Special Sub-Topic: 'The Glass Virgin' Authored by: ArleneRimmer Sub-topic of: Cookson, Catherine

Manuel Mendoza admitted to Annabella that he changed his name when a young adult. What was his name before?

Tommy McLaughlin. Annabella was feeling very low because of her roots, and Manuel told her about himself to assure her that she was not alone in being 'shaken up in the breeding bag'.

How much did Cook ask the poor people to pay her for the scraps which would have gone into the pig bucket?

a penny. It was when Annabella asked her Mama for pennies for the poor children that Rosina realised what was going on and she was very angry with Cook as a result.

What did Alice Piecliffe give Annabella for her seventh birthday?

a Bible. Uncle James and Aunt Emma gave Annabella the doll, while her father gave her the puppet negro doll and the musical box.

As a heavy gambler with average luck, Edmund Lagrange owed his friend, George Boston, a lot of money. What plan did he have in mind to wipe the slate clean?

to marry Annabella to him. The whole country was in a depression at this time, giving Edmund a perfect excuse for failure. George had always wanted Manuel to work for him, but Manuel was content to remain where he was. When the house finally closed down, he was the only member of staff, but for Harris and Alice (who were to go with Rosina), who had a job offer. However, he never liked George Boston and had no intention of going there.

Where did Annabella go after Edmund Lagrange told her that his wife, Rosina, was not her mother?

Temple Town. There she met her real mother, and Jessie told her that Edmund was not her father either.

How did Edmund die?

Manuel hit him. Edmund came across Manuel and Annabella at Amy's cottage, and without waiting for any explanation, he attacked Manuel, who defended himself and accidentally killed his ex-employer.

What was the name of the farmer at the first place Manuel and Annabella worked together?

Skillen. Farmer Skillen was known in the area for being a skinflint who worked his hirings shamefully. When Manuel and Annabella moved on to the Fairburn Farm just the mention of Skillen was reference enough of knowing hard work.

When Agnes showed Annabella around the house, she told her to be extra careful when cleaning a collection of miniatures, because they were of the children that her mother lost. How many children altogether did her mother have - including the four who survived?

13. Infant mortality was high at that time, so losing nine children was not too unusual.

To her horror, Annabella was to work with her former nursemaid, Betty Watford, who was determined to make Annabella's life a misery. When eventually she snapped under the pressure, what did Annabella do?

tried to kill herself. Manuel rescued Annabella from her attempted suicide, and in the aftermath they discovered that the love they felt was mutual. Mr and Mrs Fairburn (whom they were working for at this time) gave them an old gypsy caravan and an elderly horse so they would not have to tramp the roads again.

Where did Manuel find a job after leaving the second farm they worked at?

a glass works. Annabella also found work in the glassworks; her background and book learning on the subject put her in the strange position of being knowledgeable about glass and the processes involved, and she was able to keep the books better than their new employer, Mr Carpenter.

What was the name of Mr Carpenter's step-son, who caused the disturbance at the wedding?

Mark Weir. He was a sea-captain who tried his way with Annabella at her wedding reception after his wife spitefully threw beer on her. When Manuel went to her rescue Weir fell into a log pile which added to his injuries, and Manuel subsequently was charged with assault.

When Manuel was arrested, he told Annabella to go to whom?

to Amy Stretford. Annabella actually went to her Uncle James' home, looking for her cousin Stephen who was a solicitor. Stephen was on his honeymoon at the time, so Uncle James took Annabella in hand and reunited her with the woman she called Mama, Rosina.

What did Uncle James and Rosina want to do about the fact that Annabella had married Manuel?

they wanted their marriage annulled. Because Mark Weir had disrupted their wedding, Annabella and Manuel had not actually consummated their marriage and it would have been possible to annul it. Annabella, different now than she had been while living as a Lagrange, refused point-blank to allow her old family to dictate terms.

What sentence was given to Manuel?

six months detention. The Judge was not swayed by the brilliance of the prosecuting counsel, or the incompetence of the defence, and was able to see that Manuel was defending his new wife. The fact that Mark Weir was a sea captain, and thereby of a higher class than the working man, meant that a sentence of some detention had to be given, and he gave Manuel the smallest he could.

Persuaded that he needed to test Annabella's love, Manuel left her within hours of returning to the House. How long did it take Annabella to follow him?

an hour. Rosina suggested to Manuel that he leave Annabella for a week; once alone without the romance of his being in jail, she was sure Annabella would chose to live with her as her daughter again, and the marriage could be annulled. When Annabella caught up with Manuel, he finally knew that she was his as he was hers and in the way of all good stories, 'they lived happily ever after'.