The heroine of my upcoming novel, HAZARD, is Lady Anne Peckworth, who appeared in my 1994 novel, FORBIDDEN. Even though her scenes are quite brief, many readers have asked me to give Lady Anne her own story, and her own happy ending.
I tried earlier, in a novel called THE DRAGON'S BRIDE. It clearly wasn't meant to be, and poor Anne lost another suitor! But more of that later. Because Forbidden is out of print and hard to find, I'm putting Lady Anne's scenes here for those who are curious about her. I hope Forbidden will be reissued in late 2003.
In fairness, these scenes do not show the whole Anne, but accurately represent how others see her at this time.
Scene 1. Francis, Lord Middlethorpe is visiting Lea Park, seat of the Duke of Arran, in order to woo Anne. The families are quite close, and they have known each other for years. It is a very suitable match
Francis realized he was being addressed and turned with a smile to Anne.
"Would you object, my lord, if we went a little out of our way? I have promised some books to the school in Kings Lea, and would like to deliver them myself."
"Of course not. Improving tomes? Bibles?"
He was teasing but she answered him seriously. "They are already well supplied with those. How could you think otherwise? No, these are rhyme stories for the younger ones, and a few books of geography and such. All volumes that our schoolroom here will not need for many years, especially as Uffham refuses his duty."
She directed solemn reproach at her oldest brother.
"Good grief, Annie, I'm not yet twenty-five! Give a fellow a chance to kick up his heels before you shackle him for life."
They all laughed, but Francis reflected that he was only just turned twenty-five, but no-one seemed to consider him too young for shackles…
"Marriage is not a shackle," Lady Anne countered with gentle firmness, and a slight, betraying flicker of her eyes toward Francis. So perhaps she did catch the point.
Scene 2. Francis receives disturbing news that requires him to visit his nearby home.
He ordered his curricle and sent for his greatcoat, gloves and hat, but took nothing else. He expected to return in short order. By tacit agreement, Anne walked with him to the door.
"I'm sorry about this, Lady Anne." He offered a social lie. "It is just a matter that my mother cannot handle alone."
"A weighty one, then," Anne said with a smile. "Lady Middlethorpe is wonderfully competent."
"Indeed she is."
It was excellent that Anne and his mother had mutual liking and respect. They were even similar in nature and taste. Both had innate good manners, quiet decorum, and impeccable neatness, and they never put a social step amiss. He suspected that once Anne was in charge of her own establishment, she would rival Lady Middlethorpe in competence, too.
Francis had an urge to speak to Anne now, to have it settled, but he came to his senses. He could hardly make his offer impetuously in the hall under the eyes of the Groom of the Chambers and two footmen. But he recognized that it was time to act. This evening he would speak to the duke. He would gain Arran's consent, arrange the settlements, and then commit himself to Anne for life.
He took her hand and kissed it warmly. "I will return as soon as possible. You know that."
She didn't mistake him, and lowered her head, a delicate blush touching her cheeks. Then they heard the horses on the gravel beyond the door. Francis was assisted into his outer clothing and left.
Scene 3 Francis's short absence stretches into days, and he encounters Serena, Lady Riverton, a beautiful widow. Events conspire to prevent his offering marriage to Anne, and then, as a result of their adventures, Serena becomes pregnant. Francis feels he has no choice but to marry her. Once married, the scandalous couple must brave London, but they have the support of the Company of Rogues. Beth Arden takes Serena shopping, and they have an encounter.
It was no easy matter to make progress, however, for the fine weather had brought a good many ladies and gentlemen out of hibernation, and many of them seemed as intent on sauntering and chatting as on purchasing. In addition, servants on errands threaded their way through the crowds.
Two ladies came out of a linen-draper's shop and Beth and Serena stopped to allow them to cross in front to enter their coach. The older lady noticed them, and paused with a pleasant smile. "Lady Arden. Somewhat busy today, is it not?"
"Indeed it is, Duchess. A burst of premature spring weather has us all in a frenzy, like March hares...." At the end of this chatter, something in Beth's tone changed, and Serena looked at her, wondering if she were taken ill.
"Beth...?" she said.
The duchess looked between them, mildly curious. Duchess of what? The duchess's companion was a young woman whose good looks were given dignity by an aura of neatness and composure.
The duchess moved to fill the awkward silence. "I don't believe you are acquainted with my second daughter, Lady Arden. Anne, make your curtsy to the marchioness, my dear. Poor Anne has not been well. We are going to spend a few weeks in Bath."
"How nice that will be, Lady Anne," said Beth, still in that strange voice. Serena clearly heard her sigh before she said, "May I introduce my companion, Lady Middlethorpe?"
When Lady Anne's face went sheet-white, the truth finally dawned on Serena. This pretty, dignified young woman was Francis's Lady Anne. She appeared fragile, for she was of slight build, with pale blond hair, and the shock made her appear more so. Now, however, her pallor was drowning under a wave of pink embarrassment.
Serena could feel the same hectic color in her own cheeks.
The duchess was also red, but red with anger. At any moment there was going to be a truly disastrous scene. Serena wondered desperately what one was supposed to do in this situation. Just walk on? Apologize? Lady Anne, I am so sorry for stealing your future husband.…
Then Lady Anne held out her gloved hand. "Lady Middlethorpe. I'm pleased to meet you." It was said rather woodenly, but it was said.
Deeply grateful, Serena touched her gloved finger's to those offered. "And I you, Lady Anne. I hope you enjoy your stay in Bath."
Lady Anne managed a flicker of a smile. "I don't suppose I shall enjoy the waters." She looked around vaguely. "We are blocking the pavement, I'm afraid."
The duchess came to life and nodded curtly. "Lady Middlethorpe. Lady Arden." Then she swept her daughter into their carriage and it rolled off, but not before Serena had noted that Lady Anne walked with a slight but noticeable limp. It somehow made everything ten times worse.
"I'm sorry...." Both Beth and Serena said it together then shared an appalled glance.
They hurried toward their coach. Serena was fighting tears, and knew she must not shed them here. She already felt as if the whole street had been witness to that scene, even though there was no sign of anyone else having noticed.
They climbed into the carriage with relief. "Nothing, I suppose," sighed Serena. She swallowed hard. "Lady Anne seems a lovely person."
"She certainly did well just then," agreed Beth.
After this debacle, Anne was wooed again, this time by Con Somerford, Viscount Amleigh, then Earl of Wyvern. Clearly on the point of proposing, he was called away to his new property in Devon. (The Dragon's Bride, May 2001)
And now, the beginning of HAZARD. (May 2002, NAL.)
Chapter 1
"The toad. The slimy, warty, toad!"
Lady Anne Peckworth snapped around to stare at her sister. Frances was working through her day's letters, and clearly one of them that had called for the Peckworth family's worst acceptable insult.
Before she had time to ask, Frances looked at her and her stomach cramped.
No.
It was like lightning.
It didn't strike the same person twice.
Frances's mouth pinched as if to hold back the words, but then she said, "According to Cynthia Throgmorton, Wyvern is married. And to a nobody! A bastard daughter of a lady of Devon, who was working -- would you believe? -- as his housekeeper. She has it from Louisa Morton, who lives near Crag Wyvern and is absolutely to be relied upon, she says. Of course, neither she nor Cynthia has any idea that this gossip is of particular importance...." Her furious face softened into sympathy. "Oh, Anne..."
What did one say?
The same as last time, she supposed. "I hope they'll be very happy."
"Anne! The man has as good as jilted you! And after Middlethorpe, too. Father must take him to court over it."
"Good heavens, no!" Anne shot to her feet. "I could not bear to be such an object of curiosity and pity." She bit her lips and controlled herself. "The Earl of Wyvern and I were not engaged, Frances. He had not so much as mentioned marriage."
"But he has been paying you such attentions!"
Since Frances was late in pregnancy and had been down here in Herefordshire for the past five months, the family letters must have been flying. Anne wasn't surprised. Her family was in a collective fret over poor Anne.
Poor crippled Anne.
Poor jilted Anne.
Poor destined-to-be-a-spinster Anne.
Late last year, their neighbor, Viscount Middlethorpe, had courted her. It had been understood by all that he would soon ask her to marry him, and she would accept. Then he'd been summoned to his estate by some problem. She had next seen him with his beautiful and scandalous wife on his arm. Not a housekeeper in that case, but the widow of a man known as Randy Riverton, which was almost as bad.
"I wonder if this one is in an interesting condition, too."
"What?" asked Frances.
"Have your gossips not told you that Lady Middlethorpe is expecting to be confined in the summer?"
"What?" Frances repeated, color mounting. "That would mean that the cad got her with child while...."
"While he was courting me. Yes. As you see, he was no great loss."
She hadn't felt that way at the time, but she'd pretended to. How else to salvage her pride?
As a result of events in The Dragon's Bride, a certain Race de Vere feels Anne's problems are on his conscience, and so he sets out to fix her life. What results, of course, is a fix indeed! But more on that later.
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