The Hired Wife (26 page)

His companion
blushed with pleasure as she glanced into his eyes. “Marshall
thinks red is unseemly.”

“If God clothed
the roses in red, how could it be unseemly on you?”

“He means well,
but I’d love to have a red dress.”

“Will you marry
me and let me buy you a hundred red dresses? I promise they’ll all
be different. I’ll order ten special linen presses to house them
and one hundred pairs of red slippers…one hundred pairs of white
silk stockings with red clocks…two hundred garter ribbons…”

“Oh Bucky…” His
unspoken wish that she’d scoot closer came true as her parasol
suddenly enveloped both their heads partitioning them off from the
world. “…you’re not asking me to marry you because you’re the
kindest man ever born and you know I really, really want to marry
you and you wouldn’t want to hurt my feelings; are you?”

“I’m being
totally selfish I assure you! I want to marry you because the
thought of having to put you in another man’s carriage and watch
you drive away is causing the most unpleasant agony. Without you my
table is a pointless piece of wood. Without you my clocks chime
eternally unpleasant hours. I find it hard to believe there would
be any magic in my life without you. I adore you…will you be my
Lady?”

She leaned into
his arms as she clutched her parasol with both hands. “You’re the
kindest, funniest most charming man in the world and I love
you!”

“I’m
spellbound…” He gently took her in his arms and kissed her
forehead. “…at the thought of calling you my Lady. I’ll have to get
your brother’s permission…”

“Oh Bucky, you
know he’s so in love he’d probably be relieved if we eloped…will
we?”

“That’s a
tempting idea. We’re closer to Scotland than London and I wouldn’t
have to suffer endless weeks without you. We could pretend we’re
going for a drive with a large picnic basket full of
necessaries.”

“Oh Bucky, that
would be so romantic and I wouldn’t have to wait endless weeks to
be alone with you…I like being alone with you! May I have a
kiss?”

Lord Buckingham
smiled as Emily tilted back her head with exaggerated pursed lips.
“You may have a thousand kisses. We’ll start with one and see how
far we get today. With any luck we’ll get to…” Buckingham found his
head being forcibly lowered as his wife to be used her parasol to
bring his lips closer. He’d counted up to twenty-seven when the
sound of approaching hysterical sobbing disturbed his state of
bliss. The red parasol was reluctantly tipped behind Emily’s head,
but his arm refused to be removed from around the most perfect
waist. Turning his head towards the sobbing he found his
housekeeper and three maids huddled together.

The housekeeper
gasped for breath, “My Lord…something terrible has happened.”

Buckingham’s
arm protectively tightened around Emily’s waist. “John footman and
Molly the kitchen maid…we found them in the Chinese folly…”

“Well it’s good
thing we didn’t bother to go see the view. If you need to sack them
for misbehaviour…”

“I don’t need
to sack them my Lord, they’re dead!” The three maids huddled closer
together as they sobbed with renewed vigour.

Buckingham
looked at his beloved to make sure he wasn’t hearing things, but
the look on her face reassured him that he wasn’t. “Dead? Together?
We’re they in love?”

“My Lord, they
were found…entwined…next to an empty bottle from your cellars. They
must have been resting after their…exertions…they look like they’re
sleeping, but they’re dead. They’ve been murdered!”

“Who’d want to
murder Molly and John?”

“Forgive me for
telling tales my Lord, but I’ve heard Lord Morley tried to seduce
Molly the other night without success. We think John must have
intervened…”

“Are you sure
they’re not sleeping?”

“They’re quite
dead my Lord!” The housekeeper sobbed in terror of losing her job.
“I told them regularly that they weren’t to drink your wine or be
tempted by other sins! It was a sacking offence…”

“You’re not to
blame Mrs Cooper. Who gave them the wine?”

“We think its
one of the four bottles Morley ordered last night. There are two
empty bottles in his room. That leaves one bottle unaccounted
for.”

Buckingham’s
stomach churned with righteous anger at the thought of Morley
murdering his household. “Where is that snake Morley?”

“That’s the
problem my Lord; I’ve been unable to locate him. Last night Lord
Morley ordered a tray, but he wasn’t in his room when it was
delivered. He drank two bottles, but didn’t sleep in his bed.
Perhaps he went in search of…company. He could be anywhere.”

“Where is his
manservant?”

“He packed his
bags and left last night. He was heard threatening to kill his
master. What are we to do? Everyone is afraid they’re about to be
murdered!”

“Bucky!”
Buckingham turned his attention back to Emily to find her eyes wide
with fear. “He may be with Alyce. She told me he was going to deny
the marriage. He was threatening to write to London and tell the
gossips of her folly if she didn’t share his bed. The evil cad
doesn’t even care if she gets with child. Alyce said he’s in love
with Mary…what if he’s killed Alyce? Oh Bucky…”

Buckingham
clasped his arms around her and encouraged her to cry on his
chest.

“We could stand
here all day and play the ‘what if’ game. We’ll go find your
brother and then we’ll all look for Alyce and Morley. It’ll be
safer as a group. If Morley has a pistol he can’t kill all of us…”
Buckingham’s face clouded over. “Forget I said that!

Whatever
happens…remember I love you.”

“Oh Bucky, I
love you too, even more than Alyce!”

Buckingham
flushed with pleasure and pinched her chin. “We’re going to find
your silly sister and tell her the good news, but first your
brother…and then Morley! Mrs Cooper, if you’ll all be so good as to
turn and face the other direction I need to reassure my fiancé with
a kiss before we head back to the house.”

“Oh Bucky…” The
four servants momentarily paused in their mourning as they eyed
each other in horrified silence as they listened to their employer
reassure his eager companion with a noisy kiss.

The floor
strewn with his wet clothes; Marshall’s eyes were fixated on the
open door into Mary’s room as he finished towelling his hair. What
would she think if she stepped into the door way? Would she be
disgusted to find him naked? The possibility made him turn away and
head towards the chest of drawers. Dropping his towel, he took out
a pair of knee length smalls, pulled them on and cursed his cold
fumbling fingers as he buttoned them at the waist. Opening a deeper
drawer he took out a shirt. Pulling it over his head, he emerged a
few seconds later enveloped in white linen.

He had to look
his best. The Smirkes might have discovered that Mary was still
deciding whether she wanted to be his wife. They might try to woo
her away to marry their father. Muttering loud curses on all
Smirkes, he rifled through his top drawer until he found the small
shagreen box. He was unaware of it creaking open as light glinted
off a pair of sapphire studded sleeve buttons and matching shirt
pin. They wouldn’t make him any more handsome, but they might
remind Mary that she thought he had beautiful eyes. It was better
than nothing.

He was still
fiddling with the second sleeve as he unconsciously turned back
towards the door. Completing his cuff he looked up and he froze.
Mary was peering around the door with a strange look on her face.
How long had she been standing there? Was she disgusted at seeing
his hairy bare legs? He scowled in anxiety as she darted into his
room wearing only a dry chemise and stays, her wet hair hanging
limp and dull down her back. His unshakable resolve not to kiss her
again until she told him she loved him dissolved like sugar in hot
cup of tea. His wilful arms captured her waist as she stood on pink
toes and said something into his ear. The words were pleasant noise
as his eyes trailed over her face and down her neck to her
shoulder. She smelled like the lake; she really was a mermaid. The
thought made him smile as he bent to kiss tempting magic flesh.
“Marshall!” He scowled as his name finally registered in his
brain.

“What?” The
terse word covered his disappointment as his attention was jerked
away from her bare shoulder to the laborious activity of
deciphering sounds into words.

“Lord
Buckingham, Lady Emily and the housekeeper are at my door…something
awful has happened! Two servants have died. They think Morley…”
Marshall’s arms tightened as the image of Morley on a murderous
rampage filled his mind. Was Mary in danger?

“Where is the
lying snake?”

“They don’t
know…Buckingham wants us to dress and join them in the search. He
says it’ll be safer if we all go together. Morley’s man has fled
and…” Mary’s eyes filled with worried tears.

“Well?”

“No one has
seen Alyce since this morning when she asked for a picnic
basket…for two!” Marshall felt his stomach drop as he impulsively
roared out his anger and fear. He clutched his wife as he forced
himself to be calm. Alyce was probably on the hill with…who would
she picnic with? She hated Morley…unless the aging rakehell had
forced her to accompany him to some out of the way spot so he could
murder her.

“I’m going to
kill him!” Marshall looked into frightened wet eyes and forced
himself to relax. “Go finish dressing Sweetheart…” She started
pulling out of his arms. “No wait…Merry…I…” He opened his mouth to
tell her that he loved her, but looking into anxious eyes he
couldn’t bring himself to say it. “You smell like the lake! I don’t
think I’ll ever be able to eat trout again. I’ll think I’m eating a
mermaid…”

“Mary…” Mary’s
head jerked in shock towards the open door to see Emily hopping up
and down with impatience. “…tell Marshall to make love to you
later! We need to find Alyce!”

Glancing from
Mary’s red face Marshall glared at his impudent sister and shouted.
“I’ve told you a thousand times to stay out of my room! Go away
hussy!”

“Tell him I’m
engaged; Bucky’s going to buy me one hundred red dresses!” The
pretty young woman stuck out her tongue at her brother and
disappeared back into Mary’s room.

Marshall’s fear
was momentarily deadened by the good news. If Buckingham took Emily
off his hands, that only left Alyce…unless she was dead. He pressed
a gentle kiss to Mary’s forehead and forcibly pushed her towards
her room. “Put some clothes on or you’ll come as you are!” That
sent his wife running for her dress.

Mary had just
slipped into her shoes when her husband in his shirtsleeves charged
into the room looking like a madman, his wet hair was standing on
end. His loud curses on all tailors followed by the sound of
ripping fabric explained the absence of a coat. The black and white
striped waist coat was only nominally buttoned; his voluminous
shirt gaped free like a badly furled sail. Her eyes were
automatically drawn to the front flap of his black trousers in
horror. “Marshall…your trousers…you’ve lost an important
button…”

“Never mind my
stupid trousers!” Mary was pulled out the door, her wet hair
flapping against her back into the hall where a large group of
frightened servants were hiding behind Lord Buckingham.

Buckingham
waved his loaded pistol in the air and shouted, “Follow me!” The
whole group set off down the hall at a canter leaving Mary and
Marshall bringing up the rear.

“Where are we
going?” Mary winced as Marshall’s deafening roar stabbed through
her head.

“I don’t know!”
She might as well have saved her breath. He couldn’t hear her. The
fear in his sapphire eyes testified to awful thoughts clogging up
his brain. Mary’s cold tired legs and empty stomach were rebelling
against forced exertion. The group of sobbing servants were quickly
disappearing down the hall.

“Can’t you run
any faster? We’re going to lose the lunatics!” Marshall abruptly
stopped. “We need to travel faster than a Mermaid.” She opened her
mouth to protest at being left behind. “Forgive me Merry…” One
minute she was looking up into frightened sapphires, the next she
was abruptly lifted off the ground and draped over his shoulder and
staring at the gathered seat of her husband’s trousers.

It was Mary’s
turn to wish Morley ill as blood rushed to her dangling head and
her stomach was painfully pummelled against Marshall’s shoulder as
he ran holding her legs tightly to his chest. She was feeling
seasick when he stopped and pressed through a crowd of servants
into a room where he gently set her on her feet.

“Merry? What
are they saying?”

She rubbed her
sore stomach and pressed herself into his arms. “We’re in Morley’s
room…”

“Obviously!
What did Buckingham just say?”

“He wants to
know if you see anything suspicious. Morley ordered four bottles of
wine. He appears to have drunk two. Buckingham believes one of the
other two poisoned the servants. Does Morley keep a diary?”

“Yes I’m sure
he’s left us a note explaining his intentions to murder Alyce on
the back of a carefully drawn map!” Marshall’s sarcasm softened,
“Come over here Sweetheart.” Mary’s legs were forced to work as he
dragged her across the room to the bed. “Sit down!” She winced in
horror at the evil man’s bed, but her legs gave way. “Look, there’s
dried blood on his dressing table…and the floor…he was standing
here. Did he throw the glass at the window before dropping the
second glass?” Marshall picked up the remains of the dropped glass
and sniffed the dregs in the bowl. “It smells odd, like mice. I
thought you kept a decent cellar!” Horrified, Buckingham rushed
across the room with his pistol. “Do you mind not waving that thing
at my wife? I wish to die in her arms as an old man.”