Obligations Of A Lady

Prelude: Part One

"I refuse to marry him, you cannot make me," A slender red-haired woman in a burgundy riding dress said to the other woman.

"Mia, why don't you want this match? It is everything that we could've hoped for!" The woman replied as anger flared in her eyes.

"No," Mia countered vehemently. "It is everything that you could've hoped for. This man is a fortune-hunting old bag,"

"Fortune-hunting or not, he will be the best thing that has ever happened to us," The other woman answered as she soothed her blond hair.

"Best thing? To whom? You are not being married off to him, you are not the one who is sacrificing your freedom for this man," Mia all but shouted at the blond woman.

"Freedom? My dear Mia, what are you talking about? It is a woman's job to only marry and give an heir to her husband!" The blond woman said as she stood up and glared at Mia.

"Elaine, I am sorry that you have grown up in a household believing that, so ignorant of what a women can do. But as it is, I refuse to marry Lord Farring and that is that!" Mia concluded, her eyes flashing.

"I AM your mother and you WILL marry this man!" Elaine screeched.

Mia turned so swiftly at the little woman before her. "YOU…are not my mother. You are my father's second wife and never…in a million years would I call you my mother."

"Oh that's right, you'd rather have that slut for a mother…what was it, didn't she run off with a footman or something?" Elaine sneered.

With a swift hand, Mia reached up and slapped Elaine across the face. It wasn't as hard as Mia would've liked however. She held out most of her strength for what her conscience would say to her later on.

Elaine gasped as she quickly held one gloved hand to her red cheek. "You little hussy!" She screeched as she reached out a hand and slapped Mia's face.

A resounding thud echoed throughout the drawing room.

Mia didn't even lift a hand to her reddening cheek. Turning her head back, she stared into her mother's soulless gray eyes. "You are not my mother. Never in a million years will you ever be my mother. I WON'T marry that man, I WILL NOT bow to your wishes," She repeated. Turning around, Mia swiftly walked out, leaving the door closing to one of the many footmen.

~*~*~*~*~

"Miss Mia, I beg you, please be careful tonight," A girl with sienna colored hair spoke as she fixed her mistress' hair.

"Aubrey, don't worry, I am going to refuse Lord Farring tonight when he asks," Mia replied with certainty. She looked in the mirror and smiled up at Aubrey.

Aubrey frowned. "I'm just warnin' ya Miss Mia, Miss Elaine is very sneaky about things like these,"

"I see, I shall take your warning into consideration," Mia said as she stood up and hugged the short girl. "Wish me luck," She said softly before leaving the room.

Aubrey watched the retreating back of her mistress. "Oh God, please, please help our Mistress…" She prayed hopefully.

~*~*~*~*~

"Miss Koji, would you please accompany me outside to the courtyard?" A fat balding man to her left asked her.

Mia nodded as she looked down at him. "Of course Lord Farring," She said demurely.

Once they were free of the stuffy ballroom, Lord Farring turned to the tall red-head. "Now Mia,"

Mia held up a hand. "Lord Farring, I don't believe I gave you permission to use my christened name."

Two red blotches appeared on Lord Farring wrinkled cheeks. "Of course," He agreed. He took out a small velvet box and looked at it. Sneering in his mind, he took a peek at the large diamond ring. This match was great! The girl's dowry would make him almost as rich as Midus and he wouldn't even have to pay for the ring. Smiling as brightly as he could, he got on one knee. "Miss Mia, you must know that even though we have not known each other for long, you cannot deny the passion we had for each other when we first met.

"……" It took all of Mia's strength not to burst out laughing like a hyena. She blinked. "Lord Farring…er…" She began.

"No please, don't say anything of your undying love for me…" He spoke as if he were giving her great service.

Mia arched an eye as her eyes contradicted to dots. A large sweatdrop rolled down the side of her forehead. "Un…dying love?"

"It would do me great pleasure and I'm sure it is also a great pleasure for you, if you would accept this and be my wife," He held out the velvet box and opened it for her. Waiting for the screeches of astonishment and happiness, he smiled arrogantly.

Mia did neither. Taking the velvet box in her hand, she twitched at the obnoxiously large ring. No doubt her dowry would be paying for this. A thousand thoughts flitted through her mind.

If I were to accept his hand in marriage, that would allow me entrance into the polite society. Mia's father had been a Japanese aristocrat who had married her mother, a French courtesan. Because marriages between foreigners was unusual and the fact that an aristocrat married a courtesan was unheard of and forbidden, her father's father had disowned him. But Daddy was strong and he was able to make it through. Her father soon invested in the East Indies Company and had become one of the richest merchants. Since people who worked for money was not very well respected in the polite society [to Mia's confusion] , her father and their family had been referred to as cits. The fact that he had been disowned added to it. When Mia had been born, her father had remarried to Elaine. Facts about their courtship were unknown but Mia was certain that perhaps, maybe Elaine had trapped her father in a marriage. Her own true mother had disappeared when she had been born and her father wouldn't even tell her what happened. Elaine was the one who had told me the story about Mama…She would make it sound so horrible yet Elaine was never faithful hersell. Elaine would dally with the footmen here and there…She always asked Papa for money to buy her jewels, new dresses…Why did he marry her? Now she wants to sell away MY freedom so that she can get back into the polite society - which I have never cared for. Why doesn't she just marry again? I'm sure I'd feel very sorry for her husband however…

Her answer was clear. It also only took less then a second to decide. "I'm sorry Lord Farring, I cannot accept your proposal,"

Lord Farring took the ring back as his face grew bright red. This cannot be, Elaine promised. Elaine said that this stupid chit would accept… "I can't understand what you are saying to me Miss Mia,"

"You heard me loud and clear, I do not want to accept your ring or your proposal." Mia stated coldly. She turned around and faced the bed of roses. "I never felt anything for you,"

Lord Farring glanced at the window. Elaine was there, motioning to him. What?

"Now Lord Farring, if you will excuse me…I have a party to return to…" Mia said as she got up.

"Miss Koji, please wait a second," Lord Farring said.

Mia faced him. "Yes?"

With that, Lord Farring launched his heavy body at her throwing both of them into a soft bed of pansies and he kissed her.

Mia turned her head sideways so he only kissed her cheek. The whole thing happened so quickly, she had no time to react.

The door slammed open and Mia shot her head towards it. Lord Farring turned his head slowly towards the door, a smug smile on his face.

"Mia Koji!" Elaine screeched, half sneering. Many people had already gathered at the door and were staring at the couple on the bed of pansies in astonishment. The thing that made it worse was that the engagement ring and the box were lying in the open for all to see.

"May I present to you, my new fiancé, Mia Koji," Lord Farring said as he got up and bowed to everyone.

Mia's jaw dropped.

Elaine kneeled down beside her stepdaughter and whispered coldly, mockingly into her ear, "Who said I couldn't make you marry him?"

Mia knew she was trapped. She couldn't say anything…she had been compromised. Even now, some stared at her with a 'tsk tsk' look in their eyes and if she broke off this engagement, she'd surely be ruined. Cits weren't allowed into the polite society, as it was if she broke this engagement, she would be going beyond that, that of a courtesan or maybe even worse. Looking up at Elaine, she shot a hateful glance. She should have heeded Aubrey's word…and now she was trapped in a god-forsaken marriage for who knows how long. "You did this…" She snarled only for Elaine's ear to hear.

"What? Me?" Elaine smiled disdainfully, "It is for your own good,"

It took every single one of Mia's strength not to reach up and punch her stepmother across the face. Being a female and an only child of her father's allowed her freedom like no other lady should've. She was able to take riding lessons, her father even taught her how to shoot a gun, she knew how to fence quite well, archery was one of her specialties…What she could not do was sew, knit, play the pianoforte…though to her nanny's insistence, she had to learn how to play the violin, though her skills were just mediocre. Since her father had been a merchant, he knew many languages, that of which he taught many to Mia. Sometimes, Mia did not feel like a daughter, rather a son…it made her feel somewhat regretful that she could not make her father happy because she was a female…this was what she had truly believed. All the pent up anger, all the pent up emotion was ready to burst out and the closest target, the target that had instigated this scene…Elaine. Instead, Mia did the only thing she could.

Pale-faced and almost sick to her stomach, she got up and brushed off her dress. "Our engagement party is in two weeks. It would do us great honor of all of you would attend," She spoke so coldly that even the stuffiest lady shivered. "Now please, let's return to the party, shall we?"

~*~*~*~*~

Tears coursed down her face as she listened to the light strings of the beginning of a waltz floating up to her ears. Blast it, why she was crying like this, she didn't know. She thought she had gotten over the prospect of being engaged to someone she felt indifferent to…but that was not the case. It pained her to think that she'd be chained forever to a man thirty-nine years her senior. A man who in the past two weeks had sneered at her, made lewd comments and probably even took her willing stepmother to the love bed. "Papa…If only you were here…" She whispered into the dark room.

Mia's face-hardened and her back went rigid. It was no use crying over something that couldn't be helped. Taking out a white handkerchief, she wiped her face and adjusted her pale yellow muslim dress. Tonight was a party in honor of her engagement, the news had been announced; there was no turning back now. She would make the best of it, she must or she wouldn't survive at all.

~*~*~*~*~

Mia blinked as she lay in bed. The wedding was a blur to her…she couldn't remember anything. She couldn't really remember the guests but their eyes…she shuddered at the way some of them looked at her. She could tell that pity was in their eyes. Mia hated pity given to her. Many of the members had been of the ton and her stepmother was all too happy to associate with them.

No matter how embarrassing it was, she was thankful for one thing though. Her new husband had gotten himself in a drunken stupor by drinking so much wine he had collapsed right when they reached the house. Her virtue still intact, she was quite happy. To give it to a man such as him was horrible. He already had an heir from his first wife, God bless her, so perhaps…he wouldn't need to bed her.

All she could do was hope.

~*~*~*~*~

"Welcome to Farring House," The woman before Mia greeted coldly.

"Hello," Mia cordially replied.

"My name is Mrs. Becker, I am the housekeeper,"

"My name is Mia Koji…"

"Lady Farring, Mia Lectors," The housekeeper corrected.

"That's right…" Mia replied. The truth was she had not wanted to use her husband's name or his title.

"If you need anything, please just ring the bell," Mrs. Becker instructed.

Mia nodded. When the door to the room opened, she turned and watched a little boy [no older then 10 years old] struggle across the room with large logs in his arms. She gasped and hurried to the boy's side. "Drop those right now!" She ordered, her face bright red.

Mrs. Becker's eyes widened in anger, how dare the new mistress talk to Anthony like that. She did not care if the woman was the new Baroness; that gave her no reason to act just like the Baron himself-

"Oh dear, you poor boy, look at these splinters," Mia cooed as she motioned for the boy to sit down in a dusty chair. "And look at you," She surveyed the boy's little form over. "You don't have a single bit of meat on your body…Mrs. Beckers,"

Mrs. Becker's jaw had dropped to the floor. Upon hearing her name, "Yes Lady Mia?"

Mia surveyed the woman before her. "Look at you, you're thin as a stick also…has no one in this house been eating right?" She asked the housekeeper softly. She quickly turned red. "Forgive me, it was quite rude of me to say something like that,"

Mrs. Becker eyes filled with admiration. "No no, Lady Mia, it is alright, you are the mistress…as for eating, well, the Baron has been having money troubles and we have not been able to eat as much."

"Yet the Baron is as fat as Prinny," Mia muttered as she carefully looked over the boy's arms.

"Pardon, my lady?" Mrs. Becker asked as she came over.

Mia blushed. "I was muttering nothings," Taking off her gloves and thankful that her nails was long, she spoke softly to the boy, "This might hurt a bit but if I don't get these splinters out, they may get infected,"

"Wot's infacto?" The boy asked, and winced as Mia pulled out a splinter.

"Infection, it is when all this bad stuff gets into your skin…" Mia corrected as she surveyed the arms again. After pulling out several more, she took once last look over the arms, in some places, they were bleeding; they would need those cleaned right away. Standing up, she looked at Mrs. Becker. "Forgive me if I sound forward…but I was wondering, how is it that the Baron stays so large yet it seems this house might be starving?"

Mrs. Becker blushed. "Please my lady, do not speak of the lord like that…He…"

"Oh Mrs. Becker, you needn't butter him up for me. Though I am only eighteen years old, I understand that the man married me for my dowry only." Mia answered sadly. Turning towards the little boy, she ruffled his hair and smiled. "Why don't you go and wash those arms?"

"Thank ya miss," The boy replied as he hurried out of the door.

Turning back to Mrs. Becker, Mia looked away. "I am sorry, my mouth has a tendency to run,"

Mrs. Becker motioned the girl to sit down on the bed. "Lady Mia, if you had not wanted to marry Lord Farring, why did you not refuse his suit?"

"I did." Mia responded.

"And yet…"

Mia looked away. "And now I am married to him," Taking Mrs. Beckers hands into hers, "Thank you caring but it is now in the past…now that this house has money, please tell the solicitor to handle it well,"

Mrs. Becker nodded and took heed to leave, "Would you like anything Lady Mia?"

Mia nodded. "Could you introduce me to the rest of the household?"

~*~*~*~*~

"What the deuce do you mean that I still don't half her inheritance?" Lord Farring raged at his solicitor, Mr. Corks.

Mr. Corks pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose and wiped down the beads of sweat rolling down his face. "Well according to Mr. Koji's will, if his daughter married, all her inheritance was not to have gone to her husband but only half. Now, I understand this is quite unheard of for usually when a woman marries a man all her money goes to her husband. However, it seems Mr. Koji took precautions so that this girl could have money even after she was married. We're trying to get the will turned but we're rather baffled at what to do…Perhaps if you can convince Lady Farring to give you the other half of her inheritance…"

Lord Farring tugged violently on the bell-pull.

~*~*~*~*~

"Oh my, Lord Farring is calling, I better go at once," Mrs. Becker said.

Mia nodded, "I shall come with you then," Waving goodbye to the cook, she followed Mrs. Becker out of the room.

~*~*~*~*~

As Mrs. Becker and Mia entered, Mr. Corks stood up and bowed but Lord Farring made no move.

His face bright red and his many chins shaking, he nodded to Mrs. Becker. "Good, you've brought the stupid chit along with you, please leave,"

"Lord Farring," Mrs. Becker, her eyes flashed as she felt the need to protect the Lady.

Mia held up a hand, her face not deflecting a bit of emotion but coldness. "Mrs. Becker, please get some tea and tea cakes for our guest…" She looked at Mr. Corks inquiringly.

"Mr. Corks, my Lady," he said as he took her hand and bowed over it.

"Thank you," Mia said as she withdrew her gloved hand. Turning back to her husband, she stared coldly at him. "Yes?"

Lord Farring shivered from her stare; remembering what he had called her for, he turned angry again, "What is the meaning of this?" He threw the sheet of paper at her to no avail. The sheet of paper just flitted in the air in front of her face.

Mia snatched it out of the air and read it. "I do believe this is a copy of my dear Papa's will,"

"Well this dear Papa of yours says that I was only to have received half of my inheritance when I married you…" Lord Farring snapped as he got up. "Now, is there anything you can do about this? I'm sure if you give your assurance to my solicitor, he can-,"

Mia's face turned into one of cold fury, "How is it any of your inheritance?"

"Well, I did marry you, and as such, the money is mine,"

"WRONG." Mia replied with as much anger as she could muster. "As it says in my father's will, half of my inheritance stays with me, no matter what."

"Yes yes, I understand that but if you were to tell my solicitor otherwise, I'm sure he can draw up your funds and put it in my account," Lord Farring supposed as sweetly as he could.

Poor Mr. Cork looked as if he wanted to bolt at the moment.

"And why the deuce would I do that?"

Lord Farring sputtered and turned purple, "Your language!"

"Oh fiddle, answer the question, why should I do that?"

"B-because I married you!" Lord Farring angerly cried.

"You call that a good reason?" Mia replied. She barked out a laugh. "You humor me." She said dryly.

"Mr. Corks, please leave us," Lord Farring said furiously to the poor solicitor. "NOW."

The solicitor scrambled as fast as he could out of the chair. Looking back at the furious Lord Farring and the cold Lady Farring, he bit his lip. "If you need anything…"

"No, it is quite alright, thank you," Mia quipped as she stared into Lord Farring's eyes.

As soon as Mr. Corks left and the doors closed, Lord Farring reached up a hand and slapped Mia violently across the face.

Mia bit back the cry of pain. She turned back and stared at him, just as cold.

"There's more of where that came from," Lord Farring sneered. "Now, if you don't hand over half your inheritance to me--,"

Mia laughed once more, her voice containing no humor. "And what? What would you do? Slap me again?"

"I'll beat you to a bloody pulp, that's what I'll do!" Lord Farring glared furiously at her.

"You wouldn't dare," Mia said as she smiled at him.

Lord Farring was taken back.

"I could counter every blow you lay on me…for you see, my father had often forgotten I was a female so he taught me many things a Lady should not have learned," Mia laughed. "How funny is that," She said softly.

"Lady? You a lady?" This time, Lord Farring laughed, however, the effect was ruined as he choked on his saliva. Turning and looking furiously at the new Lady Farring, he raised a hand and swung to slap her.

This time, Mia countered his attack a hand and grabbed his oncoming blow. "Tsk tsk," She observed softly. "Now that isn't the way to treat a lady," Viciously, she turned her wrist and brought his along with it.

Lord Farring cried out in anguish.

"You see, I know how to defend myself," Mia alleged. She left go of his wrist.

Lord Farring snatched his wrist back and nursed it. "You bitch," He snarled. Looking up at her, he grinned coldly, "Fine, if you do not give your consent to hand over half your inheritance, I shall make sure that everyone shall suffer for your disobedience,"

Mia jaw tightened. "You wouldn't dare…"

"Oh yes I would," He laughed. "I see I've got you,"

With a flurry of silk and muslim, she stormed out of the door, surprising the footmen, Mrs. Becker, and Mr. Corks who had been listening at the door. As she went up the stairs, Mrs. Becker followed her.

~*~*~*~*~

"All I need is her signature," Mr. Corks said, his voice oddly calm. However, his hands were shaking quite hard.

"Don't worry, she'll sign," Lord Farring said with assurance.

Mr. Corks furrowed his eyes. After this, he'd quit as the Baron's solicitor. The girl had probably been forced into this marriage and now the Baron was to strip her bare so that he could keep on gambling and dallying with courtesans here and there. God help Lady Farring…God help her…

~*~*~*~*~

Mrs. Becker held a cold compress to Mia's cheek. "My lady, you should really watch your anger around Lord Farring,"
"He is not very amiable is he?"

"No, he is not."

"Was he always like this?"

Mrs. Becker nodded. "Yes, and his father before him,"

"Then why do you still work for him?" Mia asked softly.

Mrs. Becker hesitated. "Because if I were to quit, I'd have no where to go. The fees he pays for our services are very meager, barely enough to feed my stomach. He has also threatened many of us that he would turn us off without references. Without references, how could we get jobs elsewhere to support ourselves? I'll tell you right now, the rest of the household would leave if we could. We have lived under Lord Farring's tyranny for far too long. My husband, Lord Farring's valet, has endured quite a lot. He wastes his talent on the buffoon!" With that, Mrs. Becker's eyes widened and her hands went up to clasp her mouth. "Oh my, please forgive me for saying such of Lord Farring, I-,"

"No need to apologize, it was my sentiments exactly." Turning back to Mrs. Becker, Mia smiled. "I can give everyone the references that they want…"

~*~*~*~*~

Lord Farring grinned happily as Mia entered his office once more. "Ah, my dear Mia…Just in time. I need you to sign some papers to transfer your money to my accounts,"

Mia bristled. "I won't do it,"
Lord Farring snarled. "What did you say, you stupid chit?"

"You heard me, you ignorant buffoon, I won't do it," Mia retorted.

"Have you forgotten my threat young lady?" He slammed his hand down on the desk as if to prove some point.

"I have no forgotten, I have merely come up with a solution. It seems you do not hold the favor of many of your servants. I shall write them references that they need to find a new job and me, being the new Lady Farring, I can do it and quite legally. As for the tenants, you have very few left because of your spendthrift ways. For the few that remain on this land, I shall find them a new home," Mia stated, slamming a fist down on the desk as she stared boldly into Lord Farring's eyes. "So what shall it be then?"

"I'll…I'll…I'll exile you from this place then!" Lord Farring sputtered.

Mia laughed. "I'd be all too happy to leave!"

"What about the scandal then huh? Your reputation would be ruined!"

"Do not forget, if I were to be exiled, I would not have to suffer because then I'd be far away from this place, far away from you, far away from the insipid people they call the ton," Mia shouted.

Lord Farring slammed both fists down on the desk. "Off with you, OFF!"

"I'll pack my bags right away," Mia snarled right back before storming out of the room.

Lord Farring threw a porcelain figure at the closed door. Throwing a hat over his balding head and a coat over his round figure, he stormed out of the room. He needed a good doxy to relieve himself of his frustration and a couple of card games. He cackled. No matter, even half of the chit's dowry would support him far too well for years to come. On the way out of the door, he signaled for a footman.

"Prepare a carriage for Lady Farring, she is to leave this instant,"

The footman was confused. "To where?"

"I don't care! Just make sure she leaves my residence!" Lord Farring took the reigns of his carriage and drove off, leaving the footman in the dust.

The footman's eyes widened as he hurried to the stable.

~*~*~*~*~

Mia couldn't believe it. "Could one ever be as relieved as I am?" She giggled. Tugging many cases out of the closet and opening them, she neatly put many of her dresses into the cases. Her reticule contained things she would need on the road and one dress. These days, dresses were much thinner then they had been during King George's rule; if one was folded up, it could very well fit into a reticule.

The room doors burst open as Mrs. Becker along with five or six maids [Mia believed these girls were the only females on the staff of fifteen] hurried in.

"We just heard the news, surely you cannot be thinking about leaving," The housekeeper cried as she clasped her hands together.

"I am," Mia replied. Looking over at the group, "I shall write those references before I leave so you need not worry,"

The maids began chattering among themselves happily. Finally, they would be able to leave Lord Farring's service.

"It is not that, I am very worried about you, traveling can take a lot out of a genteel Lady as yourself,"

"A lady…" Mia murmured as she smiled happily. "I am touched by your concern…if possible, would you come with me then? I promise to pay you much more than Lord Farring ever paid you,"

Mrs. Becker eyes shone. "Yes, yes, I accept! It would be a great honor to work in your service milady,"

"Oh take me miss!"

"Me too miss!"

"My lady, please take us too!"

Mia chuckled as she was surrounded by maids, "If you would like, it would be wonderful if you could. If my reputation as an exiled cit does not shame you, please accept my invitation…"

The room erupted with cheers.

Mrs. Becker took Mia's hands into hers. "It matters naught whether you were born a titled lady or not…for you are truly one inside and out. Thank you very much milady," She said with tears in her eyes. "If possible, could Mr. Becker come along?"

Mia nodded. "And anybody else who wishes to come along…I daresay we'll need many coaches for the voyage, wouldn't you agree?"

"Even if you have been exiled, it must be exciting to be able to travel. Where shall you go Lady Mia?" A maid named Clarisse asked as she happily folded one of Mia's beautiful dresses carefully.

"To France,"

~*~*~*~*~

Lord Farring chuckled. It didn't matter if he lost more money then he won, he was able to satisfy his sexual desires, he had money to pay for his debts, and that stupid wife of his would be gone when he returned home…no, life could not get better then this. It was as if he just inherited money from a rich family member or something of the sort. He clucked his horses along and glared at their slowness. The next thing he'd do with his money was buy himself a beautiful coach and four matching horses that would soon be the talk of the ton.

~*~*~*~*~

Lord Farring looked around confused and rather dazed. There was a feeling of dread seeping through his bones as he noted the silence…granted, it was always silent around the manor with his meager staff but it seemed as if the place was dead.

Where the hell was his blasted footman? The stupid ass should've been out here to retrieve his carriage and horses a long time ago. He growled and pulled the reigns to direct them towards the stalls.

Once there, he was surprised that the two stable boys and footmen that were always in the stalls…weren't there. What the deuce was going on?

He quickly hurried towards the house, hoping to find his staff there. Once inside, he pulled the nearest house bell he could find. After waiting for several moments, he swore under his breath and went into his office. Maybe his valet would be there.

"Fustian!" He shouted out into the empty room. Hurrying to the bell pull next to his desk, he viciously pulled on it. As the bell rang, he noticed many stacks of papers on his desk. On top of it, a letter composed by a most experienced hand, wrote,

With a shout of rage, Lord Farring knocked all the papers off of the desk and proceeded to smash everything that he could in the room. The fact that he did not know where the chit had gone and that he was not able to get all of her inheritance, plus the fact that his whole house deserted him angered him greatly. He could do nothing about it though.

His eyes glittered evilly as he laughed deafeningly. He'd show that stupid chit…He'd show that stupid chit even if it killed him.

End Prelude: Part 1