Chapter six:

Anne de Bourgh sat at her dresser, she was rather large now for her petit frame she felt weaker day by day as her body appeared to need more sleep each day, her treasured companion Mrs. Jenkins had been fired months ago after facing Lady Catherine fury when she couldn't explain to the Lady how her daughter had become enceinte as the french would say. This left Anne all alone with no one to talk to but her mother feeling lonelier than she ever had. Not surprisingly her mother's favorite topic of conversation was who was Anne's lover this was a topic Anne would rather forget.

Like many young women, the first heartbreak was the hardest especially when Anne realized she was being used which made her feel disgusted with herself how dare a common working man use her, she was a lady her father was a baronet and her grandfather was an earl. As Anne reflected on the path that brought her to her current situation, things didn't seem rational to her anymore, she know knew why all young ladies were constantly chaperoned, this made her feel betrayed, ashamed, and sorry for herself. Like many young ladies Anne had been naive in the ways of the world, she had led a very secluded life at Rosing due to her ill health as a child and didn't have any friends, siblings, or freedom.

When Mr. Wickham the under steward from Permberly arrived in early January instead of Fitzwilliam who was unable to come to review the Rosing accounts due to Richards's ill health. Anne was immediately drawn to the handsome charismatic young man, she felt a pull to him like she had never felt before. In her first encounter with him, it felt like her heaty would bust, she had accidentally met him while taking her daily stroll with Mrs. Jenkins through the rose garden they quickly fell into the conversation as they were followed by Mrs. Jenkins. There on he would often appear when she was out in her phaeton or taking in the air always of course properly chaperoned by the proper Mrs. Jenkinson. On one particular cloudy day while out in her phaeton alone, Mrs. Jenkins had a headache and was resting Anne didn't want to disturb the lady while she felt unwell or subject her to her mother. She had her team of horses saddle and went out in her phaeton for a drive after half an hour her horses stopped and refused to move any further being lone she was obliged to leave the phaeton to walk back to the house to seek out help. As she was walking she could hear the sound of hoofs looking around she could see the figure of Mr. Wickham on horseback trotting towards her as on cue her body betrayed her, feeling like she had a million butterflies in her stomach her heart leaped and began to beat faster and faster, she felt rather warm and giddy she took a final deep breath before he dismounted his horse. Pleasantries were exchanged between the pair before a sudden heavy downfall fell fast and furious.

"Miss De Bourgh, I've just come from an empty tenants cottage tis not far from here if we can run to it, to be out this rain!"

He didn't wait for a reply he took her hand and pulled her towards the empty cottage. when he clasped her hand it felt like she had been hit by a bolt if lighting a shiver went down her spine

"If we are fast we will be out of the rain in a few minutes."

Anne awoke to find herself in the warm embraces of Mr. Wickham, she couldn't believe her luck, that he loved her as passionately as she thought she loved him, that they had anticipated there wedding vows wasn't a worry to Anne as she was sure he would propose to her. They were in love alls they needed was a plan to get around Lady Catherine so they could be together. They agreed to meet again at midnight in two nights time, they would meet again at the tenant's cottage where they could plan there wedding and future together they would be the happiest couple alive, their children would be handsome and they would live well off at Rosing Park as Anne would finally inherit on her twenty-fifth birthday which was later that week. It was imperative that she reached her birthday before they married and before Lady Catherine found out about them. It was clear to Anne that Wickham had been using the empty cottage she was unsure why he had been staying there when she knew he had been provided with a room at the house, however, the rain had finally stopped and she soon forgot about this as she left the cottage happier than she had ever been in her life, dreaming of being Lady George Wickham, dreaming of been free of her mother.

By the next evening, Anne was desperate to see her dearest George, to be held by him again to know she was loved, it had been a particularly trying day with her mother constant criticizing of how she would have to do better when she was Mrs. Darcy of Pemberley. After dinner lady, Catherine had spent thirty minutes telling her how mad she was at Darcy for not proposing as of yet and that she would have to speak to him as a matter of urgency as Anne would soon be considered an old maid. Anne excused herself by expressing how tired she was and left her mother to her frustrations. Before retiring Anne requested t know the whereabouts of Mr. Wickham and was told by a footman that he wasn't in residents as he spent most of his evening in the empty tenant's cottage. A few hours later once she was convinced her mother and most of the servants has retired for the night, Anne left the comforts of her chamber crept down the servant's staircase exiting through the kitchen she made her way towards the empty cottage, soon she would be in the arms of her love and all be well in the world.

The cottage came in to view, with a shimmer of candlelight through the windows, Anne picked her pace up as she was eager to arrive she crept up the steps but was suddenly stopped, she froze she could hear the sound of two people giggling and laughing. She crept towards the windows and could see her beloved Wickham with a young girl she recognized as one of the chambermaids from the house, the girl was younger than Anne she presumed she was about Georgi's age no older than sixteen. They will both naked with clothes strewn across the floor, the couple was embracing in the same bed that Anne herself had been in the day before, her stomach dropped as the anxiety set in but she was still frozen unable to move, she didn't know how long she stood there for in a trance-like state. She soon snapped out of it when she heard the girl speak.

"My love, tell me your plan again, when will you be master of Rosing rather than that old crow"

"As soon as I marry Miss De Bourgh my precious, once I do you won't need to a chambermaid any more, you will be my personal maid and spend every night with me"

"What about the young miss I like her she always kind," said the chambermaid " I don't want her to be hurt"

Wickham paused and thought before he spoke

"She won't be she will be my wife in name only and will continue on with her life as she currently does, I will get from her Rosing and her dowery, I'll also need an heir at some point I suppose, I will have taken by then the satisfaction of having Darcy's betrothed and taking rosing away from him, I can't wait to tell him how she is in bed and watch him squirm"

"Was she better than me my love"

"No one is better than you" and with that, the couple began to fornicate and Anne De Bourgh walked away.

The next morning Anne spoke with her mother about higher their own steward and sending Mr. Wickham back to Derbyshire where he belonged, she couldn't bear the sight of him and hope she would never see him again this was a task she delegated to the butler as her mother sent an express to her nephew explaining she needed her own steward. Anne then ventured into the servant's quarters where she met the housekeeper where she requested the young chambermaid be let go as she explained how she had seen her walking out after Dark with Mr. Wickham and how morally wrong and sinful that was. When all had been done she retired to her chambers resolved never to think about him again. This worked for a few weeks till her course didn't come, the weeks turned into months, and then she was confronted by her mother.