eternity, she thought once more.
Ten minutes later, Anne’s hair looked as flawless as it had before her harried packing,
and with Miss Ricketts gone the three travelers departed on their journey. Though the past hour
was well behind her now Anne drooped in the soft seat, cursing her idiot tutor and damning all of
the bad decisions that she had so carelessly made through the two years that she had taught her.
So angry was she about these matters that she did not even think to look at her London when
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they rolled through that city that night until it was almost behind her, and only then did she look
out the window and take in the passing city, simultaneously attempting to shield her heart from
her bad memories. As she was about to look away, a certain figure caught her eye and she
quickly looked out again. There stood on the side of the street a familiar, young man of about
twenty, talking to a privileged man who she guessed to be a doctor. The young man appeared
quite dirty, dressed in an originally white, buttoned shirt and apron that was almost completely
soot-covered. His face was also dirty and his hair matted down filthily, but Anne nevertheless
realized who he was-George Doscoll. She stuck her head out of the window to speak to her
butler.
“Excuse me, Windsor. Could you please stop the carriage?”
The man glanced behind his shoulder. “Why, Miss Falkman? Is there anything wrong?”
“No, not at all.” From beside her, Anne could feel Rad search her face. “It’s just that I
recognize an... old friend of mine out there on the street.” The words had come to her more easily
than she would have imagined. “I think that I should like to go out and greet him, if you don’t
mind.”
“Why, certainly, miss!” The butler seemed quite eager to encounter one of Anne’s friends
of her past, since he knew less about her life than Rad did. “If you agree to introduce both of us,
that is.”
“Absolutely.” She turned to her beau. “Oh, you wouldn’t mind, would you?”
He shook his head, not put off in the least that his girl was about to go and converse with
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a gentleman friend. “Take all the time that you need.”
Anne allowed Windsor to help her step down onto the ground and then she snatched up
her skirts and cantered over to George, calling his name out, though she did not know why. As
soon as he heard his name, the lad stepped away from the doctor and looked around until he saw
the girl whom he had long ago fallen in love with standing a short distance from him, and his
face lit up with joy. Anne also looked and felt pleased, much more pleased than she ever thought
she would with this boy who had turned his back on her two years ago to obtain an education in
Cambridge. She recalled how annoyed and hateful she had felt toward him that day, but now the
emotions she possessed were vague satisfaction, a bit of coldness and a beam or two of warmth.
The pair stood apart for a few moments until Anne graciously reached out her hands to him in
greeting. He grasped them eagerly, pulling them to his lips.
“Oh, Anne, my dear-how well you look!” he rewarded, looking her over. “Thank God
that you look so well and happy. How are you? It’s so good to see you again!” He stood there
beaming with excitement, but a small cloud hung in his eyes.
“Thank you, George. It’s...very good to see you, too.” Anne also observed her old
companion, but she could see little change in him. He obviously hasn’t become a gentleman yet,
she thought haughtily. Indeed, he was still the humble boy that he was two years ago-that was
especially evident with his outfit and dirt-stained skin. Yet there was that same tender look of
kindness and compassion in his eyes and smile that Anne recollected so well. However, as glad
as she was to see him, there was still a thick barrier between those warm features and her barred
heart.
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George stepped back, crossing his arms and shaking his head, his face drawn emotively
as he gazed at her. “Oh, Anne, you look so different than you did the last time I saw you. Here
you are, dressed in a most beautiful gown and jewelry. However did you come by
such...fortune?”
Anne thought carefully before replying, for she was not about to let George know how
she had fallen sick several days after he had left and laid on the river’s shore for hours, more
dead than alive when Rad had saved her life. She pursed her lips, thinking about how she could
twist the truth a bit.
“Well, George, after you left for school, I figured that for your sake I should go turn
myself into the beadle.”
George gasped, his face turning white. “Oh, no, Anne! How could you? The beadle?”
She held up her hands. “No, it wasn’t like that, George. As it happened, I had nothing to
fear. The man was actually friendly and obliging, and so taken by the sight of me that he selected
a wealthy, caring family to adopt me as their own. As a matter of fact, they are with me right
now, waiting over there in that carriage.” She motioned with her finger. “We live right here in
London, but we were on our way to one of our favorite vacation spots.”
The lad threw his hands together in ecstasy before tossing them upon her shoulders, his
arms aching to hold her again. “Oh, wonderful, Anne. I’m truly happy for you. Such news is
refreshing to this dreary day.” He looked down suddenly, exhaling mournfully. Noticing this
change of attitude, Anne played sympathetic.
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“George, what’s the matter? What makes you so sad?”
He lifted his head again to stare at her, a slight smile peeking through his saddened
mouth. “It’s my parents, Anne. They’re both very sick, and it’s a sickness that the doctor doesn’t
even seem to understand. He thinks it’s the effects of old age...anyway, I can’t help but think that
it’s my fault. They were so generous to send me off to school when they still needed tending for
and now my absence has nearly destroyed them!” Covering his face in his hands, he sank down
onto the ground. Anne kneeled beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He sighed shakily.
“That’s why I came back from Cambridge. My enrollment wasn’t complete, but I couldn’t stop
thinking about what meager amounts of food we had in our home and I just had to come back.
I’m certainly glad that I did, too. I’ve been working as a blacksmith for a few weeks now, trying
to keep them alive and well. But after speaking with the doctor just a few minutes ago, I’m not
sure how much I can hope for.” He shook his head. “It’s my fault, I know it is. It’s my fault.”
Anne did not protest against these accusations as she was propped beside him and neither
did she think anything about what her old companion was telling her. In truth, what she really
wanted was to just continue on the way to Bath, but a certain soft pull of her ragged conscience
moored her to her place by George, so she stayed there in silence until he spoke again.
“Anne, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to spoil your trip with my lamentations. I would be
happy to go with you to meet the people who so graciously took you in, but after that I think you
are better off without me in your life.”
Anne paused, feeling her heart being pulled in two directions.
What’s the matter with me? She thought. This is George Doscoll, the wolf who never
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ceased to leave me alone whilst I lived out here on the streets, the wolf who would have surely
driven me crazy had he stayed with me. However, no matter what she told herself she could not
deny the way things were on the other side of the shilling. Finally, after much suffocation and
loss of hope, the pure traits naturally born into Anne gleamed through the surface and she found
herself saying to him:
“Come with us, George.”
He drew his face up from his palms to look upon her confusedly. “What did you say?”
The girl licked her lips gingerly, but the bright end of the rope urged her forcibly to walk
toward it. “Come with my family and me to Bath. Please, you will adore it. Rad-my beau-tells
me that there are lovely fountains all over the city’s lawns and the sights are sumptuous. Going
there will take your mind off of all your troubles.”
George’s brow sunk in further as he stood up on stiff legs. He looked at her as if she was
crazy. “Anne, I just told you about how I couldn’t leave my parents for one instant and now you
want me to go on a trip? I couldn’t possibly do such a thing! What kind of person do I think I
am?”
Anne rolled her eyes, which showed that for once another being’s welfare was in her best
interest. Closing her eyes briefly, she strove for a plan that would convince him to come with
her, and right away she knew what that plan was. She opened her eyes and aimed them
menacingly at him. Directly he felt trapped within their cerulean chambers. That hypnosis alone
would have been enough to persuade, but even Anne was unaware of how powerful they were.
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“George, do you care about me?” Anne asked the question in a curious, desperate tone, a
tone that she never used.
George’s contorted face smoothed as he thought about his obvious answer.
“If you do,” Anne assumed, “I should think that you would want to accompany me to
Bath. Don’t worry about your parents. If what you’ve said is true and they were wise and selfless
to send you to school, then it’s easy to see that they only have your best interests at heart,
wouldn’t you agree? They couldn’t acquire an education for themselves, so they sent you to
school instead. George, dear, just look at you. You’re depressed and pitifully overcome. If you
were to go and explain to your parents that you were going away from here to have some time
for yourself, I think that they would certainly believe you were going to Bath for their sake as
well.”
George stood there for a long while with the same expression, but gradually the heaviness
melted from his eyes and sheer happiness, gratefulness, and the strong love that he still had for
Anne filled them instead. He blinked several times in disbelief. “Anne, I...I don’t know what to
say,” he whispered.
Anne clutched his hand, relieved. “Well, say you will come with us, of course!” she
yapped. “You will not regret this, George. Now come along, I want you to meet my grandfather
and Rad.”
She drove him toward the waiting carriage and gentlemen who were more than willing to
meet the charming, young man who steadily approached them. Windsor scrambled out of his
high seat to stand before George, as did Rad.
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“George, this is Rad Quincy, whom I have already told you about. Rad, this is my friend,
George Doscoll,” Anne introduced.
Rad took the older man’s hand in his own, shaking it warmly. “What a pleasure it is to
meet you, Mr. Doscoll.”
“Thank you. The pleasure is mine, Mr. Quincy.”
“Please, call me Rad.”
“And George, this is Windsor Quincy, my...grandfather.” On this last word Anne looked
quickly at her butler, wondering at his reaction, but relaxed when it seemed that he had not heard
what she had referred to him as. Her words did not ring out of Rad’s hearing, though, for he
cocked his eyebrow at her with considerable question.
“Good day, sir. It’s a pleasure,” George offered.
“Likewise, Mr. Doscoll!”
They have to find out sooner or later, Anne told herself, so she turned to Rad, hoping that
her false reference of Windsor was fading from his memory. “Rad, poor George has been telling
me about his bedridden parents and how he couldn’t be away from them, but I managed to
convince him that traveling to a different city might be just the thing that could cheer both him
and them. I know that this is a short notice, but do you think it would be any problem at all if
George accompanied us on our trip?”
Rad smiled broadly. “Of course not.” He offered his hand to George again. “Such an
addition would be nothing less of a pleasure.”
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George smiled in return, shaking Rad’s hand again. “Thank you very much, sir. Now if
you would excuse me, I must hurry home to gather my belongings and inform my parents of my
departure.” The lad hurried away, borrowing a horse down the street to save time.
Windsor turned to Anne, grinning crazily. “A terribly nice young friend you have, Miss
Falkman.”
The girl smiled in response, wondering about what Rad was thinking. She allowed to be
escorted into the carriage before him and she stole a glance at his face now and again, but all she
could make out of it were agreeableness and contentment.
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8 The Engagement
Anne, Rad, Windsor and George entered the city of Bath on a stormy evening two days
after George joined the group, but the weather played no part in the joy of all four as they settled
themselves into one of Bath’s opulent inns. They then proceeded to Dyrham Park, a quaint area
eight miles north from the urban center. Within it was a mansion where fashion-loving,
first-class citizens often went for social calls, and it was this mansion that Rad knew he would
find many of his good friends visiting and conversing. He and his family had visited the site the
last time he was in Bath and he had found its many comfortable rooms, Dutch portraits and
furniture quite enjoyable, and he was more than eager to embrace these accommodations again.
The ground space by the mansion that was occupied by wagons and carriages was muddy
and wet, but Windsor was able to park their vehicle successfully enough and soon he was
helping Anne down to view the building for herself.
“It’s a beautiful place, Rad, truly,” she complimented. He smiled, and then turned to their
guest.
“Come along, George. We didn’t come all the way out here just to look at how it was
made. Let’s go inside.”
The interior of the mansion was where the city’s officials sometimes met for political
affairs, but it was also suited for parties and balls and that night was no exception. Various
vehicles had been sitting outside and that accounted for the sufficient number of people who
were now spending their hours in the rooms. At the sight of them, Rad’s excitement grew and his
grip on Anne tightened. Noticing this response, Windsor laughed.
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“Do you see someone whom you know, sir?” he questioned.
The lad turned suddenly. “Hm? Oh, no, not yet. It just seems like it’s been such a long
time since I talked with other gentlemen, not to offend you, Windsor.” He chuckled, and then
addressed Anne. “Would you like to come with me to meet a few of my friends? And you are
welcome as well, George, of course.”
Anne nodded affirmatively, but George seemed content to wander around gazing at the
artwork on the furnished walls. He had never been anywhere in his life except for London and
Cambridge, and he spent time immersing himself in everything as Rad and Anne left him behind
to converse.
The same fears that had gripped Anne’s stomach the day that she had met her tutor in
Hertford Castle two years before were virtually dissipated now, save for the ever-lurking
apprehension that she should come into contact with Madame Button. She could not understand
why she was still so afraid of meeting the belligerent woman. Windsor and Rad had taken many
vows to do whatever it took to keep her safe from all harm and danger, but she felt the
fearfulness poke at her regardless of what protection she was under.
Well, she thought, at least I’m not scared otherwise. I guess I have become quite
accustomed to this kind of life.
A few moments escaped them before Rad was able to find his friends, but when he saw
them talking quietly in a corner over a couple of drinks he went over to greet them warmly and
introduce them to Anne. Remembering her manners acutely, the girl smiled and curtsied to the
four gentlemen who she was facing: Adhelm Grey, Darnell Raskings, Edward Garbisch, and
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Landon Harks. The four young men seemed to have similar etiquette to Rad and were all more
than happy to meet their friend’s girl.
“What brings you to Dyrham Park, Rad?” Adhelm asked, sipping his wine.
“Well, I think that Windsor, Anne, and I simply needed to get out of Hertford,” he
replied. “We also brought along an old friend of Anne’s, George Doscoll. The gentleman seems
very agreeable.” He glanced around at the surrounding visitors. “Excuse me, friends. Is there a
party or special dance scheduled for tonight?”
Two of them frowned in ignorance, but Darnell and Landon seemed to know what was
happening that evening. “I believe that there is, Rad,” Darnell answered. “It would seem that you
and your lovely Miss Falkman came on the right night. I think that tonight there is going to be a
politicians’ gathering of both the Whig and Tory parties. They are celebrating some kind of
accomplishment in their business, something that I know little about.” He waved his hand in the
air in carelessness.
Rad snickered. “Feckless as always, aren’t we, Darnell?”
“Well, I’ve never been knowledgeable when it comes to politics.”
“Why were you curious, Rad?” Adhelm wondered.
He shrugged. “I was thinking that perhaps I might make an announcement in front of
everyone.”
“Oh? What announcement is this?” Edward inquired, but a few obvious glances on Rad’s
part from Anne and back to Edward again gave the man his answer. He nodded silently,
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appearing oblivious. Anne, however, had heard little of the men’s conversation, for she too had
been occupied with looking at the gorgeously-styled building, and for this Rad was grateful. In
addition to believing marriage proposals to be unwonted and authentic, he also believed that they
should be quite pleasant.
The five men talked a bit about the weather and each other’s lives and then Rad and Anne
left them to go back to Windsor and George. They found George in a room near the one that they
had just been in, lost in the glories of the Dutch artists’ creations, and Windsor was sitting
quietly in a chair by the door. This expected pose struck by his hard-working butler did not ease
Rad’s conscience and he excused himself from Anne’s presence to go to speak with him. Anne
made use of this opportunity to ask George his opinion of the attractions.
“Oh, everything is so luscious, Anne!” he exclaimed when she had queried him. “Surely I
have never seen such wonder in all my life.”
Anne let out a humorless laugh. “George, George. How much there is that you don’t
know! If you think that this park is wonderful, you should have been with me when Rad took me
to the many cities and parks that he did through the past two years that I have known him. I have
seen many locations more pleasant than this one.” This declaration was a lie, for Anne had never
been to Bath before and she too was awed by how magnificent it was. Its accessories were also
probably the best that she had ever seen as well, but she was not about to admit this to George.
He really hasn’t changed at all. He’s just as ignorant and stupid as he’s ever been. For
the first time Anne scolded herself, asking herself why she had ever invited him along for the trip
in the first place.
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The hours went by and soon the halls of the mansion were much fuller than they had been
when the four travelers had first arrived. Men from both the Whig and Tory parties occupied the
empty rooms and men and women of all ages were brought to the mansion for the occasion,
dressed in fashionable gowns, wigs, panniers, and coats. A late dinner was also to be had,
something that Rad had been unaware of, absolute with a suckling pig and the oldest wines
available. He overheard a couple of the politicians talking to each other about the speeches that
they were going to present, and he summoned the courage to step up to speak with one of those
men about the party’s company making public announcements.
“Pardon me, sir. I understand that you gentlemen will be speaking of certain affairs
before everyone tonight, but I have a question from this gathering’s visitors, if you don’t mind.
Will there be a time for us to have leisure time and make our own announcements?”
The politician looked somewhat stunned, but he replied with full authority. “Yes, there is
to be a dance for everyone after the dinner and speeches and that time is also the visitors’ to do
with as they please.”
Rad grinned, thanked the man immensely, and went back to Anne, running his
proclamation exhaustively through his mind.
I only hope that she doesn’t discover my plans.
The dinner was one of the tastiest that Anne had ever experienced, but the speeches made
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by the boring politicians almost drove her crazy. They seemed to last forever, so long, in fact,
that when they ended she marveled that it was not morning yet. Immediately following their
conclusion, the guests were instructed to retire to a different room for the ball. Such a room was
just as glorious as its relative had been but with one marked difference: its beautifully designed
ballroom floor. The floor displayed colors that both George and Anne had never seen before, and
the excitement peaked within Anne at the thought of twirling around on such a floor. George,
however, felt socially inadequate and uncomfortable with the idea of a grand ball. He had never
been to a spectacle of the like in his whole life, and even if he did feel ready to dance he knew
that the right to dance with Anne belonged to Rad and Rad only, and he did not really want to be
with any other female.
His expectations were not met. As it turned out, he was a much handsomer man than he
had known he was. As he sat desolately watching Rad and Anne dance with each other, countless
women either sat by him to talk or asked for a dance themselves, which was quite forward. As
much as he admired the courage of the ones who asked him, he could not bring himself to get off
of his feet to dance with a woman who was not Anne. However, he did come to enjoy the
undemanding talks with the shy, young girls who sat by him and asked him to tell her about
himself. When he was asked as to why he would not dance, he said that he had either never
learned or was too tired to do so, and both of these reasons were true. He had always been a man
of low social status, hardly ever leaving his childhood home when he had been younger, so he
had never learned to properly dance, and the day’s journey, dinner, and speeches had made him
much more exhausted than usual.
Midnight drew nearer and George thought that he would definitely fall asleep in his seat
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if the party did not end soon, and he probably would have if a familiar voice had not prompted
hi