Story: What Annabella Wants Annabella Gets. Chapter 18.

By Jackie J

The Constable visited Buckshire manor, the next day, following his trip to Whitegate, telling an amused Lady Hogarth of the Countesses unplanned fate at the hands of the sadistic Governess-Matron at Whitegate prison. His description of what he had witnessed from the viewing rail raised some concerns with Annabella, but these were quickly dispelled by Lady Hogarth.

“Annabella, Constance made her choice, be your maid or spend time in prison, a month you say Constable, at least a month before you can arrange a transfer or even speak with her. How bad can that be, perhaps she will come to her senses, accept a new life here at Buckshire manor being a maid, better than what you have described constable.”

Maud chuckled.

“Gagged you say, sounds painful, and caned, and her lovely hair, shorn like a sheep perfect. You have nothing to reproach yourself constable, this is all of her own doing please keep us informed.”

Sat in what were the Countesses chambers Annabella watched her mother sifting through the Countess’s jewellery selecting pieces that took her fancy. Her brother had paid for all on display after all, not the Countess.

“Mother are you not worried, concerned about Constance, what the constable told us about how she was being treated, like a common criminal?”

Maud, with Constance’s adultery still in mind, had no sympathy at all.

“Emily, sorry Annabella, you are now Mistress of Buckshire Manor and that adulterous witch is paying for her sins. If she had got her way Buckshire manor would be hers and poor Annabella would be her maid, Annie, don’t forget that.”

Emily laughed.

“But Annabella is a maid, maid Annie, your maid, she should have inherited Buckshire manor not me.”

Maud put down an expensive and very fine necklace she had been admiring and scowled at her daughter.

“My brother was rich and since your father died, we have struggled, now we have everything we could possibly want, you have seen Annie she is happy being a maid, deep down it is what she wanted. Better she is my maid than here at Buckshire manor heaven knows how that woman would have treated her. There is no going back now, Constance will be returned here to be one of your maids and, from what we have been told about Whitegate she will be only too pleased to be so.”

Emily laid back on the large bed looking at her mother. She was right of course, she always was, why should she care about Auntie Constance, she was not a blood relative and she had been very cruel with her plans for her cousin. Her adultery with Lord Edmund was indeed despicable.

“Mother I think I will travel down to London, spend some time there, two weeks I think, I find it easier to be Annabella there. I can put what we are doing with Auntie Constance out of my mind for a while.”

Maud smiled her attention back to the jewellery.

“Yes, a good idea, alright my dear, I will go back to Sandown I will speak with Jarvis and let her know.”

One week, two weeks, three weeks and now into the fourth week. The gagging ended on her first day at Whitegate, the message it gave, by the Governess, duly acknowledged. The upper class did not rule over the great unwashed masses and retain their privileged lives without their inbred, superiority, self -confidence and fortitude. Characteristics that had served Constance well during her thirty years. Almost four weeks at Whitegate, under the draconian regime of Miss Stanford -Brown, and those pillars of her character were being constantly eroded. The pernicious controlling claws of institutionalisation already upon her, orchestrated by, the often unnecessary but enthusiastically delivered, prompting of the warders swishing canes.

Miss Stanford -Brown had taken a particular interest in 18761156 and smiled watching its surly manner being drawn from it, its head not held just as high, its gait more shuffled. Almost a month of incarceration was having its effect. The punishment detail that 18761156 had been placed under, since its arrival at Whitegate, was almost completed and, to the surprise of the Governess-Matron, 18761156 had been most compliant, understandably not during the first week, but the canes the warders carry can be and had been, most persuasive.

Reading the letter of request for visitation, from the solicitors Swinney and Duxbury, Miss Stanford -Brown smirked knowing the reputation of the firm, retained by the landed gentry of the county. She mussed over the text. Transitional litigation, amicable rehabilitation, pending deliberations, victim reconsideration to the fact of confiscations, all legalistic mumbo jumbo. Miss Stanford-Brown was most black and white in the affairs of the law. Guilty until proved innocent, and the guilty belonged in prison, a creed she pursued with an evangelistic passion.

The custodial papers for 18761156 named its offence to be fraud and the Constable confirmed he held a confession from 18761156. The prisoner was guilty, even a trial was a waste of public funds so why is this Mr Swinney wanting visitation with 18761156? There can surely be no defence of its crime’s, yet this letter, with its fancy legal words is intimating mitigation? The Governess-Matron was intrigued.

Manacled and sat at a small table, in a bare cold room, 18761156 waited under the watchful eye of a warder. She had a visitor, her first visitor, her first contact with the world outside the high walls of Whitegate prison since she arrived. but who? It had to be Lord Edmund, why had Lord Edmund not visited sooner, to take her away from this place.

Sat in the comfort of the Governess-matron’s office Walter Swinney sipped on the tea that had been offered. Miss Stanford-Brown smiled at the legal eagle having read the release papers signed by a judge and placed her cup back onto its saucer.

“One law for the rich and one law for the poor Mr Swinney. Confess your crime, hire an expensive and well- connected legal representative, and walk free? Not my idea of justice at all Mr Swinney. I see the conditional release is signed by Judge Alton, not known for his liberal attitude towards felons. I must admit I find the conditions of release for 18761156 quite unusual, I think perverse is the word I am looking for.”

Walter chuckled under his breath.

“A private arrangement, an arrangement the Countess will no doubt have had time to consider whilst in your custody. There was an adulterous relationship associated with her crime, so the caveat that no doubt amuses you was added by the Bishop of the diocese.”

Having finished her tea, the Matron stood.

“Well the papers from the court seem in order shall we go to see 18761156?

The passages down into the prison proper were narrow, damp, and dark. Having passed through a number of locked gates a guard opened a heavy oak door and a figure inside stood quickly to a rattle of chain its head lowered. Mr Swinney had to look twice to recognise the gaunt figure to be the Countess. He had been made aware of her shearing but the way she stood and looked in her plain grey smock there was a vulnerability he had never seen in her before.

The Governess entered the room first the warder in attendance coming to attention.

“Mistress prisoner 18761156 prepared for visitation.”

Mr Swinney followed the Governess into the cramped room the Countess not raising her head.

Miss Stanford-Brown had taken pleasure from overseeing the taming of her privileged high- born prisoner 18761156, ensuring its months punishment had been as harsh as it could be. What stood shivering slightly, before Mr Swinney, bearing testament to that?

The Countess knew the visitor was male from the shoes, Lord Edmund at last he was here, he would save her.

The Governess gave her instruction

“Sit 18761156, straight back eyes forward, you have a visitor.”

Sitting upright in the chair, weak but hopeful, then questioning eyes looked up, it wasn’t her lover it was Swinney?

She could not speak, she had not been given permission for such privilege, and sat staring at the family solicitor.

The Matron pulled a second chair from the wall and pushed it to the table.

“Sit Mr Swinney and conduct your business.”

With the figure of the Governess looming behind the seated Mr Swinney the Countess was not far from the few tears she had left. Could she speak, should she speak? Looking up at the Matron she dared to.

“May I speak Mistress?”

“Miss Stanford-Brown never changed her stern expression but inside she was gloating at what sat before her begging for the simplest of rights. Quite a contrast to when 18761156 first arrived at Whitegate.”

“You know the rules, when spoken to and not before 18761156.”

Walter pulled two documents from his briefcase, one that the countess instantly recognised.

“Countess, this is a release order from the courts that you are to sign, and this is your contract to work at Buckshire manor for Miss Annabella which is a condition of the courts release. Sign these two documents and you can leave Whitegate in my custody to be taken to Buckshire Manor where you will serve out the time of your contract.”

Had the constable deposited his prisoner at Pennington, had the Governess at Whitegate prison not had a deep seated loathing of the upper class, had the countess not suffered the indignity of being processed like a common criminal, had she not suffered the indignity and brutality of her months punishment, had she not felt the hopelessness of the onset of her institutionalisation, would she even consider the proposal Mr Swinney had put before her? Drained of spirit and weak in body there was no denial of the destiny laid out before her. She could not stay at Whitegate and without reading either document scrawled her signature with the pen handed to her by Mr Swinney.

Miss Stanford- Brown could resist.

“I obviously wish you were staying with us at Whitegate 18761156, especially with you doing so well here. But knowing you are to be trained to be a maid for your stepdaughter, in the residence in which you were once Mistress, and to wear that little gift from the Bishop for your adultery, gives me a degree of satisfaction. I have countersigned your release from Whitegate and will be part of the probationary panel to ensure the conditions of your release are upheld.”

The Governess turned to Mr Swinney who was packing away his papers.

“Six months the first review I believe Mr Swinney I shall look forward to that.”

The formalities over, the warder in attendance removed the manacles from the wrists of 18761156

 The clothing that the Countess wore on her arrival had been stored but not in a lavendered closet. Creased damp and soiled she dressed dishevelled as she looked, at least she had underwear.

Out of the prison, at the side of Mr Swinney’s carriage, the Countesses emotions finally broke, and she fell to her knees sobbing. Walter stared down on what had become of the Countess certain that if Annabella or even Lady Hogarth could see her like this, they would never have chosen this path for her. There was never any intention to have the courts involved, to link the release to her maid’s contract, but it was the only way Mr Swinney could secure her release from the clutches of Whitegate and its sadistic Governess. At least the embarrassment of a public trial and the ensuing sentence had been avoided.  Connie, as Annabella and Lady Hogarth had insisted she will be called whilst in service, would have to see out her three years a maid or a return to Whitegates would surely follow. With the Countess a little more composed on the journey to Buckshire manor she listened without comment whist Walter Swinney, who the Countess had always despised, read out her terms and conditions of service at Buckshire manor. She had schemed for her stepdaughter to be her maid, now the roles would be reversed, and it would be maid Connie serving the needs of Miss Annabella.

 

Subscribe to Lady2Maid Blog Newsletter