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TODAY HAS CHANGED THE REST OF ANNIE'S LIFE. She had come to stay with relatives for a few months and today her cousin Esme was getting married to some bandit. The poor girl roared on her cousin's shoulder for a few days and then on the day of the wedding she walked around slumped and silent. Annie didn't understand much, she grew up in a wealthy family but without her parents. They travelled all over the world and their daughter just wasn't part of their plans, so the girl was given to her grandparents on her mother's side. The father's relatives, on the other hand, are Lee's brothers.
Annie wouldn't say they were horrible, not at all, but they were clearly different from her usual surroundings. Annie is the granddaughter of the Herzogs of Lytingen, who are close to the King. No one in the community says that the only daughter of the Dukes has tied her life to a bandit and abandoned her child. This shame was well concealed. But that didn't stop grandparents from always spoiling their only heiress.
Three months ago she received an invitation from the Lee family to stay with them and Annie accepted without much thought. She hadn't seen them for a long time and living in nature would have a good effect on her. The girl brought with her so many things for her cousins, enough for three years to come.
While everyone was fussing with Esme, Annie lay on the grass enjoying the sounds of nature. Her red curls lay neatly along her elbows and her snow-white skin was covered in goosebumps from the breeze. A shadow hovered over Annie, and when she opened her eyes she noticed Esme.
- Is something the matter? - Annie asked monotonously.
- You have to help me.
Annie dressed up in her prettiest cream dress and braided her hair into a tight braid. A smile was on her face as she and her cousins laughed at the assembled guests. The cousins at one point stopped laughing and looked behind Annie's back. Cautiously turning around the girl met her gaze with the head of the Lee clan and that chilling look did not bode well.
Taking Annie under her arm, her aunt led her into the carriage and as soon as they entered, the door slammed shut. The girl decided to look around, it was just the two of them in the room, which meant she was in trouble.
- Where had Esme gone? - Annie didn't answer, after waiting a bit her aunt raised her voice. - Where the hell is Esme, Annie?!
The girl shrank back and covered her eyes, muttering something to herself, but that answer didn't satisfy her aunt and she continued to press.
- I know you helped her to escape and not only her, Burke is missing too," a drop of sweat trickled down her face. - Do you know who these people are? - The girl shook her head negatively. - 'They're Annie's Sharp Trumps, and if a girl from the Lee family doesn't marry one of the Shelby brothers now, there's going to be war. So you'd better tell me where they've gone.
- No," a second later there was the handprint of the head of the Lee clan on her cheek. Annie backed away in shock, her cheek beginning to burn.
- Honour comes before everything and I don't want war. You Lee, Annie, go out there and help us all.
And she went out.
Out she went in a white dress with a veil to her fiancé. Annie knew not even her grandfather and grandmother would save her from this. Honour is paramount to Leigh, and Annie had hurt the honour of not only her aunt but many Leighs, so she must take Esme's place and get married. Of course the girl begged with tears in her eyes to forgive her and even shouted that they couldn't marry her off without Leigh's permission, but all was to no avail.
- Come on Annie, smile," the older cousin escorted her down the makeshift altar.
Kneeling on the box, Annie sighed and removed her veil. No doubt she could feel her fiancé's gaze, but she couldn't find the strength to turn around. The man who officiated the ceremony was a stranger to the girl, so she wasn't paying much attention to him either, right now Annie was focused only on her own thoughts.
When her palm was slashed, Annie was ready to burst into tears. She, the granddaughter of dukes, is marrying some gangster! When Annie writes to her grandmother, the elderly lady will feel sick. Grandmother has taken her daughter's elopement badly and such shenanigans on her granddaughter's part will be another blow to her. Clutching her practically husband's palm, Annie pressed her lips together. To cry now was to shame herself and Lee. John embarrassedly took her by the chin and looked into her eyes for a second. Then she felt the warmth of his lips on hers. It was fleeting, but Annie caught the taste of cigars and alcohol.
Everyone started congratulating them and having fun. Both parties were good drinkers, so Annie got drunk. She didn't want to be sad and think about how she had set herself up. Tommy's replacement bride was to her liking, the girl was a half aristocrat with great connections in London and the palace. She's also quite pretty and well educated.
John's sister, Ada was having a great time until Tommy asked her to slow down. A drunk Annie realised she'd had enough and Mrs Thorne went after her brother. Her contractions sobered Annie up and on the way home she coughs up whatever was in her stomach. Oh, Granny should see it now. As a woman, she and Polly were sent to help Ada, but Annie was of little use, for she had only seen the birth twice, but had no part in it.
- My God, is she really in labour?!" her question was answered by the cry of a labourer.
Annie helped Polly with all her might: fetching clean scraps of cloth, helping to turn Eida over and holding her hand for support. When the boy was born the girl exhaled and looked at the baby, he was very small and to Annie it was all wild.
- I'll retreat to the Garrison, you look after them," the girl just nodded at Pollyanna's remark and went to fetch Aida a plaid.
Annie knew the young mother needed rest and whiskey, so she rummaged through the kitchen shelves for alcohol and offered it to the girl while she took the baby herself.
- 'You're really lucky,' Thorne said suddenly. - John is the best of all my brothers and his children are a miracle.
- I'll take your word for it," Annie smiled.
Polly's return made the rest of the evening considerably easier. Ada was glad Thomas had allowed her husband to come and see his son. Honestly, this boy was wonderful, perhaps because Annie had never seen a newborn before. But this privacy was short-lived. There was a knock at the door and she went to open it, only to then bounce away with a squeak. There were policemen on the doorstep and looking at Freddie, there were definitely not good-natured smiles on their faces.
- What do you want? Please leave the room," but few paid any attention to Annie's words.
The guards moved towards Freddie with the child in their arms and began dragging him towards the exit. Ada immediately started screaming as Polly and Annie tried to stop them and take the baby away. When they left, poor Ada burst into tears. Polly rushed to the exit, putting on her outer clothes. She spent the next hour rocking the baby while Thorn calmed down.
The door opened and a drunken John was in front of them. He smiled at Annie and walked drunkenly towards her. Now he smelled more like tobacco than in the morning, which made Annie wrinkle her nose.
- Get dressed, we have to go home.
Appreciating his appearance and the late hour, Annie made a decision that would ensure she had a quiet night.
- I'll stay here," John wondered, even though he was drunk. - You're not sober and it's dangerous to ride with you. - We can walk.
- No, I'll stay and help your sister," with these words she pushed her husband out the door.
Truth be told, that wasn't the only reason why she stayed. Annie was just uncomfortable in John's company.
She hadn't fully realised that she was now the wife of a gangster.
