A/N Wow!! Thanks for all the nice reviews. Okay next chapter. There is
about three lines of French in this, (I'm brave!!). I've put the English in
brackets, because I'm not very good with Frence!! But it was necessary.
Anyway please review and tell me what you think! ^_^
Chapter Six.
Tobias was a man of little virtues. His parents had let him live wild, no boundaries, no rules had been set with their adorable Toby. And as a child he got into a lot of scraps, some of them innocent, others worthy of damnation. He was just your average tearaway kid, fighting against morals, rebelling against the rules. Only he didn't have any to rebel against. He set fire to houses, watching them as they burnt, shot birds with his gun, and pulled the legs of spiders, the normal childish pursuits.
But he did them because he was evil, not because he was a child.
So here was poor Annamaria, a grieving twelve year old, suddenly alone in the World. Well, not quite alone, she had Tobias. But in some respects that was even worse.
The funeral was a private affair. Just Tobias, Annamaria, the priest, and the coffin. There was a gaping hole in the ground, and the twelve year old peered into it fearfully. The priest looked at her sympathetically.
"Miss Annamaria, just think she has gone to a better place." The Priest said, laying his old hand on her sobbing shoulder.
Tobias grinned. "A better place?" He sniggered. "When you're dead, you're dead. Swallowed up by the ground."
Annamaria gasped. The priest glared at Tobias. "Sir, your callous attitude is not helping the child."
"And I should care because? She is not my bastard! God knows who her mother shared her bed with."
The priest was so appalled, he covered Annamaria's ears from Tobias Richard's crude comments. Annamaria was so upset she didn't even notice.
Tobias shook his head with a laugh. "Goodbye Harriet, may you burn in hell with your lovers." He said, lavishly as he strolled away. The church bell rang out the hour of twelve o'clock as the rain began to fall. It fell heavily, turning the soft grass to mud. Annamaria shivered, even though it wasn't cold.
After the coffin was lowered, and covered, the Priest left the child standing by the graveside.
She looked around at the shabby stones that surrounded her, all denoting another person's death. A few had flowers on, but many lay forgotten, there inscriptions fading, so now no one knew who lay where. Annamaria's eyes watered at the thought of the ghosts pacing the graveyard at night, just wanting to be remembered. She looked at her mother's stone, it was a elaborate cross, spindling from the ground.
"I won't forget you." She said, determinedly. She didn't even notice as the rain poured down, soaking her clothes and neatly done hair. It didn't matter. Her tears blended with the rain drops as they hit the ground.
"Excuse me, are you Annamaria?" A voice asked.
The girl spun round. Her eyes were greeted by a young lady, about twenty three dressed in Lady's clothes. Her dress was beautifully patterned and layered, but the women it contained was not very attractive. Her features were plain, her face sullen and her eyes dull, Annamaria thought. But then again she was comparing her with the great Harriet, the prettiest women in the world would be ugly compared to Harriet.
The twelve year old nodded, wiping the grubby tears from her cheeks, and pushing the wet hair from her face.
The woman smiled. " I'm Samara Darlington," she said, the tears taking control of her eyes. "I've just got back from France. I only just managed to get out. And when I heard. . ." She broke off. "Mama and Papa haven't even bother to show up."
Annamaria had heard Harriet talk warmly of Samara. They had been close sisters, before Harriet left.
"And Roberto. . .what a waste of space. . ." She looked around confused. "You are on your own?" She said, amazed.
Annamaria nodded again. "Tobias just left."
"Left? It's his wife's funeral!" She exclaimed.
"Harriet wanted you, and you weren't there." The child accused.
"We all made a choice, and you were Harriet's." Samara explained. "How did she. . .how did. . .how did she die?"
Annamaria looked up from the muddy ground. She shrugged. "The doctor said a morphine overdose."
"Suicide?" Samara gasped. "There's no way she'd kill herself."
Annamaria just stared blankly at the woman's face.
"Would she?" Samara muttered to herself.
"Tell me about France." Annamaria said.
Samara smiled. "Oh in France things are hard, very hard. There are peasants on the streets squabbling over a slice of bread, whilst the Queen buys another pearl necklace. Anyone with title or fortune is sent to the guillotine, where they lose their head."
"Harriet thought you were caught up in it."
"I was. We were locked up to be executed, all ships in and out of the country had been stopped. There was no way out. But my friend Armando, he organised an escape. Everyone in the prison managed to get away to a small garrison anchored off shore."
Annamaria stepped closer to Samara.
"Where do you live Annamaria?" She asked the child.
Annamaria responded with a shrug. "At Tobias's house."
"And where does Tobias live? Where is his house?" Samara wheedled. Her voice was soft, gentle, almost loving. But Annamaria just shook her head.
The rain was still falling over the freshly dug grave.
"You should go home." Samara said.
Annamaria shook her head again. "I'm staying here with Harriet."
"You'll catch your death of cold child."
"Then I shall join Harriet."
Samara stepped forward, but as she did so Anna took a step back.
"Please Annamaria, go home." She said, bitterly.
The child shook her head. "Where Harriet is, that's my home." She yelled.
"You cannot live in the graveyard." Samara said.
"That isn't Harriet down there!" Annamaria pointed to the ground.
Samara closed her eyes and let the girl's angry comments wash over her. She kneeled down on the ground, soaking her dress, and covering it with mud. She held out her lace gloved hands, towards the crying child. Annamaria reluctantly took hold of her cold hands. Just as they grasped them, there was a shout from the gates.
"Samara!"
"Annamaria, this is Armando." Samara said, with a smile, releasing the child's hands and standing up. Instead she took hold of the French man's. He kissed her on the cheek.
"êtes-vous prêt?" (Are you ready?) He asked, in his strong French accent.
Annamaria did not understand a word he said. She was confused at the way he held Samara. Tobias and Harriet had never sat next to each other let alone kissed in front of Annamaria.
She nodded. "Oui, juste une dernière chose à faire. (Yes, just one more thing to do)" She turned back to the child. "I'm going now
Annamaria. I only came back to say goodbye Harriet. I escaped from one prison, I shall not return to another. That's what Harriet taught me."
Samara walked up to the grey cross, and kissed the stone tentatively. "Goodbye Harriet, ma soeur. Je ne vous oublierai jamais. Je vivrai la vie où vous n'avez jamais eue." (My sister, I shall never forget you. I will live the life you never had.)
As she walked past Annamaria, she lay her hand on her shoulder for a few seconds before taking Armando's hand.
She turned back and held out her arm. "If you want to come with us, Anna, you can."
The child shook her head and steeped back, almost tripping over a gravestone. To get away from Tobias would have been a dream come true, but she was scared of Armando, scared he would be like Tobias. Scared Samara was not who she seemed, she feared what would happen to Harriet if she left the grave.
Samara nodded, to show she understood. "Remember Anna, Harriet lived for you, do not make her sacrifice worthless." Samara called as she walked out of the black gates. She did not return to the Darlington home, and her parents presumed her dead, killed in the chaos that was France. However they grieved for neither of their daughters.
Chapter Six.
Tobias was a man of little virtues. His parents had let him live wild, no boundaries, no rules had been set with their adorable Toby. And as a child he got into a lot of scraps, some of them innocent, others worthy of damnation. He was just your average tearaway kid, fighting against morals, rebelling against the rules. Only he didn't have any to rebel against. He set fire to houses, watching them as they burnt, shot birds with his gun, and pulled the legs of spiders, the normal childish pursuits.
But he did them because he was evil, not because he was a child.
So here was poor Annamaria, a grieving twelve year old, suddenly alone in the World. Well, not quite alone, she had Tobias. But in some respects that was even worse.
The funeral was a private affair. Just Tobias, Annamaria, the priest, and the coffin. There was a gaping hole in the ground, and the twelve year old peered into it fearfully. The priest looked at her sympathetically.
"Miss Annamaria, just think she has gone to a better place." The Priest said, laying his old hand on her sobbing shoulder.
Tobias grinned. "A better place?" He sniggered. "When you're dead, you're dead. Swallowed up by the ground."
Annamaria gasped. The priest glared at Tobias. "Sir, your callous attitude is not helping the child."
"And I should care because? She is not my bastard! God knows who her mother shared her bed with."
The priest was so appalled, he covered Annamaria's ears from Tobias Richard's crude comments. Annamaria was so upset she didn't even notice.
Tobias shook his head with a laugh. "Goodbye Harriet, may you burn in hell with your lovers." He said, lavishly as he strolled away. The church bell rang out the hour of twelve o'clock as the rain began to fall. It fell heavily, turning the soft grass to mud. Annamaria shivered, even though it wasn't cold.
After the coffin was lowered, and covered, the Priest left the child standing by the graveside.
She looked around at the shabby stones that surrounded her, all denoting another person's death. A few had flowers on, but many lay forgotten, there inscriptions fading, so now no one knew who lay where. Annamaria's eyes watered at the thought of the ghosts pacing the graveyard at night, just wanting to be remembered. She looked at her mother's stone, it was a elaborate cross, spindling from the ground.
"I won't forget you." She said, determinedly. She didn't even notice as the rain poured down, soaking her clothes and neatly done hair. It didn't matter. Her tears blended with the rain drops as they hit the ground.
"Excuse me, are you Annamaria?" A voice asked.
The girl spun round. Her eyes were greeted by a young lady, about twenty three dressed in Lady's clothes. Her dress was beautifully patterned and layered, but the women it contained was not very attractive. Her features were plain, her face sullen and her eyes dull, Annamaria thought. But then again she was comparing her with the great Harriet, the prettiest women in the world would be ugly compared to Harriet.
The twelve year old nodded, wiping the grubby tears from her cheeks, and pushing the wet hair from her face.
The woman smiled. " I'm Samara Darlington," she said, the tears taking control of her eyes. "I've just got back from France. I only just managed to get out. And when I heard. . ." She broke off. "Mama and Papa haven't even bother to show up."
Annamaria had heard Harriet talk warmly of Samara. They had been close sisters, before Harriet left.
"And Roberto. . .what a waste of space. . ." She looked around confused. "You are on your own?" She said, amazed.
Annamaria nodded again. "Tobias just left."
"Left? It's his wife's funeral!" She exclaimed.
"Harriet wanted you, and you weren't there." The child accused.
"We all made a choice, and you were Harriet's." Samara explained. "How did she. . .how did. . .how did she die?"
Annamaria looked up from the muddy ground. She shrugged. "The doctor said a morphine overdose."
"Suicide?" Samara gasped. "There's no way she'd kill herself."
Annamaria just stared blankly at the woman's face.
"Would she?" Samara muttered to herself.
"Tell me about France." Annamaria said.
Samara smiled. "Oh in France things are hard, very hard. There are peasants on the streets squabbling over a slice of bread, whilst the Queen buys another pearl necklace. Anyone with title or fortune is sent to the guillotine, where they lose their head."
"Harriet thought you were caught up in it."
"I was. We were locked up to be executed, all ships in and out of the country had been stopped. There was no way out. But my friend Armando, he organised an escape. Everyone in the prison managed to get away to a small garrison anchored off shore."
Annamaria stepped closer to Samara.
"Where do you live Annamaria?" She asked the child.
Annamaria responded with a shrug. "At Tobias's house."
"And where does Tobias live? Where is his house?" Samara wheedled. Her voice was soft, gentle, almost loving. But Annamaria just shook her head.
The rain was still falling over the freshly dug grave.
"You should go home." Samara said.
Annamaria shook her head again. "I'm staying here with Harriet."
"You'll catch your death of cold child."
"Then I shall join Harriet."
Samara stepped forward, but as she did so Anna took a step back.
"Please Annamaria, go home." She said, bitterly.
The child shook her head. "Where Harriet is, that's my home." She yelled.
"You cannot live in the graveyard." Samara said.
"That isn't Harriet down there!" Annamaria pointed to the ground.
Samara closed her eyes and let the girl's angry comments wash over her. She kneeled down on the ground, soaking her dress, and covering it with mud. She held out her lace gloved hands, towards the crying child. Annamaria reluctantly took hold of her cold hands. Just as they grasped them, there was a shout from the gates.
"Samara!"
"Annamaria, this is Armando." Samara said, with a smile, releasing the child's hands and standing up. Instead she took hold of the French man's. He kissed her on the cheek.
"êtes-vous prêt?" (Are you ready?) He asked, in his strong French accent.
Annamaria did not understand a word he said. She was confused at the way he held Samara. Tobias and Harriet had never sat next to each other let alone kissed in front of Annamaria.
She nodded. "Oui, juste une dernière chose à faire. (Yes, just one more thing to do)" She turned back to the child. "I'm going now
Annamaria. I only came back to say goodbye Harriet. I escaped from one prison, I shall not return to another. That's what Harriet taught me."
Samara walked up to the grey cross, and kissed the stone tentatively. "Goodbye Harriet, ma soeur. Je ne vous oublierai jamais. Je vivrai la vie où vous n'avez jamais eue." (My sister, I shall never forget you. I will live the life you never had.)
As she walked past Annamaria, she lay her hand on her shoulder for a few seconds before taking Armando's hand.
She turned back and held out her arm. "If you want to come with us, Anna, you can."
The child shook her head and steeped back, almost tripping over a gravestone. To get away from Tobias would have been a dream come true, but she was scared of Armando, scared he would be like Tobias. Scared Samara was not who she seemed, she feared what would happen to Harriet if she left the grave.
Samara nodded, to show she understood. "Remember Anna, Harriet lived for you, do not make her sacrifice worthless." Samara called as she walked out of the black gates. She did not return to the Darlington home, and her parents presumed her dead, killed in the chaos that was France. However they grieved for neither of their daughters.