Mary and the Marquis

‘Do you have a family?’ she asked, in an effort to distract him as she pressed another strip of her folded petticoat against the hole where the bullet had penetrated his shoulder.

‘Family?’

‘Yes: a wife? Children?’

‘No!’

Rothley’s response to her idle question was swift, in a tone tinged with abhorrence, stirring Mary’s curiosity. Why so hostile? Mayhap it was as well, she thought, as she continued to dress his wound. Better by far, to her mind, that the rakes of this world remained unwed and saved some poor woman, and their children, a life of misery.

She banished his attitude to the back of her mind and concentrated on the task in hand, listening with increasing anxiety to his shallow breathing. He groaned as she lifted his arm to pass the bandage beneath, wrapping it around to hold the pads in place.

‘Why...do you...ask?’

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘Why ask...about...family?’

She smiled at his suspicious tone, secure in the knowledge he could not see her expression. Did he imagine she wished to discover if he was wed? Did he fear she might set her cap at him on the strength of his title alone?

‘I wondered if someone might be out searching for you.’

‘Not...’ His voice faded.

Alarmed, fearing he was about to pass out, Mary glanced up at Rothley. His eyes were riveted on her chest. She glanced down and felt a blush rise as she realised how much of her décolletage was revealed to his gaze as she leaned forward to bandage him. He glanced up and caught her eye.

‘Merely...distracting...myself...S...Sensible Mary.’

Mary felt a tingle deep inside at the heat she glimpsed in those dark eyes. It had been a very long time since a man—rake or not—had viewed her as a woman and not simply as a burdensome wife.

‘Let me see your leg,’ she said, striving to sound unaffected as she quelled her unwelcome response. Rothley was a rake and a drinker. It was a combination she despised. How could she react to him in such a way? It must be sheer animal attraction; he was, after all, very striking: all brooding, sensual masculinity.

She gently cut the material of his breeches away from the wound, wishing she had some means of cleaning the hole where the bullet had entered the fleshy part of the back of his thigh. There was no exit wound. That was bad. She bit her lip as she bandaged his leg.

Rothley groaned softly and Mary looked up with concern. His eyes were closed and harsh lines bracketed his mouth and furrowed his brow.

‘My lord?’ He did not respond. She laid her hand on his forehead. Not too much heat there. Not yet, anyway, she thought grimly, but he needs a doctor. The sooner the better.

‘My lord?’ Mary raised her voice, laying her hand against his cheek. His stubble scratched against her palm. She patted him, gently at first, then firmly.

He groaned again and opened his eyes. She could see the effort he made to rally, jaw clenched and nostrils flaring as he inhaled several times.

‘Inside...brandy...’ He indicated his jacket.

Mary felt inside what was left of his jacket. The muscles of his chest jerked in reflex as she brushed against them.

‘Haven’t you had enough of this already?’ She retrieved a small flask, recalling the stench of alcohol she had noticed before. No doubt she had already become accustomed to the smell.

He thrust his hand out and, when she handed him the flask, he unscrewed the cap with his teeth and spat it out before taking a long swig. Mary shuddered, the smell again reviving unhappy memories. She forced herself back to the present, to the situation in hand.

‘Which direction is Rothley Hall?’ she asked. ‘How shall I find it?’

‘To right...follow path...turn left on road.’ He paused, tensing, then raised dark eyes, racked with pain, to hers.

‘Big gates...a mile...on right. P...please...Mary, be quick!’

‘Don’t fret, I shall go soon,’ she replied. Taking his hand between hers she squeezed, her heart going out to him. ‘But first, I shall fetch my cloak. It will keep you warm until help arrives.’

Toby and Emily were both awake and the relief on Toby’s face when he saw Mary wrenched at her heartstrings.

‘Stay quiet, both of you,’ she warned as she raised them to their feet. ‘I shall only be a minute, then we will take the horse. The man you saw before—he is injured. We must fetch help for him.’

‘Are we rescuing him, Mama?’ Toby asked in an interested voice.

‘Yes, Toby, you’ll be a real hero,’ she replied as she pinched his cheek.

She hurried back to Rothley. He was drifting in and out of consciousness, much as Michael had done on that fateful night when he had fallen from his horse in a drunken stupor on his way home. Simon Wendover, his drinking companion, had brought him home, leaving him on the doorstep for her to care for as best she could. Mr Wendover, Simon’s father and Michael’s employer, had sent the doctor the following day to see what could be done, but it was too late. He had died three days later.

Gently, she laid the cloak over Rothley.

‘Angel...’ he murmured, but did not fully rouse.

Mary studied his features. He looked younger in repose, his surprisingly long lashes dark against his pale skin, his lips relaxed and slightly parted. He looked nothing like the wild rake she knew him to be. She laid her hand gently on his forehead. The silky texture of his hair slipped through her fingers as she brushed it from his brow. His eyes flickered at her touch and she snatched her hand away, feeling her colour rise. She leant close and put her lips to his ear.

‘I’ll be as quick as I can,’ she promised, sending a quick prayer that rescue would arrive in time, before heading back to Sultan and the children.

* * *

His angel was gone!

Lucas tried to rise, aching to follow her, to continue to bask in the glow of her comforting presence, but he was dimly aware his body would not obey his will. That he did not, in fact, move. He tried to call to her, but only a low moan sounded to his straining ears. The angel was no more, leaving a gaping void, as cold and as black as the loughs on the nearby hills, filled with pain.

He frowned, his thoughts slippery and evasive. Who is she? The wavering image of her face swam into view, reassuring yet tantalising: clear skin with a smattering of freckles, cornflower-blue eyes and soft lips, all framed by wayward wisps of soft gold, glimpsed as they escaped her bonnet. Why is she here? In the woods? The image of her face sank again, submersed in the inky black depths of his mind.

Julia!

The name surfaced, conjured up from the past, dragging the old feelings of hurt and rejection with it.

He muttered, uncertain of anything any more but the ever-present pain. Was it Julia? How could it be? The face of an angel. The face that belied a heart as black as coal.

He drifted, his mind a jumble of visions from his past: his father, face contorted with rage, roaring, arm raised; his mother, remonstrating, protecting, taking the blows meant for her sons; the gaming houses, the huge losses, drinking to deaden the blow; the opium dens with wild parties and orgies; friends, coming and going; Julia—her beautiful face and the sound of her scornful laughter as she rejected him.

My back! It hurts! With great effort, he forced his thoughts into some semblance of lucidity. The bark of the tree he leant against dug into his back. He shifted to ease the pressure and a white-hot spear of pain penetrated his thigh. As he sank into the void, he fought against it, vaguely aware he must not succumb.

Some time later—an hour, a day, a week?—he roused to the sense of a cool hand on his forehead. Julia. The name gained shape in his mind. He felt his lips move. Did he give voice to the name? He knew not. He tried to prise his eyes open, but the effort was too great. Then he felt hands take hold of him. The pain spiked through every nerve in his body and he sank—gratefully this time—back into oblivion.

Chapter Two

‘Ah, there you are, Mrs Vale. Have the bairns settled?’

‘Yes, thank you, Mrs Lindley. Susan did a splendid job with them. They are fast asleep,’ Mary replied as she entered the huge kitchen at Rothley Hall. Despite the traumas of the past hours, her tensions melted away and she relaxed for the first time since she had left the cottage. At least, tonight, the children were safe and warm, with food in their bellies, thanks to Susan, the young housemaid, who had taken them under her wing the moment Mary and the exhausted children had arrived at the Hall.

Well, maybe not the exact moment, Mary reflected, recalling the scene with a wry smile. The Hall had looked deserted as she rode up the overgrown drive to the front of the house. She had ridden around to the rear and, spying a flicker of light in what she now knew was the kitchen window, she had pounded on a nearby door.

Mrs Lindley had responded, presenting a most intimidating appearance. She was almost as wide as she was tall, with arms as big as hams folded across her bolster of a bosom as she looked suspiciously from Mary to the children and stoutly declared her master was overseas and expected to remain there for the foreseeable future.

Her conjectures about Mary had been blatant, but Mary had taken no offence, instead silently admiring the woman for her devotion to Rothley. Upon hearing of her master’s injuries, however, Mrs Lindley had swung into action, rallying the rest of the staff and begging Mary to return with the men to show them where Rothley lay.

Toby and Emily had been left in the care of Susan, with whom they had bonded immediately. Later, deemed too young and innocent to remain whilst the doctor ministered to Lord Rothley, Susan had continued in her role as nursemaid and settled the children in bed. Mary had not been as fortunate. It had been clear she was expected to play her part. The sound of Rothley’s moans as the doctor removed the bullet from his thigh still echoed in her ears, sending shivers down her spine. He had thrashed around on the bed and, in the end, it had taken five of them to hold him still for the doctor. Mary’s arms still ached with the effort.

‘She’s a good lass and a hard worker. She has to be, living here,’ Mrs Lindley continued, as she turned to the kettle singing over the open fire and lifted it. ‘I hope she’s gone straight to bed, like I told her. It’s going to be a long haul, I fear, till the master is up and about again, and we shall all have to pull our weight, even young Susan.

‘Sit yourself down, Mrs Vale, do. Doctor’ll be down in a minute, then we’ll have some coffee and maybe a slice of my cake. I think we’ve earned it this night.’

Mary sank on to a chair next to the large, well-scrubbed table that dominated the centre of the room.

‘May I ask where the rest of the staff are?’ Mary asked. ‘Surely a house of this size requires more than the few I have met here tonight?’

The house was huge and rambling, but the staff appeared to consist of a mere four souls, plus two stockmen-cum-grooms. Mrs Lindley had introduced herself as the cook-cum-housekeeper. It seemed to Mary almost everyone served a dual purpose in this house. No wonder it looked uncared for.

Mrs Lindley cackled. ‘Bless you, dear. We’re all his lordship can afford and he can barely afford us, truth be told. Am I right, Ellen?’

Mary glanced round. The other maid had entered the room, followed by the doctor. Ellen was older than Susan, a cheery woman of around five and forty summers, as slim as Mrs Lindley was wide.

‘You are indeed, Mrs Lindley, aye,’ she said, then grinned at Mary. ‘Worked to the bone, we are, ma’am, and no mistake. But, for all that, I wouldn’t never leave ’is lordship and nor would any of us, and that’s a fact. Started ’ere when I wasn’t much older than Susan, I did. Seen ’is lordship grow up, aye. My, the tales I could...’

‘Now, now, Ellen,’ said the doctor. ‘I am sure our visitor doesn’t wish to hear all that old nonsense.’

Ellen coloured, but laughed, ‘Right you are, Doctor, I was forgetting myself. I’ll pour some coffee and take it to Mr Trant and then I’ll take myself off to bed, if there’s naught else you need me for, Mrs Lindley?’

At the shake of the housekeeper’s head, Ellen bade them all a cheery goodnight and left the kitchen.

The doctor put down his bag and spoke to Mrs Lindley. ‘I have asked Trant to stay with his lordship until someone can relieve him. It is imperative someone remains with him at all times in case of fever. It will prove a burden, I make no doubt, as short-staffed as you are, but you do at least have the benefit of... My apologies, ma’am,’ he continued, now directing his attention to Mary, ‘but I’m afraid, in all the excitement, I failed to catch your name?’

He was a spare man of around thirty years of age, of medium height, with close-cropped fair hair and grey eyes. He had a straightforward manner that Mary found appealing, although she was taken aback by his ready assumption she would help to nurse Lord Rothley. At first, she was inclined to resent such presumption but, upon reflection, it would at least provide her and the children with a welcome haven—a place, and the time, for them to recoup their strength before they must move on.

‘I am Mary Vale, Dr...?’

‘Preece; Robert Preece, ma’am, at your service.’ He bowed, then rounded the table to sit opposite Mary. ‘I understand it was you who discovered Lord Rothley in the woods this afternoon?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Did he tell you how he was shot? Or by whom?’

‘I’m afraid not, Doctor. I did ask but, well...’

‘Quite. You both had other priorities, I make no doubt.’ He contemplated her in silence for a moment, then commented, ‘It was most fortunate you were passing.’

Mary was thankful he dropped the subject; she was altogether too weary to field questions about why she had been in the woods. Her eyes drifted closed, exhaustion near overwhelming her, as her mind travelled back over this most difficult of days.

‘How has he been, Mrs Lindley? In himself?’

The quiet question penetrated Mary’s reverie. She feigned sleep, shamelessly eavesdropping on the conversation. Her interest in the marquis was, she assured herself, transient.

‘Oh, you know, Doctor. Much the same,’ Mrs Lindley replied, her voice at the same low pitch as the doctor’s. ‘He drives himself relentlessly. Won’t listen to no one: not his mama, not none of us. He’s been a sight worse since she’s been away.’

‘When is she due home?’

‘We’re none of us sure. If his lordship knows, he’s keeping it tight to his chest, that’s for sure.’

‘We have seen very little of him in the village in the past couple of years—he has become something of a recluse since his return. He would appear to have gone from one extreme to the other, if the tales of his time in London are to be believed. What I cannot understand, though, is his reluctance to socialise with his old friends.’ There was a note of bitterness in the doctor’s voice.

‘No more can any of us, Doctor. When I think how much you two shared as lads...but he’s changed, sir. You’d hardly recognise him. It’s as if he cannot trust another soul. ’Tis a pity: he was always such a bonny, carefree lad, despite that father of his.’

‘He was a harsh man, for sure, but that doesn’t explain why Lucas has shut himself away.’

‘It’s my belief his lordship had no notion of how much debt his father was in. He came home, wanting to learn about the estate—a good five years ago, now—but his father were having none of it: sent his lordship off with a flea in his ear. Called him a no-account wastrel, he did. Eee, the look on his lordship’s face when he walked out the door—I shall never forget it, as long as I live. And his poor mama, she near to broke her heart. He never saw his father alive again.’

‘I wonder why his father rejected Lucas’s help?’ Dr Preece mused. ‘One would have thought he would welcome it. Pride, maybe? Oh well, I dare say we shall never know the truth of it. And I,’ he added in a brisker tone, ‘should be shot for gossiping about your master in such a fashion, Mrs Lindley. Lucas would be quite within his rights to bar me from his threshold, were he to hear us. But I shall acquit myself, for I am genuinely concerned for him and it is a fact he will not confide in me.’

Mary had heard enough. She stirred ostentatiously and the quiet conversation ceased.

‘Well, now, I must bid you goodnight, ladies,’ the doctor said, rising to his feet. ‘Don’t forget: someone must sit with Lucas...his lordship...at all times. If he does develop a fever—and I shall consider it a miracle if he does not—I shall expect to be informed of it immediately.’

‘Doctor...?’ Mrs Lindley looked troubled. ‘I’m sorry, Doctor, but your bill...?’

Dr Preece finished donning his greatcoat, then crossed to Mrs Lindley and placed his hands on her shoulders, peering into her face. ‘Mrs Lindley, I forbid you to worry about my fee.’

As she opened her mouth, he continued, ‘Leave me to thrash it out with Rothley. We will come to some arrangement. You are to send for me if I am needed, do you hear?’

Relief on her face, the cook nodded.

‘Good. And as for you, ma’am,’ he said, turning his attention to Mary, ‘you have proved yourself already to be an oasis of calm in a crisis. I charge you with ensuring there is no silly hesitation in sending for me should Lord Rothley’s condition deteriorate.

‘Goodnight, ladies.’ He bowed and left the room.

* * *

Mary sat alone by the side of Rothley’s bed and studied the form lying in the huge four-poster, his complexion as white as the pillow upon which his head rested. His features were relaxed, the harsh lines that had bracketed his mouth and creased his brow had smoothed until they had almost disappeared, but, even in repose, he exuded danger. His dark, brooding features drew Mary’s gaze like a lodestone. She conjured up the image of his body—large, muscular, inherently masculine—and felt her stomach perform a slow somersault as she allowed herself the indulgence of imagining his body covering hers, the weight of him on her, his hands and his mouth...

Pushing such thoughts aside, she rose from the chair and crossed to the fire to place a log on the flames.

What on earth is wrong with me, thinking of such things at such a time, when he is critically injured? But the feeling of him lying on her was so evocative, so familiar, she... Of course! With a surge of relief, she recalled the journey back to Hall on the flat bed of the cart that transported him home. She felt again his body, lying between her splayed legs, the weight of his head on her belly.

She was tired and her mind was playing tricks on her. She was not, after all, an immoral wanton, lusting after a man lying wounded in his bed—a man she was supposed to be caring for. She sat down in the chair again and studied her patient. He had suffered a great deal, but he was strong and would no doubt recuperate quickly. Then she could be on her way and these confusing sensations would be left behind, where they belonged. The thought of the journey still ahead of her and her likely reception raised old familiar doubts that pecked at her. Had she made the right decision? But what was the alternative? She could think of none.

It had been a grim few hours and Mary was exhausted. She leaned her head against the high back of the wing chair. Her eyelids drooped. Aware she was on the brink of sleep, she pushed herself back to her feet. She went to the window. Twitching the curtain aside, she peered out, but could see only the raindrops that spattered intermittently against the glass. Shivering, she let the curtain fall back into place, then crossed to the fireplace and placed another log on the fire. She glanced at the clock on the mantelshelf—nine of the clock. No wonder she was tired, for they had left the cottage before dawn, but she must remain alert. She must watch the patient. There was no sign of fever yet, but the doctor had said the next few days would be critical.

There was a faint sound and the massive form of Mrs Lindley appeared in the doorway. Mary went to her and stepped out into the hallway, that they might not disturb Rothley.

‘I’ve come to apologise, Mrs Vale. I fear I mightn’t have given you a very proper welcome at first.’ Her eyes twinkled. ‘I also must thank you again for all your help.’

‘No thanks are necessary, Mrs Lindley. With hindsight, it is fortunate I was in the woods this afternoon. I fear, otherwise, his lordship would still be out there.’

Mrs Lindley’s expression became sombre. ‘It don’t bear thinking about, ma’am. We must thank the Lord He saw fit to send you through the woods today. Now, are you sure you don’t mind watching over his lordship a while longer? You look exhausted. I’m worried we’ve taken your help for granted. I could stay—’

‘I’m happy to help,’ Mary interrupted, touching the other woman’s arm. ‘I am happy to take the first watch and then I shall enjoy some uninterrupted sleep so, please, do not tease yourself. I am grateful, to tell the truth, that we have a roof over our heads, if only for a short while.’

Mrs Lindley directed a long look of speculation at Mary. ‘Well, if that’s the case, I’ll say goodnight. Ellen will relieve you at midnight and I’ll take over at four of the clock. It’ll be a hard task, keeping up with the nursing, I’m afraid, on top of everything else, but it’ll be a boon having you here, ma’am, I don’t mind telling you. And the bairns will be a tonic. Although it might be best...’ her eyes slid past Mary, towards Rothley’s door, before returning to Mary’s face, ‘...it might be wise if they are kept away from this part of the house.’

‘I shall ensure they do not disturb his lordship,’ Mary said. ‘I am sure the house is big enough for them to be kept well away. And I dare say we shall be long gone before he is up and about.’

‘Thank you, ma’am. I can’t say why he’s set against having bairns around, but it is so. He’s like to be a difficult enough patient as it is—’ She stopped abruptly, her lips pursed. ‘He’s been under a strain, these last few years. I hope you’ve got a thick skin, but just remember his bark is much worse than his bite.’ She grinned, then waddled away without another word.

Mary watched her retreat, thinking over her words. She shook her head as she opened the bedchamber door and went back into the room. Why would any adult feel such aversion towards innocent children?

‘I thought I dreamed you.’

The whispered words made her jump and her eyes flew to the figure in the bed.

Chapter Three

Rothley was awake, his dark eyes open and riveted on Mary. She swallowed nervously.

‘You’re awake,’ she said and then bit her lip. Goodness, what a ridiculous thing to say.

One corner of his mouth lifted. ‘So it would seem,’ he said.

‘How are you feeling?’

‘Sore,’ he replied. ‘Tired.’

Mary fussed about, a tremor in her hands as she straightened the covers on the bed, aware he watched her every move. He looked sinfully attractive, his black hair tousled and his dark eyes, under their heavy lids, appraising her. He had pushed the covers down almost to his waist and she pulled them higher. The top of his nightshirt lay unbuttoned, a sprinkling of dark hair just visible. She had seen him naked, whilst helping the doctor, and her blood quickened as she visualised his muscled chest, sprinkled with dark hair, glistening with sweat.

For goodness’ sake! He’s been shot and you’re here to nurse him. What sort of a strumpet are you? She was ashamed of her physical reaction even as, contrarily, she relished the slow build of anticipation deep inside. What he doesn’t know, won’t hurt, she told herself.

‘Why are you here? Not that I have any objection to a beautiful woman in my bedchamber, you understand, but...where is everyone else?’

‘In bed, asleep, my lord. The doctor was here; he removed the bullet from your leg...’

‘Hmmph, I remember.’ He grimaced, stifling a moan, as he stirred under the bedcovers. ‘What a butcher...never felt such pain. But that doesn’t explain...’