Copyright © Daryl J Brunt
12th September 2008
The Governors Daughter…
Part 1: The Caribbean
Chapter 1
…The wind was blowing softly through the palms and the canopy of the nearby trees, as she lay on her back in the warm sunlight, tickling her body as it went gently by, like the feel of silk being dragged down her skin sensuously. Suddenly she looked up; the sense that someone was watching her worked its way down her spine and gave her goose bumps, yet a sense of fear mixed with excitement about the unknown. Her first reaction was to reach for her nearby dress and cover herself from the prying eyes, Rolling onto her stomach, she brushed her long slender fingers through her deep brown tresses, trying to work out if really had been, being watched or had simply day dreamt it.
Laying there for a few moments in the late afternoon sun, she considered the likelihood that anyone had actually discovered her hiding place in the sprawling estate gardens quite unrealistic. Biting her lower lip, her face displaying that look of disappointment and impish annoyance at not actually being discovered, she decided that it was probably just her imagination playing games in an effort to counter the boredom of the routine she was daily subjected to. Arching her back, and then pushing her delightfully shaped rear up into the air, Anne stood, first stretching like the young petite kitten she still was. Gathering her clothes, she quickly dressed. The knowledge that Papa and Mama were due home sometime in the hours before dinner quickened her movements. Anne knew she’d have to slip back into her room while the maid wasn’t looking. She grinned at that very notion, her eyes twinkling and laughing out loud to herself, this was all part of the game though wasn’t it.
* * * * *
James swore to himself as he finally exhaled sharply, ‘the silly girl almost caught you, you daft fool’, his own voice echoing inside his head, ‘and you call yourself a notorious buccaneer, hardly’. James grimaced as he relaxed his hold on the branch above him, shaking his hand he allowed the blood to flow again, he then adjusted his footing on the tree bough; the slip up had almost been more costly that James was willing to pay, thank God for the thickened canopy. Clearing his mind of these opinions he thought back to what just transpired in front of him. ‘The Captain is going to like this information, I better get a reward, and that girl…very exquisite and very delicious…’ James lowered himself onto the tree branch below and waited for the darkness of nightfall to surround him, the Captain had ordered him to work out how many guards there were surrounding the Governors mansion and what weaknesses there might be.
* * * * *
Anne quickly picked her way through the estate gardens and up the stonework stairs headed for the estate house, circling around the side she made her way towards where her bedroom was situated, looking upwards she could see that the balcony door was still open, obviously the maid hadn’t made the discover of her absence yet. She grinned as she remembered the other times she had snuck out of the house late in the afternoon to sunbake alone, the joys of being free of those intolerable skirts enough to make any possible punishment worth it, including being sent home on the next ship. Laughing she remembered her fathers comments about how dark her arms were, and the reaction to the bemused look she gave him as she stated ‘Obviously Papa, the darker shade is because I’ve been around the maid and coloured workers too much .’ Standing at the wall below the balcony Anne heaved her dress and shift up onto the floor above, then grabbed hold of the thick creeper vine running up the wall and scrambled up, a mischievous look came to her face as she remembered how her cousin Stephen had taught her how to climb the wall years before when he was visiting her for a few months, ‘oh the fun times they had and the jokes they played on the staff’.
Gathering her crumpled clothes off the terraced balcony Anne hurried through the open doors, turning around she gave the setting sun one last glance, the look of longing regret twisted her beautiful face, as the thoughts of having to return to the only choice she had, that of being a stiff, toffee-nosed upper-class daughter brought her back to reality, before she quietly closed the matching doors behind herself. Her voice, loud and clearly demanding, as she played her part and called out for the maid to come dress her, could be heard to echo around the room and even startled the sleeping birds that made their nest on the alcove above.
* * * * *
James waited until the cover of darkness had engulfed the estate before moving from his perch, the sound of birds chattering softly in the tree tops above and surrounding his hiding place gave the impression of safety and tranquillity, then softly like a house cat he climbed down from the concealed trunk on which he had stood the past few hours, upon reaching stable ground James stood upright and stretched himself, working out the kinks from his back, arms and legs, he waited for the blood to flow back into his fingers and toes before kneeling behind a shrub and concentrating on the target at hand, the mansion in the distance that was lit up like a beacon in the shadowy darkness around, somewhat expected given the preference of the rich for gaudy appearances. The eyes of the unseen audience would show a lean, well muscled man, around the mid 20’s mark, not exceptionally good-looking, but more the rugged look, the type that women felt drawn towards for some reason. The years as a ship’s boy before graduating to the rank of pirate evident in the way he was built and how he nimbly walked and carried himself, like an acrobat on a tight rope.
James quietly moved from behind the shrubbery that he had earlier been crouched; taking care to make sure that he kept any light, from the glow of the estate’s evening lampposts, between himself and the mansion’s outlying building’s, he made his way, in a somewhat cautious stoop, with soft deliberate steps, along the gardens edge and towards the mansion, paying close attention to any evidence he may leave behind him. As he got closer to the first building James reached down and loosened the small dagger that he had strapped to his waist before leaving the vicinity of the rowboat, the idea of startling some unsuspecting estate worker without being quite prepared was a recent memory of the last time he was chosen for this task, James swore and grinned as he remembered the enjoyment that night ended up becoming.
Creeping along the outer wall of the nearest of the buildings James crouched as he came across a window still ajar, the broken shutter evident as he took his time to gather his breath, he then peered through the nearby window, the missing glass allowing him an unobtrusive view, noting the excess of hay, and the foul smelling scent that wafted from within, James decided that this was most likely to be the estate’s stables or carriage quarters. Making a mental note to mention the abundance of combustible materials inside the building to the Captain, James moved along further until he reached the corner of the yard. Taking out a folded piece of tattered sail cloth from his pocket and some charcoal, James stepped back into the shadows, he then knelt down and unfolded the cloth, laying it flat on the firm ground beside him, he then set about following the instructions of the Captain as he quickly drew the outline of the estate grounds as he knew so far, marking in the gardens, the pathway and the stables. Wrapping up the cloth he suddenly heard a hoarse coughing coming from the window he had just moved past. Sinking to his knees and finally his belly he pushed the cloth back into his pocket before creeping back to the window. Peering again inside the window he looked about for the origin of the noise. Seeing nothing at first he waited a few moments before the coughing started again, shifting his gaze James noted that someone, most likely the stableboy slept in the loft above.
James reminded himself to inform the Captain of this development and considered to himself that this maybe an obstacle that would need addressing when they returned in numbers. Sitting there against the stables wall, as James waited for the coughing to subside, his thoughts slowly drifted to that of the Governors daughter. She was an exceptional beauty, with long dark brown hair, and a deliciously innocent, yet maturing body; the secretive time that she spent lying in the sun had given her a softened brownish hue. Nothing at all like the whores, with their painted faces and garish dress, that he had met and enjoyed from time to time in the taverns and bars of the nearby shanty towns and other port cities of the America’s, it was as if she were from another time or place. James grinned to himself as he remembered the surprise at almost tripping over the Governors half-naked daughter. The Debate with himself over whether or not he had waited long enough for the stable boy to relax was decided upon by the loud snores that echoed around the stables and out the window, James let out a shy of relief and patted the dagger on his hip, then with a wry smile he stood up and moved back to the edge of building.
Taking a quick glance around the corner he noticed in the distance a number of French soldiers that were leaning against the mansion wall. The light given off by the tobacco they smoked moved like fireflies at dusk. James pondered this change of circumstance and considered his options. Falling to his belly he began to creep along the grass towards the stonework stairs. Noting the numbers of soldiers currently on duty he lay there and awaited the change of guard.
* * * * *
Anne sat at the dining table somewhat bored, the dinner conversation between her father, the Governor, and the visiting merchant failed to hold her attention, and after all the conversation from her parens and the subsequent intrigue that was built up in regards to the merchants son as a possible match for her, he turned out to be, in Anne’s eyes, a rather droll boring young man with an over-blown sense of importance. Still Anne thought, if that’s the only way to escape her overbearing father and lifeless mother and gain independence, she may have to concede her heart.
“Anne, Anne, Anne, Anne!” her fathers’ voice snapped her out of her tired daze, “Monsieur Christopher requests a dance with you before we retire for dessert”, the tone of her fathers voice let her know that this wasn’t debatable.
That unexpected request caused a moderate amount of discomfort to her; she looked down at herself, her gaze taking in the clothes that she had decided upon for the evening. Dressed as she was, in deep sea blue dress, with white lace trim and low-cut blue-grey corset and white buttons, she attempted to adjust the bodice, hoping to hide as much skin as she could possibly achieve, hopefully the necklace she had chosen would provide some assistance. Considering all this Anne instantly regretted taking her mothers word regarding the sort of man Christopher was and chastised herself for not having had the common sense to be conservative in her fashion choices until after she had actually decided for herself upon the type of man he was and whether he was worth the risqué style she had chosen for tonight.
Stammering a reply to her father, Anne bemoaned the request “Father, I am not feeling the best tonight, would the Monsieur expect a lady to dance when her body is not agreeing with her?”
“Anne” her father stated flatly giving her a stern look, “you will dance, and you will enjoy it”.
Anne glared down at the silverware on the table in front of her, the reflection of her expression on the empty plate showing her discord at her fathers command, she bit her lip as the maid moved quietly up beside her and took the cutlery and used dishes. Taking a deep breath and composing herself she looked up, her gaze finding Christopher who sat almost opposite her, looking into his eyes as if to say ‘I am in no mood for this nonsense’ she smiled and muttered “Monsieur, shall we dance?”
Christopher smiled back, a tasteless grin covered his face, the indication of the power of his belief in his own importance evident by the display, “Why yes, Mademoiselle Anne, yes we shall”.
Standing up from where he was seated opposite Christopher moved around the table to stand at the side of Anne, reaching out his hand, he awaited her move. Anne looked one last time in her father’s direction before standing to her feet, the chair scraping loudly on the floor as she pushed it back and attempted to exert her independence while Christopher tried to help her up without appearing foolish. Her father looked up from his conversation with the merchant and glared in her direction, before picking up where he had left off.
By now Anne had finally made it to her feet she turned in Christopher’s direction and took his arm, then said gently, but with a slight undertone “follow me”. She then led him out of the dining room and down the corridor towards another room, the music softly drifted towards them as the hired musicians played their part. Upon reaching the room and deciding that there was no other course of action than to dance with Christopher, Anne curtsied before him, and awaited his bow. Moving a few feet in front of him, she deftly spun to the soft music, her hands holding the folds of her dress as she twisted to the melody, the moonlight bouncing off her blue-grey corset as it entered through the large window across from them. Coming to a stop she moved in front of Christopher and offered him her arm.
The music gently became a slow melody while Christopher and Anne took their positions in front of one another, then once they were hand in hand it picked up again, a moderate beat bounced around the room as Christopher and Anne moved forwards and back, then side to side before moving in small circles together. “Mademoiselle you dance wonderfully” beamed Christopher, his hand moving further down Anne’s back.
“I know”, she replied dryly, removing her right hand from his and bringing it to her mouth and coughing loudly, forcing Christopher to re-adjust the position of his hand. The dance continued for the next minutes or so, Christopher attempting to caress more than Anne’s back as she tried to avoid his affections. After the song had finished Anne smiled, stepped back and curtsied then whispered softly “Why thank you for the dance Monsieur, may I retire to my room?” fluttering her eyelashes as she did so.
Christopher stepped forward and suddenly took her in his arms and kissed her full on the mouth. Anne gasped loudly as she twisted her mouth from his; the strong smell of brandy filling her nostrils, as she placed her hands against his chest as she tried pushed him off.
Escaping his strong embrace she stepped back and slapped him hard across the face, the ringing sound reverberating around the room, breaking the musicians out of their conversation. “Monsieur, how dare you!” Anne spat, the terseness of the tone displaying her views about his actions, glaring as she gathered her skirts, “Monsieur, I must bid you good night!”, and with she that stomped off from the room.
Christopher stood there, hands on hips as he watched Anne leave from the room hastily in a huff, a smirk broke across his face, onlookers may call it an malicious grin as he chuckled out loud to know one in particular, “Mademoiselle, you will be mine, you will be mine, I promise you that”.
* * * * *
The changing of the guard took a lot longer than James expected, by the time the soldiers had finished their tobacco and tramped off for their quarters, his back was aching, the combination of the crouching in the tree earlier and the hard ground not helping. Rolling onto his side he quickly got to his feet and quietly made his way swiftly to the darkened side of the mansion, before the next guard rotation arrived, and found another shadowy corner to watch and wait. After a period of time he decided that the guards were retiring for the evening and wouldn’t be coming back, he crouched low against the ground while he assessed the situation. Looking up and taking notice of the height of the moon, as it shone through the tree canopy, he reckoned that it was shortly before midnight. Taking out the folded sailcloth and charcoal, James laid it down on the ground beside him, spreading it open he then drew some more faint markings on the makeshift map before folding it and stuffing it back in his pants and crouching down once again.
Looking upwards from where he was crouched in the garden, James could see the lip of a balcony a few feet above him, the faint glow of a lamp in the room above throwing a yellow tint through the glass panes of the window. Peering around himself in the darkness as if looking for something useful, James could make out a creeper vine running up the wall and past the balconies edge, walking over to it quietly he took hold and tested it for his weight. Placing his hands either side James slowly worked himself up the vine, climbing it as though it were a rope on the ship, he silently stepped over the balustrade and knelt close to the floor, two French doors appeared before him, one slightly ajar.
James then crawled slowly towards the open door, putting his ear close to the gap he lay there for a few moments listening intently, trying to make out if there was anyone sleeping in the room beyond the door. The faint smell of Lavender wafted across his nose, the soft sound of breathing following it close by as it rushed as if to escape the room together. James smiled, and slowly pushed the door open; ever so quiet so as he could to make sure whoever was inside was not awakened by the sound. He waited another few moments before kneeling and crawling into the room, in the corner stood a white wooden framed bed, adorned by small wooden ballerina’s cut into the bed head, the silk sheets piled up at the foot. In the bed lay a wisp of a figure, James stood slowly and circled around the bed, keeping himself in the darkness as he did. The figure in the bed suddenly rolled over onto her side, James froze where he was, her nightshirt falling open and giving a hint of skin and things to come.
James smiled to himself as he took in the view, waiting until he was sure the girl was completely asleep he decided to take a risk and slowly crept towards the bed, the occasion for a closer look to good an opportunity to miss out on. He came to a stop about 4 feet from the side of the best, realising whose room he had actually stumbled upon gave him goose bumps down his spine. ‘What are the odds of that?’ he thought to himself. Smiling he looked around the room again, the moonlight providing enough illumination that he could make out a small gold broach resting on the dresser. A wide grin invaded his otherwise calm face as he made his way over to the dresser and gently lifted the broach off the dresser-top, looking closely he noticed the name engraved on the back “Anne”, he then gently and quietly placed it in his pocket, before turning and looking at the sleeping girl.
James then slowly made his way back towards the open French doors and balcony outside, just before he got there, an impish grin crossed his face, turning slowly he looked back at ‘Anne’. Then grinned to himself as he carefully moved over to the side of her bed, before leaning down and kissing her lips softly, ‘Ah, sleeping beauty’ he thought as he stood back up and retraced his path back to the balcony and carefully climbed down the vines.
* * * * *
Anne sat bolt upright a few moments later, rubbing her hands across her eyes, “What the? Was someone in my room?”
She looked around her room carefully, hugging the pillow close to her chest, the wind catching the curtains from the open door taking the shape of a ghost as the breeze blew into the room. Anne got out of her bed, her shapely legs falling onto the floor as she twisted and stepped away from the bed, the light footfalls tapping against the floor. She walked over the open door and looked carefully outside, then closed the door firmly, “What a strange dream, I could have sworn…” her voice trailed off as she wiped the back of her hand across her lips and rubbed her eyes again.
* * * * *
Christopher paced around his fathers Antechamber, “I want her father, she is everything I have ever wanted in a wife…”
“I know you do my son, I know you do” came the reply, “and you shall have her, one way or another”
“Good!” Christopher replied, rubbing his hands in delight, “this damn country full of heathens is taking all of my patience”
* * * * *
James moved further along the path, skirting the house as he went; making his way slowly from the vicinity Anne’s room, he made sure that he was taking note of the other balconies above, jotting them down on his sailcloth as he went, the moon was high up in the night sky by now, providing a ample light in which to travel by. Smiling as he walked delicately through the garden bed, James’ mind wandered back to the memory of kissing ‘Anne’, her soft full lips tasted so sweet and ripe. Her skin so ripe and tempting, coming to the corner of the house he pushed those thoughts aside and crouched to consider his options. In the distance he could make out the silhouette of the front gate guard house, the embers from the nearby fire pit adding light to the picture, the conversation between the guards picked up by James’ ears as it drifted softly in the light breeze.
Crouching close to the ground James, waited for a short period of time, the sound of loud laughter coming after a moment or two as the guards told each other jokes between smoking tobacco, he then quickly crawled towards the gate house, risking discovery as he crossed a moonlit patch of garden, holding his breath, he tried to calm his nerves as he made it back into the shadows. Craning his head from where he was laying, he counted quickly the number of guards, four sat there, looking carefully he noticed a fifth sprawled on the floor, passed out.
Backtracking carefully he moved to the edge of the shadows, then looked back towards the guards; silence had set in at the gatehouse, the quietness unsettling for James. Looking around the garden bed James noticed a relatively sized rock, picking it up, he weighted it slightly in his hand, then threw it across the clearing to the far side of the house. The rock bounced as it hit the ground, ricocheting into the far wall, the clatter surprised the guards, as their grunts and feet on the pavement as they ran towards the house, the sound of dogs barking filled the night. James grinned, and then ran as quickly as he could through the clearing and across the moonlit space, making his way back towards Anne’s secret clearing.
To Be Continued...
12th September 2008
The Governors Daughter…
Part 1: The Caribbean
Chapter 1
…The wind was blowing softly through the palms and the canopy of the nearby trees, as she lay on her back in the warm sunlight, tickling her body as it went gently by, like the feel of silk being dragged down her skin sensuously. Suddenly she looked up; the sense that someone was watching her worked its way down her spine and gave her goose bumps, yet a sense of fear mixed with excitement about the unknown. Her first reaction was to reach for her nearby dress and cover herself from the prying eyes, Rolling onto her stomach, she brushed her long slender fingers through her deep brown tresses, trying to work out if really had been, being watched or had simply day dreamt it.
Laying there for a few moments in the late afternoon sun, she considered the likelihood that anyone had actually discovered her hiding place in the sprawling estate gardens quite unrealistic. Biting her lower lip, her face displaying that look of disappointment and impish annoyance at not actually being discovered, she decided that it was probably just her imagination playing games in an effort to counter the boredom of the routine she was daily subjected to. Arching her back, and then pushing her delightfully shaped rear up into the air, Anne stood, first stretching like the young petite kitten she still was. Gathering her clothes, she quickly dressed. The knowledge that Papa and Mama were due home sometime in the hours before dinner quickened her movements. Anne knew she’d have to slip back into her room while the maid wasn’t looking. She grinned at that very notion, her eyes twinkling and laughing out loud to herself, this was all part of the game though wasn’t it.
* * * * *
James swore to himself as he finally exhaled sharply, ‘the silly girl almost caught you, you daft fool’, his own voice echoing inside his head, ‘and you call yourself a notorious buccaneer, hardly’. James grimaced as he relaxed his hold on the branch above him, shaking his hand he allowed the blood to flow again, he then adjusted his footing on the tree bough; the slip up had almost been more costly that James was willing to pay, thank God for the thickened canopy. Clearing his mind of these opinions he thought back to what just transpired in front of him. ‘The Captain is going to like this information, I better get a reward, and that girl…very exquisite and very delicious…’ James lowered himself onto the tree branch below and waited for the darkness of nightfall to surround him, the Captain had ordered him to work out how many guards there were surrounding the Governors mansion and what weaknesses there might be.
* * * * *
Anne quickly picked her way through the estate gardens and up the stonework stairs headed for the estate house, circling around the side she made her way towards where her bedroom was situated, looking upwards she could see that the balcony door was still open, obviously the maid hadn’t made the discover of her absence yet. She grinned as she remembered the other times she had snuck out of the house late in the afternoon to sunbake alone, the joys of being free of those intolerable skirts enough to make any possible punishment worth it, including being sent home on the next ship. Laughing she remembered her fathers comments about how dark her arms were, and the reaction to the bemused look she gave him as she stated ‘Obviously Papa, the darker shade is because I’ve been around the maid and coloured workers too much .’ Standing at the wall below the balcony Anne heaved her dress and shift up onto the floor above, then grabbed hold of the thick creeper vine running up the wall and scrambled up, a mischievous look came to her face as she remembered how her cousin Stephen had taught her how to climb the wall years before when he was visiting her for a few months, ‘oh the fun times they had and the jokes they played on the staff’.
Gathering her crumpled clothes off the terraced balcony Anne hurried through the open doors, turning around she gave the setting sun one last glance, the look of longing regret twisted her beautiful face, as the thoughts of having to return to the only choice she had, that of being a stiff, toffee-nosed upper-class daughter brought her back to reality, before she quietly closed the matching doors behind herself. Her voice, loud and clearly demanding, as she played her part and called out for the maid to come dress her, could be heard to echo around the room and even startled the sleeping birds that made their nest on the alcove above.
* * * * *
James waited until the cover of darkness had engulfed the estate before moving from his perch, the sound of birds chattering softly in the tree tops above and surrounding his hiding place gave the impression of safety and tranquillity, then softly like a house cat he climbed down from the concealed trunk on which he had stood the past few hours, upon reaching stable ground James stood upright and stretched himself, working out the kinks from his back, arms and legs, he waited for the blood to flow back into his fingers and toes before kneeling behind a shrub and concentrating on the target at hand, the mansion in the distance that was lit up like a beacon in the shadowy darkness around, somewhat expected given the preference of the rich for gaudy appearances. The eyes of the unseen audience would show a lean, well muscled man, around the mid 20’s mark, not exceptionally good-looking, but more the rugged look, the type that women felt drawn towards for some reason. The years as a ship’s boy before graduating to the rank of pirate evident in the way he was built and how he nimbly walked and carried himself, like an acrobat on a tight rope.
James quietly moved from behind the shrubbery that he had earlier been crouched; taking care to make sure that he kept any light, from the glow of the estate’s evening lampposts, between himself and the mansion’s outlying building’s, he made his way, in a somewhat cautious stoop, with soft deliberate steps, along the gardens edge and towards the mansion, paying close attention to any evidence he may leave behind him. As he got closer to the first building James reached down and loosened the small dagger that he had strapped to his waist before leaving the vicinity of the rowboat, the idea of startling some unsuspecting estate worker without being quite prepared was a recent memory of the last time he was chosen for this task, James swore and grinned as he remembered the enjoyment that night ended up becoming.
Creeping along the outer wall of the nearest of the buildings James crouched as he came across a window still ajar, the broken shutter evident as he took his time to gather his breath, he then peered through the nearby window, the missing glass allowing him an unobtrusive view, noting the excess of hay, and the foul smelling scent that wafted from within, James decided that this was most likely to be the estate’s stables or carriage quarters. Making a mental note to mention the abundance of combustible materials inside the building to the Captain, James moved along further until he reached the corner of the yard. Taking out a folded piece of tattered sail cloth from his pocket and some charcoal, James stepped back into the shadows, he then knelt down and unfolded the cloth, laying it flat on the firm ground beside him, he then set about following the instructions of the Captain as he quickly drew the outline of the estate grounds as he knew so far, marking in the gardens, the pathway and the stables. Wrapping up the cloth he suddenly heard a hoarse coughing coming from the window he had just moved past. Sinking to his knees and finally his belly he pushed the cloth back into his pocket before creeping back to the window. Peering again inside the window he looked about for the origin of the noise. Seeing nothing at first he waited a few moments before the coughing started again, shifting his gaze James noted that someone, most likely the stableboy slept in the loft above.
James reminded himself to inform the Captain of this development and considered to himself that this maybe an obstacle that would need addressing when they returned in numbers. Sitting there against the stables wall, as James waited for the coughing to subside, his thoughts slowly drifted to that of the Governors daughter. She was an exceptional beauty, with long dark brown hair, and a deliciously innocent, yet maturing body; the secretive time that she spent lying in the sun had given her a softened brownish hue. Nothing at all like the whores, with their painted faces and garish dress, that he had met and enjoyed from time to time in the taverns and bars of the nearby shanty towns and other port cities of the America’s, it was as if she were from another time or place. James grinned to himself as he remembered the surprise at almost tripping over the Governors half-naked daughter. The Debate with himself over whether or not he had waited long enough for the stable boy to relax was decided upon by the loud snores that echoed around the stables and out the window, James let out a shy of relief and patted the dagger on his hip, then with a wry smile he stood up and moved back to the edge of building.
Taking a quick glance around the corner he noticed in the distance a number of French soldiers that were leaning against the mansion wall. The light given off by the tobacco they smoked moved like fireflies at dusk. James pondered this change of circumstance and considered his options. Falling to his belly he began to creep along the grass towards the stonework stairs. Noting the numbers of soldiers currently on duty he lay there and awaited the change of guard.
* * * * *
Anne sat at the dining table somewhat bored, the dinner conversation between her father, the Governor, and the visiting merchant failed to hold her attention, and after all the conversation from her parens and the subsequent intrigue that was built up in regards to the merchants son as a possible match for her, he turned out to be, in Anne’s eyes, a rather droll boring young man with an over-blown sense of importance. Still Anne thought, if that’s the only way to escape her overbearing father and lifeless mother and gain independence, she may have to concede her heart.
“Anne, Anne, Anne, Anne!” her fathers’ voice snapped her out of her tired daze, “Monsieur Christopher requests a dance with you before we retire for dessert”, the tone of her fathers voice let her know that this wasn’t debatable.
That unexpected request caused a moderate amount of discomfort to her; she looked down at herself, her gaze taking in the clothes that she had decided upon for the evening. Dressed as she was, in deep sea blue dress, with white lace trim and low-cut blue-grey corset and white buttons, she attempted to adjust the bodice, hoping to hide as much skin as she could possibly achieve, hopefully the necklace she had chosen would provide some assistance. Considering all this Anne instantly regretted taking her mothers word regarding the sort of man Christopher was and chastised herself for not having had the common sense to be conservative in her fashion choices until after she had actually decided for herself upon the type of man he was and whether he was worth the risqué style she had chosen for tonight.
Stammering a reply to her father, Anne bemoaned the request “Father, I am not feeling the best tonight, would the Monsieur expect a lady to dance when her body is not agreeing with her?”
“Anne” her father stated flatly giving her a stern look, “you will dance, and you will enjoy it”.
Anne glared down at the silverware on the table in front of her, the reflection of her expression on the empty plate showing her discord at her fathers command, she bit her lip as the maid moved quietly up beside her and took the cutlery and used dishes. Taking a deep breath and composing herself she looked up, her gaze finding Christopher who sat almost opposite her, looking into his eyes as if to say ‘I am in no mood for this nonsense’ she smiled and muttered “Monsieur, shall we dance?”
Christopher smiled back, a tasteless grin covered his face, the indication of the power of his belief in his own importance evident by the display, “Why yes, Mademoiselle Anne, yes we shall”.
Standing up from where he was seated opposite Christopher moved around the table to stand at the side of Anne, reaching out his hand, he awaited her move. Anne looked one last time in her father’s direction before standing to her feet, the chair scraping loudly on the floor as she pushed it back and attempted to exert her independence while Christopher tried to help her up without appearing foolish. Her father looked up from his conversation with the merchant and glared in her direction, before picking up where he had left off.
By now Anne had finally made it to her feet she turned in Christopher’s direction and took his arm, then said gently, but with a slight undertone “follow me”. She then led him out of the dining room and down the corridor towards another room, the music softly drifted towards them as the hired musicians played their part. Upon reaching the room and deciding that there was no other course of action than to dance with Christopher, Anne curtsied before him, and awaited his bow. Moving a few feet in front of him, she deftly spun to the soft music, her hands holding the folds of her dress as she twisted to the melody, the moonlight bouncing off her blue-grey corset as it entered through the large window across from them. Coming to a stop she moved in front of Christopher and offered him her arm.
The music gently became a slow melody while Christopher and Anne took their positions in front of one another, then once they were hand in hand it picked up again, a moderate beat bounced around the room as Christopher and Anne moved forwards and back, then side to side before moving in small circles together. “Mademoiselle you dance wonderfully” beamed Christopher, his hand moving further down Anne’s back.
“I know”, she replied dryly, removing her right hand from his and bringing it to her mouth and coughing loudly, forcing Christopher to re-adjust the position of his hand. The dance continued for the next minutes or so, Christopher attempting to caress more than Anne’s back as she tried to avoid his affections. After the song had finished Anne smiled, stepped back and curtsied then whispered softly “Why thank you for the dance Monsieur, may I retire to my room?” fluttering her eyelashes as she did so.
Christopher stepped forward and suddenly took her in his arms and kissed her full on the mouth. Anne gasped loudly as she twisted her mouth from his; the strong smell of brandy filling her nostrils, as she placed her hands against his chest as she tried pushed him off.
Escaping his strong embrace she stepped back and slapped him hard across the face, the ringing sound reverberating around the room, breaking the musicians out of their conversation. “Monsieur, how dare you!” Anne spat, the terseness of the tone displaying her views about his actions, glaring as she gathered her skirts, “Monsieur, I must bid you good night!”, and with she that stomped off from the room.
Christopher stood there, hands on hips as he watched Anne leave from the room hastily in a huff, a smirk broke across his face, onlookers may call it an malicious grin as he chuckled out loud to know one in particular, “Mademoiselle, you will be mine, you will be mine, I promise you that”.
* * * * *
The changing of the guard took a lot longer than James expected, by the time the soldiers had finished their tobacco and tramped off for their quarters, his back was aching, the combination of the crouching in the tree earlier and the hard ground not helping. Rolling onto his side he quickly got to his feet and quietly made his way swiftly to the darkened side of the mansion, before the next guard rotation arrived, and found another shadowy corner to watch and wait. After a period of time he decided that the guards were retiring for the evening and wouldn’t be coming back, he crouched low against the ground while he assessed the situation. Looking up and taking notice of the height of the moon, as it shone through the tree canopy, he reckoned that it was shortly before midnight. Taking out the folded sailcloth and charcoal, James laid it down on the ground beside him, spreading it open he then drew some more faint markings on the makeshift map before folding it and stuffing it back in his pants and crouching down once again.
Looking upwards from where he was crouched in the garden, James could see the lip of a balcony a few feet above him, the faint glow of a lamp in the room above throwing a yellow tint through the glass panes of the window. Peering around himself in the darkness as if looking for something useful, James could make out a creeper vine running up the wall and past the balconies edge, walking over to it quietly he took hold and tested it for his weight. Placing his hands either side James slowly worked himself up the vine, climbing it as though it were a rope on the ship, he silently stepped over the balustrade and knelt close to the floor, two French doors appeared before him, one slightly ajar.
James then crawled slowly towards the open door, putting his ear close to the gap he lay there for a few moments listening intently, trying to make out if there was anyone sleeping in the room beyond the door. The faint smell of Lavender wafted across his nose, the soft sound of breathing following it close by as it rushed as if to escape the room together. James smiled, and slowly pushed the door open; ever so quiet so as he could to make sure whoever was inside was not awakened by the sound. He waited another few moments before kneeling and crawling into the room, in the corner stood a white wooden framed bed, adorned by small wooden ballerina’s cut into the bed head, the silk sheets piled up at the foot. In the bed lay a wisp of a figure, James stood slowly and circled around the bed, keeping himself in the darkness as he did. The figure in the bed suddenly rolled over onto her side, James froze where he was, her nightshirt falling open and giving a hint of skin and things to come.
James smiled to himself as he took in the view, waiting until he was sure the girl was completely asleep he decided to take a risk and slowly crept towards the bed, the occasion for a closer look to good an opportunity to miss out on. He came to a stop about 4 feet from the side of the best, realising whose room he had actually stumbled upon gave him goose bumps down his spine. ‘What are the odds of that?’ he thought to himself. Smiling he looked around the room again, the moonlight providing enough illumination that he could make out a small gold broach resting on the dresser. A wide grin invaded his otherwise calm face as he made his way over to the dresser and gently lifted the broach off the dresser-top, looking closely he noticed the name engraved on the back “Anne”, he then gently and quietly placed it in his pocket, before turning and looking at the sleeping girl.
James then slowly made his way back towards the open French doors and balcony outside, just before he got there, an impish grin crossed his face, turning slowly he looked back at ‘Anne’. Then grinned to himself as he carefully moved over to the side of her bed, before leaning down and kissing her lips softly, ‘Ah, sleeping beauty’ he thought as he stood back up and retraced his path back to the balcony and carefully climbed down the vines.
* * * * *
Anne sat bolt upright a few moments later, rubbing her hands across her eyes, “What the? Was someone in my room?”
She looked around her room carefully, hugging the pillow close to her chest, the wind catching the curtains from the open door taking the shape of a ghost as the breeze blew into the room. Anne got out of her bed, her shapely legs falling onto the floor as she twisted and stepped away from the bed, the light footfalls tapping against the floor. She walked over the open door and looked carefully outside, then closed the door firmly, “What a strange dream, I could have sworn…” her voice trailed off as she wiped the back of her hand across her lips and rubbed her eyes again.
* * * * *
Christopher paced around his fathers Antechamber, “I want her father, she is everything I have ever wanted in a wife…”
“I know you do my son, I know you do” came the reply, “and you shall have her, one way or another”
“Good!” Christopher replied, rubbing his hands in delight, “this damn country full of heathens is taking all of my patience”
* * * * *
James moved further along the path, skirting the house as he went; making his way slowly from the vicinity Anne’s room, he made sure that he was taking note of the other balconies above, jotting them down on his sailcloth as he went, the moon was high up in the night sky by now, providing a ample light in which to travel by. Smiling as he walked delicately through the garden bed, James’ mind wandered back to the memory of kissing ‘Anne’, her soft full lips tasted so sweet and ripe. Her skin so ripe and tempting, coming to the corner of the house he pushed those thoughts aside and crouched to consider his options. In the distance he could make out the silhouette of the front gate guard house, the embers from the nearby fire pit adding light to the picture, the conversation between the guards picked up by James’ ears as it drifted softly in the light breeze.
Crouching close to the ground James, waited for a short period of time, the sound of loud laughter coming after a moment or two as the guards told each other jokes between smoking tobacco, he then quickly crawled towards the gate house, risking discovery as he crossed a moonlit patch of garden, holding his breath, he tried to calm his nerves as he made it back into the shadows. Craning his head from where he was laying, he counted quickly the number of guards, four sat there, looking carefully he noticed a fifth sprawled on the floor, passed out.
Backtracking carefully he moved to the edge of the shadows, then looked back towards the guards; silence had set in at the gatehouse, the quietness unsettling for James. Looking around the garden bed James noticed a relatively sized rock, picking it up, he weighted it slightly in his hand, then threw it across the clearing to the far side of the house. The rock bounced as it hit the ground, ricocheting into the far wall, the clatter surprised the guards, as their grunts and feet on the pavement as they ran towards the house, the sound of dogs barking filled the night. James grinned, and then ran as quickly as he could through the clearing and across the moonlit space, making his way back towards Anne’s secret clearing.
To Be Continued...
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