shot down. Her parents had now taken to inviting Theodore to all of their meals as they knew she would not dare discuss Daniel around him - although, she was on the brink of it. It was only her mother's threat that Daniel's sentence could be extended holding her tongue.

  Annabel was told the decorating of Billy and Patsy's quarters had been started and ended just two days later. The furniture had been taken from empty rooms in the east wing of the house to make the job quicker. The cosy sitting room still had the highly stuffed sofa in front the fire but now also housed two plump arm chairs on either side of it and an elaborately woven rug. The smallest room was made into Genevieve's room with a single sleigh bed and a wooden dolls house, surrounded by all of Annabel's old dolls sat on a set of shelves along the wall. A new teddy bear lounged on the pink lace covers, a writing desk in the corner. Billy's room (fashioned from what was a dressing room) housed a four poster bed now draped with a large canopy of midnight blue silk, embroidered with tiny silver stars. Genevieve's temporary crib sat in the corner. Patsy's room was the biggest of the three bedrooms with a queen sized bed covered in bronze coloured, satin covers. A large mahogany wardrobe stood at the end of the bed, a small fireplace on the right hand wall. Despite the rich furnishings, the best thing about the small apartment was the happiness and love that seemed to fill all of the rooms, making them instantly appear warm and safe.

  The staff had grown to love the three new comers almost as much as Annabel, now not even questioning it when they saw their mistress huddled on the rug by the fire, even though she was supposed to be sedated in bed. None of the staff had the heart to tell the Lord and Lady Hoddington where their daughter really was.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  After three long weeks with still no definite wedding date, Theodore took his leave from Hoddington manor to attend to business up country. He and Annabel had continued to speak only at meal times with one small turn around the garden where he tried to discuss their upcoming nuptials without success. His goodbye was as polite as should be expected from any noble gentleman, with the promise he would write as soon as he was able. Annabel could have loved him, in her old life before Daniel, but now she must hurt him, or go through life never being a true wife...the wife he deserved. She found it unfair that someone who had once not even wanted to fall in love could be thrown into the path of two perfect men, each vying for her heart.

  She made her way slowly back up to her room, nausea rising up her throat with the movement of her steps. By the time Annabel reached her bedchamber she was very close to passing out, her breathing was coming so fast. The nausea she had felt earlier rose with vengeance into her throat causing her to bend over her chamber pot and empty her breakfast into it. Once she had, she fell back onto her heels, holding her head.

  "Miss Hoddington, are you alright?" asked a maid, lingering at the door.

  "Yes, everything is fine. Can you bring a glass of water and some medicine please? I am feeling quite faint all of a sudden."

  The maid curtseyed and left with a short, "yes Miss."

  She spent the rest of the day in a daze. She brushed her teeth and took her medicine however the nausea passed as quickly as it had come about. She sat on her bed for a long while, tracing the detailed carving of Daniel's face absentmindedly.

  Lunch was brought up to her on a tray, the nausea creeping back in when Annabel smelt the sauce from the silver gravy boat. She ate a piece of bread and ordered the tray to be removed at once. The maid gave her a concerned glance but Annabel just lay down on top of her covers and faced the wall.

  The doctor was summoned for, as Annabel knew he would be and he asked her the same questions as before. She told him that yes, she had felt sick but that it was just stress, she was sure of it. She tried desperately to get him to leave but he refused.

  "I must get to the bottom of this illness Miss Annabel. It is quite peculiar that you should be suffering for such a long time after your ordeal has ended."

  "But my ordeal is not over Doctor. An innocent man has been condemned and it is my fault."

  Tears bloomed in
her eyes and cascaded down her cheeks.

  "Now hush hush Miss, none of that can have been your fault. The two men that were condemned were villains, criminals of the highest order. Only ten years for bludgeoning your own father-"

  "It was me."

  "Sorry?"

  "I bludgeoned his father. He was going to attack me, would you have preferred that?"

  The doctor looked on with wide eyes, his mouth agape.

  "What has gotten into you? Do not repeat such foul statements outside of this room!"

  "Why does no-one wish to accept the truth? I am not the perfect girl that I once was. I was never that person, I have woken up now doctor and I can see the world for the harsh place it really is."

  "You are clearly far worse than I had originally diagnosed. Please lie down."

  "I am not crazy!"

  "I never said you were. Such a diagnosis would ruin me even if it were true. You need to rest."

  "Just tell me what is wrong doctor and then leave. I just want to know the facts."

  Annabel listed the symptoms she had been feeling. The doctor asked her several follow up questions of the most untoward nature before placing his hands on her lower abdomen.

  "What are you doing?" Annabel flinched at the touch.

  "It is quite peculiar," he muttered.

  "What is? Tell me doctor?"

  "Well, the signs all point to one conclusion Miss Annabel but I can't see how it is possible. It appears - excuse me for saying it - that you are with child."

  Annabel sat up sharply, her head spinning. Surely she had heard wrong?

  "Wh-what did you say?"

  "You are carrying a baby."

  "But - that is quite impossible."

  The doctor smiled sympathetically.

  "It appears not."

  It was a sin to have a child out of wedlock. Her family would never speak to her again. The entire world would disown her...the child would be shunned. Yet, throughout all of that, she felt a kind of warmth flooding through her. She tried to picture what Daniel had looked like as a child. With his white blonde hair and large hazel eyes, he would have been picture perfect. She put her hand against her stomach, unable to feel anything. It can't have been there more than five weeks but the knowledge she was carrying even the smallest part of Daniel, filled her with a joy she thought she'd never feel again and she grinned.