Fish
It was a warm summers day and it was really far too hot to be inside were the wood had been heated for months and now made it unbearably warm during the days in some of the rooms.
Anne was currently forced to sit still in the sitting room of Shibden hall with her mother, aunt and on the floor sat her baby sister, Marian playing with a doll. They had decided that today was as good a day as any to sit and do embroidery, something which Anne had no want to do. She found it repetitive and boring, it was too idle work for her liking, and she ended up ruining it time and time again. But her mother had told her to sit still or she would give her a ‘lecture’ she soon would forget when they were alone in their quarters for the evening. Anne gazed longingly out of the window and saw Samuel, her two years younger brother, playing with a wooden sword, duelling against John – her youngest brother. How jealous she was of them at that moment. Swinging the sword about – Anne could be better at it than them, and she could shoot straighter than them too. But no, embroidery was her lot in life as a young lady. At eleven years of age – Anne found herself constricted and as if she couldn’t breathe most of the time. She had to wear a corset now, her mother had decided as she had noticed breasts changing Anne’s former flat chest. Anne hated the corset to start with and still found it uncomfortable if strung too tight. She longed to be free again, free of this prison. She wanted nothing more than to sneak out to play with Sam and John or sneak up to her uncle’s study to read whatever interesting topics one could find in there. But she daren’t as her mother was never one to stand done from a punishment. The various scars covering the small of Anne’s back showed that. Now, Anne didn’t mind her aunt’s company but, for the duration of the summer when they would stay at her aunt and uncle’s, she liked to be away from her mother as much as possible. She found it relaxing not to be constantly judged, criticised and beaten up.
“Anne, do not slop.” Her mother barked at her and Anne fought an urge to roll her eyes but sat up straighter in her chair, she knew better than to contradict her mother.
“I really don’t know what to make of her sometimes. She is such a nuisance, so odd – she will no doubt be a burden. Who will take her of our hands?” Her mother told her aunt who became seemingly uncomfortable by her mother’s words. Her aunt tried to talk some sense in reply, but her mother waved her hand, shaking her head,
“No need to say sweet nothings about her for my sake. She is as queer as they come. A freak of nature. Hopefully Marian will turn out better. She is already showing so much potential at five.”
Anne pretended not to hear, staring at her stitches, but tears prickled her eyes and it was hard to see through the mist of tears that threatened to fall from her dark orbs.
Soon enough her uncle came inside the sitting room and he greeted them warmly, and Anne looked up at him and he could see the unshed tears in her eyes. He hunched down in front of her, placing a warm hand on her knee,
“Could you come with me, Anne?”
Anne’s eyes flickered from her uncle’s kind dark orbs – they looked just like hers, to her mother who at the moment weren’t aware of her.
“I want to but…” Anne whispered, barely opening her mouth to speak the words and her uncle touched her cheek, smiling at her, before standing up to his full height – a very tall man her uncle, and turning to his sister and his sister-in-law, he said,
“Rebecca, might I borrow my niece for a while?”
Her mother looked startled at being spoken too, but glared at Anne soon after,
“You might as well take Sam if you want any help. She is no good.”
“Ah, yes, but young Samuel is helping young John practicing his fencing and I think Anne will do just fine.” Uncle James insisted and her mother rolled her eyes,
“Take her for all I care. But don’t tell me I didn’t warn you when she messes up whatever it is, you’re doing.”
“I’m sure we will do fine. Come on, Anne.” Uncle James offered his hand and Anne smiled for the first time that morning – finally she was to be released from that hot and tiresome sitting room – and most of all she would be free of her mother for a while at least.
Uncle James led her outside, and they embarked upon the road leading towards the mines, Anne glanced up at her uncle carefully,
“What are we doing?”
“I could see that you were bored. And anyway, I don’t think embroidery will do you any good child. You are far too intelligent for that. Why your Greek is impeccable! – Soon enough you could hold up to any Cambridge student. But I thought both you and I could use some time away from everyone.” Uncle James told her, and Anne’s heart swelled with pride at his praise. She had been up early every morning studying subjects that seemed interesting to her. Classical literature was one – and if one wanted the full stories, one must know Greek, Latin and French, and Anne was a diligent student.
“Do you think I’d ever be able to attend university instead of being sent to a boring girl’s school?” Anne asked quietly afraid that her uncle might laugh at her or wave off his praise as mere courtesy. Uncle James eyed her sadly,
“I’m sorry to say that I do not believe that to be possible. Maybe in another lifetime. However, do not weep Annie, I will teach you anything I can, that I learnt, and you will be as good as any Cambridge graduate… or better.”
“Would you?!” Anne cried gleefully and her uncle laughed,
“Hm? Of course, I would. You are a bright pupil and I will enjoy it thoroughly, I’m sure.”
They arrived at the lake and Anne was still not sure what he wanted them to do. She was much too old, or rather far too matured to swim. They hadn’t done that for two years, and, she thought sadly, would probably never do again. Her uncle however, pointed at a boat,
“I thought we could go fishing, would you like that, Anne?”
“Anything is better than embroidery… and being with my mother.” Anne whispered the last, but she was certain her uncle had heard her for he scoffed under his breath to conceal laughter. He helped her into the boat and pushed it out before jumping in himself. The fishing rods were all in the boat and Anne felt pretty excited at the prospect of fishing as she had never done that before. Her uncle showed how to ready the fishing rod with the bait. Anne mimicked him and then they threw it over the sides of the boat.
“Now we wait. I find fishing calming. It requires some patience, but I think the reward is worth it.” Uncle James told her, and Anne nodded,
“If I catch one – I need to break its neck, right?”
“Hm. Yes. Unless it’s very small – then just throw it back.”
They sat in comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of the nature surrounding them, and Anne felt as though she could breathe properly. All though a nagging thought was at the back of her head, the fact that soon, in less than a fortnight Anne would have to return home to Market Weighton, and her mother would be much more constant in her ‘lectures’ and she would hardly have peace – her mother found fault in everything she did, blaming her for being a girl and somehow also for her older brother’s death – and he died before she was born. To be candid, she blamed Anne for everything that went wrong. For the baby, Jeremy, who had died the year before et cetera. Anne had rather leave and live with her Aunt and Uncle, that way they, her parents needn’t be burdened with her and she would be free of blame.
“A penny for your thoughts?” Uncle James spoke softly, and Anne shook her head as if to rid herself of the thoughts,
“I just… thought about leaving.”
“Already fed up with us?” Uncle James smirked, but Anne shook her head decidedly,
“No! Never! I just… wish I could stay.”
Uncle James mouth turned down and he frowned sadly,
“We wish you could stay too Annie. If it were up to me… but anyway. I’m glad you’re here now. Your aunt is too.”
“Mm.” Anne murmured, clearly distraught about the prospect of going home, of leaving Shibden and her aunt and uncle behind until Christmas. Suddenly her string began tugging and her uncle startled,
“Anne – you’ve got one! Reel him in!”
Anne’s heart pounded in her chest as she carefully, reeled the fish in just as her uncle had showed her. It was a medium sized carp. It fluttered about but Anne took a steady grip on it and broke its neck and it stopped immediately. She flashed white teeth towards her uncle who threw his arm around her and gave her a kiss on the forehead,
“Excellent! Fantastic job, Annie. Put him in the bucket and then put new bait on the hook before throwing it back in.”
Anne felt proud at her catch – the first catch of the day nonetheless, and all thoughts of her mother and leaving lay far away. She was happy, and carefree there out on the lake with her uncle. And as the sun danced on the water around them, she thought she would always wish it was so; Just her and her uncle every afternoon out on the lake – fishing together.
“I wish it was always like this.” Anne began, “Just you and me, uncle.”
“Of course, me and you Annie – just me and you.” Uncle James replied softly, and they stayed out on the lake for the remainder of that afternoon and didn’t come back home until the sun had begun to set.