According to Plan

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Mrs. Black appeared during breakfast, accompanied by a footman who carried her belongings. "Good morning. My cousin sent me. I am to be of use until your wedding."

"To be of use," Robert repeated suspiciously. He felt he might disagree as to why he needed her services or assistance.

"Carry it upstairs and then you may go, thank you," she said to the footman.

"Had we given the impression of not managing?" Robert asked when the footman was gone.

"You had given the impression of managing all too well," she smiled. "But you ought to thank me, for my cousin was first considering to have Anne stay with us to keep her pure, but I talked her out of that. The little boy cannot be made to stay in different houses every week. He does not seem to adapt well."

Anne nodded. He would be best off here.

"To keep her pure!" Robert said incredulously. Anne was in no danger. How could they even think it? No, how could they even talk to each other about it? He looked at Anne, but she did not seem to care that her purity had been under discussion.

"The alternative was to have you stay with us, but then Anne would be here all by herself and that was not a very good plan either. So here I am." Mrs. Black sat down with a cheerful look that signalled she was not leaving in the next two weeks.

"And you do not mind being sent out like a servant."

"Let me tell you that I am much better at this than my cousin would be." She winked. "You have heard enough of her views. When I attempted to tell her about my husband, she retreated to her apartments with a headache."

"Was your husband so bad?" Robert inquired. He felt compelled to make childish comments now that he was being treated like an untrustworthy child.

"Indeed he was. He was very fond of me and of our son and of all the unnecessary daughters who followed. This cruelty gave Julia a headache. Now you do look a little piqued, Mr. Newman. Precisely what do you think my presence will prevent you from doing?"

"I was not going to do anything," he said with an offended look. "But the suspicion that I was!"

Mrs. Black laughed at him. "Go to work and think about why you amuse me."

When Robert had gone out, the two ladies had some more tea. "You are not to worry," said Mrs. Black. "I am merely here to prevent any nasty rumours because everybody will expect me to be an excellent chaperone."

Anne had not yet spoken much. She would not mind having Mrs. Black in the house. She liked her and perhaps it was true that there might otherwise be rumours. "But you are not?"

"I expect there will be very little need to supervise you very closely. In spite of being a fool, Mr. Newman can be trusted, I think."

But perhaps she could not, Anne felt compelled to point out. "I did sleep in his room."

Mrs. Black gave her a patient look. "Anne, lesson one of being chaperoned. You are not to tell your chaperone everything."

She looked defensive. "But I do not feel you are here to berate me."

"Now that is true. So tell me everything."

"My mattress was on the floor in his room, like at his mother's school, so we could talk after bedtime. Thomas had walked a few steps, you see. But then I talked too much and he put his hand over my mouth." She wondered if she needed to specify that she had been lying down.

"Were you a little nervous?"

"Perhaps. I did think I was very bold to have suggested it. I could not stop talking and despite always encouraging me to talk, he now wished me to be silent so he could sleep."

"Kindly?"

"Oh yes, very kindly." Anne nodded to emphasise that. She had not minded it in the least.

"But you were a little nervous."

"Yes, I might have been. I do not usually talk so much, do I?"

"I think we could safely state that you do not." Mrs. Black tapped her fingers on the table as she thought about something. "And tonight? What was your plan?"

She did not know. Mrs. Black's early arrival had prevented them from thinking about it. "We had not yet spoken about it."

"I am pleased to hear I shall have some actual work to do then."

Anne was alarmed. "What sort?"

"Not the sort of work my cousin would do. I suppose she would lock you up -- or perhaps herself. She was brought up to think husbands slip into the room at night and after doing something very awful that you had best try not to notice, they slip out again. That you would voluntarily stay in his room, whichever mattress, would be very shocking and incomprehensible to her."

"And she would lock me up?" It would make more sense to lock the man up, since he seemed to be the one doing the slipping in to do his awful business, whatever that might be.

"Oh yes, she would rather prevent than interfere. If she locked you up, she could sleep."

"Will she be able to sleep not knowing whether you will lock me up?"

"Yes, yes, she simply needs more time to deal with these things. I understand them instantly and am therefore more capable of reacting to them instantly. My cousin first needs to have a fit. If I deal with everything, she will have a smaller fit, or perhaps none."

"And what will you do?" Anne was curious. What was this work Mrs. Black had to do?

"I must determine how much time you need to deal with these things. If you need no time at all, I may have to lock you up as well. If you need as much as my cousin, I may have to lock you up together with Mr. Newman." Mrs. Black gave her a calm and innocent look.

Anne gasped. "But if you tell me that beforehand, I may lie to get my way."

Mrs. Black could never be distressed, not even by that. "Now that would be very amusing. Do you think you could fool me? What would be your way?"

"Oh, I do not know!" She blushed. "But it merely seemed to me that if you revealed your punishments beforehand, someone devious could adapt her behaviour to them."

"And then I could adapt my punishments accordingly, do you not think?"

"Why does nobody think of punishing Mr. Newman?" It still seemed easier to her to have him locked up.

"Because nobody thinks in terms of punishing, I suppose, but in terms of protecting you from selfish men who may hurt you. Being hurt would be punishment enough."

"Oh." Anne was confused. "But I did not think there were any such men in this case."

"You and I know that. My cousin, however, is still in a transitional phase between thinking all men are selfish and thinking perhaps some are not. She would not have you suffer from her wrong judgements. But you are not to dwell on this. It is impossible to predict what will happen this evening. We shall go out to do things instead."

Mrs. Black had taken Anne into the village, ostensibly to see if anything new had come in, but Anne suspected it was to make her more comfortable about going there. A Mrs. Newman might be required to go shopping on her own. "I could not have done this had Her Grace locked me up," Anne remarked.

"She would not have you locked up during the day. This, in fact, was her suggestion."

If everything was the duchess' idea, Anne did not understand why she left it to someone else to carry out her plans. "Why does she tell you what to do and why do you do it?"

"She knows what ought to be done and she knows I am better at doing it. Besides, she has gone to Bath for a week. Which sort of shop shall we visit first?"

This alarmed Anne. It would be too taxing to go into all of them. "First? Are we visiting them all?"

"Oh, no. You could probably not feign any business in any of them and I could feign business in only a few. Although, if we were to step into Mr. Potter's shop we should have no need to feign anything, because nobody ever has any proper business there."

"The gossip shop," she remembered. It was the one she had wanted to avoid.

"Indeed." Mrs. Black peered into the window, pretending to study some books on display. "It seems quiet enough. Let us go in."

Greetings were exchanged after they had entered the shop and Anne was grateful that instead of displaying too much interest in her, the women present immediately looked at Thomas. To keep it that way, she set him on his feet and allowed him to take a few steps. It worked perfectly, for nobody looked at her anymore and she found herself very capable of answering the odd question that came her way.

Chapter Thirty

Anne enjoyed her day quite well. Mrs. Black was a pleasant companion and she was by no means here to lecture her on proper behaviour. She commented on The Sinister Squire, but only to say she had read it. Anne was less at ease after Mr. Newman had come home. She did not dare to talk to him as easily as she had before, fearing Mrs. Black would say something about it. He inquired after the number of steps Thomas had made today, but she could only answer him on that topic and not on much else.

"Do not be shy because I am here now," said their chaperone. "What do you think I would do? I never called Mr. Black Mr. Black, you know, only to people who might otherwise not know whom I am talking about."

"Now I quite agree with you, Mrs. Black," Robert said immediately. "I have asked to be called Robert, you see, but all she did was call me Robbie."

"Robbie?" That seemed to delight Mrs. Black, either for its own sake or because Anne had used it.

He rolled his eyes. "My mother was fond of abbreviating our names. She somehow does not realise most of us are grown up now and she keeps using those childish names. It was rather unkind of her to use it in front of Anne, who immediately had to repeat it."

"I only said it once," Anne protested. "And that was to express my...surprise."

"It would not express anything unusual if you were to say Robert, not anymore. You are no longer in his employ," Mrs. Black pointed out.

"Was I ever?" she wondered with an arch look at him. "He never paid me."

"Not in money, Anne, but do you really think you would have been capable of saying the same thing before you came here?"

She blushed. "No. I suppose that was more useful to me than wages."

Mrs. Black announced her intention to retire for the night without even a look of caution. She merely bade them a pleasant good night.

"You will not lock me up?" asked Anne in confusion. She did not mean that literally, but she was surprised that nothing had been discussed anymore. Everything was left to them now.

"I see no reason for it. I never said I really would."

"Will you make nightly rounds to see where we are?" Robert inquired. He did not know what to make of it. The woman came here to keep an eye on them and then she did nothing.

"Are you prone to sleepwalking?"

"I think not."

"Then I shall not trouble myself so unnecessarily," she smiled. "You must do as you like. The consequences are all yours. If you are in doubt as to what they might be, you may of course ask me what I think of it."

He thought he was well aware of the consequences. "I do not think I have any questions at the moment. Perhaps only -- what do you think of yourself as a chaperone?" he wondered.

"I think I must be excellent. I have never had any complaints from the young couples I chaperoned and there have been five in all."

Of course not. Couples would hardly complain if they were allowed to do everything. "What of their parents? Did they complain?"

She smiled. "I was the parent and I must say I am very pleased with how everything turned out."

"Come and sit by me, Anne. It seems Mrs. Black will be very reasonable," Robert suggested after some silence.

"It seems so." She was quicker to answer than to join him, although she did so eventually. Although Anne was just as surprised, she believed Mrs. Black would not change her behaviour or even trick them. They needed not be afraid. "She seems to trust our judgement."

"But I suppose we should not be doing the same as last night, although...perhaps we should," he said reflectively. "Then we shall know immediately where we stand. It is better than thinking about it for two weeks and then ruining everything in desperation."

"I do not think that doing the same will be possible," said Anne, who knew more than he did about certain sleeping arrangements.

"Were you ashamed of talking so much?" he asked in amusement, supposing she meant she would talk less. "There is no need. I was merely tired."

"It is not possible to repeat it for another reason, but you are also right. I do not usually talk so much and I hope it was not annoying that I was a little nervous."

"No, not at all. Where is she sleeping?"

"In my room," Anne admitted sheepishly.

"I shall also come to sleep in your room then," he grinned.

"No!" she cried. "No, Robert! You cannot seriously be considering that. Are you not giving any thought to whether Mrs. Black might like to share with you?"

"No. But it is perfect. You must admit that it is. She will see and hear very clearly that nothing is going on and you --" And Anne would become used to sharing.

"No!" She shook her head vehemently. "No. I cannot agree."

"Anne?" He said coaxingly, giving her a sweet smile. "Mmm?"

"No, no, no!" She tried to be strong. She must oppose this idea, because it was preposterous. Mrs. Black would think him utterly depraved.

"It is a perfect plan. You said you were nervous. You need more time to grow used to everything. I am giving you time and a chaperone. Nothing could happen."

"Oh, Mrs. Black!" Anne lamented as she entered her room. She had run away because she had not known what to say.

"What is it, my dear?" The lady sat up in her bed. "What did he do? Did he kiss you?"

It was far worse than that. She thought she might be able to handle a kiss. "No, no. Robert thinks it a perfect plan to come and sleep with us in here."

"That is certainly a very unusual plan. Tell me why he thinks it is also perfect."

"Can you not dismiss it instantly?" Anne asked. She had not expected an analysis. "Instead of giving it the compliment of examination!"

Chapter Thirty-One

Mrs. Black had at last spoken up against Robert's plan, not because there was something inherently wrong with his theory, but because she had no wish to be kept awake by whispering and laughter, which she said was bound to occur and which was bound to be annoying.

Anne, who did not trust that their chaperone would not disapprove of them, had managed to withstand Robert's plans for a week. She had not followed Mrs. Black's suggestion that she go to his room and stay there. She had only gone there to explain herself, but she had returned instantly.

Robert had not minded very much. Even he had been able to see it was a very wild plan despite its perfection, but he derived some amusement from trying to persuade her to it and no less from seeing her blush every time he made a reference.

"Will you now not marry me if I keep saying no?" Anne wondered. She admitted to being a little afraid of that.

"Oh no, I am merely having some fun."

She gave him a doubtful look. "It cannot be fun to be refused."

"But am I?" he wondered. She had blushed and her protests had not been vehement enough for him to think she was really opposed to anything.

That was a good question. "Not really. I might have said yes if we had not had a chaperone." But she had not wanted to think of that too much.

"In whose mind you are now firmly established as a virtuous young lady."

"But I should like for you to be established in her mind as a virtuous young gentleman as well." That was an important consideration to her. She knew he was, but he might not appear as such.

"I think I am much more virtuous than Mrs. Black herself," Robert remarked, hoping as he spoke that she would not suddenly come into the room. "Since I have not kissed you this entire week, despite her leaving us alone many times for that purpose."

Anne looked startled. "For that purpose?" Such a thing would never have occurred to her, nor that they were left alone for any other purpose either. She had not thought about it, but she would call their time alone a coincidence.

"Of course, but I have not kissed you."

"But you did not do so before either," she pointed out. "So..." But she did not really know what else she wanted to point out.

"So I am virtuous," Robert concluded cheerfully. "By the way, I did it once, but I think you failed to notice."

"Oh, then." She blushed. "I think I did notice a little." But Thomas had been making such a racket and such a mess that she had not had time to notice anything else properly. It had barely registered, although she did not remember it as unpleasant.

"A little! Well, it was a little kiss, so that seems appropriate."

"But have you..." Anne felt some excitement. She did not yet know how she would react to it if it occurred, but it was intriguing enough to wonder. "...thought about it this week?"

"Yes, I have. You saw me think of it, but you did not know I was thinking of that in particular." He laughed. "And then every time you stepped out of my reach, so it never happened."

"Oh," said Anne, shocked at herself. "I did? I did."

The next time she had not stepped away, nor any time after that until Mrs. Black happened upon them after a few days. "I beg your pardon," said Mrs. Black and retreated again.

Anne was mortified and took a step backwards.

"She did not say we had to stop," Robert protested and pulled her back.

That was true and it did not sound as if Mrs. Black was going to return soon. "Still, to be caught being so..."

"...affectionate?" he suggested. "But she knows we shall have to stop, because I must go out and work. She cannot object to your kissing me goodbye for the day."

"I suppose," she said hesitantly.

Mrs. Black had commented on it, but only in a positive manner that had made Anne blush. She was all in favour of promoting domestic felicity, she had said, and this could not be done by forbidding all expressions of sincere affection. With only a few days to go Anne had to agree there could not be much harm in it, which would indeed be a difficult thing not to agree with, considering that she had participated in the action herself and liked it.

The last few days passed in the same manner as before and it was only on the day of her wedding that she felt some nerves. Although she would say she had been helped well by their chaperone and she had managed to live here without problems before, she felt a little anxious about the future.

Mrs. Black cheerfully packed her things. "I shall take Thomas, so please pack some things for him. Come and pick him up at the end of the day. You will like some time to yourselves."

"But you cannot carry everything."

"Oh, I can. A very kind young man will be sent over to help me carry. I gave Robert a note for the butler yesterday."

"Oh, I never noticed or thought of it. You must be happy you can go back home now."

"My cousin should have returned by now, so I shall have company again. There is nothing worse than living in such a large house without proper company."

"Had you not wanted to go with her?"

"As her poor relation?" Mrs. Black shook her head. "Although she does not treat me as such, many of her so-called acquaintance do. I have nothing to offer, no connections and no marriageable sons. Julia still has an eligible son and a very handsome fortune herself. She will receive enough attention."

"I cannot blame you for not wanting to be ignored. Even if it has the benefit -- to me -- of not having to speak, it cannot be very agreeable."

"No, indeed. But you see how I did not mind coming here at all. There they are, even two of them," she said, perceiving two Muncester footmen coming towards the house. "One can take Thomas, the other can take the rest."

"But...who would look after him?" Anne could not simply part with him. He was still her responsibility.

"Someone will. Do not worry. Julia, Mrs. Lewis, a maid..." Mrs. Black went downstairs and handed everything over to the two footmen, who seemed happy to be out on such an unusual errand. They gladly took Thomas as well and he found much of interest to study in their livery.

After the wedding ceremony Robert and Anne spent a pleasant day together, mostly out of the house. She could speak more freely now she was married. Although she had thought she had already been doing that, there was a real difference. Perhaps it was because she did not have to look after Thomas and she could focus completely on Robert, who was very pleased with such attention. They were nevertheless happy when they collected Thomas by the end of the day, but also happy when he was put to bed and nobody could care what they did anymore.

Indeed, for the next few years nobody cared and Anne could concentrate on bringing up Thomas and Robert without being bothered by any sort of gossip. Even when she found herself expecting, she received very little attention. It coincided with the illness and death of the Duke of Muncester, which must eclipse all other events in the village.

The End

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