A First Time for Everything
Anna shifted amongst the covers, pulling them away as she suddenly felt quite warm. Mrs Hughes had been right to send her to bed earlier in the day; a few sneezes had escalated into something worse than she had imagined. It was one of those things, nothing too significant. As the evening had worn on she got increasingly lethargic, so much so that she couldn't drag herself downstairs for a bit of hastily prepared supper.
She wouldn't mourn and feel sorry for herself about it, but the timing did seem unfortunate. Seeing the fair being set up in the village had been exciting and she had been glad of Gwen's suggestion for them all to go along. Of course, she'd seen most of it before but that didn't mean the novelty had been lost. The prospect of witnessing it through fresh eyes gave a new thrill. She had been looking forward to seeing what Mr Bates would have made of it all. It wasn't likely to be as grand as anything he had seen in London, but she hoped he would enjoy it all the same. She had come to know that he didn't give much away yet the way he had smiled to himself had given her hope. Perhaps she should have given Gwen the chance – as it was her idea – but it seemed natural that she should have been Mr Bates's guide to the attractions. He would have been good at the coconut throw, she thought. She wondered how the colour of his eyes might appear against the glow of the fire and lights.
It might have turned out for the best. Her feelings had been growing every day, and she hadn't been able to put a stop to them. While the others were distracted she might have tried something foolish, like slipping her arm into his for the briefest second. Mr Bates was unfailingly polite but he gave no sign that he returned her affections. There was no reason for him to.
Her thoughts drifted with the flicker of the candlelight. She hoped that Mrs Hughes was enjoying her night away from the house. Her eyes began to droop and blur the page, her stomach grumbled that it was empty.
It was the soft yet insistent knock that saved her from nodding off, though hearing his voice she wondered whether she wasn't already in a dream.
When she opened the door she happened upon a sight that was greater than anything she would have been likely to see at the fair, and suddenly she felt more alive than she ever had.
