Story: What Annabella Wants Annabella Gets. Chapter 8.

by Jackie J

Seeing her Auntie faint from the shock Annabella rushed forward to make her comfortable and returned from the parlour with a small glass of brandy. Maud’s bleary eyes opened and stared up at the maid looking down on her trying to gather her thoughts, the rim of the glass pressing hard to her lips.

“Brandy Auntie, take a sip.”

Clutching the maid’s hand supporting it, and the glass, Maud took a gulp of the Brandy and pressed herself up in the chair.

“O my goodness, o my goodness Annabella, what the, why the, I thought you, O my goodness, O my goodness.”

Another gulp of the brandy drained the glass.

Annabella chuckled.

“Auntie, I am so sorry, I did not mean to give you such a turn but understandable, I guess. Yes, it’s me Annabella, I haven’t gone completely mad, lost my mind like you thought, it was all a pretence.”

Maud sat dumbstruck whilst her niece explained what she had already been told by the housekeeper Jarvis but, had been convinced by what Jarvis had told her, about Annabella becoming deranged. Having seen Annie’s behaviour about the manor why would she have doubted it. Maud never once in her time at Buckshire manor suspecting other than that her niece had completely lost her mind and had accepted to become a lowly housemaid. What now for her plan to have her daughter inherit Buckshire manor? Was all her scheming for nothing?

Maud had listened in disbelief not wanting to hear what she was being told and could not resist asking the obvious question: why?

Annabella, with a confidence and arrogance Maud had believed that had long deserted her, had no issue in telling her Auntie even though it concerned her brother.

The Earl had been a cruel father during her early years, and she blamed him for her mother taking her own life. Annabella did not speak to her father for years gaining some satisfaction from recklessly spending his money but when he remarried it broke Annabella’s heart, it was a betrayal of her mother’s memory. Her father’s illness Annabella saw to be justice, wishing him dead on many an occasion. Since marrying Constance her father had spoiled Annabelle rotten, anything she wanted she got in an attempt to heal the wounds. But Annabella wanted more and along with squandering his money she plotted to embarrass him along with exercising her own guilt for her mother’s death with her suppressed masochistic desires. What better way than reducing herself to the rank of housemaid. Stripped of her wealth and finery penury for herself and for her father, his precious daughter defiling herself having become a maid in his own household. Annabella hoping, when he returned from the summer retreat, with his delicate health, the shock may kill him. Not in her wildest dreams did she think the housekeeper would be so thorough in her training and treatment. But, being a maid, the humiliation and degradation, both mental and physical, became like a drug to her, a runaway train she could not get off, did not want to get off.

Maud listened to Annabella’s revenge seeking diatribe about her brother. She knew the family history but Annabella’s rational was twisted.  Annabella’s mother suffered from long term mental torment and yes Malcom committed her into an institution, but for her own safety, no one could have foreseen what happened. Marrying that gold- digging cow Constance, well Maud shared Annabella’s loathing of her.

Maud stared at her niece, a maid, maid Annie. 

Annabella had gone through all this, done this to herself, had this done to herself for some deep -seated hatred of her father and her own self- loathing to placate unreconciled remorse and guilt for her mother. Latent Masochistic desires no doubt? She actually wanted to be subjugated. This was madness in itself but why is she ending this now? Her father is not yet home to see her in this state. For months she has lived the life of a maid, by all accounts, even her own account her training was brutal. Having gone through all that, maintaining a perverse pretence of acceptance to her subjugation even watched Emily blossom into her former self. Maud had to know what had triggered Annabella’s change of mind after concocting and carrying out such an elaborate and ridiculous scheme, why stop now, before her father had returned?

“Well Annabella, of course I am thankful and overjoyed that you have not lost your mind I cannot begin to understand why you have done this to yourself I really can’t but if you are so intent on doing this to your father why, after so convincingly reducing yourself to what you have become you are not continuing this charade. You have convinced everyone, Jarvis, me, even your friends who have visited did not recognise you, accepted Emily to take your place, to be Miss Annabella, so tell me after all you have been through why stop now?”

Maud blushed listening to Annabella’s reason.

She had overheard Emily and herself plotting to disinherit her Niece Annabella and Constance should her Brother die, by having Emily take Annabella’s place and keeping Annie a maid. But mainly that her father’s illness was so acute he would not be returning to Buckshire manor until the following spring. Annabella would have to maintain her pretence for another six months living the life of a maid. Annabella feared for her sanity if she had to do this. She confessed that she had been close to losing her mind a number of times. Annabella was also now aware that her father’s condition was such that her may never return. Maud and her daughter’s arrival, and extended stay at the manor, was not in Annabella’s plans at all and of course if her father had not fallen ill, and returned after three months, when he should have, all this would now be over and Maud would probably never have known about her being a maid but more importantly that she wanted to be a maid.

 Annabella accepted that if she had lost her mind, truly become the maid that she had so convincing portrayed herself to be then, well, Maud’s daughter, established to be Annabella, inheriting the family wealth instead of Constance, and keeping Annie to be a maid. Who would ever have known?

Annabella smiled at her embarrassed Auntie.

“Don’t be embarrassed Auntie I am sorry that your scheme will come to nothing. I do not blame you for what you were planning. I am sure Emily would have convinced everyone that she was me, the more I see of her the more convincing she is. I know you won’t understand and I don’t expect you to Auntie but, being a maid, being treated like I have been, the spankings being humiliated, made to wear this uniform, confined to the maids quarters, I had thought of how it would be for years.

Annabella giggled blushing herself.

“Auntie please don’t judge me, but I have to confess it has been all that I hoped for and more. I know I will miss not being a maid and such a waste of all I have learnt.”

Annabella laughed seeing her Aunties expression at her revelation about her supressed desires her punishments her subjugation and acceptance of living the life of a humble maid.

“Perhaps you think I am mad Auntie, for doing this, but no matter it’s over now.”

Maud smiled deep in thought.

Annabella seemed to show little concern regarding Emily convincingly masquerading to be her, in fact deriving some strange pleasure from it, and quite sanguine about the scheming and plotting she had overhead to prevent Constance from inheriting Buckshire manor should her father die.  Her main concern being the fear of really losing her mind should she have to continue her pretence for a further six months. She has confessed to being on the edge of her total capitulation and surrender to a life of servitude more than once. The only problem is that Annie now wants to return to being Miss Annabella, well we will see about that. The girl is obviously consumed by her simpering servility, Jarvis has plucked its plumage for sure, but has just not been capable, almost but not quite, of shackling and locking this fragile bird  into a cage of permanent servitude, perhaps I can be more successful.

“So, my arrival with Emily at Buckshire manor disrupted your ruse, what a shame you have obviously been enjoying your time being a housemaid and you certainly fooled your Auntie and Cousin that’s for sure and Jarvis of course. You are such a good maid, like you just said, such a waste. No doubt your father would have been mortified seeing you like this. What a shame that all you have done and been through, will be for nothing. Knowing you have not lost your mind, that indeed is a weight of my mind, and I am sure yours to, telling me all this and the question of inheritance is now obviously resolved. I feel somewhat guilty for ruining all this for you, if only there was something, I could do make things right to help you, perhaps, no, of course not, how silly of me.”

Annabella intrigued pressed her aunt to continue.

“Well it’s up to you, but perhaps not really relevant, if you have already made up your mind to end things that is but, I can keep your secret it’s the least I can do with you confessing all and being so frank with me. Six months, is that really so long? I can only imagine the look on your father’s face, how he will react. You have told me everything confessed your desires for your subjugation, why stop now?  You would have Lady Hogarth to keep an eye on you, why would I want to see my Niece succumb to her inner demons, to really lose her mind and truly become nothing but a common housemaid. Being you are such a good maid I am sure Lady Hogarth would make good use of maid Annie.

Maud could see Annie re-emerging in her Niece’s demeanour the confident bravado exhibited when she strode into the drawing room and confessing all, dissipating and she continued to tempt her Niece’s reconsideration of her abandonment of being maid Annie.

“Have you told Jarvis and my daughter about this?”

Annabella looked a little sheepish and hesitant.

“No, no not yet I wanted to see you, tell you first Auntie.”

Maud smiled noticing a return to her Niece’s more servile persona the way she spoke was like an apology.

“Good, and why should they know, our little secret?”

 “Auntie, Auntie, Auntie I am sure that sounds just as strange and awkward to you as it does to me, I know you would much prefer that to be Mistress wouldn’t you ANNIE?”

Annabella felt queasy at the words and the way her Auntie spoke and stood motionless staring at her Auntie. Of course, she would, serving Lady Hogarth and her daughter had been beyond her wildest imaginings but hesitated with her response.

Maud stood and Annabella, so long servile, quivered when Maud moved close placing her hand under her chin a firm expression on her face. An expression that served to debilitate and disable Annabella’s weakening resolve. Annie had sought to end her time being a maid, she had spoken with confidence, as an equal with her Auntie now that confidence she had mustered was draining away being replaced by her desired emotions for her subjugation which were flooding back. Annie’s eyes lowered from the gaze of Lady Hogarth.

“Well girl answer me, tell me, is that the truth, am I not your Mistress.”

It was Annie’s lips not Annabella’s that trembled with her whispered words.

“Yes Mistress.”

Lady Hogarth moved her fingers from below her maid’s chin letting her head droop slightly.

“That’s right Annie we will have no more of this Auntie nonsense will we girl.”

Annie’s roughened quivering fingers toyed in her apron, she could not help herself.

“No Mistress.”

Annie’s weak response was music to Maud’s ears she would soon have her niece permanently imprisoned within her own pathetic desires whether she chose to or not. Maud’s voice resonated with all Annie’s long held and primed infatuations. She had almost broken away, with good reason, sought an end, to regain her self- esteem. Return to a life that had grown ever more distant, she mustn’t, she shouldn’t? All her deliberations and reflections the night before of her trauma’s, the thoughts of a further six months in servitude, of what it would do to her sanity, that her Auntie and Cousin were scheming to steal her inheritance, powerful persuasive reasons that brought her to confess all to her Auntie. Powerful and persuasive yes but Lady Hogarth had subtly and tantalisingly drawn out and set running once again her inner demons that had been temporally suppressed.   

Quivering in anticipation of a continuation of her willing servitude, the life of a housemaid, Annie let Lady Hogarth’s words continue to arouse dark passions seducing her back into a life of servility.

Maud spoke in tone being a mixture of command and enticement, too persuasive for poor Annabella to resist.

 “Annie has no need to worry about the Earl and Countesses return does she, no, of course not. Annie needs to leave all that worrying to her betters, doesn’t she, yes of course she does. Annie is just a maid and Lady Hogarth needs a maid, doesn’t she Annie? Annie wants to be Lady Hogarth’s maid, to serve her, yes Annie wants to belong to Lady Hogarth, doesn’t she, to be owned and used by a mistress, by Lady Hogarth, well girl, that is true isn’t it? Tell your Mistress.”

Annie could not help herself, her mind weakened by the thought of being owned by this formable strict woman who she had already so willingly and submissively served. This wasn’t her auntie, no, this was her Mistress and it was Annie, her willing supplicant that whimpered her response.

“Yes Mistress, yes Mistress.”

Maud chuckled.

“Good girl, Lady Hogarth has plans for you Annie, now you will go back to your duties and not a word of what you have told me to anyone, understand girl?”

Annie curtsied.

“Yes Mistress.”

 With Annie filled with renewed servile intent and back to her work Lady Hogarth called Jarvis to the study.

“A change of plan I will not be staying at Buckshire manor, I intend to return to Sandowns in the morning Jarvis, it will be many months before the Earl and his woman return. Miss Annabella will stay here at Buckshire Manor and I will take the maid with me. I will arrange to send one of my maids from Sandowns to look after things here. You and the maid from Sandowns, that I am sending, will attend to all Miss Annabella’s needs, do not let me down Jarvis, you know the consequences. And bring me the key to that stupid collar the maid is wearing, the maid is mine now. Oh, and a dress, an old day dress for the maid, the tattier the better.

Martha somewhat confused but understood it would be Miss Annabella, Annie, that was to return to Sandowns with Lady Hogarth and her daughter Emily would be staying at Buckshire manor to continue her convincing deception to be Miss Annabella Montgomery. 

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