When Destiny Calls

By H J Ottewell

The saga began decades ago and follows the life of Annie, a young woman who loses her future because of the First World War, which claimed the life of her beloved Fiance' Jamie. It also left her brother Marcus, emotionally broken and transformed him from a kind gentle man into a cruel drunkard.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Prime Seven Media
• Release date: Feb 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9781963050622

Book preview

Chapter 1

Annie was daydreaming again as she crossed the busy London street. Her mind was amid the peace and tranquillity of bye-gone days. She was not aware of the approaching danger as she stepped in front of the oncoming car. The driver had no where to go, he couldn’t avoid hitting her.

Quick, someone, phone for an ambulance, shouted a distraught woman in the crowd of people that had gathered around, seemingly out of no where and they had brought the bust London traffic to a grinding halt. The ambulance arrived in a matter of minutes with its siren screaming.

Is she alive? asked some one in the crowd.

She is still with us, but only just, replied the paramedic as they placed her swiftly but gently into the back of the ambulance and sped away in the direction of the hospital. It was two days later when Annie regained consciousness.

Where am I? What happened? she asked the nurse who was hovering over her.

You were knocked over by a car and you are in hospital, replied the nurse in a soothing voice.

Now, my love, are you able to tell me your name and where you live? she asked.

My name is Ann Louise Barnett, but every one just call me Annie, she replied.

As for my home, that went years ago, she said and a silent tear slipped down her pale, bruised face, as she swiftly recalled the dreadful set of circumstances that had brought her to where she was today.

All right, Annie, try and get some sleep now, said the nurse as she slipped out of the room and into the corridor leading to the next patient. Her heart went out to the poor, frail old lady who had looked so ragged and dirty when she had been admitted, but who spoke with such a genteel and educated voice. What secrets lay behind those tired but beautiful blue eyes? She wondered.

Annie lay back into the pillows, closed her eyes and found herself slipping back in time to when she was just seven years old. It was her birthday and her beloved Papa had bought her, her very own pony. It was a beautiful little bay mare. She could still feel the excitement of the first time she sat on Starlight’s back. How she had loved that little pony and she remembered all of the happy hours they had spent riding around Papa’s country estate. This to a child’s eyes had seemed enormous.

It was just on the turn of the 19th century and life for the landed gentry was good. She had lived in a beautiful country mansion with formal laid out gardens, very colourful informal gardens, the obligatory kitchen garden and acres of woodland. There were many special places for her and her brother Marcus to hide and play in.

Of course there were many household servants plus a Nanny, and gardeners and one of the gardener’s boys also doubled up as a groom for Starlight. They were all treated very well and even with respect for the work which they did. All of the household staff had their own rooms at the top of the house because many of them had come from miles away to get employment at the mansion. The gardeners however went home to their wives and families when their day’s work was done, because they lived locally in the nearest village.

Life for Annie and Marcus was idyllic.

Her memories faded for a while as she was awakened by some one touching her arm. It was the doctor who wanted to examine her poor battered body.

I’m sorry to have awakened you, he said. My name is Doctor Howard and I shall be caring for you while you are here. How are you feeling today? Are you in much pain? he asked.

I hurt all over, she said as she tried to move, but the pain inside was unbearable.

I’ll ask the nurse to give you something for the pain, he said, as he softly touched her hand and left the room.

The nurse arrived shortly afterwards and gave her an injection and she drifted off to sleep again, still feeling the gentle touch of the Doctors hand on hers. As she drifted into sleep state she was aware of holding tightly onto some one else’s hand. It was her darling Jamie leading her onto the dance floor at her engagement party. Papa and Mamma stood side by side, looking proudly on as their dearest daughter floated around the ballroom floor with her, soon to be, fiancé. How well suited they were. He was tall and slim and very handsome in his cavalry officers uniform and she, with flowing black curls and trim svelte like figure looked like an angel in a cloud of midnight blue satin. His arm easily encompassed her tiny waist as he danced her across the floor towards the balcony outside which overlooked the Lilly pond. He wanted her to himself at this moment, away from all of the crowd and prying eyes inside the house. Once outside he dropped to one knee as he asked her to share the rest of her life with him. She slowly leaned forward and stroked his handsome face as she whispered, Yes. He then slipped a stunning ruby ring onto the third finger of her left hand and then they shared a long, lingering embrace. Then his lips burning with desire met hers in a passionate kiss that held all the promise of a life time that she longed for. She wished and hoped that the feelings of love and joy that they felt at this moment could last forever. She felt is if they were the only two people in the world and what a magnificent world it was.

How is our patient doing today nurse? asked Doctor Howard as he entered Annie’s room

She shook her head. There’s not much response from her, she said Just continue to do every thing that you can to make her comfortable, said the Doctor

Annie was only vaguely aware of what was being said as she drifted out of consciousness again but how clearly she recalled those distant memories.

She recalled that dreadful day when Jamie had told her that he and his regiment were going overseas and that her brother, Marcus had also joined the army. It was 1914 and the country was at war. She was totally distraught.

There were only two months to go before their wedding.

Mamma had tried her best to console her, but there was nothing that she could say or do to ease the pain that her darling daughter was feeling so Mamma took charge and cancelled all of the wedding arrangements. Dear Mamma, she was a tower of strength, Annie didn’t know how she would have managed without her wonderful Mamma taking charge and doing all of the things that she knew she should have been doing, but she just couldn’t face up to anything at the moment.

The months past slowly as she waited for news from Jamie, but none arrived. Instead there was a telegram saying that he had been one of the first fatalities of the war. The telegram fell from her hand as she slowly walked up the stairs and went into her room. She was numb all over, too numb to even cry. She lay on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She didn’t know how long she had lain there. Was it hours or was it days? Did it really matter? Her beloved Jamie would not be coming back to her. Time and time again Mamma came and knocked at her door but she made no response. Annie didn’t want to hear her, didn’t want to speak to her or any one. What was the use of living without her darling Jamie coming home to be at her side?

The moon rose and fell without her even noticing it on that first night, but as it rose on the second night she felt compelled to go to the window to look at it. It was as if Jamie was calling to her from above. She couldn’t explain what she was feeling but just knew in her heart that this is what he would want her to do. As she stared at the night sky she remembered what he had said to her before he left to go overseas. She remembered his warm breath on her face as he whispered in her ear, that when the moon was high in the sky they would both look up at it and think of each other, then nothing on this earth could ever keep them apart. The love which they carried for each other would last an eternity.

It was as she looked up to the sky and thought of what might have been that the first tear drop fell and then she just gave in and cried uncontrollably. As the tears fell she felt a strange kind of release. Her mind, her thoughts were beginning to function again. She knew that the love that she held for Jamie would never die, but perhaps now she could face the future and try to rebuild her life. She thought how lucky she was. She still had a loving family and there was still Marcus to think about. She slowly gathered her thoughts together, washed, changed her clothes and prepared herself to go down stairs to face her parents and the future alone.

It was six months later that news came of Marcus’s imminent arrival. He had suffered a serious leg wound but was now well enough to make the long journey home. He was being discharged because of the injury he sustained in battle. The war, for him, was now over. How Mamma cried with tears of joy as she read his letter. Papa too, seemed to have a trace of tears in his eyes as he listened to his wife read the letter for the second time.

Annie was at last able to put aside her heartache as she helped with the preparations for her brother’s arrival. If only both the men in her life were coming home together she thought to herself.

Marcus arrived two days later looking pale and drawn.

Papa helped him into the sitting room where Mamma and Annie were waiting. Mamma hugged him and told him how much they had all missed him and how wonderful it was to have him back. Mamma chatted on for quite some time telling him all about everything that had happened on the estate while he had been away. And of course every one wanted to know what had happened to him while he had been away from them, but he wasn’t interested in talking or hearing about such mundane matters. He had other things on his mind to think about.

Everything about him had changed he was not the fun loving young man that had left home only a year earlier. Instead he appeared to be very surly and aggressive. No one could believe that the man who sat in front of them now, could ever have been, that wonderful, caring and sensitive boy of just one year ago.

Chapter 2

Annie drifted slowly back to consciousness to the sound of some one gently calling her name. She slowly opened her eyes to see the blurred face of the nurse at the side of her bed. Annie, can you hear me? the nurse was asking.

Annie managed a weak smile before she drifted off again. Her thoughts went straight back to Marcus. He had been at home for about two years now. Papa had been dead for about 18 months. He had suffered a sudden heart attack while out riding alone. By the time he had been found it was too late for any one to help him.

After Papa’s death Marcus took over the running of the family home and estate and he had become a tyrant. Most of the servants had left their employ because of the obnoxious way in which he treated them all. This meant that Annie now had to do most of the household chores because there was no one who wanted to work for the family any more. Cook was the only one who was still with them but Annie was afraid that even she wouldn’t take much more of the abuse that Marcus levelled at her.

How her life had changed. No longer was she the carefree young woman of yesteryear. Instead she was now, no more than a drudge, a virtual slave being dictated to, by a stranger in her own home. Poor Mamma had taken to her bed and taken to drinking. Most of the time, she was oblivious of what was happening around her. And as each day passed she was getting weaker and weaker because of the lack of food that she ate. Annie would painstakingly make her favourite meals in the hope to encourage her to eat but without any success. How could this dreadful thing have happened to them Annie wondered to herself. What sort of future do we face? She prayed every day for their situation to improve but instead of that they became steadily worse. Mamma died from the effects of the drink and a broken heart and Annie felt totally isolated and alone. Now she had absolutely no one that she could turn to for help when Marcus was in one of his terrible rages. Now she would have to stand up to him alone the thought terrified her. Shortly after Mamma’s death cook finally handed in her notice and left almost immediately. Total and utter despair overwhelmed Annie, how was she expected to cope with all the demands that her brother made on her.

She tried very hard to explain to Marcus that he would have to change his attitude and that he must employ new staff for the household to run properly. But he was not interested in her whining and he informed her that now would be a good time for her to learn how to cook. He also informed her that he expected his meals to be on the table when ever he wished to eat and to add insult to injury he informed her that in future she could eat her meals in the kitchen. He didn’t want to have to look at her dirty, disarrayed appearance when he sat down to eat. This felt to her like the ultimate insult.

The situation gradually went from bad to worse when she discovered that Marcus had taken to gambling. He would be up all night playing cards with friends at home, expecting her to wait on them or if not at home he was at one of their houses. He was losing thousands of pounds on a gamble, but had very little to give to his sister for the every day expenses incurred running a house and feeding them both. On one occasion when she had tried to talk rationally to him about their problem he struck her. She was absolutely stunned with disbelief at his actions. She looked into his eyes and saw nothing, no remorse, no pity for her. He just cursed her for troubling him about things which did not concern her. Annie sobbed as she wondered what on earth would become of them.

What had happened to Marcus during those months in 1914 to change him into the monster that he had now, become. And again she wondered how long their present situation could continue. But she still had one place where she could escape from her nightmare. She could still let her thoughts wander to her beloved Jamie and she could dream of the life that could have been hers away from this dreadful house and Marcus. She hated everything about her life and herself, because she hadn’t the strength to stand up and fight this worsening situation.

She could only stand by and watch as the contents of the house began disappearing. At first it was just one or two little valuable items, the silver candle sticks, Papa’s diamond cufflinks, his, gold watch and chain that went to gambling debts. But the more he played the more he lost and soon paintings and furniture were being sold to pay for his pleasures.

Why couldn’t he see how he was destroying every thing around them but even worse than the material objects, he was destroying himself.

Fifteen long lonely years went by with each day being the same as the one before living in fear of what her brother would do next. But not even he could know of the time that she spent contemplating the beauty of the moon and the nearness she felt to her darling Jamie, she felt as though it was these brief moments that gave her courage and kept her sanity in this insane world in which she was trapped.

It was during one of these quiet moments that Annie sat in front of her dressing table mirror contemplating her reflection. She found it hard to recognise the face that peered back at her. She no longer had the flowing curly black locks that used to shine, like a ravens back, her hair truly had been her crowning glory. Now all she saw were lank greying stresses that hung limply from her head.

Gone also was the laughter in her still beautiful, but sad blue eyes. The bloom of youth had also gone forever from her perfect English rose skin and had been replaced by a pale, drawn and lined face. She looked far older than her approaching fortieth year.

Her birthday came and went unnoticed as usual, it was just as any other day, and there was absolutely nothing to celebrate about these days. The days continued to pass into weeks and the weeks into months as they had for many years now, until one day she heard quite a commotion at the door. Who could it be? No-one ever came calling these days. But as she approached the door she heard angry shouting and banging, dare she open it at all she wondered, but the noise would not stop and the voices seemed to be getting angrier with every passing minute. So she took a deep breath and opened the door only to be confronted by many angry tradesmen demanding to speak to her brother.

l am very sorry, replied Annie. I don’t know where he is or what time he will be back.

That’s not good enough, replied the man nearest to her. Your brother owes us all money, and we have come here to collect it. If we don’t get satisfaction, we will take him to court and then the bailiffs will get what is owing to us, he said in a menacing voice.

I understand your problem but there is nothing that I can do for you at this precise moment. If you can wait until my brother comes home, I will try and speak to him then. She promised them.

Alright Miss, said a man at the back of the group. We will leave it for the present, but if we don’t get our money by Tuesday of next week, then you know what will happen. We didn’t want it to come to this but we all have families to feed and need the money a lot more than your waster of a brother, the man explained. With that they all tipped their hats, turned and left the way they came.

She closed the door, thankful that the confrontation hadn’t been any worse, but what could she do about any of it. She dreaded speaking to Marcus about any of it because she never knew how he would react. She already feared for her safety, in fact at times she feared for her life when he was very drunk.

It was shear desperation that forced her to go into Mamma’s room, which she had left exactly as it was when Mamma died. She would sell some of her Mamma’s jewels, the emerald necklace and ear ring set should fetch a good price she thought. They had been handed down through the family and rightly belonged to Annie, but what does it matter she thought, she would never go anywhere now where she could wear them. How she hated her brother at that moment for forcing her into a position where she contemplated getting rid of the only possessions she had in the world that had belonged to some one she loved dearly. She would never forgive him for that. She reached forward onto the dressing table and picked up the jewel box. That’s strange she thought to herself, it had always felt heavier than that. She opened the box and sank to the floor in horror and disbelief. How could he? How could he have done this to her, the box was absolutely empty, he had left nothing for her.

When he arrived home she confronted him with the empty box but he laughed in her face. What good were they doing, sitting up there?’ he asked her completely oblivious of the pain he had caused her. They were more useful to me. They gave me a few hours of pleasure, that