“What have you been up to?”

Annabelle was so lost in her thoughts, so involved with everything that was spinning through her mind, that she almost didn’t hear her father calling out to her. Floyd consumed her entirely, their riding lesson had only heightened her feelings for him, almost uncontrollably so. Her cheeks flushed with excitement when she thought about seeing him again, her body buzzed with a thrill as she imagined herself back up on Primrose. Everything felt perfect...

Until her father’s booming voice burst through her brain, bringing her back to reality with a thump.

“Erm, I...” she stammered anxiously. “I was just outside...”

Wait, I was not doing anything wrong, she decided rapidly. I was only learning to ride. There is nothing wrong with that.

“I was having horse riding lessons.” Annabelle jutted out her chin and stared her father down. She could not see him discovering any issues, he certainly did not know the inappropriate thoughts that were running through her mind.

“Why?” Otto folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes at his daughter. “Why now? You have not ever cared to ride before. That does not make any sense?”

“I have... always wanted to.”

“Do not lie to me, Annabelle. Your mother has been trying to get you up on a horse for years. Do not tell me that you have suddenly developed a desire to do something that you have been fighting for years.”

“Why not?” Annabelle did not feel ready to back down just yet.

“You think I do not see what is going on?” Otto was angry now, he had given his daughter a chance to explain and she refused. That made him madder than the situation itself. “You do not think I know about you and the stable boy?” He said that with such disgust it made Annabelle want to weep. Floyd was worth so much more than that, if her father took a moment to speak to him he would learn that. “You think I do not see the way you look at him?”

Annabelle’s heart stopped dead in her chest, she thought that she had been discrete with her emotions. She parted her lips, racking her brain desperately to find the right words to make this situation right, but there was not anything there.

“You will not spend any more time with him...”

“But I really do want to learn how to ride.”

“No, Annabelle.” Otto placed a hand on Annabelle’s shoulder. To an outsider it might have appeared that he was trying to comfort her, but she knew better. It was a threat. She had to do what he wanted or else. “I will not hear of it. Once you are married you will have all the time in the world to do what you want. Lord Ashdown has quite the stable, so I hear, and I am sure he will be willing to get you proper riding lessons from an actual teacher.”

“Floyd wants to be a teacher; he has dreams to open his own...”

“I do not want to hear it,” Otto yelled. He could not stand his daughter’s obstinacy for another second. “I have heard enough. The stable boy can have as many dreams as he likes, he will not make them come true. Do you understand how much money it takes to start your own business? Can you even begin to imagine?” Otto shook his head looking disappointed and disgusted. It pained him to have to explain such things to Annabelle, it meant he had failed as a father. She should understand the sort of man that she needed to be spending time with at eighteen years old. “Annabelle, you cannot understand, your immaturity still allows you to believe in unattainable dreams. I have been around for a lot longer than you and I have seen much more of the world. I suggest that you listen to me with this one... keep away from the stable boy. Focus on your marriage instead.”

A crushing sense of hopelessness washed over Annabelle. Her one moment of rebellion and freedom had only sunk her deeper into the mess that she really wanted to keep away from. It was a nightmare. She only had one tool left and it was honesty and love.

“Father, please,” she begged desperately. “Please do not make me do this. You know I cannot.”

“Annabelle,” Otto warned. “I strongly suggest that you stop this now.” He clutched onto his forehead wearily. Otto felt utterly sick of listening to this. “It is decided.”

“You can stop it though. You are powerful, you could make sure this does not happen...”

“And who would want to marry you then?” he exploded. “People know that you are betrothed to Lord Ashdown, if that ends people will wonder why. Men will wonder why. Do you think any Lord worth anything will want to betroth himself to the woman who cancelled her last wedding? It will be assumed that something is wrong with you, your reputation is ruined, or you are a nightmare. You will end up unwed forever.”

“I would prefer that!” Annabelle shouted back, accidently letting too much of the truth out. “I would prefer to be alone than be with him.”

“That is only your childishness coming out again. You will not feel the same way in a few years.”

“Stop calling me childish,” Annabelle argued, sounding far more childish than she meant to. “I know what I want out of life and it is not him.”

Otto did not have the energy for this fight anymore, he could not listen to all the women in his life disagreeing with him. If there was one thing that Otto did not like, it was being undermined. “I am always right,” he growled as anger clouded his vision. “The sooner you and my wife understand that, the better. Your sister soon learned, she is happy with Abraham now, is she not?”

“I... I...” Annabelle stepped backwards as her father’s expression changed. She had not ever seen him so angry before and it scared her a little. “I guess so.”

“You guess right. Beatrice is happy and you will be too. You just need to give it a chance. Now, you will listen to me on one thing, there will be no more horse riding. There will be no more stable boy. I will not hear another word on the subject, it has been decided.”

“But Father, I...”

“You, nothing. You are only eighteen years of age; you have lived only under my roof. You do not know anything of the world yet. You will have to trust me; I do not want to hear that you do not like my decisions anymore. This is the end of the conversation; do you understand?” Annabelle bit down on her lip and said nothing. “I said do you understand?”

She had no choice, Annabelle had to give her father an answer one way or another, even if it was not the answer that she liked. “Yes, Father.”

“Good. I am glad to hear it. Now let us just get on with things, forget this conversation ever happened.”

He stormed back inside the house before Annabelle could even think of a response. She stared at his shadow in shock, wondering what on Earth she was supposed to do now. The more she argued against Lord Ashdown, the more determined he became. Lord Ashdown really had Otto convinced that he was a gentleman and the right Lord for Annabelle. She was not sure that was something that she could do anymore.

She might need to find another way out...

Annabelle walked in a haze up to her bedroom to get herself some privacy. Once she walked through the door she spotted one of the maids dusting her things, but that did not cause her to stop. She wandered over to her bed and she flopped her body downwards. The maid paused for a second and she watched the Lady confused. Was she supposed to stay or go?

“You may stay,” Annabelle sighed, sensing the maid’s distress. “If you do not mind me lying here on the bed. I do not want to get in your way.”

“Oh, erm, no that is fine.” The maid did not know what to do with herself, the Lady had never spoken to her before. It felt strange to interact with her. “Just... pretend I am not here.”

I wish that I could blend into the background, Annabelle thought sadly. I would enjoy having no one focus on me.

The idea of being free to be who she pleased, to love who she wanted, to have any dream she wanted pleased her greatly. Annabelle assumed that her father was so obsessed with money that he did not see how nice life would be without it. The expectations that came with being wealthy were absolutely stifling.

If Annabelle were free, she decided she would let herself love Floyd. He was the perfect sort of man to have a wonderful love affair with. He was strong, ambitious, pleasant, kind... nothing like Lord Ashdown. Annabelle felt that she could be happy with Floyd forever, with the bond that they had, she thought that connection would last for their whole lives. He would never speak to her in such a way that demeaned her, or he would not touch her in a way that made her uncomfortable. She felt respected with Floyd, treated well. How could her father not see that she would be better off without Lord Ashdown in her life?

“Erm, is there anything else you would like me to do?” the maid asked Annabelle awkwardly. Normally she would finish with the dusting and she would leave instantly to get on with the next job, but she did not feel comfortable leaving without saying anything. “Lady Hathaway.” She bobbed into a bow.

“No, thank you.” Annabelle turned her head to one side and she looked at the maid. “You have done a good job.”

The maid waited, she got the impression that Annabelle had something else that she wanted to say, but after a moment of silence, she nodded and moved her feet out of the room. As she walked down the hallway she wondered what was going on with the Lady of the house. All the staff knew her as slightly difficult, not horrible but a little impulsive and occasionally stand-offish. Now, she seemed sweet and vulnerable, and the maid wished that she could know more.

Annabelle felt more alone than ever before as her room emptied. She had exhausted all of her avenues, there was no one left to help her, for the first time in her life, Annabelle was truly alone. She would have to rely on herself. Despite the fact that she knew she was a strong person, this was pushing it. Annabelle knew that she would have to dig deep if she wanted to survive.

Josephine overheard the interaction between Otto and Annabelle. She did not mean to eavesdrop, it was only a coincidence that she happened to be walking past when it happened. As she listened to the yelling, Josephine stopped to listen in. Of course, a part of her hoped that Otto would change his mind, but she did not hold out too much hope... which was quickly shown as the right choice.

Otto was set in stone.

Maybe Josephine should have intervened as she heard the argument progressing, maybe she should have said something before her daughter got too upset, but she felt that she could not. It wasn’t that she did not want to defend Annabelle, it was because she had her own agenda. She had her own plan that she was working on...

Josephine had not worked out the finer details of her idea, which was why she wanted to keep it to herself for the time being, but it was there in the back of her mind. She would help Annabelle escape her marriage to Lord Ashdown some way or another. She would not let it happen. Josephine was well aware that it could affect her own marriage, she knew it would risk what she had with Otto, but her daughter needed her. Annabelle had asked for her help and she fully intended to give it. Even if her daughter never found out that it was her, she would still do it. That was her job as a mother.

I’m sorry, Annabelle, she thought with her eyes closed. I am doing what I can, I promise. Please, just hold on for a little while longer...