Diamonds Fall (10 page)

"Where are we going? Daniel, this is the wrong way."

"Jus' trust me."

Annabel's eyes roamed ahead of her as she scanned the forest for signs of where they could be heading. Daniel led them back down the steep bank to the stream and continued parallel to it for another few minutes.

"Here we are," he declared, stopping.

"Where's here? I don't see anything."

Daniel let go of Annabel and bent forwards, moving the branch of a tree that had begun to grow down the bank. Behind it Annabel noticed a large hole, almost like a human sized burrow. A cave of sorts.

"What is it?" Annabel asked.

"Home," he answered.

"Did you make this?" Annabel looked around as she walked inside the hide out, bent double so she could fit. It wasn't very deep, but it was large enough for them to both sit easily inside of it, a safe enough distance from the entrance.

"Nope. It was already here. I made it a little bigger though."

The den was dark, smelling of rich earth and Daniel. There was a blanket spread over the ground to form a sort of carpet and another one bundled up in the corner.

Annabel looked outside, watching the moonlight reflecting off of the stream that gently trickled through the trees.

"It's beautiful."

"Mhmm."

Annabel looked over at Daniel who was sat a few inches away from her, the whites of his eyes glistening in the shadows.

"I come here to think," he told her. "When everythin' is too much. When I can't stand it no more."

"Then...why have you bought me here?"

"'Cuz you're in my every thought anyway."

Annabel smiled as Daniel leant forwards and kissed her again. She rested her head on his shoulder.

They sat like that for about an hour, until Daniel shifted again, moving towards the entrance and holding out his hand. Annabel took it, following him to the stable.

When they arrived back, Genevieve was fast asleep in Billy's also unconscious arms down beside the horses. Patsy was nowhere to be found.

Daniel collapsed onto the floor almost as soon as they were through the doorway, his exhaustion clear in his eyes.

"Will you stay with me again Anna?" he asked.

"Always."

The next day, despite the healing he still had to undergo, Daniel had to resume his chores. Thus, he left at the first light of dawn, not returning until just before dusk. As soon as she saw him heading towards her at the end of the day, Annabel ran to him. All day she had been thinking about the kiss, her entire body tingling with anticipation. The feeling grew stronger with every hour Daniel wasn't in her sight. Taking his hand she led him back toward the woods. She knew what she was about to do was rushed. It went against everything she had ever been taught. Yet she needed this. She needed to take back control - not only of her life, her future, but also her body.

"Come with me. I - I want to try something. You make me better Daniel. Every time you touch me, I get better."

"Where are we going?"

"Trust me," she laughed.

"You're in a good mood."

"I'm with you. Why wouldn't I be?"

Daniel chuckled, limping along beside her.

She led them, with directions from Daniel, back towards the den.

"Can you kiss me again?" she whispered, standing directly in front of him when they reached the entrance.

Daniel placed his hands on either side of her face, drinking in her features with a look so full of love Annabel almost didn't understand it. He crushed his soft mouth over hers whilst his hands ran down her arms, spreading trails of electricity everywhere he touched. Her hands began to wander as well, tentatively at first, resting on his back then creeping beneath his shirt to feel the warmth of his skin on her palms. As the kiss deepened she pressed herself against him. Annabel stumbled backwards, turning to scramble inside the den. Clumsily she undid the buttons running down Daniel's front as he appeared inside as well, desperate to feel more of his warm skin. Her shaking fingers took an age to pull the small buttons through their fraying holes. He broke away, undoing his trousers and kicking them to the side, catching his foot as he did so and stumbling forwards. Annabel caught him, laughing as they toppled over. Daniel's warm body was soon pressed on top of her, his lips caressing her neck. Despite the tenderness of Daniel's touch, Annabel froze. Panic filled her system as she remembered the last time she had been in such a situation.

"Anna?"

Annabel's mouth had gone dry. She tried to swallow, squeezing her eyes shut. Daniel's thumbs made little circles on her cheeks, bringing her back to the present. She opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I just, I remembered with - with him."

Daniel looked horrified and Annabel closed her eyes again to block out his expression, regretting her reaction.

"Hey...Anna, look at me," he whispered and Annabel felt his lips touch her forehead. She opened her eyes but twisted her head to the side, still avoiding his gaze.

"I'm sorry."

"You `ave nothin' to be sorry for. I'm not makin' you do anythin' Anna. You say the word an' I'll go outside. We don't `ave to do this. I promise."

"I want to Daniel."

"Please Anna, don' jus' `cuz you think I wanna."

"No listen to me Daniel." Annabel lay back again to look into his eyes once more. "I want to be as close to you as I can get. Being with you makes me happier than I have ever been in my life. It makes me forget. I need you."

Daniel smiled and placed another kiss on Annabel's forehead.

"I'd never hurt you Anna."

Annabel groped downwards and pulled the dress from over her head. The awkwardness of the gesture broke the tension in the air and dissolved them back into easy laughter. This time when his body pressed against hers she only kissed him that bit harder, her hands running once more over his bare skin.

Annabel couldn't believe she could be this happy. She had heard this was a means to an end, for married people only and nothing enjoyable. Yet she and Daniel fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, lost in their own world, each revelling in the others' pleasure. He kissed every inch of her, gazing into her eyes with so much love it caused her to cry out against his mouth, arching her back.

They lay for a long time afterwards, tangled up in each other's arms. Daniel held her close to his side, running his fingers up and down her spine. Annabel traced his scars, marvelling in the unconventional beauty of the man beside her. It was like this that they both drifted off into the best night's sleep they would ever have.

Annabel awoke sometime later, the smell of earth rich in her nostrils, countered deliciously by the warmth of Daniel at her side. Leaning up on her elbow she kissed his sleeping mouth then dressed quietly and climbed outside. She washed her face in the cool water and sat down on the bank, watching as the sun slowly rose above the trees, turning the sky shades of bright orange and pink.

As the sun finally shone down, sparkling off the clear water, Daniel appeared rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck.

"Morning," Annabel whispered.

"An' what a beautiful morning it is."

They both chuckled.

"We should get back," Daniel said after a while.

"Yeah, Patsy and Billy will be wondering what happened to us."

They sat by the stream for another few minutes before they deemed it time to return. Annabel wrapped her arm back around Daniel's waist to help him climb up to the forest. His limp was ever so slightly less pronounced than the day before, his cuts a little less raw.

Daniel and Annabel parted ways just before the stable. When Annabel entered she grinned at Patsy inanely. Patsy didn't smile back.

They sat for a while listening to the birds in the trees high above their heads. The rafters creaked as Billy rolled over in his sleep and Patsy glanced sideways at Annabel.

"Why are you so quiet?" Annabel asked after a while.

"It's him."

"Who?"

"Daniel. Whatcha doin' with `im?"

Annabel blushed profusely and shifted on the dusty floor.

"Um...well we...it wasn't planned."

"Well stop." Patsy looked at her full in the eye with obvious anger.

"What?" Annabel looked back with disbelief. "Why? He's - we're happy."

"Yeah, but you'll be jus' as happy when you leave an' marry that fiancé back in your big `ouse and forget all about Daniel."

"Don't be absurd, I couldn't forget him - or you - even if I wanted to. I'm a different person now Patsy, I don't want to marry Theodore. I want Daniel. Please believe me. I've never felt this way before."

"An' how's that gunna work? Your rich folks gunna let you marry a poor boy? I don't think so."

"Patsy we only - who's talking marriage? I-"

"Theodore's talkin' marriage Anna. Does Dani know you're engaged?"

"No, not yet, but it doesn't matter -"

"It'll matter to him. Tell `im, or I will."

"Patsy - you can't."

"You're a good person Anna, an' I understand why you did it. I really do, but he's my brother, I `av to look out for `im."

"But that's...no, I forbid you-"

Patsy scoffed.

"You forbid me? Your upper class shit won' work `ere! I forbid you to mess around wi' my brother Anna, you hear?"

"I'm not messing around Patsy. Why are you being so impossible? I thought you would be happy for us!"

"If you were anyone else Anna I would be, you may not think it now but when you're back with your folks you'll let him down. You've already cheated on your fiancé the first chance you got."

"That isn't how it is Patsy and you know it!" Annabel was furious now. Angry tears were building up in her eyes, her throat burning. "I love him. I'm not just messing around!"

"Maybe not on purpose Anna but you are."

Annabel sat with her mouth slightly open, staring at her friend in disbelief. So this is what it felt like to be betrayed. It felt like a rusty knife had been speared through her chest that Patsy kept twisting.

"Jus' this once Anna, don' be selfish."

Their conversation was cut short when Billy's footsteps padded across the loft. They could hear him talking to Genevieve before he appeared on the rickety ladder next to them, crouching down once he reached the floor to devour his own helping of stew. Patsy greeted him with warmth, disguising her previous coldness towards Annabel completely.

When Daniel entered the stable that afternoon he broke out in the most heartbreakingly large smile the second he laid eyes upon Annabel. He sat down beside her, wrapping his fingers gently around hers.

In Daniel's presence Annabel found herself suddenly awkward. The memories of the previous night now held a more sour tone following Patsy's words. How was she being selfish? She thought that was what love was all about...if that's what this was.

"I'm gunna come see you tonight okay?" Daniel whispered so only Annabel could hear. She nodded.

"I've gotta check on Mama now," he continued. "An' they'll have things for me to do but I'll be `ere."

Annabel smiled but turned her head to the side when he leant in to kiss her, causing his lips to brush her soft cheek instead. Frowning slightly in confusion he got up and followed Patsy through the door, leaving Annabel once more alone, surrounded by heavy silence.

Genevieve was passed onto Annabel for the latter half of the day, following Billy being called out to deal with the horses and other farm yard animals dotted around the village.

Genevieve screamed most of the time without Billy. However, Annabel managed for the first time to rock her to sleep just before Daniel found her that evening. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Evenin' m'lady," he whispered in her ear, kissing her neck.

Annabel couldn't help but smile at the feel of his safe arms around her as she leant back against him.

"How was the outside world?"

"Fine. Heard nothin' from Mama. She walked righ' by me, probably wouldn't even `av been bothered if I'd been killed." Annabel flinched at Daniel's blasé manner of speech.

"She was really upset when you'd been hurt."

Daniel snorted.

"No, she was upset that I'd punched Trevor."

"Was a good punch though," Annabel reasoned.

Daniel laughed quietly. His breath tickled her skin.

"Are you okay?" he asked suddenly serious. "You seemed different wi' Patsy. Did she say summit? She's jus' scared I'll get hurt again, that's all."

"No - no, Patsy's fine. She's just protective. I'm alright, really."

"Okay, well I made you a present," he said, changing the topic. Annabel placed Genevieve in her nest like structure and faced Daniel, grinning.

"Ohh, what is it?"

Daniel reached down into his pocket, extracting a smooth piece of wood, the exact same size as his palm. The carving was very elaborate, depicting miniature faces of Billy, Patsy and Daniel. It was phenomenal craftsmanship, the kind Annabel would never have expected to see outside of her own manor.

"It's amazing," she breathed. "Thank you."

"Really? You like it?" he sounded surprised.

Annabel gave him a rare, full smile, revealing all of her perfectly straight teeth.

"I really need to learn how to repay you...and Patsy, she made that blanket for me, oh and Billy. You've all done so much."

"You can do this," and with that he kissed her again, igniting her whole body with electricity once more.

"I can't do that to Billy and Patsy!"

They both laughed, so tightly wrapped in each other's arms they didn't notice Patsy come in until she tapped Annabel on the shoulder, making both her and Daniel jump about a foot in the air.

"What the hell Patsy!" Daniel exclaimed. "Ain't you got any sense of timin'?"

Patsy looked furious.

"Yes, I do." She gave Annabel a pointed look.

Annabel tried to shake her head so that Daniel wouldn't see, barely moving at all. Patsy glared at her.

"Has Annabel told you yet?"

Annabel's jaw dropped.

"Told me what?" Daniel looked between Patsy and Annabel, an expression of confusion creasing his brow.

"Tell him Anna."

"I can't - Daniel it isn't what it is going to sound like - I can't imagine my life without you, I need you more than I've ever needed anyone-"

"Get to the point Anna," Daniel interrupted, the crease between his eyebrows deeper than ever.

"Before I came here - before you, I - I was engaged to be married."

Daniel looked stunned and dropped his arms immediately off of Annabel.

"I just thought you should know." Patsy whispered, looking sheepish.

Daniel was silent, his face stony in anger and disbelief.

"No, you would've said. This can't happen twice. You're not, you're not engaged." He caught the panicked look on Annabel's face and backed away. "No. So - so this was all a joke for you?"

Annabel's eyes misted over in tears.

"No, I just - I forgot."

It was a disgustingly feeble excuse. She was ashamed of herself as soon as it had passed her lips.

"You forgot?! Is that what you'll do about me - just forget?" His voice sounded thick, his eyes focused just above her head as if he were unable to meet hers. "I'll jus' be that stupid poor boy that fell in love with you."

"No, Daniel - please wait," she cried, but he rushed out the door, slamming it shut behind him with a bang that hung in the air with a heavy sense of finality.

Annabel suppressed a sob as she climbed the ladder to her loft. Lifting it up before she could be followed, she curled into a ball and wept.

The next day even Genevieve seemed to pick up on the atmosphere, she was inconsolable from dawn until dusk, her cries growing ever more frantic. Billy looked upset.

"Dani mad," he stated as he rocked the baby, a look of concern creasing up his face. Annabel nodded. "Billy fault?"

"No," she whispered taking his hand. "It's me, he's mad at me."

"Why?"

Annabel racked her brain for an answer to this question. "I lied to him," was the best she could come up with.

"He forgive, you see."

Annabel kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you Billy."

He smiled at this acknowledgment and moved Genevieve to rest on his shoulder, winding her in another futile attempt to soothe her. All of a sudden she emptied her tiny stomach down Billy's back. Annabel leapt up and washed it off as fast as she could. Jen began to wail even louder.