The Wicked and Wonderful Miss Merlin (16 page)

‘Fenton loved her?’  Robert nodded.  ‘It may have been so, though I had no knowledge of it and he is married. His wife is a Catholic and though they had a civil wedding, she would not divorce him.’

‘A tangled web,’ Samantha said. ‘Your father was an older man – could it be that his relationship was not quite what you thought, Robert?  Could he have been satisfied with less than an affair…perhaps he just wanted her to fuss over him and kiss him, flatter him…’

‘And her lover was Fenton.’  Robert frowned.  ‘He could not wed her – and he always coveted my father’s lands.  Did he hope to get his bastard on her and take what was mine by false means?’

‘We cannot know how far his plans went, but for some reason Marianne thought she would have it all, would have you rather than either of them.  You rebuffed her and in her anger…what did she do?’

‘I spoke harshly to her but she would surely not wish either of them to know that she had invited me to her bed and been rebuffed.  What could that gain her?’

‘Nothing…unless she claimed it was the other way round…that you tried to force her…’

Robert’s jaw clenched.  ‘Yes, that would be sufficient to turn both my father and Fenton – if he loved her – against me.  But there must be something more.’

‘She became ill of a fever and died,’ Samantha said.  ‘Does he blame you for that…feel that in some way you were responsible?’

‘How could he?’ Robert looked thoughtful.  ‘I wonder…’

‘You have thought of something?’

‘It sounds ridiculous, but…the day I refused her she ran off in a temper, swearing to be revenged on me.  I recall that it came on to rain a few minutes after she left me.  She had a mile to walk to reach her home.  If she took a chill that day…’ He shook his head.  ‘Am I to blame if she took a chill and fell ill?’

‘A tortured mind might think so,’ Samantha replied.  ‘If she accused you and claimed she was so upset that she wandered for hours in the rain…a man who loved her might make more of her illness, might see it as your fault.’

‘Yes, I can see that,’ Robert agreed.  ‘I knew that she had turned my father’s mind against me, but I did not realise that she had a third string to her bow.’

‘Marianne was ambitious.  Who can say that she did not have other lovers?  It would not have been beyond her powers to play one against the other to drive them to jealousy and gain some advantage, as she did with your father and perhaps Fenton.’

‘This is all conjecture,’ Robert said ‘but I can think of no other reason why he should hate me so much.  You must not meet him, Samantha, for there is no telling what he might do, but I shall go in your place.  We must have this out, for if he tried to kill me and threatened you…’ He looked grave.  ‘This must be settled between us, and soon.’

Robert stepped towards her, drawing her close.  His mouth caressed hers, his kiss drawing the heart from her as she swayed into him.  She reached up and touched his cheek.

‘I love you so much, Robert.  Fenton frightens me.  I sense something…a black shadow at his shoulder.  I fear that he will harm us if he can.’

‘Your intuition has given me good warning,’ Robert said and brushed her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb.  ‘I am on my guard and he does not frighten me, Samantha.  We shall have this out as gentlemen and finish it.’

Samantha leaned her head against his chest.  He kissed her goodnight and they parted, Samantha to retire and Robert to write some letters of business before he sought his bed.  It was only when she was lying in bed that Samantha wondered if he meant to challenge Fenton to a duel.

Chapter Ten

Robert had breakfasted and gone out when Samantha went down the next morning.  Eleanor and Toby had arranged to go driving to one of the local beauty spots.  They offered her a place in the chaise but she refused, saying that she had several small tasks to complete, which was true.

After they had gone, she wrote some letters, looked through her wardrobe and decided that she needed a new pair of walking boots.  She had seen some a few days earlier when out with Eleanor, in a shop not far from the library.  She would go there first and buy them and then go on to the pump room and meet friends who had suggested they might look in that day.

She walked to the shop and purchased her boots, enjoying the pleasant sunshine on her walk.  Just as she was leaving the shop after having purchased the boots, she saw Robert crossing the road towards the little cake shop. Glancing at the pretty enamelled gold watch pinned to her gown, she saw that the time was a few minutes to twelve.  Robert was keeping the appointment she had declared she would not keep and she ought not to be here.  About to turn away, her eye was drawn to a man standing a few feet away from her.  He was watching the cake shop intently and had not seen her standing in the doorway of the fashionable emporium.  As his hand went to his coat pocket, Samantha’s intuition told her what he meant to do.  She began to run towards him as his hand came out and she saw the small pistol, its barrel glinting in the sun.  Regardless of her own safety, she flung herself on him and grabbed his arm.  His pistol turned upward and fired in the air.  Robert looked round as did two other gentlemen near by.  Fenton was cursing and hitting out at Samantha with the pistol.  He struck a blow to her temple and she went down.  The last thing she heard before the darkness closed around her was a man’s voice shouting her name.

The blackness cleared slowly.  Her head was painful and she was aware of voices, which seemed to come from a distance, men and women talking over her.  Someone was stroking her face and a sharp stinging sensation beneath her nose made her choke and try to push the hand that held the smelling salts away.

‘She is alive.  Thank God,’ a voice she recognised said. ‘Samantha, my love…thank God…’

‘Robert…he was going to kill you…’ She felt tears on her cheeks and then her eyelids flickered and her eyes opened as she came to herself.  She was lying on the elegant chaise inside the fashionable emporium she had patronised earlier.  Sitting up, the world span about her and she fell back with a cry of pain. 

‘Do not try to sit up, my love.  That devil!  I thought he had killed you.’

‘He should hang for this,’ a man’s voice said.  ‘I think the fellow demented, Brough.  He was calling you a murderer…accused you of driving a woman to her death.’

‘He is mistaken,’ Robert said gruffly.  ‘The lady involved was wilful and brought her fate on her herself.  He is ill I dare say, half out of his mind with grief.’

‘Well, he is behind bars for the moment and if the magistrate has any sense he will remain there.’

Samantha’s sight was clearing.  She saw that the man who was speaking to Robert was Major Paul Jackson, one of his great friends. 

‘What happened?’ she asked as she was able to raise herself to a sitting position at last.  ‘I know he had the pistol and I tried to stop him – and then…did he hit me?’

‘He knocked you unconscious with the butt of the pistol,’ Robert said.  ‘My foolish love, what did you think you were doing?  A shout would have alerted me…’

‘But he might have killed you,’ she said.  ‘Where is he now?’

‘Paul and another gentleman wrestled him to the ground and he has been taken away.  I think he must be ill or have taken leave of his senses to try and murder me in a busy street.’ Robert frowned.  ‘Why were you here?  I thought we agreed you would not come to the appointment he offered?’

‘I bought some new boots, in this shop,’ Samantha said.  ‘I may have dropped them.  I was about to return home when I saw…’ Her head was swimming as she sat up and saw that someone had placed her parcel on a little table near by.  ‘There are the boots, Robert.  Please believe me, I had no intention of listening to more of his spite.’

‘I do believe you,’ he said.  ‘I may owe my life to your quick thinking, dearest – but I am cross with you for putting your own life in danger.’

‘What would my life be to me if you were dead?’ she asked simply.

Robert smiled, bent his head and kissed her before all the people who had gathered round and were watching with great interest.

‘The sooner you are my wife the better,’ he said in a soft low voice.  ‘I adore you, my darling – and I think, if you can bear it, I shall take you home now so that I can show you how much.’

‘Yes, please.  I think I can stand if you will give me your arm, Robert.’

She gave him her hands and he drew her to her feet, but she was still a little shaky and he caught her behind the knees, carrying her through a small crowd of approving onlookers to a carriage that stood waiting outside.  Major Jackson followed, carrying her parcel, and opened the door for them.

‘Get in with her, Robert,’ he said.  ‘I shall have my groom drive you to your house while I’ll fetch the doctor to her.  You seem well enough, Miss Merlin, but a doctor ought to check you over after a nasty bang to the head like that – can’t have Robert going into a decline if you take sick, can we?’

There was a twinkle in his eye as he looked at Robert and she saw the true friendship between them.  Safe in Robert’s arms, she closed her eyes and tried not to think of how much her head hurt where the pistol had struck her.

‘You gave me such a fright,’ Robert said when the door was closed and the carriage began to move forward at a steady pace.  ‘When I thought I might have lost you…’ She felt his shudder.  ‘I do not think I could bear it.  Please promise me never to do anything so impetuous again.’

‘I am quite well,’ Samantha said and leaned her head against his shoulder.  ‘I dare say I shall have a headache for a while, but that is a mere nothing.’

‘I hope they throw him deep in a cell and throw away the key,’ Robert said, his eyes glinting with anger.  ‘That is the second time he has attempted to kill me – and this time he could so easily have…’ She placed a finger to his lips and he subsided.

‘Forget him, Robert.  I think after so many witnesses saw what he tried to do – what he did to me, he will not be allowed to go free.  We must put this behind us and move forward.  I think we should start to plan our wedding.  Perhaps it could take place as soon as I return from my school?’

‘We shall set the banns when we return to my estate,’ Robert said.  ‘I think we should be married in the village church so that all our people may be there.  Unless you would prefer to be married from your home?’

‘Your home is to be my home and I already feel your people are mine,’ she said and gazed up at him.  ‘Kiss me, Robert.  Promise me you will not think of Fenton again.  We must not let him overshadow our happiness.’

Robert promised, kissing her softly at first and then with increasing passion, until her head was swooning with love rather than the blow she had received.

He insisted on carrying her into the house and up the stairs to her room, depositing her on the edge of the bed very carefully.

‘You must rest now and let the doctor see you.  Please, for my sake,’ he said and Samantha smiled and agreed.

‘Where are you going?’ she asked as he left her.

‘I shall wait to hear what the doctor has to say, but I think you should not get up again today, dearest.  I have some business but will return before tea and we shall have it together here.’

‘What will people think?’ she asked, teasing him. 

‘They will think that I love you to distraction and cannot bear to leave you alone,’ he replied.  ‘And they will be right.’

After he had gone, Samantha removed her bonnet, which had been hanging down her back by its ribbons, glanced in the mirror at the nasty bruise at her temple and then piled her pillows high so that she might lie against them.  She had no sooner settled herself than she heard footsteps outside her room and a maid arrived to show the doctor in.

Doctor Raven asked her to follow his finger with her eyes, examined her temple and asked her if she knew her name, what day it was and the name of the present king.  When she answered his questions easily he smiled and pronounced her fit.

‘I fear you may have a headache.  I dare say your maid can supply a healing tisane, which is all you need, Miss Merlin – unless you have some magic of your own?’

‘No, sir, I do not,’ she said, for she had heard the joke many times and always gave the same answer.  Witches were no longer put on trial but it was best to deny all such jests, even when they were made in good nature.  ‘I do have a recipe for a tisane, which the maid can make for me.’

‘Well, stay in bed and rest today.  If your headache persists or you feel sick please send for me again.  At the moment I can perceive no worrying symptoms.’

Samantha thanked him and he left.  She did have a nasty headache and decided that it would not do her any harm to stay in bed for the rest of the day, though she would get up for dinner.  She relaxed against the pillows and closed her eyes.  A tisane was not necessary for she felt sleepy and a cup of tea would revive her when Robert returned.

Robert left the house after learning that Samantha had suffered no lasting harm but would do well enough with a rest.

‘She should take it easy for a few days, but if there are any unusual symptoms of illness send for me again at any time.’