Story: What Annabella Wants Annabella Gets. Chapter 9.

By Jackie J

Having spoken with Lady Hogarth Annie busied herself about her duties. Was this not the best outcome Annabella could have wished for? The question of inheritance had been settled, hadn’t it? Lady Hogarth far from challenging or ridiculing Annabella had been sympathetic, understood Annabella’s dark desires, she would say nothing, a secret between the two of them. Lady Hogarth had allayed Annabella’s expressed fears of truly losing her mind. Lady Hogarth knew Annie was her Niece Annabella and agreed to be Annie’s Mistress, to keep an eye on her sanity until her father returned. Emily could continue her own pretence, why not. Annabella chuckled to herself, Emily had always wanted to be like her and what a good Annabella she had become. Annabella, instead of dreading a further six months of her servitude now looked forward to the prospect of continuing to be Annie a lowly maid in the knowledge that Lady Hogarth would not let her truly lose her mind, for matters to go too far, has she had feared with a further six months of a servile existence. 

Having finished another chapter of her book Maud laid the book on the table and glanced out over the extensive of grounds of Buckshire manor. Maud’s daughter entering the room Maud turned and smiled.

“Annabella my dear, how pretty you look in that dress, take a seat I have something to discuss with you.”

Annabella sat demurely straightening her dress around her ankles.

“What is it mother?”

 “Well, it seems the maid overheard our conversation yesterday and came to see me earlier. I tell you I actually fainted when, unannounced, she came to see me and stood there bold as brass. “It’s me Auntie Maud, Annabella your Niece.”

“It would seem your cousin fooled us all and as not lost her mind like she had us believe. Yes, the stupid girl has been pretending all this time to having completely succumbed to her subjugation. That of course a madness in itself. She told me she wanted to put an end to her time being Annie the maid. The question of her father’s critical health, the proposed six-month extension to her father’s absence, our overheard scheming concerning the inheritance and the prospect of truly losing her mind if she continued her pretence for a further six months.”

Emily looked concerned and questioned the contradiction of her mother’s words.

“But she served us lunch I have just passed her on the stairs polishing, she stood and curtsied, complimented me on my dress, like you did, but in that simpering way she does?”

Maud laughed. 

“Yes, once I got over the shock, I had a very revealing conversation with your cousin. She confessed everything, told me the whole sorry saga, much as what Jarvis told me, but from her prospective of course.  I convinced her that knowing, she had not lost her mind, the question of inheritance was no longer an issue. She did not seem to mind you taking her place becoming Annabella. In fact, she confessed that she thought you had become a perfect Annabella. It seems she has harboured desires, masochistic desires, for many years to be subjugated to live the life of a lowly maid. Seeing you has her former self, serving you, being your maid, only served to fuel those perverse desires further. She is on the brink of madness of that there is no doubt. Having discounted all her fears, that caused her to expose and confess all to me in the first place, I sensed, and was proved right, that the stupid thing was reluctant to hang up her apron and would need little persuading to remain a maid, to have her submissive tendencies reignited. Convinced Lady Hogarth would look after her and that six months was no time at all she looked at me like a needy kitten. When I told her, I was now to be her Mistress that she would be my maid, she fairly salivated at the prospect.”

Maud smiled and turned the gold bracelet on her wrist.

We do not need to alter our plans my dear daughter I am convinced that with the right encouragement I can guide Annie to her final destination of anonymity, in a world of service. The sad thing confessed as much to me, your cousin accepted that if she had lost her mind, truly become the maid then, with you established to be Annabella, inheriting the family wealth instead of Constance, and keeping Annie to be a maid. Who would ever know?

Emily giggled.

“Mother you are so clever, but how can you be so sure that she will not just continue her pretence, she fooled us once, she could do it again.”

Maud stood a serious expression on her face.

“Leave that to me, she has already admitted that she came close to her pretence consuming her. She told me herself that Jarvis and that maid she brought back took her to the edge of her sanity a number of times. I am sure with what I have planned for Annie there will be no pretence when I am finished with her. I am taking maid Annie back to Sandowns she is to be signed into service there to work under Mrs Scripts. I will send Florrie to work with Jarvis here at Buckshire manor. I will be back in a few months so you just remember who you are, Annabella, continue to ingratiate yourself with Annabella’s friends and make sure you read through those diaries we found in the lofts we cannot afford any slip ups.”

Her work in the kitchen completed after serving dinner it was a tired but expectant Annie that entered the parlour and curtsied.

“Mistress.”

Since Annie’s revelations to her Auntie, earlier in the day, she had felt giddy, cleansed in some strange way. Her secret shared, her secret desires not only accepted but they were to be indulged. Her aunt, Lady Hogarth, a formidable woman indeed, was to be her mistress, to shield her from her worst fears of losing control, surrendering herself totally, to become lost to her new world of servitude. Annie knew just how exquisite those feelings that welled up inside her were when taken to the edge of tempting her total absorption by the persona of Annie. Under the guardianship of her mistress she would be safe, she could now cross that threshold, close and lock that door behind her with impunity. Her mistress her aunt would hold the keys for her return, but until then Annie was ready to take her subjugation to another level.

Her aunt’s words, the way they had been spoken, had raised, and renewed those innermost feelings she so desperately craved. “Lady Hogarth has plans for you Annie.”

Annie stood before her Mistress, weak and meek with Miss Jarvis looking on.

“Annie step forward my dear.”

Annie moved close to her Mistress and stood passively whilst Maud took a delicate ornate key from Miss Jarvis and inserted it into the rear of the countesses’ symbol that she wore and removed it from her neck.

“There, we will have no need of this if you are to be my maid girl.”

During the day Maud had thought long and hard reflecting on what her niece had confessed to her, she would have no problem in pressing all the right buttons indulging the stupid girls implied and manifest desires for her humiliation, debasement and subjugation. Doing this with the housekeeper in attendance would surely add to the feelings she craved.  Standing tall she spoke in a firm dismissive somewhat mocking tone.

“Well girl, so you are actually Miss Annabella Montgomery, the daughter of the wealthy Earl of Buckshire are you, or should I say you were. Miss Jarvis, the housekeeper here at Buckshire manor has told me how you have been stripped of all your finery and privilege to be trained to be, and have indeed become a perfect housemaid, and having seen you at work over recent months I must agree with her. That is exactly what you are, a good one I admit, but just a common maid.

Maud stood back.

“Is that correct girl, you are now nothing but a maid here at Buckshire manor answering to the name Annie, having relinquished your rank and title?”

Annie her gaze lowered was trembling could her aunt, Lady Hogarth, be making this any better she truly did understand her needs and collapsed into a curtsy readily renouncing her heritage.

“Yes Mistress.”

Maud hid her satisfaction to her niece’s humble response and continued.

“Well Annie, you expressed a wish to be my maid offering your unquestioned loyalty to your new mistress when we met earlier today and is that still the case?”

Annie could hardly contain her emotions, Lady Hogarth had plans for maid Annie and, if this is how she was to be treated and made to feel she could not wait.

“Yes Mistress.”

Maud smiled at her new maid and dismissed her back to her quarters asking Jarvis to stay.

“So, Jarvis show me the clothes I asked you to prepare for my maid.”

Martha rummaged in a bundle by the back wall and removed a shabby, patched soiled blue dress its hem frayed, fatigued underwear and a pair of tatty well- worn old shoes.

“The best I could do Mistress.”

Maud handled the outfit and chuckled.

“Perfect Jarvis, just perfect see that Annie is dressed in these tomorrow, we will be leaving early.”

Annie wanted to but did not ask why she was being made to wear the scruffy clothes she had been given and stood in the hallway by the main door.

Lady Hogarth having been served breakfast by Jarvis entered the hallway and smirked at her maid, could she look more wretched probably not. wrapping herself in a comfortable woollen cloak Lady Hogarth then tied the ribbon of her bonnet under her chin.

“Outside girl up onto the carriage.”

The coachman drew down the boarding step and opened the door for Lady Hogarth to enter her carriage leaving Annie to clamber up onto the dickie box to make the best of the rumble seat. It was a cold wind- blown journey for maid Annie wearing only the thin fabric of the dress she had been given to wear. Mid journey the coach pulled into an inn for the horses to be watered and fed. Whilst Lady Hogarth entered the inn for refreshment Annie remained shivering a top the carriage.

Some time had passed and with the team of horses being harnessed Lady Hogarth emerged from the inn and beckoned Annie down from the carriage.

“Now girl you are probably wondering why I have you dressed as you are and where we are going.”

Annie with her arms wrapped around her from the cold replied.

“Yes Mistress.”

Maud ushered her maid against the carriage out of the wind.

“I listened to your confession yesterday and believe me I understand what you are craving, and I intend to fulfil your desires. You are dressed like you are because you a destitute a waif that I have come across and took pity on. You are to be taken into service at my home Sandowns where you are to be a maid and make use of all those skills you have learnt. I am going to a lot of trouble to do this for you so that you will be free to be just what you want to be, wished to be, in fact are, a common maid. This is what you wanted, and I am providing it for you on the condition that you will question nothing and accept your new life at Sandowns. I told you yesterday that I have plans for you and indeed I do. No one at Sandowns knows who you were and when you cross the threshold at Sandowns until the day you are dismissed from my service, they never will. Be warned should your true identity be questioned it will be forcefully denied, to protect you, but more importantly myself. 

Whilst in the service at Sandowns you are mine to do with has I wish, my only connection to you is that you are my maid and nothing more, you understand that don’t you Annie?

Annie’s anxieties melted and lowered her gaze. Her Aunt, Lady Hogarth, her Mistress was doing all this for her. It made sense, it was not uncommon for maid’s to be dismissed from houses and true, such a maid would be destitute and confined to wearing such rags desperate to re-enter service in another household. She was to be taken into service, a common maid, no pretence, no one to know who she really was, her aunt really did understand her needs and replied without hesitation.

“Yes Mistress, thank you, Mistress, I will be a good maid.” 

The remainder of the journey to Sandowns was not as onerous, still cold, windswept and the grime from the rutted roads peppering her dirty face she thought on her Mistresses intended subterfuge for her entry into service as a maid in her home Sandowns.

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