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Retracing Steps; Tag: Margaret de Burgh
Topic Started: Nov 17 2010, 07:16 PM (137 Views)
Anne Parr
Unregistered

The brush of air that whisked itself upon her skin as she walked only caused the slight array of curls hovering on either side of her face to sway. Her movements, as in the steady but eager pace of her diligent walk, only caused a flurry of emerald gown to billow about her ankles. She found herself not the least bit concerned about much else beyond the appointed task she coveted, her mahogany gaze steady and compelled, motioning to those she passed along the way to the Princess Mary's quarters. Was this Anne Parr, duty bound and serious, so focused on whatever challenges came before her as if they were fallen walls that she would need to climb over or leap? Nay, this was a single aspect of the woman who vowed to overcome whatever obstacles blocked her path. She had promised this to herself upon her arrival at Court and would see it through.

Only, Anne Parr was not as serious as some imagined her, a woman beautifully composed within the Great Hall. They had not the opportunity to see her amongst those she trusted, which for a few. If so, they would have distinguished a woman with spirit, even a possible streak of mischief within that smile that graced her coral lips. They would have seen the younger Parr sister, though educated, modest and eager for thrill, even if it came with strings. One moment she would be the lady in waiting one saw amongst the books within the library, the next a petticoat princess bounding through the woods upon her mare.

Today however, she was the industrious sort of herself, needing to bring news to the lady she held so close to her heart. The Princess Mary would be traveling to France and with that came several preparations that needed to be handled to ensure her every comfort and convenience. The passing months had taught Anne due diligence in the matter of her work and it was done to the best of her abilities. She would do what was requested of her before allowing herself the chance for relief, finding not the lady in waiting that she was seen in the day, but finding merely her own self at night, perhaps in the arms of the man she loved.

Glancing down upon the leather bound folio she often carried, she opened it, sifting gently through the pieces of parchment within it. Her mind losing focus, she found her stare traveling down the eloquent script up on it, ignoring all else around her. She was finding her way by memory, a soft hand grazing the stone walls and she climbed up staircases, an effort to hold her balance. Walking down the hall towards the Princess' quarters, a sigh moved through her, a puzzled look accompanying the words upon the pages. She paid no attention now as she moved ever closer through the vast array of corridors, not even taking the opportunity to lift her eyes upwards.

By then, it was much too late.

It was not as though the force of the shove had been anything excessive. She had been misguided, failing to see the woman with the ocher curls, much like her own, plowing into her, the two of them colliding. The folio tumbled out of Anne's hands and upon the floor with a thud, the parchment scattering in all directions with an invisible wind. Immediately dropping to her knees to retrieve them all, Anne cursed her own absurdity, moving to pick up the fallen documents.

"My goodness, I am so sorry," she spoke, glancing upwards to meet the eyes of the female before her. "I assure you, I can be an utter and complete idiot. That was entirely my own fault. I should have paid attention to whom I was walking into. Are you hurt?"
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Margaret de Burgh
Unregistered

Many things were weighing on Margaret de Burgh's mind as she made her way through the maze of court. This, she had told herself, would be the first and only time she would show herself here. She had an appointment with one of the doctors who supposedly was one of the best in all of England. In her mind, if he could not fix her dear Elizabeth, then no one could. She intended to make this trip short and sweet. Sticking around for idle conversation would only up the chance that she would run into Arthur Chamerlyn and that would have disastrous consequences, especially given the reason why she was here at all. Her husband, Baron William de Burgh, had taken his leave as soon as they had settled at his cousin's manor, right outside of the city. Margaret had been left to oversee Elizabeth's care, and it was a duty she was more than willing to accept. She was willing to go to any length to make her child well again.

Being at court was like being around a viper’s pit. She had never liked the politics of London and of the crown. It seemed better to be a Baroness from afar, rather than meddle with the affairs of state. The fact that most around her at the moment used their titles and wealth to act unseemly sickened her. It was certainly a game she had never been made to play. She had to give credit to the women who had managed to use it to their advantage.

Margaret couldn’t help but think about how her brothers would have been an absolute terror at court. At least being away from it, they couldn’t cause too much trouble. To those around her, her family would be considered nearly country folk. The Thompson’s were an aging family with little wealth left—that would not go very far around here, but back home it seemed to go far enough. But now she was a Baroness and it was a title that she had cared little about, until now. Now it entitled her to things that a knight’s daughter never could have had. Margaret only sought one of those entitlements, however, and that was the aide of doctors. Baroness de Burgh could walk through these halls as if she belonged there… but Margaret Thompson could never imagine fitting in, nor would she want to. If she had, by some twist of fate, married Arthur and been whisked off to court she would have been completely out of her element. At least then she would have him to see her through it. Now she was doing this alone.

She had chosen her garments carefully for the day, since was going to have to play her title up for everything it was worth. She would be shameless about it, but only to get what she wanted. The ornate powder blue gown did nothing but enhance the lively shine in her eyes. Anyone who knew her well would know it was all a show, because under the layers of satin, the makeup, was a broken mother who just wanted to see her child well again. Now, the best she could hope for was to be in and out of this place without too much trouble.

But that was much too much to ask for.

Margaret had been so deeply distracted by her thoughts, that she did not see the woman heading her way and in a short moment’s time they had collided. As was typical in situations such as these, everything seemed to move in slow motion as the parchment hung curiously in the air before finding its place onto the ground. Once the world began moving at its proper space, the Baroness instantly crouched down to help the woman. As if on cue, she began to apologize profusely.

“Do not think anything of it. I do believe we were both lost in our on worlds, were we not?” Margaret replied, unable to hide the charming smile she was known for, which also matched the tone in her voice effortlessly. She gathered some of the papers together and handed them back over to woman, then stood up. When fully erected, it seemed as if nothing had happened. It was a slip up on both their parts, which was easily forgotten. Even if Margaret did not live the life of court, she seemed very much the part even if she was just… standing there. Her hands clasped at her waist and she continued. “I see from your papers that you must hold some importance around here.” Margaret was trying to let her know that she respected her rank and position, without even knowing what it was. “To whom did I have the pleasure in colliding with?”

With the kindness in the mystery woman's eyes and the predicament they had found themselves in, she found herself leaving all of the problems behind her suddenly. It was a relief, even if it was for a moment.
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Anne Parr
Unregistered

As she had descended upon the floor of the hall, a frown had creased her forehead, wondering how she could have been so blind. Of all her awareness, the slightest text had spurned her attention so far off that she hadn't even noticed the woman before her or heard her footsteps. It was as if she had dropped from a substitute place, right into the awaiting path of Anne Parr's rapid walk. She hadn't even heard her skirts bustling, let alone notice anything out of the ordinary. Due diligence indeed. At times, Anne wondered if she perhaps took her responsibilities too seriously, nevermind the vocation that she had to pleasing the Princess Mary. Granted, it was all in an effort to elevate herself above those around her. One would never move forward in life if they did not endeavor by any means.

However, as Anne fixed her gaze upon the noble woman before her, she noticed that this was an alternately different presence. She did not recognize the face of her new correspondent, let alone place her as being connected to anyone she knew. Anne noticed her social network was widening by the week, but this one? Curious, Anne watched her manner for a moment longer, her dark eyes riveted to her person, taking in as much detail as she could. Her manner was elegant and graceful, and the dress that she wore only made her appearance all the more alluring. She was captivating to say the least, and Anne was certain that she did not know her. She would have recalled the simper that crossed her lips and how the woman's soft eyes finally glanced up to her as she aided in gathering the fallen parchment. Her words were also not only extremely forgiving, shoving aside Anne's dullard conduct and decorum, but entirely overlooked it.

"Yes, lost indeed," Anne explained, a faint flush crossing her cheeks in embarrassment. "Normally, one would never see me act so clumsy and careless. Consider yourself fortunate, for you have witnessed something truly extraordinary that is not likely to happen again." She laughed softly, taking the last pieces of paper work from the woman's hands and thanking her before rising to her feet once more, taking a moment to organize the handful of work she had yet to manage. "I see from your papers that you must hold some importance around here." Anne could only smile softly at a comment like that, shaking her head ever so slightly and brushing off the mere mention of it. "Important? Hardly. However someday, I hope to find myself in a better position than simply that of a lady in waiting to the Princess Mary. This," Anne lifted the leather folio in her palms towards her. "This is her business. I am simply nothing more than a messenger and someone she can rely on. Mind you, it is a great honor."

She wondered most ardently what she was doing, talking gratuitously to someone she had not once met. Perhaps it was in an effort to fill up the empty space between them. One thing Anne disliked considerably with the cold and dissolute feeling that accompanied a new association. Neither knew of the other and the senselessness of mindless chatter bothered her to no end. She had always attempted to lift this as quickly as possible in any effort to find herself on even ground with the other so that exceptional conversation could resume. In this case, it was no different. Anne found herself to be a good judge of character and this woman who stood before her, patient and waiting, appeared to be one of the less significantly hostile than many others she knew at Court. She could only breathe a metaphorical sigh of relief at this. She had more than a handful of contentious courtiers to deal with regularly, let alone her current distasteful tęte-ŕ-tęte with the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Howard.

"As for who I am, my Lady," Anne found herself curtsying respectfully before her, her eyes meeting the floor by the woman's feet for a moment. "You may call me Anne. I am the Lady Anne Parr and sister to the Earl of Essex, William Parr." She greeted her graciously, a pleased look upon her features. She had gathered her belongings finally, approaching the woman before her by taking a step towards her person. "And may I ask who you are? I am certain that I have not had the pleasure of meeting your acquaintance. I would have remembered. On the other hand, Court is filled with so many that it is, at times, difficult to keep track. I gather that you have arrived at Hampton Court for the holiday festivities?"

It would not have shocked Anne to hear that this were so. Christmastide invited so many new people within Court's walls that whatever hold she had up on her colleagues diminished with the influx of new people.
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Margaret de Burgh
Unregistered

"Think nothing of it," replied the Baroness with a gentle lilt of sympathy in her voice. It was this woman that made Margaret feel like herself, even if it was for a moment. The harsh realities of life seemed to, for the moment, wash away with the greetings and salutations. It was a tremendous relief for a woman who felt as if her life was unraveling before her very eyes. She had come to seek the aid of a physician, but she had also seemed to find a friendly face. For this, she was eternally thankful, for Anne Parr seemed to be quite a bit more friendly to an unfamiliar face than most she had happened upon in her short time at court.

The woman could only smile politely as she explained that she was one of Princess Mary's ladies. She had never had such lofty aspirations, though she could respect a woman for having them. For many ladies a lady-in-waiting position would be quite sufficient for them, so it was quite obvious that the woman before her had ambition. Ambitions that she was surprisingly forward about.

"Ah, my Lady Anne I do not think you can get away with such humility with me. I may not be very familiar with court, but I do know a lady-in-waiting is nothing to be modest about. It is a rare honor indeed." Margaret smiled warmly, adding just the hint of a chuckle to her words. There was something about the woman that seemed inherently wise, but perhaps that was just because she did not speak ten words when five were needed. She was never want to give out information like Anne did, but perhaps she would be just as proud to do it if she was in her position. But she could not help but feel a kindred spirit in the woman standing in front of her. Oh, if she only knew.

"No, Lady Anne, you are quite right. We have never bet before, but that is because I am not made for the confines of court and come here but rarely. I am Baroness Margaret de Burgh. But since you see fit that I may call you Anne, then please use Margaret at your leisure." There was nothing but kindness and politeness in her tone. Nothing that would suggest any sort of haughtiness or ego. That simply was not Margaret and would never be. And she took little pride in a title that she received from a man she all but hated. The only good thing her title brought was a hopefully good future for her daughter. The thought of her daughter brought her back around to Anne's last query: why was she here. "Unfortunately I come here under distressing circumstances for my only daughter as fallen ill and the Baron saw fit to come to make use of the court's physicians."

Margaret did her best to hide the downfallen nature of her words, but it was simply hard to do for a mother who was watching her child waste away.







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Anne Parr
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In a fashion, it seems that Margaret de Burgh wanted very little to do with etiquette, requesting that the two of them immediately be on a first name basis. This brought forth more of an atmosphere of closeness, of amenity. The woman before her demonstrated nothing connected to self glorification of any kind. All of this was a relief for Anne Parr. There was a sheer hint of sincerity over the figure with the beautiful steel blue eyes, and Anne could not help but feel drawn to her. For this reason alone, she acquiesced to the offer immediately with a polite nod, a smile of gratitude peeled to her lips. It was a rare gem indeed to have an individual so differential, most particularly if that individual were a noble. Anne had seen so much condescension, so much braggadocio in those she related herself to daily. However, Margaret de Burgh was neither of these.

She listened most intently to her words, all at once forgetting the amount of paperwork within her arms. It was comfortable standing there, as if the two of them had known one another for years. However, when Anne heard that the Baroness had simply arrived at Court for the sake of her bedridden child, her felicitous self withered away rather rapidly to be replaced instead by an anxious and perturbed pose. A delicate gloom settled so over Anne's person that she reached out and placed a gentle hand upon Margaret's arm. "Good gracious," she mumbled rather incoherently. "Though I am not a mother myself, I do fully comprehend the despair that you must be feeling. One never does desire to see child feverish or dispirited. You rest your entire happiness upon them and their welfare."

A curious sensation came through her as she stood there, a familiarity with her story coming forward from the thoughts that she carried. It was a story told her months ago, but it could not possibly be, could it? No, it was improbable that of all people to come upon at Court, she would be the one. Would the Fates be so vicious? Anne brushed away the notion and possibility. Nobles came from all corners of the continent and England. She was not the sole Anne in all existence and was quite sure that Margaret was not the sole Baroness with a daughter. She was also not the type to wander off in search for answers, sticking her fingers in matters that were hardly her business, especially based upon a presumption.

"I certainly do hope that your daughter recovers quickly and that the physicians here at Court live up to their reputations." Anne beamed a reassuring smile, moving her hand back to her side. "Be assured, my Lady, that I have faith in them and I shall pray for their speed in securing your child's health once again, as well as for her own bloom to return. Is she here at Court with you?" Anne moved more against the side of the hall to avoid the number of courtiers walking past them both. Tucking a strand of her brown curls behind her ear, she nearly frowned at their disregard. "The sole reason I ask is simply if you require any assistance in caring for her. I am certain that you have everything under control, but if you ever shall need a friend, you should feel like your own leisure to call upon me, if that is your wish, Margaret."
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