The Hired Wife (25 page)

Hope evaporated
into hurt. “I’m a worm?”

The pain in his
words hit her in the stomach. “No! You’re not the worm! You don’t
want a mistress Marshall, you want a love poem. I don’t want to be
a bed warmer, I want to love you. I want to hold your children in
my arms and adore them because they’re yours. I don’t want to feel
like I owe you lifelong gratitude because you feed me and put a
roof over my head. I want to be your wife because there’s no other
place I want to be.”

The blue eyes
glinted once again with hope. “I’d give anything…”

“Give me time
to understand my feelings; I don’t know what I feel. If I give into
temptation I might ruin everything. And why would you believe me if
I said I loved you? How would I know if I loved you? Would I
convince myself I loved you out of guilt? How could I ever feel
worthy of loving you? The worm is giving into loveless desire.
You’d hate me for spoiling your dreams and I’d despise myself. I
don’t want you to hate me.”

“Sweetheart, I
could never hate you. I’m sorry I upset you. I’m…”

“Human? I wish
I knew I was in love with you; I’d ask you to continue that kiss
behind a locked door.”

Marshall
flushed bright red as he snorted in amused delight. “I believe my
wife desires me.” She shrieked with laughter as he swept her off
her feet. “I’ll make you a merry deal Wife. Tell me which of my
parts you like the best and I won’t throw you in the lake.”

“That’s
bribery!”

“All’s fair in
love and war Sweetheart.”

“Promise not to
throw me in…”

“You were
saying how handsome you think me…?”

“Promise!”

“Oh very well,
I promise not to throw you in the lake; admit you desire me!”

“I’ll admit
nothing more than I’ve admitted and you’ve promised not to throw me
in.”

She smiled in
triumph and tweaked his ear, “All’s fair in love and war!”

“Impudent Wife,
are you going to admit you desire me or not?”

“No, you’ll
have to wait at least…” Mary screamed as air rushed past her cheek
whipping her bonnet ribbons in her face and then one side of her
was wet and cold as her weight momentarily submerged her husband.
He sat up, spat out a mouthful of water and laughed as he surveyed
his wet indignant companion. “Marshall Godfrey you promised!”

Blue eyes
gleamed with unholy satisfaction, “I didn’t promise not to fall
holding you. So which of my parts do you admire most Mrs Godfrey?”
Mary felt wet arms lock around her middle and hold her tight. “I
believe I could sit here all day if it wasn’t for that stench of
death. I hope you’re not getting hungry, we may be here a
while.”

Mary shivered
as she relaxed into the wet embrace. “I fear you have an unhealthy
need to be admired my Lord.”

“Humour
me.”

“It’ll only
feed your vanity.”

“Vanity be
damned, I’ve waited all my life to be desired…” As the loud words
faded across the water, Mary’s heart melted under the gaze of
searing intense longing.

“…
Well?”

“I like
everything…”

“I knew it!” A
deep rumble of laughter warmed her wet ear. “What do you especially
like?”

Mary tipped her
head back and watched his face. “When you smile at me…”

A single
masculine eyebrow rose with ecstatic curiosity, “Do you find me
particularly handsome when I smile?”

Mary blushed as
Marshall’s hopeful smile hovered closer. “You won’t think me
presumptuous?” His answer was a loud snort of derision that echoed
over the water. “When you smile at me your eyes shine. I know you
don’t love me, but when you smile you look like you love me and it
makes me feel…happy.”

Her husband
stared down at her with a stunned expression, “Merry I…” The
strange tension in his voice pierced Mary’s heart with inexplicable
longing as he leaned over as if to kiss her. “I…” He nervously
licked his lips. “…Merry I…I think you’re shivering…” Mary refused
to analyse her disappointment. She reluctantly pushed the feeling
to the back of her mind onto the growing pile of emotions for the
man whose firmly pressed lips suppressed any further
revelation.

Mary watched
blue sapphires approach as she anticipated another kiss, but the
sound of someone wading into the lake nearby drew her eyes toward
the shore line. Mary stared in disbelief as a frail old woman
wearing a fashionable empire gown of greyish blue silk waded over
to the sitting pair with difficulty and smiled down at them with
delight. She muttered something to herself and nodded her head,
threatening to dislodge the bone combs securing yards of bluish
grey hair coiled like a crown. She clasped her hands to her
wrinkled bosom and smiled down at them. “If you two were made of
porcelain I’d put you on my mantelpiece. I haven’t seen anything so
sweet since…well let me see, how long has it been? Oh it must be
ages since I’ve seen such a kiss in the lake…Am I rambling? Bucky
says I confuse him when I ramble. Here let me help you up child.
Kisses can only warm one so long and then chill sets in. You
wouldn’t want to float away like…well you wouldn’t want to catch a
chill would you? Red swollen noses have never been romantic, no
matter what all the drunken Kings of England might have been told
on their wedding nights by frightened brides.

Personally I
find a cold nose against warm skin quite…well never mind, I’m far
too old for kisses; pity. Now let me help you up.” A frail ancient
hand took hold of Mary’s arm and easily drew her to her feet as if
the water could not resist the old woman’s will. “There’s a storm
coming.” Mary glanced at the bright blue sky and then at the
smiling woman who was clearly mad. “It’s always best to be out of
the water in a storm.” The old woman leaned closer to Mary and
whispered, “Come stand on the shore my dear and face the steps…no
don’t look back!”

“Why?”

The watery
bluish-grey eyes seemed to shimmer with amusement. “It’ll give your
husband an eyeful of your wet curves!” The old woman winked and
then pulled her charge clear the waves. “Your sodden dress will
give him pleasant dreams. It’s always best to encourage one’s
husband. If his mind is full of you he’ll never have the mind to
stray, not that your lover would ever do anything so disgraceful
the way he feels about you. Stand here a minute…no don’t look back.
He’s getting up and ringing out his clothes and… Oh that is so
sweet; he’s upset that he couldn’t bring himself to tell you that
he loves you. His heart is aching…I can feel it pulsing, the poor
man’s in agony… No don’t look back. Men feel weak when overpowered
by their finer feelings. It’s a flaw one has to ignore.”

Mary felt her
face catch fire as she ogled the old woman in horror. “Madam, I did
not hear my husband say a word! I find it impossible to believe
that an old woman could hear what I could not!”

“Everyone has
different hearing dear. Your husband can hear things you can’t, but
they’re generally just unpleasant deep noises. Likewise he’d never
believe you could hear the sound of a moth’s wings against a window
at twilight. Isn’t life odd?”

“I’m sure you
mean well, but…”

“I can hear
anything being said on the lake Mary Godfrey. You shed a tear. You
wished for his heart. I’m afraid you can not be given what you
already possess; make another wish. Think carefully…”

“Madam I’m sure
you mean well…”

“But you think
me mad? Sometimes I feel…well never mind. Quick! What will you wish
for? Only a wish can disperse the grief.”

“Madam…”

“He’s
coming…what is your heart’s desire?”

Mary could only
think of one thing. “I wish that Marshall was safe from
Morley.”

“You can not
have something you already possess. I haven’t reached a third wish
in ages…well?”

“How can
Marshal be safe from Morley?”

The old woman
sniffed the breeze blowing off the lake. “What do you think? A
wish…you must make a wish. Quick! I don’t have much more time.”

“I wish…I wish
I loved my husband with all my heart.”

“A fourth wish?
I haven’t reached a fourth wish in ages of ages! Try again only
this time wish for something you don’t already have. Please!”

“How can you
know if I love my husband with all my heart? I don’t even know if I
love him, but I want to love him. He’s good and he makes me laugh.
I want to be…”

“Your heart is
in your eyes Mary Godfrey. One doesn’t need magic to see whose name
is carved into your heart. Now quick! He’s coming…what do you wish
for?”

“I wish…I wish
Marshall could hear perfectly.”

The old woman
sighed as she shook her head. “That is not mine to give Child and
if you knew how he’d suffer you wouldn’t ask it. I’ve never had a
fifth wish. Isn’t there anything you could wish for yourself that
you don’t already have? There must be something!”

“I can’t think
of anything.”

The old woman
shook her head in despair. “Doesn’t anyone wish for a chest of
treasure or a pair of invisibility shoes? Doesn’t anyone want a
magical feather pen that can write plays that will never be
forgotten or a ring that can’t be lost? What’s happened to the
world? No one wants to be enchanted anymore. How do I find the will
to go on? Since you’re incapable of making a proper wish I shall
make one for you.” The old woman spit in her hand and then pressed
it to Mary’s forehead. “I wish your heart to hear the call of its
beloved mate from near or far and know when he needs you.” The old
woman removed her hand and curtseying to Marshall. “My Lord…” She
winked at Mary and then turned and rushed back towards the water,
her naked feet digging into the shore before skipping away down the
shore line like a five year old. Mary was still watching the old
woman when Marshall scooped her into his arms and started to carry
her up the hill.

He sniffed in
irritation. “She must be related to Buckingham. My sister’s
children will all end up chained in the attic.”

“At least Bucky
has a large attic.” His stern expression made her think of a
painted papier-mâché mask. She watched his face as she lightly
caressed his wet chest. The mask slipped revealing tormented
sapphires. Did he did love her? She could feel his heart beat
faster under her hand as if it couldn’t keep its secret. Was she in
love with her husband? Her heart purred a reply to the one covered
by masculine skin. “Stop tickling me. If I drop you we’ll both be
done for! What’s so funny? Why did that old hag touch your
face?”

“She was
wishing me good fortune.”

Marshall
snorted in contempt. “If you need anyone to wish you good fortune
all you have to do is ask and I’ll wax lyrical.”

“Ah, but you’d
never claim to be the lady of the lake!”

“Did that
lunatic say she was the lady in the lake? This place is Bedlam! I
don’t know why Emily wants to marry a lunatic and move into an
asylum, but as you say it is big.”

“She gave me a
wish.”

He paused on
the steps and glanced down. “What sort of wish? Did you wish me to
fall in love with you?”

“She said it
was an invalid wish because you’re already in love with me.”

The arms
holding her appeared to momentarily quiver. “Did she?”

“Yes so I had
to choose another wish, but it was invalid as well. Then
another…she gave up and wished me to always know when you need me.
Wasn’t that sweet?”

“I wouldn’t pay
much attention to wandering lunatics.”

“Perhaps
not…but what if I start appearing every time you need me?”

“I’ll think you
highly intuitive. Put your arm around my neck.”

Her hand
briefly rested on warm wet skin. She silently obeyed, hoping the
old lady was right. “I’m hungry. Are we late for lunch?”

“We will be if
you keep squirming and we tumble down the hill.”

“Do I get
another kiss before lunch?”

“No.”

“Not even a
quick peck?”

“No.”

“Not even on
the cheek?”

“No.”

“Have I done
something to upset you?”

“No.” After
reaching the top of the hill, they were half way to the front door
when a piercing scream echoed over the water making Mary shiver
with fright. “What’s the matter?”

“I heard a
scream; I think it was a woman.”

“This place
gets stranger by the hour. I can’t wait to take you home where
you’ll be safe. Don’t leave my sight! I couldn’t bear…just don’t. I
don’t trust the resident lunatics any more than Morley or his
mother. Don’t drink or eat anything that old hag touches. That look
on her face…she looked capable of anything.”

Lord Buckingham
rested his arm on the back of the secluded garden bench where it
brushed against the most perfect female shoulders ever created.
Crossing his stretched out legs he smiled at the woman shielding
her blushes from the sun with a red parasol. He’d looked into her
eyes and his heart had been changed as if by magic. Emily Godfrey
made his chest ache in the most pleasurable manner. He couldn’t
imagine sharing his life with any other woman. He’d found his own
version of perfection and was quite pleased with his good
fortune.

They hadn’t
spoken a word for nearly an hour. They’d merely sat there smiling
at each other; conversing without words. She’d look away. She’d
meet his eyes and smile. She’d glance at his person and blush then
look away. It was a pleasant routine he hoped would last forever.
He could see by the position of the sun that it was noon and
luncheon would soon be served, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t
hungry, but if his stomach could gain his attention they still had
the remains of their early morning picnic. He’d snuck into the
kitchen made a basket and then fetched his willing companion. He’d
meant to take her to the Chinese folly to view the lake at noon,
but who needed a pastoral scene when beauty sat smiling at him,
making his insides hum with pleasure? Her eyes returned to his face
giving him a reason to smile. “You should wear more red. Seeing the
colour near your lovely face does pleasant things to my blood.”