Sing Sweet Nightingale
Widow
Ten days after Abigail's birth, Lord Robert Tremaine was found dead in his bed. Lady Annabelle Tremanie shed no tears as her husband's body was discovered; instead, she stayed in her room with her two remaining children. When she was told that he had died in his sleep, she accepted it straight away.
Any feeling she'd had for the man had disintegrated the moment her daughter had died. There was no chance at redemption for him. The pastor had been right - it was her responsibility to steer her children right, and that also meant removing any and all negative influences in their life.
As was expected of her, she entered a period of mourning. She mourned for the death of her daughter but to society she mourned the death of her husband too.
Once the funeral for both he and Adeline was over, his heir approached Annabelle and let her know he would be out of the country for the best part of five years so she could remain at the house for that time, and if she still had nowhere else to go when he returned, he would help her find either some accommodation or a husband. She accepted his proposal and shut herself up in the house, raising Drucilla, who was changed by the death of her twin, and Abigail, who she swore would never be subjected to the harshness her sisters had been.
She made sure to make Drucilla aware that it was men who caused her sister's death, and it was men who had failed to nurse her back to health. As the girl grew more aware, she told her more about their situation, of how their reliance on men was the key factor in Adeline's death.
Annabelle did everything in her power to get Abigail and Drucilla to bond, and when the younger girl was three, she put them in the same room as one another and Drucilla clung to her as if she were Adeline.
The once bright and happy woman disappeared as the years passed on by. Her sole focus was on her daughters and she resolved to have them want for nought. She might not be able to bring Adeline back to life, but she could ensure that her remaining daughters never did anything that could bring them any harm. Her fear of losing another child made her smother them beneath her love.
Just before the five years were up, Lady Tremaine remarried.
Any feeling she'd had for the man had disintegrated the moment her daughter had died. There was no chance at redemption for him. The pastor had been right - it was her responsibility to steer her children right, and that also meant removing any and all negative influences in their life.
As was expected of her, she entered a period of mourning. She mourned for the death of her daughter but to society she mourned the death of her husband too.
Once the funeral for both he and Adeline was over, his heir approached Annabelle and let her know he would be out of the country for the best part of five years so she could remain at the house for that time, and if she still had nowhere else to go when he returned, he would help her find either some accommodation or a husband. She accepted his proposal and shut herself up in the house, raising Drucilla, who was changed by the death of her twin, and Abigail, who she swore would never be subjected to the harshness her sisters had been.
She made sure to make Drucilla aware that it was men who caused her sister's death, and it was men who had failed to nurse her back to health. As the girl grew more aware, she told her more about their situation, of how their reliance on men was the key factor in Adeline's death.
Annabelle did everything in her power to get Abigail and Drucilla to bond, and when the younger girl was three, she put them in the same room as one another and Drucilla clung to her as if she were Adeline.
The once bright and happy woman disappeared as the years passed on by. Her sole focus was on her daughters and she resolved to have them want for nought. She might not be able to bring Adeline back to life, but she could ensure that her remaining daughters never did anything that could bring them any harm. Her fear of losing another child made her smother them beneath her love.
Just before the five years were up, Lady Tremaine remarried.
♠ ♠ ♠
* this was loosely inspired by Josef Mengele and his atrocities.