Chapter XII
To say that Anne was beginning to run out of patience was a vast understatement. She was bored and frustrated. It had been almost a fortnight since her accident, and she hadn’t regained all her memories and her head wasn’t quite restored yet. She had hardly been allowed outside, and only ever within thirty feet of the house and if someone could go with her, even Aunt Anne had more freedom than she! Anne was tired of being treated as an invalid, and she was certain that moss soon would grow on her if she stayed still for much longer. Her temper wasn’t great either, because of it – the boredom, the idleness, the lack of movement and excitement, so she wasn’t much fun to be around.
“Are sure you will be alright if I go into Halifax?” Ann wondered, worry etched on her face, she didn’t want to leave Anne alone, especially not when she was this way – irate and bored. She didn’t trust Anne to stay in her bed.
“I’m capable of taking care of myself, thank you. You go, I’ll be alright.” Anne told the blonde, her tone short and irked. Ann seemed a little uneasy, biting her lip,
“Do you want me to get anything for you? Do you have enough ink?”
“Yes. Just go!” Anne muttered and Ann leant down to kiss her, but Anne turned her back to her and Ann sat up straight again feeling slighted and upset at that. She touched her arm gently,
“I’ll be back soon. Take care of yourself, don’t do anything stupid…”
“I’m not an idiot!” Anne barked, biting Ann’s sentence off, and the blonde’s eyes widened,
“I never said you were!”
“No, but you are treating me like one.” Anne huffed, her back still turned against her, and Ann sighed,
“Oh great sigh, sigh more please! – You have so much to sigh over – ‘Oh no, I can go about as I like, but it’s such hard work to manage you’” Anne mocked Ann and despite herself, tears welled up in her eyes and she stood up,
“Forgive me for caring about you!” Ann’s voice betrayed her, but she left before her eyes did too, slamming the door shut behind her. Anne felt a pang in her chest, but she ignored that, focusing on how angry she was at being bedbound, she was fine – and she could take care of herself. Anne lay in bed fuming, listening to the sounds downstairs, hearing them leave, feeling even more upset at that. It was taunting her that they might go about as usual.
“I could go about as usual… I’m fine!” Anne said aloud, to no one but herself and the walls surrounding her. Something woke in her chest, a determination and Anne sat up quickly, feeling a twinge in her wound but she ignored it, standing up. Anne didn’t bother calling for Eugenie to get dressed, the woman might have instructions from her wife not to heed her. No, Anne dressed herself with some struggle, she was going to show them that she was absolutely fine, and that they were all just overprotective sods. When she was dressed, she went for the door but stopped herself, it would be a mistake to go down there. Anne opened the servant’s entrance and snuck down the servant’s stairs quickly, despite her head protesting a little against the hurried movements. She could hear her aunt and father in the sitting room, talking and she sneaked, almost on toe, through the kitchen and out the back door. She slowly closed the door behind her when she was startled by a voice,
“Ma’am?”
It was John Booth, and Anne calmed,
“Booth.”
“Is it wise of you to go out alone?” He asked, having been instructed not to let Miss Lister out by both Miss Marian and Miss Walker. Anne threw him an annoyed glare at that,
“I’d say that’s none of your business, John.”
“Only I had been told not to let you go outside by Miss Marian and Miss Walker.” John mumbled nervously; Miss Lister really could unnerve him with a look. Anne blew air out of her nose frustrated,
“Well, you’re my staff, I employ you, and if you tell a single soul then I will turn you out without mercy!”
“Right, Ma’am. Sorry.” John hurriedly said, moving out of her way to let her pass him.
Anne was not in a good mood; how dare they tell her staff not to let her pass? She was not a naughty child that needed sitters. She was a grown woman who could make her own decisions. Anne sulked off, not really knowing where to turn, she had no appointments nor any actual business to take care off – not that she knew of anyway. But she would enjoy a nice long walk. It would only do her good, despite the twinges she felt from her wound.
She embarked upon Shibden road, going away from the house, thinking she’d check out her new pits. She was proud of that, it meant she was well on her way to restore Shibden’s drooping fortunes. Anne looked about herself, the place already looked much better – they had done some nice improvements these last three years, especially to the gardens. It looked more like a parkland now.
It was a bit of a walk to get to the pits, and Anne were at loath to admit it, and wouldn’t, no, refused to admit it to herself, but her head was hurting more with every single stride she took. But she was stubborn. She glanced at the hill with a bit of trepidation because she was beginning to feel a tad lightheaded and nauseous from the pain in her head. Anne however pushed that aside, growling at herself for being such a pansy. She had climbed mountains; she could stalk up a hill without any struggles.
“They’ll see.” Anne slurred angrily, as she began ascending the hill to get to the pit. She was almost at the top, when she was hit with a dizzy spell, and stumbled – losing the ground under her, tumbling down a few feet, hitting her head and then everything went black.
Anne woke up again, only to realise she wasn’t lying in the mud by the pits, she was in bed. ‘Oh-uh’ she thought, she was in trouble.
Ann noticed Anne was moving, and that her eyes opened, and she appeared before her eyes, eyes red, and her expression thunderous,
“You bloody idiot!” She cried, her voice breaking a little, as tears ran down her cheeks,
“How could you?! When you knew you weren’t fine yet! Just to spite me because you were angry with me?”
Anne pressed her fingers to her hurting head, trying to sit up better, Ann helped her despite being upset with her.
“I…” Anne began but she stopped, green in the face, Ann looked worried,
“Do you need something to throw up in?”
“No.” Anne swallowed hard, and Ann looked mildly disgusted at that, but shrugged it off,
“Explain yourself! You could’ve got yourself killed! Why would you do that!? What if I had hurt myself, and then gone out on an idiotic ‘excursion’ just because I was frustrated, and then collapsed!? You would have been worried sick and berated me for it. You’ve got to stop thinking you are immortal!” Ann was upset, and justly so but Anne couldn’t even take in what she was saying, her mind was in a complete muddle.
“Shush.” Anne begged her, pressing her fingers harder to her temples, and Ann huffed,
“Don’t shush me! You brought this upon yourself!”
“Ann… please!” Anne pleaded, her forehead wrinkling as she tried to shut out all sound and concentrate on what was going on inside her head.
“What? Oh? - Is your poor head hurting? Well then, next time don’t go out on your own when your head isn’t healed! Seriously Anne, we shouldn’t have to watch you like a child! You are a grown, intelligent woman – start acting like it!” Ann glared at her, as she yelled and Anne covered her face with her hands, sighing, trying to block Ann out, even though she was right in what she said.
“Anne!?” Ann touched her shoulder a bit harsh, “Are you listening to me!?”
“I think I remember.” Anne mumbled, hands still in-front of her face, and Ann looked confused,
“What?”
“I think I remember – everything!” Anne repeated, removing her hands from her face, meeting Ann’s confused eyes.
“Are you serious? Or are you just trying to distract me from yelling at you?” Ann was eying her sternly.
“No, I remember. There was a shot fired from afar, probably someone hunting, and Jack got spooked and began fussing and I was thrown out of the saddle. I was out riding because I was trying to make a point – that taking a horse isn’t much faster than walking, counted the time you needed to prepare him.”
“You really do remember everything?” Ann’s expression softened, and Anne grinned,
“Oh, yes… everything.”
Anne winked at the blonde who flushed, and then Ann swatted her over the chest,
“Ah why must you be like this?”
“Because, Adney I love you!”
Ann’s eyes grew wide as well as the grin that appeared,
“So you really do remember everything?!”
“I told you.” Anne smiled,
“Oh, I love you – you idiot!”
“Just to be clear – I don’t want my new pet name to be ‘idiot’, I’d like ‘pony’ back.” Anne said, and Ann laughed at her and with relief, kissing the brunette soundly on the lips, and Anne pulled her down for another, more passionate kiss.
“I am just so happy being with you.” Anne murmured against her lips and Ann smirked,
“It’s a good thing you feel that way, because you need to stay inside for another fortnight, since you hit your head again.”
“WHAT!?” Anne cried horrified, and Ann laughed,
“Believe you me when I say, I’m not looking forward to it!”
“None of us are!” Marian said as she entered through the door, and Anne huffed and sighed dramatically in bed but soon all would be well again. After all, if you are knocked down you always come back stronger.
The end.