Story: What Annabella Wants Annabella Gets. Chapter 5.

by Jackie J

The Earl’s entourage did not return on the planned date and a letter received on the Thursday of that week explained that the Earl had been taken ill during preparations to leave the residence in Switzerland. There was no date given for the return only that arrangements would be made when the Earl recovered. The Countess was not overly inconvenienced by this change of plan, Lord Edmund also making his arrangements to extend his stay.

A week passed with no further word on the fate of the Earl or revised plans for the Earl and Countess to return to Buckshire manor.

Looking out over the extensive grounds from the parlour windows, watching the gardeners at work, Martha saw through the trees a carriage approaching the main gates? Being only one carriage, it could not be the Earl and Countess but who was it?

Martha stopped Annie from her work and told her to remain down in the kitchens until called.

Straightening her dress and fluffing her hair in the hallway mirror Martha answered the call of the doorbell.

Martha instantly recognised the matronly figure before her, Lady Hogarth and, a respectful step behind, her daughter Emily.

Martha aware of Lady Hogarth’s fearsome reputation instantly offered a curtsy of welcome.

“Lady Hogarth?”

Lady Hogarth smiled at Martha’s deference.

“Jarvis, isn’t it? You will be aware of my brother’s plight, that dammed fever again keeping him and that wife of his in Switzerland.”

Maud Hogarth could never and had never referred to the Earls second wife in other than derogatory terms, saw her to be a harlot and gold digger nothing more. To speak of her or even think of her being a Countess made her feel physically sick.

Striding into the hallway Maud glanced up at the portrait of Annabella. And sighed under her breath. Spoilt wastrel.

Turning to Martha Lady Hogarth removed her bonnet.

“My daughter and I will be staying at Buckshire manor until my brother’s return. It has been suggested he may need extra care when he does come home. Have a maid prepare rooms for us and refreshments, it was a tiresome journey here.”

Emily a pretty and fragile seventeen-year-old giggled her way down the hallway behind her mother and into the parlour.

Martha helped the driver from the carriage bring in Lady Hogarth and her daughter’s luggage into the hallway and sighed. What was she going to do about Annie? Surly they will recognise her, what then?

Making her way down to the kitchens she told Annie, without mention of who they were, that two guests would be staying at Buckshire manor and that she was to prepare two of the guest rooms for them. Annie curtsied and was on her way without question.

Having prepared light refreshments and a pot of tea Martha served in the parlour.

Lady Hogarth sipped on her tea sensing the housekeeper’s unease.

“You look a little agitated Jarvis is there a problem?”

Agitated? Martha was a little more than that and obviously he showed.

“No, no just surprised by your arrival, I had no warning, preparations could have been made. Your rooms are being prepared. Perhaps not my place but do you have further news on the Earl and Countesses return?”

Lady Hogarth was no fool and suspected her unannounced arrival had disturbed whatever Buckshire manors housekeeper got up to when the Earl and his woman were away for their extended stay at the summer retreat in Switzerland. She would get to the bottom of it.

“Quite right Jarvis not your place. Now, I presume our rooms will be ready shortly and my daughter and I will be requiring taking baths, see to it will you and, supper this evening, we dine at seven.”

“I take it that Miss Annabella is away, staying at her apartments in London squandering her father’s wealth as usual?”

Martha was in trouble, if she lied her lies would surely be exposed which would be worse, but what to say what to do.  Martha had the agreement signed by Annabella listing her demands. The Countess had condoned, even encouraged Martha to agree to Miss Annabella’s wishes to be a maid, to reduce Miss Annabella to the status of maid at Buckshire manor.

Before Martha could answer, the parlour door opened and in trotted Annie who squatted a curtsy.

“Sorry to disturb Miss the rooms are ready”

Martha glared at her maid her heart missing a beat.

Lady Hogarth stared at the maid. It couldn’t be, no it couldn’t, it was, it surely was, that squeaky irritating voice, her eyes, nothing much else about the maid, hair, podgy, spotty?

Seeing the expression on their faces Annie dropped another curtsy.

“Sorry Miss.”

With that Annie turned and quickly left the room.

Lady Hogarth looked at the awkward uncomfortable housekeeper.

Martha gulped.

“I can explain.”

Lady Hogarth stood from her chair still not believing what she had just witnessed.

“Emily go to the library and wait for me there, go now girl, quickly off with you.”

With Emily out of the room Lady Hogarth strode within a few feet of Martha her expression stern speaking with a mix of curiosity and veiled anger.

“Jarvis, was that, tell me that wasn’t, it was, wasn’t it, what is going on here, well Jarvis tell me, tell me now, was that Miss Annabella?”

Martha swallowed hard.

“Yes but, please, a moment Lady Hogarth, let me bring something.”

Martha was soon back in the Parlour and handed the agreement Miss Annabella had signed to a restless Lady Hogarth. Lady Hogarth chuckled reading what Annabella had demanded of Buckshire manors housekeeper whilst the Earl and his women were away in Switzerland. With a smile on her face Lady Hogarth returned to her chair.

“Sit Jarvis, you will tell me everything and I mean everything that happened these last few months whilst my brother was away in Switzerland to reduce Annabella to the state the girl is now in. I warn you: leave out any detail and it will be worse for you.”

Martha told Lady Hogarth everything including the collusion of the Countess. The training and treatment of Annabella by herself and an ex maid, how Annabella had changed physically and adopted the persona of Annie, accepting of her punishments and of her status at Buckshire manor. How the Countess wanted Annabella’s rooms cleared and that she wanted to find a new maid, maid Annie, at Buckshire manor when she returned from Switzerland.

There were interruptions by Lady Hogarth, whilst Martha confessed all, regarding the subjugation and transformation of Miss Annabella into the common housemaid Annie. Having certain aspects of Annabella’s demise further explained Lady Hogarth smirked with a degree of incredulity and mischievous satisfaction. Whilst knowing her brother’s daughter had psychological issues, going back to her childhood, her mother being mad as a brush, Lady Hogarth had never taken to the precocious Annabella especially how she took advantage of her father’s weakness squandering his wealth with her reckless, arrogant, carefree lifestyle. 

She had often wanted to see her brought to heel, taken down a peg or two but this? Turned into no more than a common housemaid and, from the housekeepers account, now fully accepting of such an existence? The agreement she had read was clear it is what Annabella had asked for, what she wanted, to live and be treated like a common housemaid, to be a common housemaid? She had signed herself into such an existence. That dreadful woman Constance had not only condoned the perverse demands that Annabella was making of the housekeeper she had enhanced what the troubled mind of the girl was seeking.

None of this fiasco made sense and the more she heard and thought on it the more ridiculous it all was. From what the housekeeper had told her Annie was content in her role which troubled her, but more troubling was why that witch of a woman Constance had so enthusiastically encouraged Annabella’s demise from lady to maid. But that could wait she needed to see Annabella, well Annie now, if all she had been told was true?

Martha summoned Annie and she entered the room and curtsied.

“Miss.”

Martha stood back unsure how her maid would react. Lady Hogarth stared at the maid presented to her.

Seeing Annabella stood submissively in her maids uniform her gaze lowered, hands across her apron awaiting instruction like a maid should she recalled the girl she was. Gone the arrogance and lady like poise, her long flowing locks shorn into a short dark practical working cut. The loss of her grace and lithe figure obvious, masked somewhat but not hidden by her shapeless uniform. Her fine complexion hardened and blemished and her cheeks podgy. Her bright eyes still a recognisable feature but they had lost their expectant sparkle.

“So, girl, do you know who I am?”

Annie looked at the finely dressed lady she recognised her, she knew her, but where from, who was she?

Annie turned questioningly to Martha, then back to Lady Hogarth a blush growing on her cheeks. She did know the Lady but her befuddled mind could not recall who or where from.

Seeing the confusion in the maid Lady Hogarth stood to approach the increasingly nervous maid and seeing the banded necklace that adorned her shuddered slightly reaching to touch it. the housekeeper had told her of Annie’s willing acceptance of the Countesses symbol of service but seeing it around Annabella’s neck made her sigh.

“No matter girl, this band what is this?”

Annie curtsied and spoke timidly.

“From Miss Jarvis Miss, when I became a trained maid at Buckshire manor. It is what Miss Annabella wanted for me Miss, to become a maid here at Buckshire manor.”

Lady Hogarth wanted to shake the silly girl, bring her to her senses. If Annabella is truly this far gone and from what she had been told, and seeing it manifest before her, better any attempt to reverse what she had done to herself, had done to her, would be better conducted under medical supervision. Lady Hogarth resisted her natural instincts and raised Annie’s chin looking into her weak eyes that once twinkled with devilment and smiled then stood back. Obviously, there was a reason why Annabella had been allowed to denigrate herself in this way and, until she got to the bottom of that, best to leave Annabella trapped in her self- fulfilled wish to become a maid, to be a maid, to be maid Annie. 

Lady Hogarth turned to Martha.

“Have your maid clear these things away and prepare the baths for Miss Emily and myself, neither will require attendance.”

Martha felt the tension that had gripped her since the arrival of Lady Hogarth and her daughter at Buckshire manor slip from her and hurried Annie from the room with her tray instructing her to prepare the two bath tubs for Buckshire manor’s guests. Was Lady Hogarth going to keep Annabella a maid, maid Annie, it would seem so?

Maud joining her daughter in the library spent half an hour explaining to a confused Emily that her cousin Annabella had chosen to become a maid at Buckshire manor and that she should treat her as such, a common housemaid and nothing more.

Emily was physically a younger clone of her older cousin and worked hard at that.  At social gatherings she was often mistaken for Annabella’s sister or even Annabella herself they looked so much alike. In spite of this Emily despised Annabella more than her mother. She had seen her cousin spoiled rotten with the wealth of her family, a wealth her own widowed mother did not share. When her mother told her that Annabella was now just a maid, she listened intently to how this had occurred, that it was Annabella’s wish, she chuckled to herself in disbelief at what she was hearing. The precocious Annabella, who had whatever she wanted, the girl who’s shadow she had lived in, now just a maid.

Emily could hardly contain herself; she couldn’t wait to have her older cousin at her beck and call but tried her best to hide it.

“Well mother it will not be easy for me but if that is what I must do I will.”

Emily smirked.

“Annie you say mother, the maids name.”

“Yes, Emily and she is preparing a bath for you why don’t you go up to your room I need to have words with the housekeeper.”

Called back into the parlour Martha was fearful that her employment at Berkshire manor was about to end.

“Well Jarvis this is the last thing I expected to find when I came here. I have considered what you have told me, the agreement Annabella signed and of course seeing the creature that she as created for herself. For your part I understand you were put in an unenviable and impossible position both by Annabella and subsequently by that woman your mistress. Why that woman would countenance let alone encourage such nonsense I do not understand, but trust me, I will get to the bottom of that.”

Maud helped herself to a sherry and poured one for Martha putting Martha somewhat at ease.

“What to do? Annabella is obviously disturbed, what she has allowed too happen to her, what she has chosen to become, is ridiculous, beyond comprehension. A maid for goodness sake a maid. You are not blameless Jarvis, in truth your enthusiastic subjugation of the girl brought her to where she is. I looked into her eyes it is like she is in a sort of coma. I wanted to shake her, wake her form her stupidity but who knows what permeant damage that would do to her. “

Maud laughed.

“Of course, you will have known Annabella better than myself, arrogant petulant precocious, flaunting her privilege and wealth should I go on? No doubt you will harbour some satisfaction seeing her like she is now, reduced from giving her orders to taking them. Stripped of her arrogance and denuded of her finery, a servile maid, your maid? I wouldn’t blame you, and I could name many who would be pleased to see Annabella had been aproned and taken into service, my daughter for one, she is highly amused.”

“You will be pleased to know I am not going to disturb this masquerade indeed not. A maid Annabella wished to be and a maid she clearly has become, and, from what you have told me a good maid she is. No Annie she chose to be and Annie she will remain. It will be up to her father, when he returns, to reconcile this matter.”

Martha sipped her glass dry and placed it down on the table.

“So, I am not to be dismissed?”

Maud laughed again.

“Dismissed, why, heavens no Jarvis, you are a most competent housekeeper, you were only doing what you were told and obviously very well. I look forward to being served by this new maid of yours.”

“Now, a bath and freshen up. Then supper at seven. Let’s see if your maid is as good a cook as you say she is.”

Martha curtsied.

“Yes, Miss.”

Maud smiled.

“Mistress Jarvis, Mistress until my brother’s returns.”

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