[M] Power and Society [Girly and Nastia]

[Anastasia]

"Telling me to stop acting like one implies that I am, father dear. Oh and Lillian, I have eyes everywhere, so do be careful with your little boyfriend..."

Anna grinned and got up to leave the dinning room, standing behind Lillian she rested her hands on the girls shoulders and squeezed tightly leaning in to kiss her cheek she whispered softly into her ear.

"I know you won't lie to him... but this isn't over, my little one. I'll see the death of you yet."

Kissing the cheek of Lillian, she left and headed toward the Library where she was to wait for her sentencing, poor little sister of hers must be spared the pain of having to deal with Anna's crime, though at least Lillian wouldn't go totally unscathed, though father would be much more forgiving with her, it was pity, she hated it. The inequality between two sisters, how delightful.

One of the footmen who had come to clear the dishes, did so quickly, and on his way down he stopped Elinor and cleared his throat.

"You've been implicated. Anna dropped your name, but it looks like Sam's got it worse. The little bitch knows everything."

Elinor froze, she turned to the man and nodded somewhat, she cleared her throat and continued to attend to her duties, she was in the process of retrieving the repaired bed skirts for one of the rooms, she could hardly remember what it was that her task was, she worried about Sam, she nodded and made her way to the stables, where she knew he would be.

"Anna knows. She knows about last night. I don't know what you did, but his Lordship is now very aware of it... though I think you're lucky because the one person in the world he might be more upset with is Anna, and knowing Lillian she can spin this in her favor..."

Her voice was worried, if she had kept her mouth shut about the stupid book, none of this would have happened, she bit her lower lip almost to point of blood, she felt she should confess but was afraid to do so.

[Girly Woman]

When Anna stopped to threaten Lillian, the Earl stood up and yelled, "To the library!" When Anna left, he pulled his chair next to Lillian's. He took her hand and looked at her, his eyes full of fatherly care and worry. He said, "Do not bother about your sister's threats. Your mother and I will not allow her to ruin your debut. We're working to save her and will save you from her in the process." Lillian said, "I trust you and mother. I will not worry."

David smiled and said, "Good." He sighed and said, still holding her hand and looking into her eyes, "You must tell me exactly what happened last night in the stables. Was Anna telling the truth?" Lillian was shaking slightly. She said, "Yes, father." Her eyes were wide, truthful, and innocent. She continued, "When I heard that Anna had hit him, I knew it was on my account. I had to see him and apologize. Next thing I knew, we were alone. I put the poor man in an awkward position by bursting out into tears. He has three sisters, so his brotherly instinct took over and he held me and comforted me. I know it wasn't proper given our ages, but it was a brotherly embrace, nothing more. He let go as soon as I calmed down." Tears shone in her eyes as she finished, "Please, father, his mother depends upon him, he meant nothing indecent, please don't dismiss him!"

David sighed. Anna had been telling the truth after all. He would have to keep an eye on this situation, but there was no point in running in guns blazing just yet. If one or both of them had feelings for each other, well, they were both decent and proper adults and would hopefully keep their distance from each other from here on out. He said, "I won't dismiss him. I'm sure he also realizes the impropriety of what he did. It may have been a brotherly embrace, but he is not your brother." David looked at Eugenie to see if she wanted to add anything.
***
Sam had turned to Elinor with a big smile and had been about to greet her when she made her confession. He froze and his face fell. He said, "What happened?" Sam was sure no one had seen his and Lillian's embrace. Sam's senses were almost as good as the horses' senses, so he would have known if there had been anyone in the stables. No one could have seen them from outside. He knew that Albert had gone to tell the Earl about finding Lillian crying in the stables, alone with Sam. However, even Albert didn't know about the embrace. So, maybe it was nothing. Maybe Elinor was just telling Sam what he already knew.

[Anastasia]

Anna grinned knowing exactly what she had done, and she loved every single second of it, while she understood that Lillian would get off lightly for her crimes, she would not have the same pleasure, but still any reaction was better than none at all.

----

"Lillian... you know better, you are so kind, so caring for the servants, but it must stop at that. You must trust us that if Anna hurt him, we would deal with it. You know it's your father's biggest rule, that the servants are not to be hit... please understand... my darling, I know you won't make this mistake again... but Sam, we must address..."

Eugenie nodded and smiled, she walked toward the library to address her other daughter, this was an issue that was beyond them all.

---

"I told Anna... about the book, that you had the book... she cornered me.... but I swear I had no idea what happened last night... No one said anything. I'd say she took a guess... the Earl is dealing with the situation now..."

She nodded and held back tears, she bowed her head in respect and as though she had asked for his forgiveness.

Meanwhile Anna though she would at least be happy with the fact that her father now knew that she was telling the truth, she hadn't been a total liar... after all she had only faked delirium of an illness, how wrong was that, really? Perhaps very, but it didn't matter at all.

"Oh mother, how nice of you to join me...come to scold me have you?"

Anna glared at Eugenie before her mother spoke.

"That is enough. Your father will deal with this, you ought to keep your mouth shut for once."

[Girly Woman]

David sighed. He had anticipated this talk with Lillian being short, but he certainly didn’t want it to be this short! However, as usual, Eugenie seemed focused on Anna. He stood up and said, “Lillian, I wish to talk farther with you. However, your mother seems to want to get to Anna now. Please wait for me in your room.” He basically wanted to keep her from going to the stables before they finished their conversation. He had wanted Eugenie involved, but it seemed that Eugenie didn’t really want to be involved.
**
Lillian nodded and responded, “Yes, father. I am sorry to have caused such trouble.” Then, her parents were gone. She finished her breakfast and then went to her room. She wondered how long she would be forced to wait. Anna had stolen her parents away…again…and may prevent her father from ever talking to Lillian today, or ever, about Sam. Which, to be perfectly honest, she was fine with! However, it was a lovely day. She sighed, looking out of the window. She really wanted to be outdoors, enjoying the fresh air and the weather. Humming as she admired the flowers. Sighing, she picked up Kapital again and immersed herself.
**
David walked in just in time to hear Eugenie’s last statement. Oh, he would deal with this one? Honestly, this woman… Blows off one daughter to go to the other and then sits back and leaves everything to David, who hadn’t been done with the first daughter!

He sat down and said, “You have never hit a servant in your life. You know that that is very wrong. Ladies do not strike others. You have always behaved like a lady, except towards your sister, your entire life. I will give you this one opportunity to tell me why you are behaving like this and what you are after. If you are acting out for justified reasons and not cruel reasons or you want something proper and decent and not cruel, then perhaps your mother and I can help you.”
**
Sam was a bit frustrated. Why wouldn’t this woman speak clearly? What did they know? What had Anna guessed? However, these were not questions which he could ask. He did not want to arouse suspicion just in case. He said, “Calm yourself. Horses have kicked me harder. You should apologize to Lady Lillian for the fright which you caused her.”

[Anastasia]

Eugenie had little concern for her other daughter, she knew that ultimately nothing would happen to her, other than a firm scolding the issue would be taken absolutely no further. Her husband would ensure that it stopped, she sighed deeply.

"Don't waste your time with that, David. She hit a servant, that is inexcusable. She should pay for that, end of discussion. However, you and I both should apologize. We didn't believe you. And while you expressed these thoughts of out anger, and not out of concern for your sister, you still did not lie... But you won't go unpunished... we have already taken measures..."

Eugenie spoke quickly, she understood that while she could express her thoughts, ultimately it was the father's responsibility to punish her. It was horrific, it was a nuisance, and she still believed that her daughter should be sent to France, she wouldn't risk Anna ruining Lillian's debut, not for anything.

"And what can you possibly do to me? You refused to believe me and because you failed to see the danger of the situation it escalated, and now that those feelings have been expressed, they won't simply stop... You think you can trust Lillian in the hands of some primitive stable boy? You're lucky she has more sense than that... poor fool. She's just an idiot... to allow herself to fall to such a low height... it's disgusting, and you... my fool of a father let it happened because you think she can do no wrong... it's always Anna this, and Anna did that..."

Her voice was cutting, it was cruel, she bit her lower lip and laughed publicly at the will of her parents.

Elinor looked at Sam and shook her head.

"Don't be so dense! Lillian gets what? A slap on the wrist, a stern talking to about what she should and should not be doing. She is the Earl's daughter, she escapes without a scratch. You... you can be fired, he could guarantee that you never work again because you laid a finger on her..."

Elinor breathed deeply and turned away from him, she would head back toward the house she would walk slowly, she had some thinking to do, it was her fault.

[Girly Woman]

David said, "Enough. We are not discussing your sister. I will talk to her later, if I'm ever given a chance. We could never deal with her because you kept acting out and forcing us to focus on you. Now we're focusing on you again, again leaving your sister to her own devices. I am asking you to explain your behavior. I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself and to go back to being the lady you were before this proposal mess. Your mother and I have taken measures, but I want to try and get my daughter back here and now."
***
Sam looked at Elinor, confused. He said, "I did not hit Lady Anna. Lady Anna hit me." He wasn't about to own up to anything. It was honestly impossible for the Earl to know about the embrace. No one had been around; no one had seen it. If the Earl did indeed somehow know about the embrace, which was impossible, then Sam would be in for it. He knew that it was inappropriate, but he couldn't just leave the poor helpless and delicate Lillian to cry all alone. He had a feeling that Lillian cried alone far too often.

[Anastasia]

Anna looked at her father and thought for a brief moment before she spoke.

"Oh, explain my behavior? Why don't you explain to me why you were so quick to believe I was lying, or projecting my own feelings onto the man? I'm your daughter, and you should believe me when I tell you something. I think the problem here is that you don't want to take responsibility for your failure as a parent... or maybe if you stopped thinking that the little thing was perfect."

Tilting her head to the side once more, Anna walked over toward her father, she was angry, tired, and about to do the one thing that she should never do.

"You never loved me...you spent my entire life wishing I was a boy. So you could have something to live for.... why do I act like this? Because you don't even really know me... you don't believe me... yo don't understand I've changed... much like my dear sister... I hope you rot in hell for what you've done to all of the women in this house... my mother included."

Eugenie looked at her husband, and shook her head.

"Anna that is enough."

Leaning back into the chair, the mother could not believe what her daughter had become...

As Elinor was leaving the stables she turned only to call back. "No one ever said you hit Anna... but someone did say you were a little touchy with Lillian...that's all."

[Girly Woman]

The Earl looked straight into Anna's eyes and said sincerely, "I apologize that, in attempting to give you everything you needed and desired, that I have failed as a parent. Yes, I wanted a boy, but I didn't love you any less as a result. I am sorry for accusing you of lying about Lillian, but it is not the first time you have lied to get your sister in trouble. Your actions were suspicious. Probability, darling, was not in your favor. Now that we know each other's pain, can we bury these past few weeks in the past and start anew?"

David wanted to give Anna one last chance to fix things here in Britain before they sent her away to Paris. In his quiet moments, he sometimes indulged himself with visions of his two daughters out in society, arm-in-arm, charming entire ballrooms: Anna's untouchable beauty and poise in perfect contrast with Lillian's adorable beauty and charm, creating a sensation wherever they chose to walk. Lillian, who wasn't naturally blessed with Anna's social skills, being coached by Anna in her first season. Perhaps he had been asking for too much all along. Anna was becoming cruel and spiteful. Lillian's head seemed to be so far up in the clouds the she was perhaps irretrievable.
****
Sam almost dropped what he was holding. He was shaking and looked at the retreated Elinor. What was with the women in this house, dropping bombs like that and then departing like some mysterious old priest or something?! He leaned against a wall. His incredibly good mood was gone in a puff iridescent smoke. It was ethereal and beautiful and untouchable for someone like him.

That was it. This was the end. The Earl would dismiss him for sure. He would have to work in a factory. He would go to work in the dark predawn hours, work in a dark factory all day, and go home in the dark night. He would only breathe putrid air for the rest of his life. He would drop into bed at the end of each day, too exhausted to read or do anything. He would become more brutish than he already was. There would be no more beauty in his life. He would never see Lillian again. The thought almost made his knees give out.

[Anastasia]

"Do as you will, father. I don't much care for you or for your little fake sympathies... You pick Lillian. You play favorites just as much as mother does. And you really expect me to burry the hatchet of blatant distrust. What have you to say about that, old man..."

Anna looked meanly at her father, she didn't care for anything at that moment. To her, he was a beast who meant her nothing but ill will, she didn't trust him any more than he had trusted her. She still needed more, she needed to see something for herself, but this too would come in time.

Eugenie sat silently, her face in her hands, she was horrified at what had just happened, peace was far too much for her to ask for.

Meanwhile Elinor had went to Lillian's room and knocked on the door before allowing herself to enter, she looked at her and felt sorry for what she was about to say.

"I told Anna, about the book...she cornered me and I was... intimidated and... I'm sorry! But I swear I didn't say anything about you... and last night. In fact no one was even there to see it! For all we knew she was lying, well until you.... owned up to it that is... and... I went to Sam, and warned him... and I'm so sorry Lady Lillian this is all my fault!"

Tears began to fall down Elinor's cheek as she waited for Lillian to past her judgement, she was truly sorry.

[Girly Woman]

David stood up and said, "All right. You could have gone back to the easy path of a lady in London and the first daughter of Carlisle. Instead you have chosen the difficult path of breaking with your family. You will only have yourself to blame for everything that comes from it. Your mother has contacted my sister in Paris. We hope that she will agree to take you in Paris. If not, we will look around for other ways to get you out of Britain. We hope that the change in scenery and distance from your family will help you recover from whatever poison you have allowed into your mind."
***
Lillian lowered her book. She sighed and said, looking out of the window, "So it was you." She turned to Elinor and smiled kindly at her. She said, "I can barely stand up to my sister. I wouldn't expect a sweet woman like you to be able to stand up to her." She sighed again and said, "Poor Sam. I had a feeling that my sister merely made a lucky guess, but I couldn't lie to my father. Don't worry about Sam. It was merely a brotherly embrace. My father disapproved, but he understood that Sam had meant nothing improper and was trying to help." She looked away from Elinor again and became reflective, tilting her head and putting her finger to her cheek. She said, "I wonder why my sister continues to target poor Sam?"