A/N Thanks for the reviews.
To MickJaggerasFrankandAlice ~ Thanks! Told you my French wasn't very good!
To CaptainJacklova4evea ~ Yeah it was sad. . .*nods* maybe I should write a happier story!! ^_^
Oh by the way the dream should be in italics. . .but it isn't. Hmmm. . .why can't things just work?!
Chapter Seven.
Annamaria watched as Samara walked away from the church. Her brown hair curled beside her ears, the rest scooped up into a bun on her head. Armando had his arm around her, protectively. He looked round furtively, and Annamaria began thinking what a terrible place France must be at the time of crisis.
The twelve year old stooped beside the cross, and fingered the stone. The rain was still falling, chilling her inside. But she could think of nothing but her loss. And there she sat, the day seemed to break free of her grasp and run as fast as it could in the other direction. Night fell heavily on the deserted church, as she sat in it's shadow. The moon lit up the sky for a while, but clouds began to form, slowly blotting it out.
She would have been scared if she hadn't been beside her mother. Eventually she got too tired to sit. She rested her head on the muddy ground, and lay in the rain. The rain froze her insides, but she was numb anyway.
And as she lay her consciousness began to slip away. . .
(italics) "Annamaria! Anna! Come here, I've got something for you!" Harriet called in her soft, caring voice.
A younger Annamaria emerged from outside. Her face was grubby and tearstained. Tiny streaks lined her soft cheeks, mixed with mud where she had tried to wipe them away.
"Anna!" Harriet exclaimed. It hurt her to see Annamaria unhappy.
The eight year old sniffed. "Robert says I canna play 'cause I'm a girl."
"And girls have to stay in doors and do their tapestries and wear pretty dresses, is that it?" Harriet asked.
Annamaria giggled. "Yeah, that's what they think. But just 'cause he is a boy don't make him no better."
"Doesn't make him any better." Barked Tobias. "Honestly child, your grammar is atrocious."
Annamaria stepped closer to Harriet, as the man passed them on the way to his study. As he shut the door behind him, she started sobbing miserably into her mother's shoulder. Harriet grabbed her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "You make all the grammar mistakes you wanna."
Annamaria smiled slightly, but she was still upset. Being told she couldn't play was bad enough, but now Tobias having a go at her, she couldn't contain her tears as they dripped down her face. Harriet took out a handkerchief and wiped them. "Come on upstairs, I got a present for you." She took her daughter's hand and led her up the stairs. As they went past Tobias's study, she pulled out her tongue at the door. Harriet laughed at her childish antics. She led her to the main bedroom, and slowly pushed open the door. It was the room Harriet and Tobias shared. Annamaria had never been inside before.
She tried to adjust her eyes to the light. The curtains were still closed, a tiny gap between the fabric allowed some sunlight in. But the room was gloomy and dull, and the darkness depressed the eight year old. She gripped tightly to Harriet's hand.
Her eyes took in the rather shabby four poster bed, and cabinet that lined the far wall. She almost
tripped over the mat as her mother led her to the side cupboard. She took out a key and opened the drawer.
"Here." Harriet said with a smile pulling a jewellery box from the drawer.
Annamaria took the wooden box in her hand. Her tiny fingers traced the ornate patterns that were engraved upon the sandalwood. The decorations swirled and grooved from the lid on to the side, but the bottom was left smooth. She lifted it to her nose and smelt it.
"It's very old," She told Harriet.
Her mother laughed. "It is indeed. It belonged to my great grandmother, your great great grandmother."
"Have I met her?" The girl asked innocently.
Harriet shook her head with a smile. "No, darling. She is residing in heaven with the rest of the Darlington clan."
"Why have you got her box?"
"It's been passed on, for generations and generations. My mother gave it to me, just before Samara was born. It goes to the eldest daughter, and if there is no girl in the family, it goes to the male who will then pass it to his wife."
Annamaria lifted it to her ear and shook it. Something rattled inside. "But why?"
Harriet shrugged. "I never thought to ask. All I know is her fiancée gave it to her. I think Mother regretted giving it to me."
"Why?"
"She would rather it have gone to her son, Roberto. It would have stayed in the family then."
"What's inside?" Annamaria asked, passing it back to Harriet.
"Ah, the real treat is inside." She pushed the clasp on either side, forcing the lid up. She turned it round and show Annamaria. Tucked neatly inside the sandalwood box was a stunning collection of jewellery. Beautiful, priceless rings, unfortunately too big for Anna's small fingers, jewel encrusted bracelets and brooches, glittering necklaces catching the feeble sun as it poured through the crack in the curtains.
"But this is my favourite." Harriet said, selecting a necklace. She took it out and placed it around her daughter's neck, fastening the clasp at the back. She took her to the mirror where Anna could see the necklace.
It was a small gold cross on a flimsy chain, There was one small jewel encrusted into the horizontal part of the cross. There should have been two but one was missing.
"Grandmother lost it when she was thirteen. A day at the beach you see. It's probably been swallowed up by the sea." Harriet explained.
Anna's fingers touched the groove where the sapphire should have been. "It makes it even more special." She told her mother.
"I don't know about that, but it certainly brings the value down!" Harriet said with a laugh. She placed the box firmly in her daughter's hands. "My mother passed it to me, and her mother passed it to her, and now I am passing it to you. . ."
As Annamaria threw her arms around Harriet a silhouette darkened the doorway. (italics end)
"It's a wonder she hasn't caught phenomena, poor child out all night in the rain." The voice was kind and rasping. Her eyes flickered openly briefly. She stared up at the familiar dull ceiling, she in bed in her own room. Her eyes blinked several times, adjusting to the darkness. She could make out the form of the doctor, as he muttered to another figure.
"Foolish girl." She recognised his voice instantly. The doctor and Tobias stood huddled by the door.
"Do not be too hard on her, she has just lost her mother. Grief can do funny things to the mind."
"Any longer and she would have joined her." Tobias said coldly.
The doctor nodded glumly. "Poor child. We can only guess at the pain she is feeling."
Tobias scoffed but did not reply.
"Well anyway a few days in bed, a bit if care and understanding and she'll be on her feet again." The doctor coughed. "I'll be back to see her in a few days." The doctor nodded to Tobias as a sign of respect, took one last glance at Annamaria before leaving. She shuddered at the thought of Tobias. He stepped closer to her bed.
"Please go away, please go away." She muttered into the sheets.
There was a surprise call from below. Tobias shook his head and left the room. "It's push doctor." He called down the stairs. After the man had left he retired to his study and sat in his chair, leaning back, thinking.
Annamaria gave a sigh of relief as the door shut, blocking out the light from the hall. She kicked off her bed covers due to her burning temperature. Her headache was so bad, it hurt her eyes to remain open. She felt faint and dizzy as she lay in her bed. She closed her eyes, and lay her head back on her pillow.
She fell into a disturbed sleeping, drifting between consciousness. Harriet visited her dreams, restoring hope to her shattered life, keeping the sick child alive.
To MickJaggerasFrankandAlice ~ Thanks! Told you my French wasn't very good!
To CaptainJacklova4evea ~ Yeah it was sad. . .*nods* maybe I should write a happier story!! ^_^
Oh by the way the dream should be in italics. . .but it isn't. Hmmm. . .why can't things just work?!
Chapter Seven.
Annamaria watched as Samara walked away from the church. Her brown hair curled beside her ears, the rest scooped up into a bun on her head. Armando had his arm around her, protectively. He looked round furtively, and Annamaria began thinking what a terrible place France must be at the time of crisis.
The twelve year old stooped beside the cross, and fingered the stone. The rain was still falling, chilling her inside. But she could think of nothing but her loss. And there she sat, the day seemed to break free of her grasp and run as fast as it could in the other direction. Night fell heavily on the deserted church, as she sat in it's shadow. The moon lit up the sky for a while, but clouds began to form, slowly blotting it out.
She would have been scared if she hadn't been beside her mother. Eventually she got too tired to sit. She rested her head on the muddy ground, and lay in the rain. The rain froze her insides, but she was numb anyway.
And as she lay her consciousness began to slip away. . .
(italics) "Annamaria! Anna! Come here, I've got something for you!" Harriet called in her soft, caring voice.
A younger Annamaria emerged from outside. Her face was grubby and tearstained. Tiny streaks lined her soft cheeks, mixed with mud where she had tried to wipe them away.
"Anna!" Harriet exclaimed. It hurt her to see Annamaria unhappy.
The eight year old sniffed. "Robert says I canna play 'cause I'm a girl."
"And girls have to stay in doors and do their tapestries and wear pretty dresses, is that it?" Harriet asked.
Annamaria giggled. "Yeah, that's what they think. But just 'cause he is a boy don't make him no better."
"Doesn't make him any better." Barked Tobias. "Honestly child, your grammar is atrocious."
Annamaria stepped closer to Harriet, as the man passed them on the way to his study. As he shut the door behind him, she started sobbing miserably into her mother's shoulder. Harriet grabbed her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "You make all the grammar mistakes you wanna."
Annamaria smiled slightly, but she was still upset. Being told she couldn't play was bad enough, but now Tobias having a go at her, she couldn't contain her tears as they dripped down her face. Harriet took out a handkerchief and wiped them. "Come on upstairs, I got a present for you." She took her daughter's hand and led her up the stairs. As they went past Tobias's study, she pulled out her tongue at the door. Harriet laughed at her childish antics. She led her to the main bedroom, and slowly pushed open the door. It was the room Harriet and Tobias shared. Annamaria had never been inside before.
She tried to adjust her eyes to the light. The curtains were still closed, a tiny gap between the fabric allowed some sunlight in. But the room was gloomy and dull, and the darkness depressed the eight year old. She gripped tightly to Harriet's hand.
Her eyes took in the rather shabby four poster bed, and cabinet that lined the far wall. She almost
tripped over the mat as her mother led her to the side cupboard. She took out a key and opened the drawer.
"Here." Harriet said with a smile pulling a jewellery box from the drawer.
Annamaria took the wooden box in her hand. Her tiny fingers traced the ornate patterns that were engraved upon the sandalwood. The decorations swirled and grooved from the lid on to the side, but the bottom was left smooth. She lifted it to her nose and smelt it.
"It's very old," She told Harriet.
Her mother laughed. "It is indeed. It belonged to my great grandmother, your great great grandmother."
"Have I met her?" The girl asked innocently.
Harriet shook her head with a smile. "No, darling. She is residing in heaven with the rest of the Darlington clan."
"Why have you got her box?"
"It's been passed on, for generations and generations. My mother gave it to me, just before Samara was born. It goes to the eldest daughter, and if there is no girl in the family, it goes to the male who will then pass it to his wife."
Annamaria lifted it to her ear and shook it. Something rattled inside. "But why?"
Harriet shrugged. "I never thought to ask. All I know is her fiancée gave it to her. I think Mother regretted giving it to me."
"Why?"
"She would rather it have gone to her son, Roberto. It would have stayed in the family then."
"What's inside?" Annamaria asked, passing it back to Harriet.
"Ah, the real treat is inside." She pushed the clasp on either side, forcing the lid up. She turned it round and show Annamaria. Tucked neatly inside the sandalwood box was a stunning collection of jewellery. Beautiful, priceless rings, unfortunately too big for Anna's small fingers, jewel encrusted bracelets and brooches, glittering necklaces catching the feeble sun as it poured through the crack in the curtains.
"But this is my favourite." Harriet said, selecting a necklace. She took it out and placed it around her daughter's neck, fastening the clasp at the back. She took her to the mirror where Anna could see the necklace.
It was a small gold cross on a flimsy chain, There was one small jewel encrusted into the horizontal part of the cross. There should have been two but one was missing.
"Grandmother lost it when she was thirteen. A day at the beach you see. It's probably been swallowed up by the sea." Harriet explained.
Anna's fingers touched the groove where the sapphire should have been. "It makes it even more special." She told her mother.
"I don't know about that, but it certainly brings the value down!" Harriet said with a laugh. She placed the box firmly in her daughter's hands. "My mother passed it to me, and her mother passed it to her, and now I am passing it to you. . ."
As Annamaria threw her arms around Harriet a silhouette darkened the doorway. (italics end)
"It's a wonder she hasn't caught phenomena, poor child out all night in the rain." The voice was kind and rasping. Her eyes flickered openly briefly. She stared up at the familiar dull ceiling, she in bed in her own room. Her eyes blinked several times, adjusting to the darkness. She could make out the form of the doctor, as he muttered to another figure.
"Foolish girl." She recognised his voice instantly. The doctor and Tobias stood huddled by the door.
"Do not be too hard on her, she has just lost her mother. Grief can do funny things to the mind."
"Any longer and she would have joined her." Tobias said coldly.
The doctor nodded glumly. "Poor child. We can only guess at the pain she is feeling."
Tobias scoffed but did not reply.
"Well anyway a few days in bed, a bit if care and understanding and she'll be on her feet again." The doctor coughed. "I'll be back to see her in a few days." The doctor nodded to Tobias as a sign of respect, took one last glance at Annamaria before leaving. She shuddered at the thought of Tobias. He stepped closer to her bed.
"Please go away, please go away." She muttered into the sheets.
There was a surprise call from below. Tobias shook his head and left the room. "It's push doctor." He called down the stairs. After the man had left he retired to his study and sat in his chair, leaning back, thinking.
Annamaria gave a sigh of relief as the door shut, blocking out the light from the hall. She kicked off her bed covers due to her burning temperature. Her headache was so bad, it hurt her eyes to remain open. She felt faint and dizzy as she lay in her bed. She closed her eyes, and lay her head back on her pillow.
She fell into a disturbed sleeping, drifting between consciousness. Harriet visited her dreams, restoring hope to her shattered life, keeping the sick child alive.