Chapter Six
Anna awoke and rolled out of bed. Steaming hot water was allready in her tub and she clombed in, praying that she wouldnt remeber what happened last night. She smiled and her eyes widened. "What is wrong with me!" she yelled at herself. She shook her head and climbed out. Molly knocked and entered her chamber She walked to the armoir and pulled out a beautiful green gown. Not quite the shade of Christian's eyes, Anna thought.
She walked downstairs and saw servants running about. "Charles, what is going on?" she asked to one of the butlers.
"The King and Queen have just arrived my lady. They brought the new vicar also. Totally unexpected they were." he answered and ran off.
Anna's heart leaped to her throat and she took a deep breath. She thrust up her chin and walked into the drawing room.
"Late as always." she heard her grandmother tell Eleanor.
"Excue me for my belatedness, I have just awoken. If you'll excuse me I have to take Kirby for his afternoon walk. Eleanor, Edward, Christian, it was a pleasure to see you." she said nodding to everyone the hurrying out.
"Anna wait!" Eleanor said and hurried up to her. "If you dont mind, I would like to accompany you. I feel very energetic."
Anna smiled and nodded. She found Kirby and put him on his leash. The three of them left the house and went to Hyde Park.
"It is a beautiful day is it not?" Eleanor asked.
"Yes it is." Anna replied.
"I do believe that Christian is smitten with you. Or at least that is what Edward and I think" Eleanor said and looked up at her.
Anna's eyes widened. "I havent the foggiest notion of what you are talking about. Christian and I are just friends that is all."
"Of course you are. But just incase you two became an item, may I be the first to say that you two look quite wonderful together."
"You really think so?" Anna asked with a smile forming.
"Yes. Christian is a very charming man. Second to my Edward, of course." Eleanor replied. "Anna, dont be afraid to tell me anything. Unlike others, I do keep secrets. Perhaps I could even help you two to...how can I put it...come together."
"I'll think about it." Anna said as they headed back to the house.
They arrived and went to the dining room where everybody was gathered. Eleanor took her seat beside Edward, and Anna sat to her grandfathers left, Christian on her opposite side.
Anna conversed lightly with Christian, not trying to show any favoritism. Her grandmother her with contempt and disgust. Anna wanted to leap across the table and poke her eyes out.
"I was wondering if you will be attending the Fairfax's ball saturday night?" Chrisitan asked.
"Yes, will you also be attending?" Anna replied with a hopeful look.
He smiled and nodded. "I wouldnt miss it."
Anna stepped into the ballroom and looked around for him. It was as if there was a magnetic pull between them, because she spotted him immediately. He excused himself and made his way over to her.
"Duchess." he said taking her hand and kissing it gently.
"Vicar" she replied with a slight courtsey.
"You look very enchanting tonight." he said, a smile plastered on his face.
"You look handsome as well." she replied, grinning shamelessly.
She was dressed in a red gown, with a tight bodice that accented her womanly features. He hair was piled in curls atop her head with tendrils curling down softly and resting on her shoulders.
Christian was dressed in servere black evening attire, and he looked to handsome too be a vicar. Anna couldnt take her eyes off of him.
They twirled about the dance floor and his hand rested on the small of her back, sending goosebumps up her back.
"I wish you wouldnt do that." she whispered, looking up into his green eyes.
He smiled. "Do what?" he asked and looked at her innocently.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "You are the only man I have ever met that makes it impossible for me to put together a coherent sentence."
"It seems like you just did." he replied, a smug grin in place.
She laughed lightly and stepped on his foot causing him to smile and laugh.
Evelynn stood beside her husband and smiled at the handsome man in front of her. She laughed at one of his jokes and touched his arm. "You need to make the aquaintance of my grandaughter Annaliese, she would adore your sense of humor."
The man looked over at the beautiful woman dancing with the vicar and shook his head. "I think that she is all ready taken my lady." he replied.
"Christian? Oh no dear boy, they are just close friends that is all. Come let me introduce you to her." she said and walked over to the couple when the song ended. "Anna, this is Brett Mathews, Lord Pennington."she said.
Anna smiled and nodded her head, "Pleasure to meet you my lord."
Brett shook hands with Christian, "Good to see you again, I had no idea that you had become a vicar." he said.
Christian nodded, "Aye."
"You know each other?" Anna asked looking at both of them.
They both looked down at her and smiled, "Christian and I were best friends at Oxford. Back when he was a juvinielle delinquent." Brett informed her.
Anna smiled and shook her head, "That is diffiult to believe, Christian, a delinquent?" she joked laughing lightly.
Brett extended his hand to her, "I was wondering if I could have this dance? I could tell you more about the un-christian Chritstian."
"All right." she replied and threw a smug grin to Christian.
Christian watched his friend take Anna onto the floor. Evelynn looked up at him and smiled, "Well Christian, what is you lesson going to be about tommorow?" she asked trying to grab his attention.
"I would much prefer to tell you when I tell eceryone else, it is only fair of course." he replied with a small smile.
He turned back towards Anna and saw her laughing brightly at something Brett had told her. He saw red.
Evelynn frowned at his reaction. 'So he loved her did he?' she thought to herself. She would soon take care of that.
Anna awoke and rolled out of bed. Steaming hot water was allready in her tub and she clombed in, praying that she wouldnt remeber what happened last night. She smiled and her eyes widened. "What is wrong with me!" she yelled at herself. She shook her head and climbed out. Molly knocked and entered her chamber She walked to the armoir and pulled out a beautiful green gown. Not quite the shade of Christian's eyes, Anna thought.
She walked downstairs and saw servants running about. "Charles, what is going on?" she asked to one of the butlers.
"The King and Queen have just arrived my lady. They brought the new vicar also. Totally unexpected they were." he answered and ran off.
Anna's heart leaped to her throat and she took a deep breath. She thrust up her chin and walked into the drawing room.
"Late as always." she heard her grandmother tell Eleanor.
"Excue me for my belatedness, I have just awoken. If you'll excuse me I have to take Kirby for his afternoon walk. Eleanor, Edward, Christian, it was a pleasure to see you." she said nodding to everyone the hurrying out.
"Anna wait!" Eleanor said and hurried up to her. "If you dont mind, I would like to accompany you. I feel very energetic."
Anna smiled and nodded. She found Kirby and put him on his leash. The three of them left the house and went to Hyde Park.
"It is a beautiful day is it not?" Eleanor asked.
"Yes it is." Anna replied.
"I do believe that Christian is smitten with you. Or at least that is what Edward and I think" Eleanor said and looked up at her.
Anna's eyes widened. "I havent the foggiest notion of what you are talking about. Christian and I are just friends that is all."
"Of course you are. But just incase you two became an item, may I be the first to say that you two look quite wonderful together."
"You really think so?" Anna asked with a smile forming.
"Yes. Christian is a very charming man. Second to my Edward, of course." Eleanor replied. "Anna, dont be afraid to tell me anything. Unlike others, I do keep secrets. Perhaps I could even help you two to...how can I put it...come together."
"I'll think about it." Anna said as they headed back to the house.
They arrived and went to the dining room where everybody was gathered. Eleanor took her seat beside Edward, and Anna sat to her grandfathers left, Christian on her opposite side.
Anna conversed lightly with Christian, not trying to show any favoritism. Her grandmother her with contempt and disgust. Anna wanted to leap across the table and poke her eyes out.
"I was wondering if you will be attending the Fairfax's ball saturday night?" Chrisitan asked.
"Yes, will you also be attending?" Anna replied with a hopeful look.
He smiled and nodded. "I wouldnt miss it."
Anna stepped into the ballroom and looked around for him. It was as if there was a magnetic pull between them, because she spotted him immediately. He excused himself and made his way over to her.
"Duchess." he said taking her hand and kissing it gently.
"Vicar" she replied with a slight courtsey.
"You look very enchanting tonight." he said, a smile plastered on his face.
"You look handsome as well." she replied, grinning shamelessly.
She was dressed in a red gown, with a tight bodice that accented her womanly features. He hair was piled in curls atop her head with tendrils curling down softly and resting on her shoulders.
Christian was dressed in servere black evening attire, and he looked to handsome too be a vicar. Anna couldnt take her eyes off of him.
They twirled about the dance floor and his hand rested on the small of her back, sending goosebumps up her back.
"I wish you wouldnt do that." she whispered, looking up into his green eyes.
He smiled. "Do what?" he asked and looked at her innocently.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "You are the only man I have ever met that makes it impossible for me to put together a coherent sentence."
"It seems like you just did." he replied, a smug grin in place.
She laughed lightly and stepped on his foot causing him to smile and laugh.
Evelynn stood beside her husband and smiled at the handsome man in front of her. She laughed at one of his jokes and touched his arm. "You need to make the aquaintance of my grandaughter Annaliese, she would adore your sense of humor."
The man looked over at the beautiful woman dancing with the vicar and shook his head. "I think that she is all ready taken my lady." he replied.
"Christian? Oh no dear boy, they are just close friends that is all. Come let me introduce you to her." she said and walked over to the couple when the song ended. "Anna, this is Brett Mathews, Lord Pennington."she said.
Anna smiled and nodded her head, "Pleasure to meet you my lord."
Brett shook hands with Christian, "Good to see you again, I had no idea that you had become a vicar." he said.
Christian nodded, "Aye."
"You know each other?" Anna asked looking at both of them.
They both looked down at her and smiled, "Christian and I were best friends at Oxford. Back when he was a juvinielle delinquent." Brett informed her.
Anna smiled and shook her head, "That is diffiult to believe, Christian, a delinquent?" she joked laughing lightly.
Brett extended his hand to her, "I was wondering if I could have this dance? I could tell you more about the un-christian Chritstian."
"All right." she replied and threw a smug grin to Christian.
Christian watched his friend take Anna onto the floor. Evelynn looked up at him and smiled, "Well Christian, what is you lesson going to be about tommorow?" she asked trying to grab his attention.
"I would much prefer to tell you when I tell eceryone else, it is only fair of course." he replied with a small smile.
He turned back towards Anna and saw her laughing brightly at something Brett had told her. He saw red.
Evelynn frowned at his reaction. 'So he loved her did he?' she thought to herself. She would soon take care of that.
