Chapter 3
When the clock struck 10pm, Anne marched down to the Winchester household where she would be reconciled with Sheldon. She made sure not to be seen by her Aunt or anyone else for that matter. She ruffled her hair, bit her nails, rubbed her hands together and blinked too many times. She finally came to the mailbox that had ‘Winchester’ written upon it. Sheldon was right, nobody could miss the house. It was far grander than any house she had ever set eyes on, including Bertha’s. Although she was amazed by the wealth of the family, she thought only of coming face to face with him again. Perhaps it was too much excitement for one day.
With quite a few deep and drawn out breaths, Anne finally placed both her feet onto the large step in front of the giant double doors and placed her hand upon the door knocker when it suddenly opened and stopped her from doing so. She jumped back just a step with the fright and shock of such a coincidence.
‘Anne, you made it. I apologise if I startled you, only I saw you approaching through the window.’ Sheldon said with his hands formally behind his back when he spoke, and his hair still perfectly placed. She looked behind her and all around the street before she answered him. She was more afraid of the time as she had never been out this late before and now that her life was so different, she could no longer do as she pleased.
‘Please come in.’ Sheldon eventually said to break the seconds of unexpected silence. She felt embarrassed at not replying in time, but she walked in anyway.
She was astounded by the décor around her and the detail of the furniture. Her father couldn’t even afford such extravagant things, she thought. She followed Sheldon through to the large dining room which looked as though it was a room that a large party could be held in, as so did all the other rooms she had walked through. There were two empty plates on the table and two people drinking wine from silver plated wine glasses. One a man with some resemblance to Sheldon, the other, a woman of around the same age.
‘You must forgive me, Anne. I had invited you for dinner and realised my father had already begun to dine as I returned. My servant can bring you something if you so wish?’ Sheldon explained as Anne was not interested in the food at all.
‘It is quite alright, sir, thank you. I have no appetite.’ Anne replied as she stared over at the man and woman, who seemed to not be speaking or even looking at one another.
Sheldon went and sat across from the woman and Anne followed, sitting next to Sheldon but also across from the man. Even with four of them at the table, it seemed bare.
‘Anne, may I introduce my mother Lydia and my father George.’ Sheldon said as Anne smiled at the both of them. Before Anne had the chance to speak, Lydia got up from her seat and left a half empty glass of wine in her place.
‘Nice to meet you Miss. I must go to bed. I am tired.’ Lydia said. She glanced at her husband and went off up the golden staircase embossed with silver roses at the other side of the room.
Sheldon poured Anne a glass of wine as she struggled to lift the heavy silver glass. The wine was the best thing she had ever tasted, what a life of luxury, she thought. Sheldon’s father, George continued to sip his wine and look about the room with a blank expression.
‘You will have to forgive him, Anne. He has nothing to say to my mother let alone a young girl.’ Sheldon said as he poured himself some expensive wine.
‘I believe she is a lady, not a girl. A very fine lady I’m sure.’ George said across the table with the end of his sentence echoing into the bottom of his glass, making it difficult to hear what he said. Anne looked around and thought long and hard about something intelligent to talk about. An unworthy feeling washed over her as she began to doubt her place at the grand table. She and George made eye contact several times as though they were speaking with their eyes.
‘So, Anne. How was the rest of the party?’ Sheldon said after clearing his throat and seeming agitated.
‘It was errr…fascinating. There were some interesting characters, but nobody to my liking. I prefer the company of intellectual persons, not the people that my Aunt associates with.’ Anne replied, not making eye contact with Sheldon whilst speaking, but looking at George the whole time. Sheldon looked to his father and then to Anne, he couldn’t stop himself from repeating it secretly.
‘Well you will only get the best of conversation in my home, Anne. I do hope that this will not be the last time you visit here?’ Sheldon asked, seeming distracted as everyone else seemed to be.
‘I will be sure to come again Sir. You have many attractions here that I will long to see again.’ Anne said. She smiled confidently at George whilst taking a slow sip from her glass.
The confident and alluring smile was returned across the table and as the atmosphere thickened, Anne’s heart throbbed faster. Sheldon looked anywhere but at the two people he had for company. He glanced over at the wine bottle in the middle of the table and picked it up.
‘Oh look, we are out of wine. What is a dinner with no wine! I shall get some more. Excuse me.’ He said as he rushed into the kitchen as fast as he could.
Anne tried to think long and hard about why Sheldon had suddenly become so fragile but a bigger part of her was giving Georgie most of the attention. Anne slowly ran her fingers across her collar bone and held her glass in the other hand, hovering it near her to tease her taste buds. They said nothing for near a minute. The silence was almost tempting.
‘So, Anne. Tell me more about yourself.’ George finally said. He had a deep intriguing voice that drew her in even more. He had piercing eyes that she couldn’t seem to look away from. She felt they were clinging onto her inner soul and not letting go.
‘Well, I am 17 and I am an orphan. My father passed away just two weeks ago.’ She explained, getting some words mixed up and struggling to speak as she usually could so well.
‘I am sorry to hear that. I am sure you will find a man to take care of you.’ George replied as nothing else was said through words but through a connection that couldn’t be spoken of. Sheldon then entered the room with a new bottle of wine.
‘Sorry to hear what?’ He asked curiously as he didn’t explain what took him so long. George finally took his eyes off Anne and looked at his son.
‘Oh, she was just err saying that her father has recently passed away. It is a tragedy for such a young woman to go through.’ George told his son, but no look of sympathy came about on Sheldon’s perfectly oval face. Sheldon then collected the glasses and began to pour more wine as he spoke.
‘Ah well you should be glad he is gone, for you have more freedom now. He would have died one day anyway; it is best that it was now so that you can have full control over your life at a young age. I cannot imagine inheriting everything from my father, what a happy chap I would be!’ Sheldon said, smiling and passing Anne her second glass of wine.
Anne finally looked at Sheldon who was sitting so close to her and she had failed to realise. She stared at him with a look of disgust and disappointment upon her face and George seemed to be pulling a similar expression. He can be rude, insensitive and greedy sometimes, she thought. All of which was not to her taste or liking.
She expected a man of such wealth and good family heritage to be well spoken and polite at all times, especially to a potential suitor. She said nothing in response to him as she felt too shocked to speak.
‘Well excuse me. I must go and get my night’s sleep ready for tomorrow where the business continues. Have a great night Anne.’ George said with a heart-warming smile. He tucked his chair under the dining table and walked upstairs, leaving Sheldon and Anne alone finally. Anne suddenly felt normal again with no racing heart or overwhelming nerves. She turned slightly so that she could see Sheldon more easily. Sheldon watched his father walk up the stairs and as soon as George was gone, Sheldon placed his hand on the top end of Anne’s thigh.
Anne flinched and moved backwards suddenly, and he removed his hand in shock horror. He stared at her for a few seconds as the silence continued. He reached over and placed his hand in the same place once again, only tighter. Anne looked at him and felt nothing but fear. No desire, no temptation, no romance, just fear.
‘What are you doing sir!’ She said abruptly and quietly to avoid drawing attention.
‘We both know why you are here, never make a man wait. Come to bed with me.’ Sheldon said, whispering into her ear flirtatiously. Anne rose from her chair and slapped him hard across his cheek impulsively.
He removed his hand immediately and held his cheek whilst looking up at her and wondering what he did that was so wrong. She stared at him for another second, shook her head and headed straight for the front door where she stormed out. Sheldon waited a second and then ran to the door after her. He watched her walk quickly down the footpath in the pouring rain.
‘One day I will get my way with you as I do with every woman! You will give into my advances, mark my words! Nobody rejects a member of the Winchester family!’ He shouted after her as he preferred to not go outside in the bad weather. She heard him but chose not to respond. As soon as she was halfway home, her eyes began to flood with tears like a bursting riverbank.
The events of the night had begun to affect her emotions. She hardly ever cried and when she did it had to be something that wrecked her heart and mind. She got to her Aunt’s house and opened the door slowly, hoping to not wake her and be questioned about her whereabouts.
She shut the door behind her and dragged her drenched clothes up to the staircase when she could see some smoke at the corner of her eye. She took a quick glance and realised that her Aunt was still awake, she was in the lounge smoking.
‘Where have you been until this hour? I arrange a party for you, and you do not stay for the full party? I do not think that to be polite, do you?’ Bertha asked as Anne looked up at the giant clock on the wall that was hanging in front of her, it was almost 11pm.
‘It is none of your business Aunt Bertha, I have my own life.’ Anne responded as she tried to advance towards the staircase, but she was stopped by Bertha when she got up from her chair and walked up to her face.
‘That is where you are wrong. You were your father’s possession and everything of his now belongs to me, so you and your sister belong to me. I can do whatever I wish with you. You have been to see him, haven’t you?’ Bertha said, pleading her case.
‘No. No of course not, I have been with Mildred since the party.’ Anne replied, hoping to dig herself out of a hole. Bertha smiled and shook her head.
‘Your whore of a friend went home with a middle aged man and she was there for the full party and so was your sister. Seeing Sheldon was the only place you could have been.’ Bertha said, challenging Anne and exposing her lie. Anne sighed.
‘We do not need to have this conversation.’ Anne replied as she then began to walk up the stairs before her Aunt could continue to get information out of her.
‘You will never get to marry that man I will make sure of it. We would not want him to find out about your past, would we?’ Bertha shouted up to Anne, but Anne chose to pretend she didn’t hear her. Anne sneaked into her room and thought about just how evil her Aunt could be. But what an exciting but yet frightening evening it had been, she thought.