Page 43 of Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl
Chapter 21
Annabelle’s eyes flickered open.For a brief, wonderful second, she imagined herself back in the servants’ quarter with Floyd's body wrapped around her, but soon the reality crashed down on her shoulders once more, reminding her that everything wasterrible.
No, I am still at home, still planning a wedding that I do not want, still hated byeveryone.
Annabelle’s life back in London was awful, she could not stand it. Not one person had dared make eye contact with her since she returned home and it was starting to destroy her. It was almost as if she had a terrible disease that no one wanted to acknowledge. As if she was about to die and no one knew what to say to her aboutit.
I am stuck here now. I had my chance at escape and Ifailed.
Annabelle barely focused on everything that was going on around her, it was all too horrible for her to emotionally deal with, so instead, she lost herself in her imagination for a moment, where everything was so muchbetter.
Floyd Brewer, the man that she loved more than anything in the world, had not come looking for her. Not that she knew of anyway. She had not wanted to get her hopes up too much that he would in case her plans did not work out as she desired, but it was still very hard to accept that he had simply moved on without her. It made her realize that maybe love could not solve anyproblems.
Where are you now, Floyd? What are you doing? Are you still working for Mr.Brentwood?
Annabelle did not want to know what had been said about her among the staff when she got dragged away. She felt certain that the gossip would be rife and that the rumours would be varied and wild. Maybe someone would even happen upon the truth. Maybe, Violet, she knew her better than anyoneelse.
“Annabelle?” Josephine’s voice rang through her bedroom, causing her to bolt into a sitting position. “Do you have amoment?”
She had not seen her mother much since she had been home, and certainly not alone. Annabelle suspected that her father was making an effort to keep them apart so they could not plot anything everagain.
“Mother,” she gasped desperately. “Oh mygoodness.”
She swung her legs to the ground and padded across the floor. At least her mother was looking right at her, that minute of genuine human connection felt like everything to her. Annabelle held her arms wide to hug her mother, which was a gesture that Josephine acceptedgratefully.
She felt like she had let her daughter down by allowing Otto to come after her in her new life. Maybe she tried, unsuccessfully, to stop him, but to Annabelle, that probably would not meananything.
“Annabelle, I am so sorry that I have not been able to see you before. It has been challenging forme...”
“Oh, I know,” Annabelle muttered into her mother’s chest. “I understand. Father is not happy with any of us. I am sorry that things have become challenging for youtoo.”
Josephine was taken aback by this idle comment from her child. In all the years that Annabelle had been alive, she had never really known her to think about someone else before herself. It was not that she was a selfish person, just that her worldly view had been constructed in a way that caused her to put herselffirst.
“Oh, I am sure that it will be alright,” she replied shakily. “Your father and I will find our way back to oneanother.”
Annabelle nodded. She wished that she could think of something reassuring to say, but nothing came to mind. She did not share her mother’s confidence that everything would workout.
“I do not know what to do now,” Annabelle admitted to the only person she felt comfortable talking to. “You gave me an opportunity to leave all of this behind and I failed. Now, I am right back to where Istarted.”
Josephine stroked Annabelle’s hair in the way that she used to do when her girls were young. That always cured their tears back then, but this was a much bigger issue than a scrapedknee.
“I am sorry I cannot help you again, I wish Icould.”
Despite knowing that was never going to be a possibility, Annabelle’s heart sunk. “I know, Mother, you have already done so much for me. I do not expect you to put yourself on the line again.” The wedding was on, there was no way to deny that now. Somehow Annabelle would have to accept it. “Thank you, Mother, I appreciateeverything.”
“I...” Josephine had some terrible news that she did not know how to share. “I wish I did not have to tell you this, but I believe it is better that you areprepared.”
Annabelle twisted her neck to look at her mother. She could see a terribly sad expression on her face which turned Annabelle’s gut. Everything had been awful for a while now, but judging by Josephine’s face, it was about to get a whole lotworse.
“Your father has invited Lord Ashdown to the house to speak with you. He wants to ensure that everything is going to hisplan.”
“Oh no.” Annabelle shook her head vigorously. “I do not want to see him today, Icannot.”
Josephine pursed her lips wishing that she could do more. “I understand,” she said carefully. “But you do have to get married to this man. I understand that he is awful but there is no longer anything that we can do. You need to find a way to get used to him.” She did not like delivering those words to her daughter, but there were not any otheroptions.
Annabelle sighed loudly. “I know that you are right, it just feels so difficult. I do not know how to act like I am not repulsed by him. I do not want to anger fatherfurther.”
Josephine stood up and walked over to Annabelle’s clothes. The long, flowing, shapely dresses that she had left behind when she ran. They were the one thing that she thought she would be glad to see again when she got home, but looking at them now they felt constrictive and terrifying. The colours were lovely, the jewels sewn into the material were great to look at, but if they led her closer to Lord Ashdown and further away from Floyd, then she did not want to be blinded bythem.
