Carol Singing
For once Anne was spending an afternoon inside with her wife and her sister. Aunt Anne and her father were up resting in their beds, the cold giving them various cramps.
The women sat quietly for the moment be, each occupied with their own; Ann sat drawing in her sketchpad, Marian embroidered, and Anne sat reading an interesting book. They were all content and warm in front of the roaring fire. The outside was looking rather glum this afternoon and they hadn’t expected anyone to call at all during the day, but then there was a knock on the front-door and all ladies looked up at each other. They stared at each other, as if trying to see who of them, was the reason for this sudden call,
“Are you expecting anyone?” Marian asked Anne who shook her head, keeping her index finger in her book, hoping to return to it soon. Anatomy was such a curious thing to read about.
“No. Not that I’m aware off. Business calls needs to be appointed. Aren’t you expecting someone?”
“No, or I wouldn’t have asked you!” Marian growled, and then as if on cue both sisters turned their eyes to Ann,
“You’re not expecting anyone are you?” Anne inquired looking at her carefully and Ann raised her eyebrows,
“If I did, wouldn’t I have told you so before?”
“Then who makes a call at this hour?” Marian asked and Anne grimaced, looking at her pocket-watch,
“Well, she is only four. Social calls might still be made for another hour.”
“Oh, well done! So, you do know about the rules of etiquette?” Marian patronised her sister and Anne glared at her,
“I happen to be very well versed in etiquette and so on and so forth – I went to one of the better private girl schools in England.”
“Yes, and then you got yourself expelled, mind you!” Marian commented dryly and Anne rolled her eyes at her, sighing dramatically,
“Hm, but it wasn’t because I didn’t know the rules of etiquette…”
Anne winked at Ann whose mouth twitched upwards as she shook her head.
“No, you started a riot, we all know!” Marian sighed annoyed, and Anne’s whole face scrunched up in confusion,
“A riot? Who told you that nonsense, Marian?”
“Mother.”
Anne’s eyes could’ve got stuck up in a constant eye-roll, of course their idiotic mother had told Marian all kinds of lies. Anne stared at Marian with a tired look,
“I didn’t start a riot – mind I might have wished I did, viva la revolution and all that… You’d seriously take the word of a raging alcoholic?”
“Don’t call our mother that.” Marian turned uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes darting from Anne to the wall behind her.
“She’s dead and besides she’s your mother, she disowned me.” Anne replied sharply, “And anyway…”
Anne had no time to carry the argument any further or go into depth about her being expelled from school – for Joseph hurried inside the room, with his waistcoat buttoned wrong and Anne almost brought her hand to her face – must he always be so featherheaded? She might have a word with him later on the importance of display and opening the door quickly et cetera, Anne thought.
“Ma’am, Mrs Smith and Miss Smith...”
“Show them in, Joseph.” Anne told him waving her hand, wishing for it to be over soon. Not that she minded them overly much. It was the new reverend of Lightcliffe church’s wife and daughter, and they were good people, but Anne rather wanted to soon spend some time alone with her wife and wasn’t in the mood to be deterred for long.
Mrs Smith and Miss Smith were showed into the sitting room, and the women stood up to greet them properly. They both wore their bonnets and wraps, and Anne almost let out a breath of relief – they wouldn’t stay long!
“I hope we’re not disturbing you, Miss Lister, or Miss Marian nor Miss Walker.”
“Ah, not at all. But please sit down!” Anne gestured with her hand to the sofa and the women sat down.
“Would you like some tea, Mrs Smith, Miss Smith?” Ann asked, eying them kindly and miss Smith glanced nervously at her mother but the older woman shook her head, to which Miss Smith seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, fidgeting nervously with the ends of her wrap, looking solely at her feet.
“Thank you kindly, Miss Walker but we must soon be on our way.”
“Is there anything we can do for you, Mrs Smith?” Anne wondered and the woman smiled,
“Well, actually we came to talk about the Christmas carol singing charity.”
“Oh?” Anne raised an eyebrow – that was the sort of new idea that always came with a fresh pair of heads in the start. Overachieving to make a mark so they might be included in the community quicker. She wondered how long that sort of enthusiasm would last.
“It’s on the twentieth, but we will have a practice in the church a few times till then.”
“How lovely.” Marian chimed in and, Mrs. Smith nodded excitedly in agreement,
“Yes, and such an unexpected number of participants! I am overwhelmed.”
“How are you planning on executing the actual event?” Anne tried to sound interested, more than she actually was; carol singing wasn’t Anne’s cup of tea.
“We will be a walking choir down in Halifax, singing for a few hours, but I thought Miss Walker might’ve told you already!?” Mrs. Smith glanced at Miss Walker briefly, and the blonde flushed slightly as Anne’s eyes bore into her, and Ann looked away at the suddenly interesting book on the side-table.
“Oh, I was going to tell her today. But I haven’t had the time.” Ann replied with quick looks at her wife who looked at her with a look that said, ‘What on earth have you done!?’.
“I’m sorry I didn’t know! I didn’t mean to spring a surprise on you, Miss Lister.” Mrs Smith apologised but Anne, keen to not make the woman uncomfortable, raised a hand,
“It’s fine, I was a bit surprised is all. I didn’t know Ann would be joining you. Tell me if I can make any contribution to the charity, and I shall see what I can do.”
“Oh, Miss Lister, you and Miss Walker joining the choir is quite enough, trust me!” Mrs Smith smiled wide and Anne laughed in-disbelief, turning her head to the blonde, looking at her with wide eyes,
“Ah, that’s… I’m looking forward to it, Mrs. Smith.”
Anne maintained a warm smile for show, she would give the new reverend’s wife nothing to remark upon to their neighbours on other calls. Mrs. Smith offered a wide smile in return, clasping her hands together with some excitement.
“We are so looking forward to having you with us, Miss Lister. To think, when I proposed the idea to Mrs. Priestley up at New house, she was so certain…. You know, she told me it would be an impossible feat to get you to participate. But here we are.”
Anne responded only with a smile, from which you could tell, if you knew her well, that she really was seriously displeased and infuriated by what was said.
“Well, we best be on our way, but the first practice is on Thursday afternoon in Lightcliffe Church, four o’clock.” Mrs. Smith stood up and Miss Smith followed her mother, looking terribly shy and uncomfortable and all three of the women tried smiling at her pleasantly to ease her,
“Thank you for stopping by, Mrs. Smith and Miss Smith!” Marian told them with a kind smile and then they all took leave, and the three women were left on their own again.
“Mrs Smith is lovely, isn’t she? Though perhaps a bit intense and the tiniest bit vulgar.” Marian commented, turning her eyes from the door where they had disappeared to her sister and Ann again. They didn’t look at her, nor mind her which annoyed Marian and she was just about to repeat her saying but weren’t given any time.
“Ann, I would like a word with you.” Anne said sternly, giving her the eye, and Ann twisted feeling quite uneasy where she stood and bit her lip - a nervous tic of hers,
“Mm.”
“I’m not leaving this room.” Marian crossed her arms, looking at Anne defiantly, prepared to defend the blonde from her sister, and Anne raised an eyebrow, well dry,
“Good. Ann, my study – now!”
Anne pushed Ann gently in front of her and Marian tried to come with but was hindered by Anne shoving her away with a strong hand to her shoulder. Marian looked affronted but Anne paid her no heed as she turned to walk after Ann to her study.
Anne closed the door behind them to her study, spinning around on her heel to face the blonde, wearing a mad look,
“What on earth have you done!? Ann!”
“I’m sorry! Anne, I’m so sorry – she was so kind and I… suddenly I had agreed to this thing!” Ann hurriedly tried to explain, and Anne banged her head against her hand resting on the wall, staring at Ann, looking infuriated and a bit wild,
“And you dragged me into it?! Why?”
“Anne… I didn’t mean to!” Ann cried, not sure if she should approach the angered brunette or not, Anne sighed, opening her arms up, upset,
“I can’t sing!”
“What?” Ann furrowed her eyebrows, “I know you can hold a tune…”
“That’s not the point! The point is that it’ll ruin my reputation.” Anne groaned, and Ann seemed confused by her statement, her forehead wrinkling,
“Ruin your reputation? What do you mean, Anne?!”
“I can’t sing alto.” Anne mumbled aggravated, and Ann blinked, not sure she understood why her wife was so upset by that,
“It’ll ruin your reputation because you can’t sing alto!? How?”
“Because Ann – it will sound odd! My voice is low, my character strong but God gave me the singing voice of a… ah, I’m a soprano, Ann.” Anne dragged a hand dramatically over her face and Ann just stood staring at her, not sure why Anne was acting out a tragedy,
“Why are you saying that like it’s a terrible thing though, Anne?”
“Ah, because it’s bad enough people call me a man, they do not need a reason to call me a castrato too!” Anne cried annoyed and Ann bit down on her lip hard, chewing it perturbed.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just… she cornered me, going on about how much good it would do, guilting me, and you know I cannot abide with that kind of pressure!”
Anne softened considerably as she noticed how Ann’s shoulders tensed, she didn’t want her to get upset or work herself into a state of great anxiety. She had understood from the little she had heard that Mrs. Smith could be quite manipulative, even if she was kind and meant well. She must’ve realised that ambushing Ann with the query had a higher chance of succeeding. Anne put her arms around her and kissed her over the hair, sighing,
“It’s fine. She was wrong to do that. To push you to accept, by preying on your social anxiety and will to please others, and what more, ask that you accept on my behalf as well. What an absolute vulgar woman!”
“I didn’t tell you because I knew, I knew you would be cross!” Ann mumbled, resting on her shoulder and Anne frowned, placing a gentle kiss by her ear as she held her a bit tighter to herself,
“I don’t want you to fear telling me anything – ever! I should always be your first thought, just as you are mine.”
“No, I know, it’s just…” Ann sighed, and Anne let her hands glide down her back to rest on the small of her back,
“I know. But just so you are aware – we will make our excuses; tell them we have to go to York to see… hm anyone really. Maybe pretend we have to meet Dr Belcombe?”
Ann lifted her head from her shoulder, frowning,
“Won’t they be terribly cross and upset if we don’t show up? Especially since it’s us. Won’t they talk?”
Anne shook her head, smiling, kissing her nose,
“No! We’ll give the charity a kind, and somewhat generous donation and I’m certain, it will all be well. And in any case, I won’t be bullied into anything by anyone, least of all someone who daren’t even approach me personally with the query but inflicts themselves on my wife forcing her to accept it on my behalf.”
“Thank God… I don’t think I could sing in front of a crowd. I would die on the spot!” Ann breathed relieved and Anne kissed her sweetly, lingering for a second longer, giving her a chaste kiss on the forehead too before pulling away, smiling at her tenderly,
“We can sing Christmas carols at home, if you like. Without the pressure of having an audience listening, just us: me, you, my Aunt, Marian and we’re in luck my father, who is half-deaf.”
“I thought you didn’t do that. I thought you hated Christmas carols.” Ann gazed at her amused, her worries gone with the kisses.
“Well, for you I’ll make an exception. I’d do absolutely anything for you – you know that!” Anne laughed before sharing a loving kiss with her wife,
“Except for apparently singing in a choir down in Halifax.” Ann smirked and Anne gasped, eyes widening,
“You didn’t want that either! If worse had come to worse – I would have done it for you!”
“Does that mean that you will sing that Italian aria you had to learn in school for me?” Ann batted her eyes towards her and Anne laughed,
“Hm, only it would be such a shame for I’d have to kill you and then myself.”
“Shame, I would have loved to travel to Italy in my mind.”
“Not to worry, I will take you there...” Anne winked, and Ann flushed but laughed all the same, kissing her wife fondly on the lips, letting the kiss make a crescendo ending appassionato.
Christmas couldn’t be anything but good with love and kisses like that.