Have Faith

Chapter 12

"Place your hand over your heart, can you feel it? That is called purpose. You're alive for a reason so don't ever give up." Unknown  

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Chapter Twelve

The idea of Anne keeping her head down and going unnoticed was quite impossible when she was travelling in her husband's ostentatious, atrociously expensive carriage.

It had been Mr Carne's idea to travel in that carriage. Her whole escape had been because of Mr Carne's careful instruction. He wanted the Countess of Runthorpe to be seen by everyone. The more talking about having seen her travelling in the carriage, the better.

George was under the impression that Anne was travelling to London to see a dressmaker to order a new seasonal wardrobe and peruse the new collections. George was not aware that ladies usually sent away their measurements. He did not bother himself with such frivolous things. Anne simply had to play the sweet, loving, obedient wife for a few days before she asked permission.

And when that did not work, George requested another sort of favour from her.

A few moments of displeasure for a lifetime of freedom was not too high a price for Anne. She had a child in her belly to think about. This child she would protect. She would not fail this child as she did her first.

Anne packed a trunk, the normal sort that a lady would take to London. She packed gowns and gloves, bonnets and boots. She then packed a secondary bag, one filled with every kind of valuable she could get her hands on that would not be noticed.

She had been saving her pennies for years. Even though she was married to a very rich man, she was not rich at all. Her dowry had been paid to her husband upon her marriage. She had never controlled a shilling.

Every so often, George gave her a small stack of coins to spend in the village. Anne had never spent anything, and had instead saved them for a rainy day.

Today, although sunshiny, was pouring.

Anne sat across from Mr Carne in a little pub in a village she did not know the name of somewhere in Hertfordshire, drinking milky, lukewarm tea. She would never be able to thank this man for his kindness towards her. She had thought about naming her child after him if he was a boy. But then she did not quite like the name "Magnus". Second name, she decided.

"Have you changed your mind, milady?" asked Mr Carne. "I can help you in London."

Anne had already refused this offer twice. "No, I cannot accept. If we are seen together in London, then no one will believe our story. You need to return to Leicestershire and sell the tale. You must convince every that I am dead." Anne still could not believe she was saying those words aloud. It did not seem possible. Would people believe that she had died? Well, she was going to try.

Mr Carne sighed. "Alrigh'," he said, defeated. "Have you decided what you will call yourself? Have you decided what you will do or where you will go?"

Anne brought her tea cup to her lips and decided against taking a sip. It was too cold. "I have not decided on what I will call myself. I suppose I could use my maiden name. Rowe. It is common enough, though I could never say that to my parents."

Anne's parents were Gloucestershire nobility, or at least they thought of themselves in that way. They were rich, but untitled, which made the Earl of Runthorpe the perfect candidate for a husband for their daughter. They ignored Anne's early pleas for help. Eventually, Anne abandoned them. She had not written to them in over a year.