The Hired Wife (5 page)

“I’m to have
them there by seven-thirty. When you’re dressing tell the maid I
want your hair up…”

“I wouldn’t
have worn it down.”

“I didn’t mean
that!” The roar made her jump. “I bought these for you.” He opened
the drawer and pushed a small box into her hands. “Here!”

She opened the
box and found three matching tortoiseshell hair combs inlaid with
gold. “They’re lovely, but I’ve only worked one and a half days.
Are you sure you want to give me…”

“Are you
questioning my judgement?”

“No, it’s just
that I’ve never been given anything this beautiful.”

“Humph!”
Marshall flushed with pleasure and decided to buy her something
really stunning. “Merry…” He waited until he had her full attention
and then gestured for her to come closer. Her eyes went wide, her
chest heaving visibly against her bodice as she inched back towards
his lips. He could see his nearness was affecting her, but he
couldn’t tell if the affect was good or bad. “Is there anything you
need me to do?”

Her eyes rolled
away to the right as she thought about it. “No.”

He scowled as
he tried again. “Is there anything at all you’d like me to do?”

“No.” He pursed
his lips and wondered what she’d do if he kissed her again. Would
she return the compliment? His mouth watered at the thought. It was
nearly two decades since his last inglorious attempt to purchase
the sensation. Trying to hire a Mistress had been even more galling
than trying to find love. He’d never gotten farther than a few
kisses before losing the women to someone with better hearing. He
leaned closer to see what she’d do. She returned his stare without
moving.

Mary shivered
as the look in Marshall’s blue eyes caused gooseflesh on her arms.
She slowly exhaled as he pressed his lips to her ear. “I wonder
what…”

“Someone’s
knocking on the door.”

“I’m busy, tell
them to go away.”

“The footman
says there’s a young gentleman to see you, a Lord Buckingham.”

“Bring him in
before I change my mind.” The door opened and the footman waved in
a cheerful gentleman dressed in the height of fashion with handsome
thick brown hair, but it was his large protruding front teeth which
held the eye.

“Lord Raynham…”
The man made a bow and turned to Mary, his upper lip moving up and
down over his teeth, “Lady Raynham, it is a divine pleasure to meet
you. Your sisters were extolling your abundant virtues the other
morning…”

“What did the
rabbit say?”

“Lord
Buckingham said it was a pleasure to meet me, that I must be
magical…”

Marshall’s eyes
narrowed at the smiling man. “Sit down! Unless you stick your face
in my ear I can’t hear a thing so talk slowly and leave out the
drivel so my wife can repeat what you say without losing her
mind.”

Buckingham
pulled up a chair and sat down as if he’d been greeted like a long
lost brother, “First of all… I want to congratulate your recent
nuptials…terribly exciting…nuptials. I’ve been looking myself…for a
woman…to call my own for some time…”

“How old are
you?”

“I’m
thirty…though Mother always said, ‘Arthur, you’re as old as the
stars…”

Marshall
swallowed an unkind retort and sighed with resignation. He had a
horrible feeling the smiling man was going to be joining the family
and that some of his nieces and nephews would be born with rabbit
ears. “Why are you here? What do you want?”

“I believe I’m
in love. I woke up this morning from a dream where I was singing
about a fair maiden whose brown locks flowed around me like the
waves of the sea as we lay on a bed of pine needles…it was a
perfectly respectable dream I assure you. Though I was quite
disappointed to find it was only a dream…my mother would be so
pleased. She used to say that I had a diamond for a heart…that I
was the most valuable boy in all the world…”

“I don’t want
to hear another word about your mad mother, get to the point!”

“Mother wasn’t
mad, she had a gift. She could speak with spiders, butterflies,
though wild hares were her favourite.”

“Did he really
just say that?”

“Yes.” Marshall
could almost feel Mary’s laughter bubbling to the surface as he
glanced at her quivering lips. He impulsively put an arm around her
waist and pulled her face into his jacket as she pressed silent
laughter into his chest.

“You’ll have to
excuse my wife’s tears; the sudden alteration in her circumstances
would unhinge the most serene of females.”

The smiling man
opposite just nodded his head in agreement. “Women are the most
wonderful creatures, but most of them outside my family have an odd
tendency to cough or cry. That’s why I admire…”

“I can’t hear
you!”

“…
your sisters. I’ve never met two more delightful young ladies
in all my life. Mother would adore them. It’s a pity she’s dead. I
supposed we all have to die sometime. I’m sure she’s swinging on
her star smiling at me.”

“It’s alright
Merry, you’re safe now.” Marshall ignored the man talking to
himself and ran a comforting hand over her hair. It was even
smoother than he remembered. “It’s all right; no one’s going to
hurt you.” After a shuddered breath she relaxed, her tears of
laughter in evidence as she reluctantly removed her face from her
husband’s waistcoat. “Have my handkerchief, it’s clean.” Mary
gratefully took the silk square and covered her lips and sobered
herself with thoughts of having to eventually leave her loud but
thoughtful employer. “What did he just say?”

All Mary had
heard was the faint sound of her husband’s thumb caressing her
inner wrist as he continued his comforting charade. Meeting the two
burning sapphires her cheeks burned bright red. “I’m…I’m sorry Lord
Buckingham could you repeat that?”

“I’d like to
marry one of your sisters…I’d take both of course except it’s
illegal and I don’t know what I’d do with two wives. I suppose I’d
order a three sided table, but I’d have to rebuild the dining room.
I don’t think Mother would be pleased if I changed her
decorations…”

“Which sister
would you like? They’re on special offer, take one and be saddled
with the second by default.” Marshall was feeling charitable. He
was sure his touch was having a positive affect on his bride. The
thought made him smile. He crossed his legs and leaned closer to
Mary’s lips.

“Lord
Buckingham says he doesn’t know which one he’s in love with. He
can’t yet tell them apart.”

“Don’t worry
Buckingham, after a couple dozen hours in their company you’ll
forget you thought they looked alike.”

“I find that
hard to believe. I’ve never seen two people so similar….well except
for my twin uncles, twin aunts, twin cousins and twin
grandmothers.”

Marshall’s
eyebrows met in unease. “Twin grandmothers?”

“My
grandmothers were identical twins who married two brothers. My
parents were cousins twice over.”

“That doesn’t
surprise me.”

“My parents
grew up in the same house you know, it was fate. They fell in love
at six and became inseparable. They even shared the same bed until
my Grandparents found out and tried to pack Father off to Eton.
Father escaped his carriage and walked all the way home. He refused
to live without his beloved Marmie. All my grandparents were
against the match, but Father refused to eat until they purchased a
special license. It was a triumph of love that makes my heart dance
with joy. I was born three years later.”

“Are you making
that up?”

“I never lie,
unless I have to tell an untruth, but then I rarely find myself
with a pistol at my head, though Cousin Horace did threaten to
kidnap me and set me loose in a field and pretend he was hunting
rabbits. He never was right in the head. They’ve locked him in the
attic, but I think he prefers not to see people. Every time I visit
he foams at the mouth. Auntie Po says it’s best if I just pretend
he’s dead. I hope no one has to pretend that I’m dead.” Marshall
took a deep slow breath after Mary finished repeating Buckingham’s
stream of nonsense and silently thanked God he was hard of
hearing.

“Is it true
you’re worth twenty thousand a year? I hope you’re not a gambler
because I don’t intend to house and feed you and your silly brood.
I wish to get rid of my sisters not drown myself in their
children.”

“Children?”
Buckingham smiled as he pondered the joy of creating children with
a beautiful woman who thought him amusing. He’d never be lonely
again and his offspring would be beautiful and kind like their
mother if only he could figure out which was the sister he liked
best. “I find gambling boring unless it’s exciting. I assure you I
was raised to take good care of my dependents. I am quite prepared
to sacrifice a few pleasurable evenings at cards for my wife and
children.” Mary covered her mouth with the handkerchief and started
coughing. “Is she alright? Do you think there might be something
about my cologne that makes people ill?” Mary managed to repeat
Buckingham’s words before falling into another coughing fit.

Marshall
sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. “It is rather pungent. Were
your grandparents cousins by any chance?”

“Good heavens
no, I’d be a congenital idiot. We’ve been lucky so far. Cousin
Pelham has strange visions of carriages that move without horses
and numbers being the language of the future, but he’s
harmless.”

“Is there
anything else I should know about you?”

“Well there is
the problem of always feeling like I’m missing something. Mother
used to say I was missing my twin; he was born dead. I can never
remember where I put anything and I’m just as likely to forget what
day it is. It’s most inconvenient when travelling. I won’t forget
my wife though, if I can figure out which one I love.”

“My
handkerchief Wife…” It was Marshall’s turn to cover his mouth and
cough over his laughter.

“I hope you’re
not coming down with a cold Marshall. Your sisters would be utterly
disappointed to miss the ball this evening.”

Buckingham sat
upright in his chair as if a puppet master had yanked on his
strings.

“May I be so
bold as to enquire which ball they’ll be attending?”

“Lady St.
John’s…” Marshall coughed one more time and then unmasked his face.
“I believe it might be best for my sisters to give you the details.
They should be finished breaking their fast; if you’ll follow me.
Merry, lie down and have a rest.”

“Rest? But I’m
not…”

“I’ll
personally check on you later so don’t think you can sneak off to
work in the kitchen. It’ll be a long night; I don’t want you
wilting at my ear.” Mary picked up her box of combs and tried to
think of an excuse to remain downstairs. Every hour spent sleeping
would be lost memories.

“But I don’t
want to sleep, I want to…”

“Rest! That’s
an order.” The words were a gentle bark. Mary respectfully
curtseyed to both men and left the room with her head held
high.

“Fine woman
your wife, there’s something magical about her. She looks like a
Dutch painting come to life…”

“I can’t hear
you! Follow me.”

Mary shut her
bedchamber door and looked at the tidy pile of empty boxes. The
maid had put all the new clothes away. She stood by the window and
looked at her tortoiseshell combs in the sunshine. They were
something a man could give to a loyal female servant without fear
of inspiring improper regard; simple, but elegant. That was what
she’d have to fight, but it would be an uphill battle with those
burning blue eyes smiling at her every day. She set the combs on
her dressing table, removed her shoes and crawled onto the bed. Her
tired body sighed with pleasure as she closed her eyes. It was
vexing to have to admit the man was right, but her heavy eyes
assured her that he was.

…

Four hours
later the door quietly opened and closed as Marshall checked on his
sleeping wife. She could sleep a little longer before she’d have to
eat an early dinner and start getting ready. He watched her stretch
in her sleep and roll over. She looked like a contented stray cat
who’d found a merciful hearthrug. He sat on the bed and indulged in
poetic thoughts as his eyes wandered over her person. He could
easily imagine pulling her into his arms every morning. His heart
was starting to lose the battle, but it hadn’t given up. It pinched
his chest and dragged him off the bed with several uncomfortable
reminders. There was no point lusting after a woman who’d be
leaving in a year. His head retorted, she might not love you, but
there’s something in her eyes. His heart pinched him again in an
attempt to distract him from wondering if she was affected by his
touch. So what if she doesn’t love you now, his mind continued, how
do you know she won’t love you after a few years? You’re a good man
and not unkind. You have to take risks; don’t listen to that mushy
organ in your chest. It wants something that doesn’t exist. Fiend,
replied his heart. The mind is a cold fiend who thinks it can
settle. Listen to me Marshall; never settle for anything less than
love. You’ll hate yourself. You’ll be miserable!

Marshall sighed
and tip-toed from the room wondering what sorts of uncomfortable
scenes the evening would bring. He hated attending balls and
routes, but it was important he escort his sisters and provide a
visual reminder that they weren’t unprotected. Their safety was
more important than his discomfort.

Mary bit the
inside of her cheek as she cringed under intense scrutiny. The ball
was filled with curious people important enough to openly stare at
the odd addition to their elite circle. Marshall’s ear-splitting
introduction of his new wife to his father’s sister captivated the
entire company. The rumour mill had been grinding away all evening;
the desperate Lord Raynham had advertised for and hired a wife.
Raynham’s desperation was further clarified by the fact the thin
young woman was plain and common.