Lady Ann entered the library for a moment she stood looking at the Ostrich a strange bird its eyes seemed to follower her every move. Who ever had done the job of mounting it had done a wonderful job she thought.

Her eyes drifted across the room looking for any sign that might betray the occupancy of her husband there was none, as she turned to leave her eyes dwelt for a moment on the small table near the door. A poem of some sort she thought, she picked it up and began to read “Dearest Juanita long have I admired you from afar…. “Could it be? Sir Thomas had taken a lover? How could this be? She wondered. She cast her mind back to the last season in town could it be that her husband had found a woman of loose morals of whom Sir Thomas had taken advantage? No it could not be more likely the hussy had marked Sir Thomas for an easy target of her charms but surely her husband was passed calf-love
Was he not? Had he not found an Incognita?


Just like a man to fall for the charms of a hussy had Sir Thomas taken mistresses? Had he found a light-skirt? For a moment Lady Ann considered consigning the poem to the fire but then she dismissed this idea she did not want to give Sir Thomas any advanced knowledge that she knew what he was about.

Of one thing she was certain she would have her revenge for she was not a woman to be trifled with, her many years as a wife and mother had taught her one thing if there situation changed then one would adapt and apply ones mind to the new situation now a new situation was presenting itself and she would be ready for it she would not be bested by a woman of low class. No she would not be made a cake of by any one.

Sir Thomas entered the drawing room coming across the room he placed his hand upon the chair upon which Lady Ann sat leaning forward he tried to plant a kiss upon her cheek but lady Ann moved just then and he ended up kissing the air.

“Ann what is amiss?” He asked “Amiss dear husband pray what can be amiss everything is as it should be pray what do you mean sir?’ she asked “I am quite sure I do not know what you mean” she continued.

“Ann my love you seem distressed what has occurred that has made you so cold towards me?” he asked. “Sir I am quite sure that your imagination is once more at play for nothing is amiss save that you have not had your dinner and it is quite cold by now,” she said dismissively for she meant to make her husband suffer for the long years that they had been companions had taught her every thing there was to know about his nature she knew that should peace not be restored before bed time he would be quite unable to sleep and would pace the bed chamber until he would fall into a restless sleep which would come in the small hours of the morning.

“I take it then your call at Morton was a pleasant one” said Sir Thomas giving up for the moment trying to please his wife. “Indeed husband it was one of the most pleasant calls I have ever made,” she said.

“Pray tell how our grandson is?” he asked “The lad is well and grown big like his papa he is sure to do well in the world,’ she said coldly.

It always came as a surprise to Sir Thomas how an woman of longstanding acquaintance could make even good news sound so formidable like the speaker in the house announcing the butchers bill for the last quarter he mused. As the saying went the apple falls not far from the tree for Sir Thomas had in mind a number of occasions when he had seen his own female children behave in the same fashion that Lady Ann now was?

Leaving Lady Ann Sir Thomas went about his daily tasks bemused by the fact that he could not fathom what had occasioned his wife to take such a set against him had he not always done his duty by her did he not show the measure of his affection for her by telling her on as many occasions that he still loved her even though they were now grown to that time of life when one should be comfortable with each other?

“True he had not always been at home but this was due to his service to crown and country a man should always do his duty to crown and country first before considering his own needs was the motto he had been brought up to believe in and he thought that his wife knew this but there must be some new occasion for this strange behavior of the woman who had been his devoted companion, what can it be he mused as he began cutting some flowers maybe if I bring some flowers into the house and present them to her she might change her mind and forgive me for what ever slight I have afforded her he thought.

From a window on the upstairs Lady Ann observed her husband she was angry extremely angry did he think that she would not find out, did he indeed think that a kiss would save him? And now what was the silly man up to cutting her roses did he not understand that they had taken a long time to grow that much care had gone into there breeding?

At the entrance to Oakland Park a messenger hurried through the gate he had been sent with a letter of the greatest urgency from Ireland his master had instructed him to hand it to no one but Sir Thomas Sterley of Oakland Park. Then to wait for a reply from Sir Thomas, The livery of the messenger denoted a great house an old and ancient line one which the Sterley’s had seen before not many months earlier.

For the Earl of Waterford had in the months since the challenge to Sir Thomas’s honor grown brave enough because of distance in time and space now to wish to settle the matter of honor. At the same moment another coach was making its way to Oakland containing Young Harry Watson with some very agreeable news.

Tags: regency novel, jane austen