The Hired Wife (13 page)

“I’m so glad
you’ve come.”

“We saw Morley
return alone and George felt we should follow him.”

“Thank you Mr
Smirke. If you hadn’t knocked on the door…”

“Papa says true
gentlemen must always be prepared to rescue maidens in distress,
even if the maiden doesn’t wish to be rescued. As he says, ‘It’s
better to have one’s face slapped than leave a woman at the mercy
of a scoundrel’.”

Being
surrounded by five beautiful young men was making Mary’s head spin.
Smiling, she insisted that they tell her more about their family as
she relaxed feeling safe.

Marshall was
sitting on a rock pondering the odds of winning Mary’s heart when
Morley finally returned with an exaggerated expression of distaste,
“I’m afraid I have unpleasant news…”

Marshall jumped
up as his mind filled with endless horrors, “What?”

“I do so hate
being the bearer of bad tidings, but I was passing Lady Mary’s room
and thought I’d ask her if she needed anything. The door was ajar…
Your wife was like a queen bee surrounded by smirking drones. She
was unhappy to see me if you know what I mean.”

Marshall’s eyes
filled with tears as his heart was pierced, “She’s flirting with
Smirkes within minutes of kissing me goodbye?”

“So it would
appear. Do you want to continue the shoot…?”

“You go bag a
bird, I’ll go bag a Smirke.”

“You don’t want
to kill the boys; you’ll end up hanging from a rope…”

“It’s my
neck…what do you care?”

“Well as your
friend…”

“Go to the
devil!”

“They always
shoot the messenger…” Marshall was already on his way back up the
hill wiping his eyes on his sleeve as the poison started to turn
his heart to stone.

…

“So this is how
you relax…” Marshall’s words thundered into Mary’s chamber as the
six seated people jumped to their feet. “…you dally with a pack of
pretty Smirkes.”

The Smirkes
looked at each other in horror, “Cecil?”

“Yes
Cosmo…”

“I wish I was
ugly.”

“So do I…”

Mary pushed her
way past the young men and threw her arms around her husband.
Marshall’s heart and lungs threatened to explode from the weight of
Mary’s head against chest. The fact the five young Smirkes were
standing shoulder to shoulder eying him with dread made him more
suspicious. “Which one of you Smirkes touched my wife?”

Facing a man
with murder in his eyes the nineteen year old Cosmo broke down in
tears, “I only kissed her hand. Oh God, I’ll be good. I won’t tell
another dying rich relation that my brothers’ laugh at them…I won’t
cheat at cards or fix the odds. I want to kiss a girl before I
die…I want my Papa!”

Robert Smirke
turned from Marshall to his crying brother, “You cheat at cards and
fix the odds? I’m going to pummel you…”

“What does it
matter? He’s going to kill me for touching his wife.”

Robert smiled
with glee, “I’ve lost count of the girls I’ve kissed.”

“You
haven’t!”

“I have…and
they all said I was the most charming Smirke ever born.”

“I’m the
charming Smirke, you’re a penniless brat.”

“It appears you
charm the dying with lies, while I charm the living with kisses.
I’ve kissed Mary, the baker’s daughter, at least ten times and
Polly, the Innkeeper’s daughter, I’ve lost count how many times
she’s enjoyed my lips. You’re not as charming as you think you
are.”

“You kissed
Polly? She said she was saving her lips for her husband.”

“She was…until
my lips were offered.”

George Smirke
flexed his fists before grabbing Cosmo by the collar, “You lying
cheating pig! You will kindly write the name of each of the six
properties you’ve inherited at our expense on six pieces of paper
and we will each draw one out of a hat. You will give us the
property we draw or I’ll tell Papa that you’re a cheat and a liar
and you know he’ll send you to Bolingbroke to live with Uncle John.
And while you receive endless lectures on the blessings of being a
good man, you’ll be lonely and miserable and we’ll have endless
adventures without you. You may keep the two remaining properties
and think yourself luckier than you deserve.”

Marshall forgot
the five squabbling brothers and refocused on Mary pressing her
face into his shoulder. He dropped his voice to a hoarse whisper,
“What the devil are they doing in your room? I left you to rest not
ensnare a lover.”

“They saw
Morley come back and followed him…”

“What does
Henry have to do with it?”

“He was saying
the most awful things. He demanded…wifely intimacies…”

“Henry has a
vile sense of humour; you simply misunderstood him. He’s bed some
of the most beautiful women in the world, why would he want my
hired wife?”

“I don’t
know…because I’m yours and he hates that you’re happy?”

“Henry’s a
heartless wretch, not a monster.” The words ricocheted in
Marshall’s brain. Was Henry a monster? Confusion rattled around in
Marshall’s heart. There were Henry’s words and Mary’s words. Mary
disliked Henry; Henry despised Mary. Mary claimed Henry wanted to
seduce her; Henry claimed Mary wanted to be seduced by Smirkes.
Mary said it was Henry, Henry said it was the Smirkes; either one
or both were lying. “I want all you Smirkes to get out of my wife’s
room.” The brothers all looked at Cecil for guidance. Did they stay
and defend the lady’s from her husband or leave? “I’ll go ask Henry
to explain himself and tell him to stay away from you. Lock the
door and have a rest. We’ll pretend this never happened.”

“I always tell
the truth Marshall. He caressed my neck like a lover and tried to
kiss me. I told him to go away, but he wouldn’t. He said the more I
resisted the more he’d want me.” Her lower lip started to tremble,
“He sat down next to me on the window seat. I couldn’t leave…he
knows you trust him. He only went away because the Smirkes knocked
on the door and I asked them to enter.”

“Merry…I know
Henry’s a rakehell, but he wouldn’t touch my wife, I’d kill
him.”

“But don’t you
see…he knows you won’t believe me.”

“Merry…this
must all be a misunderstanding.” Marshall’s brain swirled with
awful thoughts. If it was a misunderstanding then why had Henry led
him to believe he’d found Mary flirting with the Smirkes? The
thought made Marshall’s head ache. Either Henry was capable of the
vilest actions or he was incapable of making his sense of humour
understood. “I’ll ask Henry to stay away from you. Will that make
you feel better?”

“I’ll feel
better when we leave. He’s evil.”

“I won’t let
anyone hurt you my love…ly Perfect Woman.” He couldn’t have fallen
in love with a woman he’d found through an advertisement, he
couldn’t. It wasn’t romantic. He wasn’t supposed to fall in love
with his hired wife; she was supposed to fall in love with him.
What if she chose an annulment? What if she fell in love with a
Smirke? He pushed the thought to the back of his mind and gently
took hold of her face, “No one is going to hurt you. Stay here and
lock the door after we leave.”

He kissed away
her tears and then kissed her hand before turning away to find he
was the focus of nervous black eyes. “If you ever touch my
wife…”

Cecil Smirke
stepped in front of his brothers and leaned in as close as he dared
to Marshall’s ear, “We wouldn’t touch your wife Raynham. Papa says,
‘A true gentleman doesn’t make love to another man’s wife even if
he falls in love with her.’ Papa says if we want a woman we find
our own, but if you lose all reason you must kill me because I’m
the eldest and I’m responsible for their safety. Papa would never
forgive me if I allowed…”

George Smirke
pushed his brother out of the way, “Don’t listen to him, he’s an
idiot! If you must kill one of us, kill me. Papa would be
heartbroken if Cecil died. He was Mamma’s favourite.”

Charles Smirke
pushed past George to claim Marshall’s other ear, “You can’t kill
George, he feels things intensely. No one outside the family likes
me anyway because I look like Uncle John. If you must kill one of
us, kill me.”

Cosmo pushed
Charles out of the way and grabbed Marshall’s arm, “If you must
kill someone…I guess it really should be me because I probably
deserve it because I never listen to Papa’s lectures. I just stand
there and think about all the pretty girls in the village, but if
you could just wait until after my wedding night, if I can find a
wife, then you can kill me. I’m nineteen and I’ve never kissed a
woman. I don’t want to die.”

Marshall stared
in shock at the beautiful Cosmo, “You haven’t kissed a woman?
What’s wrong with you?”

“Papa says I
try too hard…”

“Well you won’t
find any kisses in my wife’s room. Wipe your nose and go play
elsewhere. She’s tired and needs rest.” After herding the young men
out of the room Marshall paused to meet his wife’s frightened
eyes.

“Must you go? I
don’t want to be on my own.”

“Lock the door.
I need to speak with Henry.”

…

On his way back
down the hillside Marshall found Alyce staring down at the lake
with unseeing eyes, twirling her parasol. “Alyce, have you seen
Henry?”

“What?”

“Have you seen
Henry?”

“When?”

“I simply wish
to know his general direction.”

“He’s on the
other side of the lake shooting birds.”

“Well that’s
helpful.” She appeared deaf to sarcasm. “Alyce…”

“Hmmm?”

“Look at me!”
She slowly turned in his direction. “Has Henry tried to kiss
you?”

“Why would he
kiss me?” Her sudden interest in his cravat answered his
question.

“Blast his
impudence! Stay away from Henry.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s
dangerous.”

Alyce looked at
her brother with offended disgust, “Don’t be absurd. Morley
wouldn’t hurt me, he’s my…friend.”

“Get back to
the house and stay with Emily.”

“Do you want me
to die of boredom or sprout rabbit ears and hop from room to room
an old maid?”

“Don’t be rude
and stay away from Henry.”

“I happen to
enjoy Morley’s company which is why I accepted his offer to take me
driving this evening with the old women. I suppose you’re going to
tell me I can’t share the company of a rakehell with his mother and
my aunt?”

“You may take
your drive if the old women will remain with you at all times, but
otherwise stay away from Henry. The man made a joke about killing
his wife if he so much as thought she’d taken a lover.”

“If you can’t
appreciate Morley’s humour I suggest you find a new friend.”

“You wouldn’t
find it humorous if he poisoned you.”

“Morley
wouldn’t poison me, he…he’s not that kind of man.”

“And you know
this because you’ve lived nineteen years? I’ve lived forty-three
years. I’m your guardian, and you’ll do as I say.”

Alyce merely
looked at him with amused contempt, “And if you weren’t my
guardian?”

“Then I’d think
your husband sorely tried. Stay away from Henry.”

“I’m not deaf,
I heard you the first time.”

Marshall
blanched at the well aimed blow, “I hope the man who marries you is
heartless; he won’t be disappointed when he learns your chest is
empty.”

“I have a
heart; it’s just particular about whom it chooses to love.”

“You sound more
like Henry by the day.”

“Praise
indeed.” Marshall turned away shaking his head as he set off down
the hill. He was going to have to give Aunt Beatrice a long lecture
about keeping Alyce away from Henry. The silence of the lake was
suddenly disturbed by the sound of barking dogs, flapping wings and
echoing gunshot. The unpleasant memory of a neighbour accidentally
shot and killed by visiting friends while hunting overwhelmed his
senses. He could smell blood and see the strange look of relief on
the grieving friend as he looked at the corpse in the cart. Every
year men were accidentally killed by friends; was there an easier
way to kill a man and avoid the hangman? Marshall’s abruptly
stopped as his heart pumped icy blood through his body. He had to
return to Mary. Feeling cold, Marshall turned and raced back up the
hill.

…

The quiet
stillness of the evening country air complemented the peaceful
domestic scene in Marshall’s chamber. Lounging on a delicate
settee, his book of poetry dangled forgotten over his knee as he
watched Mary pick up ivory bobbins and tie knots in a mesmerizing
pattern that was slowly creating lace. Catching Mary’s admiring
glance he smiled and bent over and kissed her cheek, “There’s
someone knocking on the door.” Marshall scowled at the locked door
and threw down his book.

He turned the
key and opened it a crack, “What do you want Hussy?”

Alyce gave her
brother a superior smile and patted his cheek with her gloved hand,
“We’ve safely returned from our moonlit ride; I thought you’d like
to know. We went to visit the little Saxon chapel on the next hill.
You should have been there, the vicar lit twelve torches along the
walls…it was a dream come true.”

“That’s the
last time you go anywhere with Henry, do you understand?” Alyce’s
amused giggle deepened her brother’s scowl. “Do as you’re told or
you’ll be wearing the same dresses next season.”

“I dare say
I’ll be wearing red.”

“And I dare say
you’ll be doing as you’re told or marrying the first rich fool who
asks for your hand.”

Alyce Godfrey
smirked as if he’d said something amusing. “I shall be married
before Emily and to someone who’ll to buy me whatever I wish.”

“You’ll have my
blessing as long as it’s not Henry or one of his friends.”

“Heaven forbid
I should marry my own brother…”

Marshall’s
sapphire eyes sparkled with fury, “Crude wit is neither becoming
nor amusing in a woman.”