All the occupants at Shibden Hall had enjoyed Miss Ann Walker moving in with them as Anne’s companion. She got along with everyone in the household as well as the servants. It irked Anne sometimes how well Ann was getting along with her sister. But then again, Marian had become less annoying since Miss Walker moved in with them. Maybe her not needing to worry all the time about her sister’s whereabouts had calmed her down a notch.
It was important to Anne that Ann felt completely at home at Shibden and Anne knew how much she had missed riding since her old pony had died a few months prior to them meeting again. But Ann talked often of it, and therefore the older woman had decided to buy a pony for Ann. Of course, she hadn’t done it right away. They went travelling first, saw Paris, Switzerland, Rome and little bits and pieces of Europe whilst travelling to their next stop. But now, back at shabby little Shibden, Anne paused, Shibden wasn’t, to be fair, that shabby any longer, she had decided it was time. And like with everything that Anne put her mind to, she didn’t do it half-heartened. She knew enough of horses, had ridden enough ponies to be well-qualified to buy one. But she did some research, asked around what kind of pony would be best suited, what type had Miss Walker’s old pony been and how to tell their general beings. All this was done in-between her estate affairs, and in complete secrecy because she wanted to surprise Adney. The nickname of Adney had come to be in Paris – and stuck around. It seemed to confuse people around them, but they refused to tell how it came to be – that was their secret alone. With some effort it was then that Anne had found the perfect pony, a chestnut coloured Welsh Cob pony. She had ridden the pony herself, wanting to be absolutely certain that it was a kind natured one, last of all she wanted Ann to break any bones.
“Ann.” Anne was bursting with excitement to show the pony that had arrived in the stables. But Ann, barely awake yet, mumbled and turned her face back into the pillow. With a frown, Anne placed her hand on the blonde woman’s shoulder, shaking her about gently,
“Adney, wake up!”
“It’s too early, go bother someone else, Anne.” Ann growled, fighting to keep her face in the pillows refusing to be turned around by Anne. A deep sigh escaped Anne,
“I need you.”
“You had me last night.”
“Argh, not like that! I want to show you something.” Anne said beginning to be annoyed by sleepy miss Walker. Ann turned around, blinking hard trying to open her eyes,
“What?”
“It’s a surprise.” Anne grinned, looking like a child on Christmas morning. Ann groaned, not willing to wake up, she wasn’t even nine for crying out loud, it was hardly illegal wanting more sleep especially since the brunette had kept her up half the night.
“It isn’t some dead thing you found, right?”
“What? No. Adney come on. I really want to show you something, I think you’re going to like.”
Ann closed her eyes tightly, letting out a whiny groan, pressing her head back against the pillows,
“I’m tired. Tell me, and I might come up… later.”
Anne frowned, this was not going according to plan, she looked at her pocket-watch, and really, she didn’t want to waste all day on persuading Miss Walker to come with her to the stables. A touch to the blonde woman’s cheek, had her open her blue eyes again, and they were angry,
“Stop bothering me, Anne. I am trying to sleep!”
Anne didn’t remove her hand from her cheek, she sat down on the bed and looked pleadingly at the blonde,
“Please come with me. Please- “Anne bent her head down, kissing the corner of her mouth,
“Anne.”
“Please!” Another kiss,
Ann sighed trying her hardest not to enjoy the soft, warm kisses,
“I beg of you. Please!” Anne murmured before kissing her properly on the mouth, and Ann sighed into her lips, and the brunette’s lips curled into a smile before she released her.
“Fine. But I swear I will whip you black and blue if it’s a dead thing or a dumb new journal.” Ann muttered bitter at the loss of sleep.
“My journals aren’t dumb.”
“They are at nine in the morning when an annoying woman rustles you awake after keeping you up half the night.” Ann retorted, and Anne placed her hands on her hips, standing up affronted,
“You weren’t complaining last night!”
“No, that was last night, now it’s nine in the morning!”
“If it’s such a bother to you, then I’ll sleep in the stables.” Anne muttered, and Ann raised her eyebrow as she stood up,
“Now you’re just being ridiculous.”
“Says the woman who is berating me for waking her up at a perfectly reasonable time.” Anne bit back and Ann actually rolled her eyes at her,
“You would have made for a great actress with you being such a drama queen.”
“Me? Me!? You’re the one acting out a Shakespeare tragedy because I woke you up.”
“Well, my response is and was reasonable.” Ann told her starting to slowly get dressed. Anne let out a breath, she couldn’t even argue with Ann at the moment, she was being too unreasonable, and she didn’t want to spoil the mood entirely for her surprise. A smirk from Ann to Anne at her lack of response had the brunette growling under breath, Miss Walker could be right down vexing and such a tease when she wanted to,
“No reply, Lister?”
Anne shook her head at the blonde before closing the distance between them, taking her face between her hands, kissing her roughly,
“You are such a minx.”
“Never thought that would come back to bite you?” Ann asked innocently, and Anne couldn’t help but laugh, the good mood was returned, and Ann was already in higher spirits all though she wouldn’t be completely happy with her until after breakfast, Anne knew that. Anne kissed her chastely once more before standing back, helping Ann dress, wasting no time calling for Eugenie, it would only slow them down and Anne couldn’t wait a second longer.
“Anne – too tight!” Ann gasped as Anne had a bit too excitedly pulled the laces of her corset. With a small blush Anne mumbled an apology before loosening the strings allowing Ann to breathe without any struggle.
“Which dress should I wear?” Ann asked with a pert smile,
“One which you can move in, with ease.”
“What are we going to do? – I haven’t eaten yet.”
“No worries, we are not going far.” Anne assured her but Ann quirked an eyebrow at her,
“Last time you said that we were out for hours and I almost resorted to eating you.”
“Only almost?” Anne teased, and Ann shook her head at the woman, finishing getting dressed. Anne wouldn’t let her do her hair and they finally emerged from the room and went downstairs. The smell of freshly baked rolls, eggs and fruits had Ann’s stomach grumble loudly and Anne smirked at the sound,
“Not yet.”
“Where are we going?” Ann complained,
“Not far. But actually, I want you to be blindfolded.”
This was earned a pair of raised eyebrows,
“It’s a good thing that I trust you. Make sure you take care not to lose that trust.”
“It’s going to be fine, now have some faith.” Anne told her holding up one of her cravats in her hand, standing behind Ann tying it swiftly and securely over her eyes.
“Can you see anything?” Anne asked, moving her hand in front of Ann’s eyes but there was no reaction,
“No, and I do not think I particularly like it.” Ann said, and Anne smiled pleased at the lack of vision, taking Ann’s hand in hers with her one hand, and placing her other securely on her arm, leading her forwards. Marian met them on their way out,
“What are you doing with Ann?”
“I’m showing her a surprise.” Anne said annoyed by her sister taking up their time,
“It’s not a dead thing is it?”
“No! Why do everyone keep thinking it is!?” Anne cried frustrated and both Ann, though blindfolded and Marian turned to look at her, both eyebrows raised,
“Because it’s you.”
Anne growled,
“But it isn’t, so, bye Marian.”
Anne scuffed Marian aside, keeping her hands firmly on Ann, leading her out of the house and onto the courtyard.
“We are outside.”
“Great detective work, Adney.” Anne teased kindly, moving them into the stables, Ann’s nose crinkled at the sudden smell, and she turned around and hit Anne across the chest,
“It is a dead thing, isn’t it!?”
“Ouch, no!” Anne rubbed herself over her breast, before lifting her hands to undo the knot,
“What is it then?”
“I thought you might like to see your new friend.” Anne said smiling, removing the cravat from Ann’s eyes so that she could see the chestnut pony standing in front of her. With wide eyes Ann looked away from the beautiful gelding, throwing her arms around Anne’s neck, kissing her cheek,
“He is magnificent. Thank you, Anne!”
Anne’s cheeks reddened, clearly all too pleased that Ann liked her gift. Ann released her to give the pony a pat over the nose.
“Hi there.” She spoke softly to the pony who seemed to enjoy her calm movements immensely.
“He doesn’t have a name, I thought you might want to name him.” Anne told her, and Ann tore her eyes away from the chestnut pony, looking at Anne with a beaming smile,
“Oh, it’s a good thing he isn’t a she or I might’ve called him Anne too.”
Anne laughed,
“Like there weren’t enough people called Ann(e) in this household already.”
Ann stroke the pony over the slender neck, and kissed his nose affectionately, but then she looked at Anne with a cheeky but innocent smile,
“Still a pity, I guess I shall just settle on calling him Gentleman Jack instead.”
“You do know that’s meant as an insult? Right?” Anne asked with a wry smile, and Ann nodded,
“Mm, but I figured it be more confusing for them. I mean try making an insult funny when they cannot discern whether they’re talking about a horse or you. It loses its point.”
Anne shook her head, chuckling a bit half-heartened at Ann,
“Mm, it’s your pony, you name him whatever you want, but…”
“I won’t, it was unkind of me. I shouldn’t make light of something that’s hurtful to you.”
Ann regretted her joke and was now tugging at her lip, losing her confidence and feeling a bit ashamed of her cruelty.
“I’m sorry.”
Anne went over to her, placing her hands around her waist, kissing her behind the ear,
“It’s alright. I’m used to it.”
“Well being used to it, does not justify it. And by the way, I don’t agree with it. I don’t think you look like man. I certainly know you aren’t.” Ann said, leaning back against Anne and Anne kissed her cheek,
“I know you don’t, thank you. What are you going to call your fella then? You can call him Gentleman Jack – actually it is quite funny.”
Anne patted the pony down the nose, and Ann stroke him over the neck thinking,
“You’re just saying that, so I won’t feel bad about my joke.”
“No. I think it would be hilarious. Honestly.” Anne told her, resting her chin on Ann’s shoulder.
“I’d call him Jack for short then.” Ann decided, and Anne smiled,
“You like him then?”
“I love him. Thank you so much, Anne!” Ann turned around in her embrace and kissed her gratefully on the lips, after making certain no one else was in sight.
“Well, the novelty of it might wear off when you get used to him.”
“I think not. But, shall we have some breakfast? – I am starving, especially since last night. Then I’d like to go riding.” Ann said with a shy smile and Anne agreed, all though she had already eaten her breakfast. But for Ann’s sake she drank another cup of tea and ate some pieces of fruit before she took off to sort some business out, leaving Ann in the company of Marian – hoping she wouldn’t be bored to death by Marian’s ill-formed opinions.
When Anne came back after dealing with a few tenants, watching over the work at her coal pits and going over their accounts with her accountant it was already evening but she couldn’t find Ann inside by the fire with her aunt and sister.
“Where’s Ann?”
“Good to see you too.” Marian bit, but Anne ignored her sister, and greeted her aunt instead,
“I haven’t seen Ann since dinner.” Her aunt said, being at least more helpful than Marian.
“What? Where has she gone? Is she alone?” Anne was worried, and Marian crossed her arms, ‘Oh how the tables had turned’.
“Are you worried? Because she hasn’t told you where she is going to be, or what she‘s going to do or when to come home?” Marian asked raising an eyebrow and Anne turned around, worry evident on her face,
“Of course I am, Marian! She could’ve been abducted, fallen over, got lost or murdered or…” Usually calm and carefree Anne was working herself into a frenzy whilst her sister wore the smuggest look,
“But why though? You never seemed to understand the need for worry when we wondered where you were, what you were doing or when you would come home.”
Anne fought hard not to punch her sister in the face for that smug comment, her shoulders had tensed though, and she tried to relax them, turning her eyes to Marian,
“It’s not the same though.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No! I… I can fend for myself. I know how to fight. She…”
“Is weak?”
“No! But she doesn’t know how to defend herself with her fists. So, it’s not the same. Now, where is she?”
Marian was about to protest again but Anne shouted, angry, upset and terrified,
“Where is she!?”
Both of the room’s occupants were taken aback, and Marian decided to let it pass,
“I think she’s in the stables, christ, calm down Anne!”
Anne gave her a murderous look but wasted no time yelling at her sister but turned on her heels, stomping out into the hallway and outside, leaving a trail of mud behind her which vexed her sister to lengths.
The relief that washed over Anne when she saw Ann standing in the stable brushing her chestnut gelding whilst he munched on hay was immense. She was alive, she was well, she was right there. With a relieved smile she walked over to Ann to take her in her arms and give her a kiss, but Ann stopped her,
“You are scaring, Jack.”
“What?”
“Please do not stomp in like that. He doesn’t like it.”
“He is a horse.” Anne couldn’t believe she was being chastised because of a horse.
“Mm, and this is his home. You wouldn’t like it if he came clamping into the house.”
Anne was rendered speechless, she thought Ann would be happy to see her as they hadn’t since the morning, but here she was rather brushing her dumb horse than giving Anne a kiss.
“Ah, really Ann? That’s just… come on, let’s go inside. I’ve missed you, and it’s cold.” Anne tried, but Ann barely gave her a look, fondly brushing the sleepy pony,
“You go inside. I will stay out a little while longer – he needs a blanket.”
Anne was fuming, but she said naught. That dumb horse had plenty of fur – Anne was however freezing to the bone after her day outside – she if anyone needed a blanket! Without another word, not that Ann noticed, she left for the inside, eating a quick meal before retiring to bed, barking at her sister who tried to berate her for the mud earlier.
For a little while Anne sat up waiting for Ann, but she didn’t come -probably making sure dumb Jack was warm enough – well she wasn’t. She was cold and miserable, not that Ann would care. She had a stupid horse. Not that Anne was jealous, why would she be of a dumb horse? All though that horse was the reason she was cold, alone and quite without the warmth and usual loving attentions of her wife. Why had she bought the damn thing!? Not that she was jealous. That was idiotic. Anne wrote angrily in her journal, spilling ink all over the bedsheets, but she didn’t care at the moment. When Ann finally came to their room, Anne pretended to be asleep, irked and insulted that she had chosen to stay in the stables rather than with her. She heard Ann undressing, changing into her nightgown, and she felt the bed dipping when she crawled under the covers – she was cold and Anne gritted her teeth, her back still turned, still pretending to sleep but vowing to herself that if Adney touched her with her ice cold feet she would go mental. But Ann was careful not to touch, what she thought was Anne’s sleeping form, with her cold feet. She did however nuzzle into her back, drape her arm over Anne’s waist and kiss her neck, Anne was about to turn around, and kiss her more eagerly, stop pretending to be asleep when Ann mumbled sleepily into her dark hair,
“My pony.”
Anne rolled her eyes, annoyed. Did she really come into bed, kissing her and then talk about her stupid pony?
This didn’t stop however, Ann was very attentive to her pony, and Anne felt constantly neglected because of it. Not that she hadn’t things to do, but when she was free, she wanted Ann’s company and Ann only hung out with that stuck up pony. It was a good thing Ann had named the beast ‘Gentleman Jack’ for Anne felt she hated it as much as she hated people calling her that behind her back.
One afternoon however, two months after Anne had given Ann her chestnut pony, they went to take tea with Mrs. Priestley and the Rawson ladies and their men. It was hardly any time into the conversation before the blasted thing came up, annoying Anne.
“So, tell me my dear, for you do look well, have you any exercise?” Mrs. Rawson asked, and Ann nodded eagerly,
“Plenty. I ride almost every day.”
Anne stared into her teacup, scowling, because yes, Ann did ride almost every day, leaving her to rot alone whenever she had time off.
“How pleasant! Who do you ride? I remember your own pony died two years ago.” Mrs. Priestley smiled at her husband’s cousin, and Ann, as innocent as she could be, smiled widely,
“Gentleman Jack.”
It disrupted the whole room, Mrs. Priestley and Mrs. Rawson the elder almost spat out their tea in their laps and the men who had stood by themselves got their coffee stuck in their throats and began coughing violently. Anne muttered to herself, still wearing a scowl, of course she knew why they were all reacting thus, they thought Ann meant her- if she but did.
“G-Gentleman Jack?” Mrs. Priestley stuttered with a nervous glance at Miss Lister, and Ann nodded excitedly,
“Oh yes, my new pony – he’s a chestnut – a welsh cob pony.”
It was as if the whole room breathed a sigh of relief, and red-faced Mrs. Rawson brought the teacup nervously to her lips again,
“How very reassuring.”
“Do you ride, Miss Lister?” Mrs Rawson asked briskly, she did not like her any more than Anne did her,
“I know how to of course, but I haven’t the time for such beasts.” Anne replied, her voice full of bitterness though it might have just sounded decisive to the un-trained ear, but Ann was immediately alerted, and eyed Anne carefully.
When tea was finally over and they were to leave, Anne walked in a quick pace – much too fast, Ann was struggling to keep up -
“Anne! Wait!”
Anne stopped suddenly, turning around, annoyed, her voice dripping with contempt.
“Oh, sorry, I thought you had brought your precious little pony with you – my bad.”
Ann stopped in front of the brunette, her eyebrows at her hairline,
“Please tell me you are not being serious!?”
“What?” Anne bit, opening her arms, and Ann tucked her lip under her teeth trying her hardest not to laugh at Anne’s exasperation,
“Are you jealous of Jack?”
“That’s… that’s absurd Ann! He’s a pony!” Anne cried frustrated, and a small laugh escaped Ann before she could stop it, and she shouldn’t have for Anne turned her back to her and began walking again. Ann ran after her and took hold of her hand, forcing her to turn around but Anne snatched her hand back.
“You’re upset. You’re clearly jealous. Just say it.”
“So? I’m not allowed to be upset when you ignore me almost completely for two months? Stop spending time with me and instead waste all your time on a stupid pony!” Anne shouted cross, and Ann flinched but little, she always did when people were yelling – it brought back childhood memories of her father yelling at her mother.
“You are not even making sense. I’m sorry if I got a bit caught up by it. I just enjoyed having a purpose – something to do whilst you do all your important things, and I have missed riding. But I haven’t preferred him over you, that’s ridiculous!” Ann said firmly, reaching out to touch Anne’s arm but the woman backed away, out of her reach,
“Am I not making sense? You’re the one who prefers a pony over your wife!” The last was whispered angrily, they were outside after all.
“I do not! Now that’s absurd.”
“Is it? Is it though? You mistook me for your fucking pony the other night.”
“What?!” Ann cried confused, frowning at the brunette, she might not always be as clever as her worldly wife, but she wasn’t an idiot – she could tell the difference between her and her horse.
“When you thought I was asleep. You nuzzled into me and whispered, ‘my pony’ in my ear.” Anne grumbled, and she had expected Ann to keep the argument going, to deny it but the blonde woman burst out laughing. Anne looked at her confused, feeling as though she had missed something – or maybe Ann was just really going insane. The woman was bent in half laughing until tears ran down her cheeks, and they were flushed red.
“What is so funny?” Anne asked annoyed and Ann steadied herself on her arm, trying to breathe through her laughter,
“I didn’t mistake you for Jack. I called you it on purpose.”
“What? To annoy me?” Anne didn’t find this amusing at all and Ann shook her head, trying to control her laughter,
“No. No, Anne, it was just a pet name. Like you call me Adney. It felt appropriate.”
“Pony? Why on earth would you settle for pony?” Anne frowned, and looked at Ann who smirked,
“What do you do with ponies?”
“You ride them, what has that to do with… oh.” Anne trailed of, a blush covering her cheeks, it was quite appropriate – Ann begun laughing anew, and this time Anne joined her.
“I love you so much, you do not have to be jealous of Jack – tell me next time – I would have left him in a heartbeat. For being such a genius, you are so silly sometimes… pony.” Ann smirked and raised her lips to hers and kissed them sneakily, making sure no one saw them before stepping back, Anne was wearing a huge grin on her lips,
“I love you too, Adney. Come on, let us go home and see if I can live up to my pet name.”
Ann snickered at her, taking her gloved hand in hers, picking up a pace Anne had never seen her be able to do. But hey ho, Ann was very excited to have her wife near again, and nothing, not even her blasted corset and frills was going to stop her from doing just that.