Full Circle - A Duke Lost

Chapter 3

Untamed Scotland had been her home for a decade. Anna had survived ten years, one month and thirteen days as an orphan whilst she had only had the blessing of a family for eight years of her life prior to the accident. Despite the passing of time, she could not make sense of her parents' death and the pain bit more deeply because of the enduring silence of her prison. Not that her life since her parents' passing had been a physical hardship. Anna's childhood engagement to one of the wealthiest Peers of the Realm had left her sitting pretty. At least this is how it must have seemed to any person observing her situation from the outside. But on the inside she felt abandoned. There was not one day of the three thousand six hundred and thirty nine days of her life since that tragic accident that she did not feel alone and lonely. Whilst her aunt had unfailingly ensured that their 'lifeline' was kept updated on his ward's welfare, Anna had not laid eyes on him since she was a foot off the ground and that magnanimous occasion was not of her recollection, but her aunt's. As all but the last communication from the Duke had also been between her aunt and the man in question, Anna figured she knew sweet Fanny Adams about her future husband. Well, she knew he was a Duke and that he was apparently as rich as Croesus.

The warm summer breeze tugged at her deep red hair, the wild claret coloured tendrils dancing on the feisty current. Her blazing curls escaped their bondage, sweeping forward to an unheard rhythm. A bee danced only a small distance beyond the carefree curls, quivering as if caught in a moment of silent rapture. Anna felt a part of nature, like most people felt connected to family. She believed nature accepted her in a way people could not. She felt as if nature understood her, and she it. She could use her eyes, her sense of smell and her own rhythm like the thrumming of her heart, to understand this world. She could not hear, but he could feel, oh could she feel. Nature was a harmony that Anna felt attuned to, music akin to her soul and a simple joy she had no way of sharing with the world.

What had seemed like a punishment to her when she was young, she had embraced in adulthood. Surrounded by God's smallest creatures she did not feel judged, like an unmitigated nuisance or unwanted. Sadly, those were human behaviours.

As if acknowledging the very essence of her being, the sun broke through from behind a solitary cloud to caress her skin and entice her. Anna sighed contentedly. She was in her personal heaven, but had to return to her commitments. She rose to greet what heralded a life-changing day for her. Only two weeks ago she had received the long awaited letter setting out that her fiancé would be travelling to make formal introductions and make preparations for her return to his, and once her own, home county. Anna's heart twisted at the very words, 'her home county'. Anna did not feel as if she had a home, despite her aunt's efforts. She knew this disconnect was caused by her parents' death and not the loss of her hearing. Home is where the heart is and whilst she cared deeply for her aunt, they had never truly been friends or family in the true sense of the word. Anna had been too young and her aunt too old to truly bond. Anna carried her burdens inside and her aunt did not attempt to understand her niece. Perhaps because of the natural barrier between the hearing and silent world which each inhabited, her aunt did not realise there was so much more to Anna than an obedient, tending child. It was likely that the Duke would make the same assumptions and in reality he probably already had. To him, she had only one purpose. He had reduced her to a species of bovine, setting out that his only expectation of her was to breed. Anna the cow! The very thought made her giggle nervously. Oh, well, there were worse lots in life than to be married to a handsome Lord of untold fortune.

It did not surprise Anna that she knew so little of the Duke, and he of her. The man had been supporting her more than comfortable lifestyle for most of her life and up until this point in time had demanded not an iota of her. For years she had waited, doubting that he would see his commitment through. Why would a powerful, wealthy and by all accounts a handsome man feel he should marry a penniless, broken nobody? It had always been her understanding, as told by her aunt, that neither her own nor his parents were so archaic in belief as to force marriage on either her or the future Duke. As such, it had been their parents' decision that there would be a promise from the late Duke to the engagement rather than a firm commitment. They also agreed that the final decision to progress would rest with the Duke's son when Anna turned eighteen years of age. As far as Anna could tell he chose to honour the promise despite her infirmity and even after her own and his parents had passed. His decision left her completely baffled. Anna hoped this spoke reams about the depth of his character and hoped he was a truly good person rather than a mindless stallion following his animal instinct to reproduce.