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شكلها يجنن ههههههههههه شكرا ومستنينك على احر من الجمر |
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Chapter One “Do you understand the terms of the charges, Lord Winningham?” The man’s deep, resonant tones cut into the silence of the room.Michael Kelton, the fifth Earl of Winningham, lifted his gaze from the floor for the first time since the proceedings had begun. With unrelenting expressions four men stared down at him. Three of them were generals who’d commanded Michael during the torturous months he’d served his country fighting the war in Spain. The fourth was a lord from Parliament. “I do,” he said quietly, looking away from the stern faces that studied him. “So you tell us,” Lord Kensington noted. A general of a different sort, his part in the war effort was fought in the House of Lords using words to maim the enemy, much in the same way Michael had wielded his sword. Listening to the proceedings, Michael decided that the cut of his bayonet had been much cleaner. “I have no evidence to prove my sanity, my lord.” Michael watched his judges for any sign of their understanding. There was none. He knew that any attempt at explanations would make little difference in the outcome of their decision. “The truth is that I cannot remember the events that occurred the day I was captured or many of the days that followed. I only learned later from my cousin that I was held for over a month and that I was in ill condition when I was found.” “Can you recall anything from your confinement, Lord Winningham?” General Wexely asked, leaning forward in his seat. “I remember being in a dark, damp underground cell.” Though Michael fought the images in his mind, the cool stench of decay remained with him always. When he closed his eyes he could still feel the promise of death from that place. “They gave me foul tasting concoctions, tainted water, and stale bread from time to time. I vaguely remember being questioned but I’ve no recall of how I answered them. I suppose that’s enough to cast suspicion on me.” “But,” General Wexely interjected, “is it enough to brand you a traitor?” “I believe the question cannot be decided at the present time,” General Barton said. “We must therefore carry out the sentencing and pray to God that we are not wrong in our judgment.” He turned to the soldier standing guard. “Please bring in Mr. Kelton and the physician, Winthorp.” Two men were ushered in. Michael tightened his fists, determined to keep his fear and dread at bay. I can do this! he reassured himself. Besides, what choice did he have? It was either accept what fate had given him, or know in his heart that he’d not done all he could for those that had died under him. In an odd way, accepting his punishment gave their deaths meaning. He did not die with them as he should have, but he would greatly suffer now. That knowledge helped to lessen his guilt in a small way. “Mister Kelton,” General Wexely waved Michael’s fair-haired cousin forward. Standing side by side, it was clear that he and Ambray were a sharp contrast to each other. Michael sported a quieter, darker appearance. Ambray Kelton’s blond hair and fair complexion demonstrated his lighter, more outgoing personality. “Yes, my Lord?” Ambray stepped up to the table, but not before bestowing a brave expression upon Michael. “You have offered to see to the care of Lord Winningham from this day hence?” “Yes, my lord. He and I were boyhood friends. We even served together for a time. I am very fond of my cousin and very saddened by recent events. It is my hope that Michael’s malady is responsible for his behavior and not any defect in his character.” “You need not try to defend Lord Winningham. This court has already decided upon his innocence, by way of insanity. It has been clearly demonstrated that Michael Kelton, the fifth Earl of Winningham, is no more responsible for himself than a suckling babe. Were it not so, this court would see to his immediate execution as a traitor. We do not believe that he could have purposefully given vital information to the enemy. As is given by various accountings, he was severely injured and prone to ‘fits’ of temperament. How his father was able to purchase his commission in the first place will be investigated with the War Office. But since the fourth Lord Winningham has died, there will be no use in pursing litigation to that extent.” “Thank you, my lord. I promise to take care of my cousin, sir. I have hired an entire staff including a physician, Mr. Winthorp. He is a leading scholar in caring for the deranged. I assure you, Michael will receive every attention possible.” Michael watched Ambray bow respectfully to the council and wrestled back the rising tide of anger that rose within him. It was galling to see Ambray play up to the men’s authority. He alone knew how his cousin despised any sort of propriety. General Barton looked again to Michael. “This seems to satisfy all. A final word, gentlemen,” he nodded to his counterparts. “I had heard that your young wife suffered a terrible accident last month. Let me offer you my condolences.” Michael stiffened at the mention of Katerina’s death. Every one of the ton sported the idea that he’d killed her. The accusation was written on the man’s features as clearly as his arrest ************************************************************ ****s had held the word ‘traitor’. Ambray turned to them. “It was indeed a terrible accident,” he stated, his voice slightly higher pitched. “I was there. She’d been leaning on some railing that was in ill repair. My uncle, the old Lord Winningham, was quite the pinch a penny. He didn’t take proper care of the estate. We are all quite crushed by her death.” The men at the table relented. Michael could feel the removal of their harsh stares as though a cloth had been lifted from his skin. Releasing a slow breath, he backed away from the table. Before he could turn to leave, an old familiar specter came to visit him. On the far wall, a paraffin lamp sputtered. Without warning, Michael began to tremble uncontrollably. Paralyzed, he watched as the gutted flame burst into a thousand shards of light. The luminous knives stabbed his eyes and sent a furious path of pain through his mind so intense that he knew of nothing else but the sheer pain of the lamp’s assault. Though the agony of the attack was fierce, in seconds the radiance disappeared and stifling velvet of darkness threatened to over take him. “No!” Michael cried out, but it was too late. He’d no control when the ‘fits’ overcame him. Tiny demons he’d once called them. Bits of darkness danced around his eyes twisting all of the concerned and shocked faces of the men around him. Ambray and another man stepped forward and tried to grab him, but Michael only backed away. Didn’t they know this was when he was the most dangerous? A howling noise filled the room and Michael realized that it was his own voice screeching out. Falling onto the neatly polished table, he crashed into the furniture as uncounted hands struggled to restrain his convulsing body. His every muscle tensed into a solid mass of flesh. As the bone wrenching tremors came over him, the men of the courtroom did their best to restrain his flailing limbs. Frantic hands dug through his clothing and into his skin. “Too late! Too late!” He yelled to them, but none of them made any effort to move away. He could see all the faces through the clouds of darkness that were gathering. It was Ambray, Lord Kensington, Winthorp, Lord Wexely, and two soldiers who joined the fray. Michael wanted to yell more warnings, but Winthorp leaned forward jamming a piece of wood between his teeth, gagging him. “What the devil are you doing?” Wexley’s voice called out. “It’s a block to keep him from severing his tongue!” Ambray yelled. The darkness gathered more force, quickly overcoming the men until each of their faces disappeared from his field of vision save one—Ambray. Michael blinked and in a few seconds he was gone as well. Existing in a tunnel of pitch, Michael felt their voices growing more and more distant but he could still hear their words though they sounded more like whispers. “The man truly is insane!” General Barton stated. “Madness, clear and simple,” Wexely agreed. “He should be locked up,” Kensington added, “away from decent society—before he injures someone!” “I assure you,” Ambray’s voice cut in, “my cousin will receive every attention. Dr. Winthorp believes he can control these ‘fits’ with the right treatments. Michael may never be able to return to polite society but he will be cared for.” Though Michael could not see, he knew the shapes of the men’s faces were a mixture of pity and disgust. Many times in his boyhood he’d witnessed the same reactions from the house staff and the neighbors. He’d once thought his malady had been left to his youth but since the battle in Spain his demons had returned. Michael didn’t begrudge the men their contempt. After all, wasn’t he both a traitor and a murderer? His madness seemed small compared to that. As quickly as the spell had come upon him, it was gone. Only the darkness remained. Though there was no need, someone restrained his hands and ankles and wrapped him tightly in a wool blanket. He knew there would be a carriage outside waiting for him. Waiting to carry away the poor, mad earl. Michael cringed. After today, surely everyone would know. He was glad of the darkness. He wouldn’t have to look at their faces. He wouldn’t have to see the gaping stares as he was carried through the halls of Parliament and onto the street. Just as Michael was about to be removed from the room, he sensed the presence of another nearby and felt the touch of warm breath upon his cheek. When the other spoke, the words were barely audible and brushed against Michael’s hearing. “Don’t worry, son. This changes nothing. Our agreement still stands. We will proceed as planned.” Michael wanted to protest, but the block in his mouth prevented him. Suddenly the hand was gone, and Michael was lifted and gently laid on a small, wheeled cart and carried from the room. He would have struggled, but exhaustion overcame him. Before they reached the outer doors, he fell into a deep, dark slumber. ~ * ~ Ambray watched silently as the orderlies loaded his cousin onto the ambulance. In minutes, Michael’s perfectly cut black waistcoat was now replaced with the rough, white wool of the straight waistcoat. Arms fastened behind him, the young man made no attempt at struggling now, instead he lay slack-jawed and silent. A small bit of drool leaked from the side the Earl’s mouth, leaving a glistening trail in its wake. Though his outward expression showed no sign of it, Ambray could barely contain his glee at seeing the Earl of Winningham carried away like a common Bedlam invalid. “That was quite a display,” Winthorp remarked beside him. The tall, gangly physician’s attention focused on the prone man being placed in the carriage. “Yes, it was. I was counting on Michael’s cooperation, of course, but nothing so dramatic as this. Once again, my cousin has aided in our efforts, eh, Winton?” The physician nodded, smiling. The toothy grin gave an unnatural cast to the already gruesome appearance of Ambray’s accomplice. Winthorp’s face was pale and his cheekbones so sharp it made is eyes almost appear to pop out of his skull. No doubt he’d engaged in the heinous grave stealing that his colleagues vehemently denied, obtaining specimens to further their studies. Ambray could easily picture Winthorp in his fine, gray linen shirt and somber black trousers wearing an apron spattered with the blood of the too recent dead. The picture caused the usually callous Ambray to shudder. No matter, he recited to himself. He would have aligned himself with the devil if it furthered his own causes. “Indeed, he has. Society will not spare the lash of their gossips now.” Winthorp picked at an invisible piece of lint on his vest. “Too true. I almost feel pity for my cousin. Too bad about the will, though. Michael’s father made certain that he would have the last word. The old bastard is still controlling us from his grave.” “What are you planning now? How can you possibly marry him off and have him produce an heir in so short a time? Surely no decent woman would come near him now?” “No, that’s true enough. Perhaps if she were very naïve and very young.” “Nonsense. I work with the elite. I can tell you, those chickens are raised to be carrion from the time they are out of the cradle.” “Very well,” Ambray sighed. “Someone from the middle classes might do. She’ll have to have enough of the blue blood to maintain the pedigree but not so much that her family would get in the way of my plans. A simple girl, who would be so glad of a betrothal that she’d overlook the Earl’s less attractive features.” “It should be no problem. My guess is there are plenty of those about. So, then you shall perhaps plant your own children, my man? Have your child carry on the title? That would be the ultimate raillery upon the old Earl, wouldn’t it?” “Of course, besting the former earl is only part of my machinations. I want the title but there is much more to be gotten. Inside my cousin’s tortured mind there is a key that unlocks a much bigger chest than that of the peerage. No, he will bring me my fortune of wealth and more. Power. The most heady brew of them all.” The carriage door closed now on the sleeping figure. One of the footmen approached him. “The coach is ready, Mr. Kelton,” the servant stated, bowing his balding head slightly. “Will you be traveling with us, sir?” As Ambray was about to answer, a flash of brassy, red hair across the street caught his attention. The petite figure of a woman wrapped in a bawdy lime-colored shawl, nodded in his direction. The high breasted, cinch-waisted gull was an old friend of his, back from his days of gambling houses and street politicos. Elsbeth Haversham. Beside her stood another woman, whose slightly rounded figure draped in a stale brown dress did nothing to hide the voluptuousness of her shape. She made a sharp contrast to Elsbeth. Her curves were that of youth and innocence, and were even more pronounced in her round face and soft, gray eyes. Hers was not the classic beauty of the ton, but something far more fetching than the rail-thin women with silk ruffles and tight corsets. This was a woman who was made to pleasure a man, all soft curves with no sharp edges to complete her duty. “No,” Ambray told the driver. “I’ll be staying in town a bit. Mr. Winthorp will be accompanying my cousin back to the estate.” The servant nodded and ambled back to the carriage. “Take care of him, Winton. I’ll see you again at the end of the week.” “Ah. Brewing new plans for the unfortunate sod, are you, Kelton?” Ambray only smiled in answer, waving his gloved hand toward the redhead across the street. “Just considering my options.” Winthorp nodded. “So long as you don’t forget our agreement. When you’re done with your manipulations, Winningham is mine.” Ambray didn’t miss the deep tones of Winthorp’s voice. He looked up sharply at his compatriot, trying to discern just what it was that the physician had planned for his cousin. Was it merely for his scientific exploration of Michael’s malady as Winthorp professed? Or, were there other, darker plans in the works? The physician’s expression tightened, becoming almost unreadable. Perhaps it was just that Ambray chose not to look too closely at the other man’s intentions. Often times he’d noticed Winthorp’s study of his cousin to be more than a passing curiosity. He instinctively knew that the other man’s true intentions for Michael were the substance of nightmares, ones that he’d no desire to become familiar with. “I’ve already told you, Win, once I extract the information I require, Michael is yours. You may take him to your sanitarium or hell itself if you wish. I will have all that I need by then.” Ambray turned abruptly from the conversation. Swinging his walking stick, he began his journey across the busy street. As he reached the opposite side of the street, Elsbeth quickly dispatched her young companion to the nearest shop. She then whirled to Ambray, smiling fiercely and stirring up a windstorm with her pearl and lace fan. In her feral green eyes, Ambray saw the fox-like cunning which had long served to keep her off the streets of London and in the bedrooms of the city’s most influential patrons. Ah, but they didn’t realize that there were few equal to her feminine manipulations. Only he was a hound fierce enough to tame the beastly heart which beat within her very attractive chest. “Ambray, my love,” she twittered as he finally reached the walkway. “It’s been an age since I’ve had the pleasure!” Her voice purred a low seductive thrum. “Eslbeth, you’re as delightful as ever! What a treat you are to a poor, starving man.” Elsbeth scoffed. “My love, you have never been poor or starving, if memory serves me. What brings you from your lumbering estate to mix with us stiff nosed, white-faced towners?” Fishing for information, Ambray thought. Her smile was as painted on as cleverly as was her rouge. It didn’t matter. Ambray returned her smile, trying to mirror her false concern. “I’ve come to see to the need of my poor, sick cousin. What a happy accident it is that you and I have met! Would you join me for a lemon ice? I believe I may have a business proposal that you’d be most interested in.” “Really? I’m always interested in business, Ambray.” “I’m counting on that, Elsbeth. What of your young friend?” He nodded to the young woman just visible beyond the window curtains. She was perusing the bookseller’s wares thoroughly. “Not to worry. She’ll be there for hours.” Elsbeth slipped a white lace covered hand into the crook of his elbow. “Come, dear one, we’ve much to talk about. Old business and new.” |
Chapter Two “There you go again, Miss! Spouting them horrible words at me! Now, suck in!” Hattie retorted through gritted teeth, pulling with all her might on the corset strings of her slightly voluptuous charge. “It means withholding one’s breath to the point of death, Hattie. You really should learn to read. Books are the most interesting things…” Mouse explained to her long time friend and servant. “That’s the problem, Miss, too much reading and not enough moving about!” “I hardly eat anything at all anymore, except that awful calf broth and sour milk. I just hate it! Deception is what it is, trying to make people think my dimensions are actually smaller than what they are. A woman shouldn’t have to do this!” She yanked fitfully at the thick, velvet fabric as it wound stubbornly about her waist, creeping upward and nearly strangling her in the process. Ladies’ fashion had moved towards the impossibly tight waistlines accented with layers of crinoline and bell shaped skirts, high, tight bodices and long, flowing skirts. “But, ‘tis for a good cause, Miss. For getting married! Wouldn’t you like a beautiful wedding like your sister Merelda or a grand affair like Catalina? Eh? Your father was so proud of them! He’d be very happy if he were alive to be here for your wedding.” Hattie grew teary eyed when she spoke of the late Master Ellerton. He’d been a kind and generous employer with one small failing, that of spoiling his youngest daughter. “Oh, don’t talk to me of father, or any man for that matter!” Mouse pulled the sparse lace up to cover her full bodice. She was certain her breasts would come popping out of the tight material at any second. Though it looked quite delicate, like most women’s clothing of the day, the garment had been sewn to especially torture the slightly overabundant figures of desperate old maids whose only hope in life was to catch the most prized beast of all, a husband. Every old maid except one nicknamed Mouse, who to that point in her long spinsterhood of nearly nineteen years had been most happy with her singular life. “You mustn’t speak of your father so, Miss! He was a saint through and through.” “Oh, quite the saint, I’m sure. He spent his vast wealth on his two spoiled older daughters, whilst stuffing his youngest with sweets and cakes until her figure was about to explode. He then squandered the remainder of his money on the brazen strumpet Miss Haversham, if that’s her real name. As if that weren’t the very worst of it, he dies and leaves his family in such dire circumstances that his daughters are forced into loveless marriages. I am afraid that is stretching the boundaries of sainthood quite a bit!” “Aw, come now, Miss. Don’t be so bitter. After all, ‘tis not so bad. Marriage is the best place for a woman of station. And your father did marry the low class, um, Miss Haversham, didn’t he? He was an honest man whose only fault was loving his daughters a bit too much. Duped by the Mistress, to be sure, but even that’s no worse a crime. It’s not unheard of for a man to fall for a wandering skirt from time to time.” Mouse let out the small remainder of breath she’d been holding, certain that the stays would not allow enough room for her to breathe a fraction of what was necessary to stay alive. Fine then, she thought, I’d rather just die here in the sanctuary of my own bedroom, than to be pressed into a hapless marriage. “Still, I wish Father hadn’t been so impetuous. If only he’d told me sooner, I could have helped him with his accounting, I’m sure of it.” “Pah, a pretty young thing like you, thinking of numbers. That’s a laugh. Now, let me arrange those wayward curls,” Hattie muttered, combs and ribbons already in her hands. Sitting was near to disaster for Mouse, as she stiffly settled her corseted form into the dressing chair. It meant less room for her chest to intake precious air but at least it gave her a new torment to occupy her mind rather than the impending evening at the Winningham ball. “I hate my hair, this dress, and my life!” Mouse moaned, watching in the looking glass as Hattie dutifully pulled back the tight ringlets of her tresses. “Any woman would kill for curls such as these Miss! You hair is by far your best feature.” “Nonsense, Hattie. I look like an old sow with a wig on a foul weather day.” “Ah, Miss, you’re as lovely as the spring, only you don’t know it. You’ve got that fair, clear complexion and those striking gray eyes. When we’ve finished dressing you up for the party tonight, you’ll have many a young gent offering for you.” “Like there are so many of those gents around! Most have gone off to war. Those that are left are either under sixteen or over seventy. Except for the infirm ones, men injured in some horrible battle or another. Poor creatures with half a leg, or no arms, or something dreadful like that.” “Oh no, Miss. I’ve heard that there are some gentlemen home on leave for the holiday. And they are all officers of good families, I’m sure.” Before Mouse could argue further, the door to her room burst open and two women came bustling in, their billowing skirts making an odd sort of music as they hurried across the room. “Oh, Mousey!” Catalina crooned. “Don’t you look ravishing in that shade of green!” A hand shorter than Mouse, she’d stood up on toes to observe all the trappings of the ball gown. Six months gone with pregnancy, the middle sister of the Ellerton girls looked about to burst herself, wrapped in her pink and white satins. Catalina’s arranged marriage had been to a flirtatious old duke, who had been reported at the time barely able to struggle out of his own bed. Since marriage two years before, it was clear that he was making the best of his predicament. Still, Cat seemed not to mind very much. She’d always wanted to be a mother, had dreamed of it, in fact. At the advanced age of twenty-two she was definitely getting her wish. She’d likely be in this condition every year for as long as it took old Throckmorton to kick over. “You do look quite stuffed in that dress, Mouse. Are you sure you won’t fall over in a faint?” Merelda stated with a critical eye. Taller than both of her sisters, she had inherited the stately grace of their mother. A lean, athletic figure, she’d had the ability as a child to outrun and out wrestle most of the boys that visited them as children. Pushed into wedded bliss with a man just barely out of his knickers, six years her junior to be exact, she’d won the best match thus far, with Edmond Brockington the third, the soon to be Earl of Kerry. The twenty-four year old spinster had been happy enough to marry an impetuous brat who was so well known for his bawdy behavior that none but the desperate or depraved women would consider marriage to him. The promise of an earldom was heavy and Merry had been chosen above all others for the combination of her grace, beauty, and the ability to ignore the obvious. “That’s the problem, Merry. I’m sure I shall faint! I don’t know what I should do! Elsbeth insists that I attend, or she’s going to withhold the key to the library for a month! If I can’t read my Ulysses, I shall go mad!” Cat giggled. “You are the funny one, Mouse. You’d think that reading those tomes were the most important thing in the world. You’ll see once you get married that children are the only thing that matter.” “So you are always saying, Cat,” Merry scoffed. “Even more important is one’s station in life. You must try to be an attentive wife, Mouse. That is, if you have a husband who manages to stay present long enough to be attentive to…” her voice trailed off. “It’s all so unfair!” Mouse stated as she walked over to her ************************************************************ **** Pulling back the lace curtains she watched the carriage being pulled up to await her departure. “You’re saddled with a young snot, who hasn’t got the sense to carry water in a bucket, Merry. And there you are, Cat, as big as a pumpkin with that old druid’s brat. I don’t know how you tolerate it at all!” Mouse exclaimed, tears gathering in her eyes. Both sisters jumped to her sides, each cradling her like they’d done when they were all much younger. “There, there, Mousey,” Cat crooned, “It’ll be all right. I really am very happy with dear Arthur. He spoils me to no end, you know. Sure, he’s not young and handsome and dashing, but he does have a way about him. I’m sure whomever you choose will make you just as happy as I am.” “Too true,” Merry added. “While my lot in life isn’t the courageous soldier I’d always dreamed of, his absence does allow me a great deal of freedom in managing my household. There’s nothing I want for and even less that I have to worry about. You’ll see, even a bad marriage like mine isn’t all that terrible.” Mouse tried to calm herself, dotting at her eyes with her handkerchief. The last thing she wanted to do was cause her poor sisters upset. “Yes, of course, you’re both right. I don’t know why I’m being so silly about it all. I’m no different than any of the young ladies that will be present tonight. Although I do find myself wishing it wasn’t at all so much like a horse auction.” “Oh, Mouse,” Cat twittered, “you do say the most scandalous things.” The three women laughed together, the tension draining out of the room. Both of them left Mouse with words of wisdom on the proper behavior of a young lady during such occasions, relating stories of past triumphs and defeats of other young women thrown into such precarious positions. “And don’t forget what I told you about Lucinda Lyons. It was a terrible embarrassment when they found Lord Pansing peering down her bodice. She was completely ruined! Of course, the young men will always try such foolish things, but it’s the older ones you must be wary of.” Merry said with a knowing look aimed at Catalina. Hattie returned with a tray full of cakes and tea. “Here’s just what the young lady needs to calm her stomach. I smuggled them out of the kitchen myself, right under Porter’s eyes.” Mouse groaned inwardly. How could she possibly eat at a time like this? Well, the truth be known, she’d always had quite an appetite, especially for cakes. She looked longingly at the tray and said, “None for me, thank you. If I eat so much as a bite, I’ll explode right out of this corset and never be put back in. I’ll eat tonight after I’ve come home.” Again her bedroom door opened and Mouse’s most dreaded visitor appeared. Wearing blazing red to match the bright coppery tresses of her hair, Elsbeth Haversham Ellerton made her entrance. “Skulking about again, I see!” Her widowed stepmother was truly a sight to behold. Decked out in the family rubies and diamonds, peacock feathers in her hat and a black lace shawl, their stepmother appeared as bright and bawdy as a ten-penny whore. Mouse groaned. “Oh, nonsense, El, the girls have just come to wish me luck at the ball tonight.” She moved forward as her two sisters stepped swiftly back. The two of them were clearly intimidated by the painted woman. The harlot had rushed both of her sisters into marriage so that she could manage the attentions of their father alone. Mouse, who’d stood a bit higher in her father’s affection, had ruined that plan. So taken had he been with his youngest daughter, that he simply could not tolerate the thought of her absence. That problem had been dealt with the year before, when he had died, albeit penniless much to the surprise of all the women in his life. Mouse herself had thought it a supreme joke at the time, when she’d seen the look of horror on her stepmother’s face. “Spare me your distasteful display of sisterly camaraderie.” She snapped her delicate fan sharply. “It is time to leave for the ball, Miranda. The carriage is waiting. I shall be accompanying you.” It should have been enough that the woman was dressed out of mourning, wearing the blazing red instead of customary black. To be seen in public so soon after their father’s death was unspeakable. Hearing her sisters near to swooning behind her gave Mouse a bit more courage to confront their stepmother. “Excuse me, dear one, but you are barely out of mourning. It isn’t proper for a widow to go out into public so soon. At least allow a few more months to pass…” She dared not mention the year or longer that society demanded of its widows. She knew it wouldn’t have helped to mention society to the likes of Elsbeth. She’d no more propriety than a pig in a silk dress. “There is nothing more that I would like to do than bow to the dictates of the aristocracy. Your father died leaving me without any income and with this lumbering estate shackled around my neck. Until I find a buyer, every penny that comes in must be used to maintain this hulking pile of wood and stone. I haven’t the choice of a proper widowhood because I’ve got to worry about finances.” “But our inheritance from Papa’s estate—” Merry began. “Is nearly all spent!” Elsbeth hissed. “Your faithless father did not even provide for his own funeral. Now come along, Miranda. We must be going before sunset. That half blind groom will have us lost in the dark if we don’t.” With that she turned, red skirts in a swirl and left the sisters gawking in her wake. “That witch!” Merry scoffed. “Here she is quacking on about the family money, when those jewels alone are enough to finance the estate for a year!” “Not exactly, Merry,” Mouse answered in a quiet voice. “They’re not real. Very good imitations, but not a bit real.” “That can’t be!” Both women intoned together. “Oh yes it can,” Mouse sighed. “Papa told me about a week before he died. They are only lead crystal. Worthless but pretty. Sort of fits our stepmother, wouldn’t you say?” “Dear God, Mousey.” Cat stepped forward. “What are you going to do?” She turned and looked at the expectant faces of her sisters. “I’m going to catch a husband, I imagine. Elsbeth will squander my bridal gift, as she did yours. She will then sell our home and make off with the money. She might try to extort her living out of our respective husbands, though I doubt it’ll work for long. Then we can have the utmost pleasure at seeing her carted off somewhere to debtor’s prison or worse yet, into an equally appalling marital situation as she has forced upon each of us.” “I hear she’s buried three husbands already, Mouse. Somehow I don’t think she’ll fare that badly.” Merry sighed. “Well,” Mouse pulled in as much air as her bodice would allow, “we can only hope.” |
Chapter Three The struggling man lay on a cot hardly large enough for a child, his arms and legs hanging off at the ends. Leather straps secured him at his wrists and ankles, each to a corner of the small bed. Michael rocked back and forth furiously, fighting against the two orderlies who struggled to push a rag into his mouth and tie it securely. Jerking his head to one side, the piece of twisted cloth came loose. The Earl shouted through the hands clutching at his face. “You’ll not get any information out of me! Go ahead and kill me, you dirty bastards!” “Now, now, your Lordship,” the orderly crooned. “Be a good lout, an’ let us fix your dress clothes.” Elias Mauler stated through clenched teeth. A behemoth of a man, the orderly stood well over six feet and clearly tipped the scale over two hundred and eighty pounds. Thickly built and visibly strong, he still had great difficulty holding onto his charge. It was his hands that frightened Michael the most. The large, club-like appendages held him fast, threatening to crush his skull with little effort. Just when Michael thought he could stand no more, the other orderly stepped forward, holding a bottle of dark, green liquid and a small ceramic cup. Michael tensed. It was Digby Horn. A short, thin frame, Horn was as much a threat as his larger counterpart. “Come, come, my lord. If we’re not careful, we’ll be wasting this fine medicine.” As he continued to struggle against his caretakers, Michael heard the bedroom door open. On the edge of his awareness, he watched as his cousin and another, smaller figure entered the chamber. “I don’t know, Ambray,” the woman’s tone was smooth and low, soft as silk and very seductive. “This scheme of yours is awfully risky.” “Never mind my risk,” Ambray answered tersely. “Just worry about your own charge. Where did you leave her?” “On the landing with the Earl of Langford’s nephew. He’s a randy lad of fifteen who’ll keep her busy. Fancies himself a ladies gent, you know. Takes after his uncle, I expect.” “Good. I want her occupied tonight but not so much that she doesn’t take notice of the Earl.” Michael drew in his breath at his cousin’s statement. With his thoughts swimming uncontrollably he could hardly sort out the images of people he’d known as they came and went. He could feel the run of sweat on his brow. Was it a fever? Was he imagining these strange goings on? What was real and what wasn’t? He’d not the slightest idea. Michael turned his head, focusing on the couple. “Yes,” Ambray was saying, “when all is arranged we’ll take him to the country house and ply him with our special attentions. Before you know it, we’ll be in the money.” The woman shook her head, red curls flouncing as she did so. “I don’t know.” She hesitated, watching the man struggling on the bed. “Perhaps you should let me marry him instead?” “You?” Ambray laughed. “Who would believe this ripe, young scalawag would choose your obvious, if not well used charms over that of the young, plump pigeon who waits downstairs? Hmmm?” She scoffed, “I could pull it off, Ambray. I’d have him singing like a little bird in no time at all.” She pouted. He patted her on the cheek, “No doubt at all, sweetheart, which would be placing you in charge of the Winningham interests when he dies, Elsbeth. That is unacceptable. I’ve worked too hard with this family to have someone else take over at the very last of it. Besides, there is more at stake here than just the old Earl’s money. There are his business interests to consider.” Michael strained to listen. This was no illusion, he thought. “Shhh! He’ll hear you!” “So what if he does,” Ambray stated. “Half the time he is so full of laudanum he doesn’t remember his own name. During his more lucid moments he’s out of his head and back fighting some damn battle. It doesn’t matter. He won’t remember any of this. Even if he does, who’d believe him?” “I suppose you’re right,” Elsbeth said, though her tone was not quite all convincing. “Besides, what’s wrong with me being an heiress? “If I worry you, you’d only have to get what you want by marrying me.” “Marry you? Haven’t you lured enough men down the aisle as it is? What is it, four, no five husbands? Besides, the minute you drew your first farthing, you’d forget my name.” He reached out and grabbed a handful of her auburn tresses, tilting her head back slightly. She looked up at him, her mouth half open, her eyes closed. “Oh, Ambray…” she said, her voice between a whisper and a sigh. Suddenly he pushed her back. “Don’t try to seduce me. I know all of your tricks. You forget, I taught them to you.” In answer, Eslbeth chuckled. “What a good teacher you were.” Turning her attention to the table she leaned over slightly. Michael could feel the woman’s scathing gaze as it skimmed across him. Quickly, he closed his eyes so that he wouldn’t have to endure her sharp stare. He knew she was studying him, learning of his weaknesses and of his pain. “Just look at him! How are you going to make him presentable enough to go to the ball? He smells like a barn. If you try to shave him, you’ll likely end up cutting his throat. While that might take care of a few of your problems, it would leave you bereft of his fortune.” “We’ll clean him once the laudanum takes effect. Don’t worry. It was easy enough to dispose of the other obstacles that plagued us. How quickly he fell for pretty little Katerina,” he stated, smiling at his own humor. “Fell is the word for it.” Elsbeth stated, preening herself in the mirror. The larger of the two orderlies leaned over, “He won’t take his medicine, sir,” he whispered to Ambray. Michael had tightened his mouth shut, turning his head sharply away from them. “Watch,” Ambray told her. “I know my cousin will be more cooperative. Isn’t that right, Michael?” Michael spat at him. “Go to hell!” “Going to be that way, is it? Michael, you need to learn a gentler attitude. What would your dear departed Katerina think of your behavior? She was such a delicate thing, you know. Her condition was so frail, so vulnerable. Such a pity about her accident…” Michael stopped suddenly and stared up at Ambray, locking their eyes together. “You murdering bastard!” “Am I the murderer? You forget cousin. It wasn’t I who caused her death.” His eyes narrowed, a leer edging onto his face. Michael’s expression darkened. “You know I didn’t mean it! It was an accident!” Even as he spoke those words, he felt the sting of tears against his eyes. “Why don’t you just kill me and be done with it?” “Don’t be dull, Michael. Be a good soldier and drink your laudanum.” Michael’s strength was waning. He’d been fighting them for days and days. He was losing the battle. When Mauler handed Ambray the cup, he held it to Michael’s mouth. Without further argument, the earl drank the *******s of the cup, wincing slightly as the coarse liquid burned his throat. “There’s a good boy, Michael. Now, let Mr. Mauler and Mr. Horn get you dressed. It is time to meet your next wife.” Ambray then turned to the servants. “Make sure the lamps are all filled. We can’t have him convulsing in front of the guests.” Michael heard the command just as he slipped into a dull, thrumming numbness. ~ * ~ Mouse fidgeted as she sat on the large settee. Young men were all about her now, their attentions focused on the myriad of the ladies. All plumed and puffed up, waiting for the choicest suitors to take their hands and lead them down the merry path of matrimony. Mouse scowled inwardly at the thought of marrying one of these bawdy gents. They spoke in quiet tones, laughing at intervals. All of them looked down their noses at the slightly plump, blushing Miranda Ellerton. She knew that she would most likely be the last to be chosen, if at all. In an odd way, it suited her fine. What did she need of fancy dress and fine airs anyway? In order to take her mind off of her troubles, Mouse hastened a quick look around the room and took in the sight of the elderly matrons that lined the wall. In their motherly fashion, they watched their daughters and sons and chattering away. Of course, she noticed the absence of her stepmother. Mouse scowled, wondering what schemes her Elsbeth was brewing. Mouse opened her fan, waving it furiously. The action mustered up a breeze that made the footman’s hair, so carefully combed across his balding spot, flutter like a mid-summer storm was blowing over him. Minutes later, Mouse spied a young man, barely out of his knickers, inching closer to her side. Within seconds the youth was leaning in a peculiar fashion, obviously attempting to steal a view down the front of her bodice. Snapping her fan smartly at the youth, Mouse was about to make her best set down to the cur when she heard a commotion at the top of the stairs. For a single moment the gathering in the ballroom moved as one, eyes upward, looking toward the host of the early spring gathering. Two large orderlies held a sagging figure between them. Dressed in a black ensemble with white tie and tails, he should have been the very example of a wealthy, titled man of society. Instead, he was leaning heavily on the orderlies, but struggling nonetheless to be free of their support. Behind him was another, taller man, with blond hair and a square sort of face. The fair-haired man wore a dour expression smiling only briefly when he looked towards the woman at his side, Elsbeth. The crowd might have gasped at the impropriety of the second Madame Ellerton, if it had not been for the sight of the figure in front of her. The strange man was most decidedly indisposed. If the gentlemen holding him had let go, he would have tumbled down the winding stair. It clearly took two men to hold him upright. But it was the stranger’s face that captured Mouse’s attention. A brilliant blue-green, his eyes appeared as if they were some exotic stones stolen from the bottom of the sea. Bright and sparkling, despite the obvious condition of the rest of him. Suddenly, she felt a shock run through her, for those chilly turquoise diamonds were fixed on someone in the room. She looked nervously about and realized that his gaze was trained on her. “Who is he?” she asked, though not of anyone in particular. Fanny Atherton was standing beside her, herself a veteran of several seasons and unfortunately not yet wed. “Him? That’s the mad earl, poor thing.” “Mad?” Mouse whirled about, training her glance on her friend. “Why do they call him that?” “It is believed that he killed his late wife!” “Killed her?” Mouse was instantly curious, suddenly pulled into the intrigue. “Are you sure?” “That is the rumor,” Fanny snorted. Turning her short, blunt nose up, she walked away, likely planning to ply her wiles on the other side of the room. “But it is a rumor, after all,” Mouse stated after her, a bit indignantly. When she turned back around, she was nearly face to face with the mad earl. Her breath caught in her throat at the nearness of him. So enthralled at his dark countenance, she nearly missed the odd odor that hung about him. As a physician’s daughter, she was familiar with several medicines, but this was nothing like the spirits she’d become accustomed to during her father’s practice. “And who is this lovely creature?” The earl addressed her in an odd tone, his words slurring as he spoke. “This is Miranda Ellerton, your grace,” The blonde man behind him stated. “Miss Ellerton, my esteemed cousin, Lord Winningham, the fifth Earl of Winningham.” “My Lord,” she said, executing a perfect curtsey. When he put his hand out to take hers, for the briefest of seconds, Mouse saw the most disturbing sight of the evening. Around his wrist the skin was torn and bleeding. Clearly he’d been recently restrained. Although she’d not meant to, her eyes flicked down to the opposite wrist, which was being held by his manservant. There were similar marks there as well. The Earl leaned forward and held out his hand, palm up. Mouse slowly gave him her own and he wrapped it in his grasp. “A very fair hand,” he said, and ceremoniously kissed the air a few spare inches above it. Before bending into her curtsey, Mouse whispered, “My Lord, your wrists!” His head drooped slightly forward “I’m afraid I’ve misbehaved.” Embarrassed, she tried to look away but he gently squeezed her hand, drawing her eyes back. “My l-lord,” she stammered again. There was a hint of fear in her trembling voice. He held her a moment longer, but then something else inched into his expression and she could not discern its meaning. Shame clouded those perfect blue green eyes, or perhaps embarrassment of some unknown incident? He quickly dropped her hand as though it was on fire and he’d just been burned. “Let’s get through this,” the mad earl told his cousin, “I don’t feel well, Ambray.” Dismissed, Mouse let out the breath she’d been holding during his attentions. “What an odd man,” she muttered quietly to herself, flushing heavily when she realized that she’d been talking to herself again. Raising her skirts, Mouse pushed through the throng that was staring after the earl to find Fanny once again. “You must tell me more about him.” Mouse insisted. Cornered by the ********************************************************ment table and seeing that she wasn’t to be left alone, Fanny sighed deeply and motioned her friend to come out on the balcony. “He was an officer in the army before he received his Earldom,” Fanny informed her once they were safely out of earshot. “He led a regiment to fight in Spain. During the course of the battle it’s said that he panicked and deserted his men on the battlefield. Captured by the enemy after his desertion, he was imprisoned for nearly a month, until his cousin paid a large ransom. Since, he hasn’t been a sane man. He’d married before the war. A month after his return home, his wife fell to her death from the balcony of their home.” “Really? The poor man!” Mouse said, fear and wonder warring in her heart. “Poor man, indeed. Of course, the official story is that she leaned against some railing that was in ill repair. Rumor has it that he’d been having severe bouts of temper and drinking. Most of the ton believes he pushed her. Because he’s a peer, it was never investigated very thoroughly.” Fanny stated at last, turning her short, rather unattractive nose upward. “Well,” Mouse stated, not really knowing what else to say. “Why is he having this party? I mean, if he’s so ill and all—” “You really don’t get out much, do you, dear?” Fanny asked pointedly. “What are you talking about?” Mouse’s temper was beginning to wear a bit thin. “The mad earl is suiting for a wife, that’s why. He has no heirs to his title. There were his three uncles, but they were killed last year in a carriage accident. The thing turned over, crushing all three.” “Really,” Mouse muttered. “So, who would consent to marrying a man who’s under suspicion of killing his first wife?” “Who indeed?” Fanny remarked, making her escape back into the party. ~ * ~ With his duties dispatched, Michael was promptly returned to his room. He’d told Ambray that he needed no medicine to sleep, that he would not struggle again tonight. Ignoring Michael’s request, his cousin gave the orders and soon the two servants had forced more of the foul liquid down his throat. The taste of it still burned in his mouth. Mauler and Horn then refused him even a drink of water and had left him alone, secured to his bed while they played cards in the next room. Left to the effect of the drug coursing through his system, Michael’s eyes wandered around the ornate bedroom. Thick auburn drapes hung against one wall, fluttering slightly as a cool breeze trickled in. The azure glow reminded him of the battlefield at sunset. Michael shivered. It would do no good to tell them he was cold, even if he could shout loud enough to gain their attention. The candlelight flickered on the other side of the room, sputtering against the currents of air. Before long the flame went out completely, leaving the earl in total darkness. Michael breathed heavily. An icy chill climbed up his spine. He wouldn’t dare tell his caretakers he was afraid of the dark. They would punish him by keeping him in darkness. He tried to focus his mind on something else. Something that didn’t invoke the scarred memories that haunted him or the painful existence his life had become. Then, it came to him. He remembered the young girl at the party. The one with lovely gray eyes and light brown curls. She’d gazed at him with a wide-eyed mixture of curiosity and innocence, the likes of which he’d not seen since childhood. When she’d seen his wrists, her expression changed to one of concern. Her small mouth tightening into a perfect circle, she soothed his injuries with her gaze. Michael Kelton could not remember anyone in his life ever caring so much about him. When he’d explained his bad behavior was the cause, she didn’t step back in horror, but expressed sadness at his plight. Miranda Ellerton. Michael imagined her to be an angel. Closing his eyes, he pretended that she sat with him now, holding his hand, warding off the terrible things intruding upon his life. Finally, Michael drifted off to a restful, protected sleep. ~ * ~ Ambray was not surprised when the knock came upon the parlor door at so late an hour. He’d just lit a cheroot and had poured himself a glass of brandy. “Enter,” he called out. He tossed the stick into the fireplace and watched as it was consumed in the flames. As the door opened behind him, Ambray wondered just what it was with fire that so affected his cousin. As the flames died away, something within the flickering light triggered Michael’s illness. Something dark and foreboding. “The General is here to see you, Mr. Kelton,” the servant stated. Ambray turned to greet the older man. General Benton Marcus Wexley was formidable. Tall and robust, even aged at nearly seventy, he was an imposing figure. One that had moved entire armies, had been invaluable to Wellington in Spain, and now reported directly to the House of Lords. Ambray was impressed. He’d seen the General on several occasions, not formally, of course. He quickly noted that the man held the innate ability to fold into whatever crowd he attended. He could be the gallant soldier while impressing the ladies, or a doddering, bent old fool when it served him. But now, Wexley stood to his full six-foot height, ready to stand down the young whelp that’d summoned him. “General Wexley, how good of you to join me. Please, make yourself comfortable. I have some interesting liqueurs, a smooth brandy, or, is a stout port more to your liking?” Ambray asked offering up his fine, blended tobacco. The General put up a hand. “I don’t smoke and I rarely drink, sir. At my age, it isn’t good for the digestion. I tend to become peptic.” “Yes, well, of course, sir, as you wish.” Ambray stepped back, his generosity drooping like a sail on a windless day. “At any rate,” he continued, taking the seat across from his guest, “I’d like to thank you for making time to meet with me.” “Yes, of course,” the General answered gruffly. “Congeniality aside, what to you want, Kelton? And at this late hour, too. Is there something wrong with the earl? He looked damn sore at the ball tonight.” “No, the earl’s condition has not changed.” “Then why have you brought him to London? Has he confessed to anything?” Ambray smiled then. “No, not particularly.” He leaned forward. “Let us be forth-coming, sir. I know that you were behind my cousin’s interrogation after his capture in Spain. I know also that our government thinks he played a part in his abduction, perhaps divulging critical information to the enemy. That he could still prove valuable.” The elder man’s blue eyes turned steel gray. “The government has long known that there was little information to be gotten from him. Besides, with his deteriorating mental condition, what use could he be to us now? What could he reveal?” Ambray’s excitement grew to immense proportions, as though it were about to burst forth from his chest. “The name of his father’s associates, those who aided him in trading in guns and lies in order to help the French purpose. There was the rumor about the sunken ship off the northern coast. The one carrying that last shipment of arms to Spain. What if those weapons had been recovered and Michael knows their ************************************************************ ****?” Wexley sat back, examining. “That’s nonsense. Michael Kelton was thoroughly examined. He has no knowledge of such things.” “Perhaps not where it is evident, certainly not in his conscious mind. My cousin is a mystery, a coarse, convoluted puzzle which cannot be solved by ordinary methods.” “You know of extraordinary methods?” “I know my cousin.” The General settled back, “And you are thinking that you might extract something from him that your betters have missed. How would you accomplish this?” His voice grew softer. Ambray put up his hand. “I cannot tell you of my methods. Let’s just say that I’ve been a companion to Michael since we were boys. I know him better than any man. I can get the information you require, but I wish to do so only if I can prosper from it.” “What do you want? If it’s only to name Winningham’s conspirators, I can tell you the Crown has its suspicions already. You’ll gain nothing but disdain at producing worthless results.” “It doesn’t matter. I don’t plan to name anyone. In fact, I’m thinking that with the end of the war, those men are powerless. But, the circle of spies is what I’m interested in. I think the entire network, as well as the smuggling routes would be of more interest, don’t you?” “Catch the whole bunch of them, eh? And you would sell this information to the government?” “I doubt the Prince Regent could meet my price. No. If I may be so bold, sir. I’ve heard a few rumors floating about. Rumors about your own involvement.” The General tensed before him, his eyes reflecting the firelight in a way that mimicked a growing storm about to burst forth onto an unsuspecting landscape. “And, what have you heard?” “That you were searching for the same thing as I, but not to report to the House. I’ve heard that you have a desire to join the trade business. I would like to become your partner.” Wexley let out a slow breath, pursing his silver bearded mouth in concentration. Ambray knew that he controlled the situation now. The General had not stormed out, as he might have, or feigned ignorance. No. He was definitely thoughtful. “Say all this were true, Kelton. What makes you think you can extract anything from your cousin, if you’ve not done so in the last eighteen months?” It was all Ambray could to do keep from shouting with joy. He had Wexley now. With just the right amount of pressure, he’d bag the old man like a hound retrieving the precious dove. “I am close, General, extremely close. I’ve but a few sessions left with Michael and I will force the information from him. Be sure of it.” The General nodded. “Very well. I will be in touch with you in two weeks by courier to check on your progress. If what you say is true, then I can see where we would both benefit.” Ambray stood and motioned to his guest. “You will not be disappointed, General.” They sealed their agreement with a handshake. For an instant, the General hesitated during their grasp. “You know, Kelton. I’d heard things about you during the conflict. You were a mediocre soldier at best, a whining ninny with no cunning or scruples to your name. I’d say that your counterparts were a bit dull for not noticing the potential in you. Pity, that.” ~ * ~ The ride home in the carriage was the worst part of the whole experience, Mouse decided, as she was forced to share it with her stepmother. Only five years her senior, the woman her father had chosen to marry was a nonsensical, twittering idiot, in her opinion. It took all of Mouse’s willpower not to open the side door and chuck the woman onto the road below. “Did you see Lady Pelham’s gown? It was the most remarkable creation, I must find out who her dressmaker is. She is such a daring thing.” When Mouse made no comment, Elsbeth cleared her throat. “You know, it might be beneficial if you were to show off a bit more of your own ample bosom. The gentlemen prefer…” Mouse’s eyes widened with rising anger. Before she could answer her stepmother’s suggestion, the other woman reached out to her. “Miranda, I’m only thinking of your best interest. You’ll never catch a husband if you don’t display yourself better. You don’t want to live your whole life in solitude do you?” And thus the lecture began. The best defense for Elsbeth’s insistent verbiage was simply to ignore her. Mouse turned her attention to the window and instead reviewed the events of her first ball. Although she’d dreaded it terribly, she had to admit that it had been quite different than she’d ever expected. In short, Michael Kelton fascinated Mouse. It seemed a shame to have such a handsome gentleman subject to the misfortune of insanity. He could have been so much more! She mused what he might look like, if he were a charming, well-mannered example of the aristocracy. Those eyes captured her from the beginning. She understood what the moth must feel like when it dances too near the flame. Even now, hours later, his gaze seemed to have burned a permanent impression onto her memory. Before long, the droning speech brought her back to reality. “What do you think about the Earl? Such a handsome thing he is. I talked with his cousin quite a while. It is most unfortunate about his illness.” “Yes,” Mouse spoke for the first time since they’d begun the journey home. “Such a terrible thing, mental illness.” “I have it on good account that he’s receiving the best treatment in the realm. His cousin informed me that Lord Winningham is considering taking a wife soon. His health is declining and he must seek a mate to ensure the family name. Ambray, that is Mr. Kelton, says according to his father’s will, he must have an heir by his thirtieth birthday or his title will be forfeit. All the estates and holdings will go to the crown.” “Really? Do they still do such a thing?” Mouse leaned forward. “I’m afraid so.” “If Mr. Kelton is first cousin, then why doesn’t he inherit?” “Because of his family situation. Mr. Kelton is not a legal heir to his own father’s estate, being born of a union not blessed by the church or the late gentleman’s wife.” “Oh. He isn’t recognized because he’s a bastard.” “Quite,” Elsbeth answered, squirming a bit in her seat. “But he was raised by the old earl and is nearly like a brother to Lord Winningham. They even served in the army together. Mr. Kelton is a decorated war hero, I’m told.” “You know a lot about Mr. Kelton. Do you have any designs in that direction, El?” “Of course, not,” Elsbeth answered sharply. “I have finished marrying, I think. I prefer to spend my declining years as a widow and nothing else.” “Finding marriage a bit too confining?” Mouse said, not reigning in her sarcasm. Elsbeth was not to be insulted, “A bit,” she stated, looking Mouse squarely in the eye, “but then, I’d not expect you to have any knowledge in that area, yourself never having been married.” The carriage stopped and the valet opened the door, ushering the two women out. Just as Mouse had freed her reticule, they heard the sound of horse’s hooves coming up the drive. “Who can that be this late?” Mouse asked, straining her eyes to see in the darkness. The cloudy night sky prevented any illumination whatsoever. “I’m not sure, wait here. I’ll summon Porter to see to it.” ~ * ~ When the two women entered the parlor, a tray of tea and cakes awaited them. Sitting down, Mouse quickly grabbed the pot and began to pour for them both. Sharing the warm ********************************************************ment with her stepmother was not generally her habit but having developed a bit of curiosity toward the Earl, she wanted to glean as much information from the woman as possible. She knew that if anyone was an expert on the men of society, it was Elsbeth. Just then Mouse heard the excited squeal of her stepmother as she read the notice brought by the butler. “Do you know who that was, Miranda?” “I’ve not the faintest idea. I’d guess it to be someone male by your expression.” Ignoring the dig, Elsbeth eagerly scanned the folded piece of parchment. “What is it?” Mouse asked, her anxiety growing. It couldn’t have been good news to be delivered so late. El stepped forward, holding the paper as though it were pure gold. “This, my darling stepdaughter, is a letter from the Mr. Kelton, at the insistence of Lord Winningham. According to Ambray, the Earl has put forth a request.” “A request? Of what sort?” “He is asking if we would be willing to make a trip to his estate in the north! Rosecliff, it’s called. Mr. Kelton states the Earl was very taken with you. He wishes for an extended visit so that he might come to know you better.” Mouse felt a mixture of fear and excitement. She thought he’d barely noticed her at the party that evening. With so many other beautiful women about, how could he have not seen her plainness? “I don’t understand?” “According to this letter from Mr. Kelton, the earl intends to offer for your hand.” ~ * ~ “Is everything ready?” Ambray asked the orderly. “Yes, sir,” Mr. Horn answered back, a crooked smile gracing his uneven face. “He’s all trussed up and got an extra dose of the laudanum, like you ordered.” Ambray looked to where Michael sat erect, secured in the straight-backed chair. A sheet was wrapped around his chest and his wrists were tied to the armrests. His head hung limply to the side, his eyes covered with a thick, black cloth. Paled in the dim candlelight, Michael’s coloring was a sharp contrast to the deep hues of the parlor. “Here, Kelton,” Winthorp commented, as he entered the room. “Do you think it’s wise to do this again so soon? It took him nearly a week to recover from the last session.” “He managed well enough. Besides, we need him weak and not fighting for the trip back to Rosecliff.” Winthorp shrugged. “As you wish.” He placed a hand against Michael’s forehead. “You’d best hurry, before he passes out completely, though.” “Did you bleed him already?” Ambray asked. “About an hour ago, though much more of that and we’ll be burying him, I can assure you.” Ambray nodded. It was a fine line they traversed. They needed Michael alive, but not much more than that. He moved to stand beside the chair. Grasping his cousin by his hair, he tilted the earl’s head back. “Wake up! It’s time for us to talk again.” Michael groaned. “Please. Must sleep. Too tired tonight, Ambray.” “Nonsense, Michael. You’re the picture of health. We’ve work to do. Now, wake up!” Michael stirred, turning his covered eyes towards Ambray. “Yes? What is it?” “We must talk, Michael.” “What about?” Michael slurred, his voice drifting out. When he did not move again, Ambray drew back his hand and struck Michael on the jaw, jerking his head sideways. “What?” Michael asked again, his voice stronger, the pain rousing him temporarily. “I need to know your secrets, cousin.” I have no secrets from you, Ambray. Why would you ask such a thing?” “You’re lying. You do have information tucked deep in that faithless brain of yours. Tell me your father’s secrets, Michael!” “No! I can’t!” Michael began to struggle against his restraints. Though it was a weak effort, he persisted, twisting his hands and arms in the soft bonds. “Tell me.” Ambray commanded, grabbing Michael by the jaw with his free hand. Squeezing slightly, he applied pressure to the spot he’d just hit, taking pleasure when his cousin winced at the pain. “I can’t. I won’t.” Michael tried to pull away from Ambray’s grasp. “Tell me, Michael! What did your father tell you?” “Can’t. Told me never to tell. Said it would bring disaster to us all.” “Your father is dead, Michael. Tell me what I want to know or you will soon join him!” Michael shook his head, clamping his mouth shut. “I can hurt you, cousin. Hurt you badly. Is that what you want?” A thin sheen of sweat covered Michael’s brow. In spite of Ambray’s threats, Michael remained silent. Enraged, Ambray drew back his fist, but his arm was caught in mid-swing. He looked up into the calm face of Winthorp. “Take care, Kelton. If you set him to howling at this hour, it will only serve to wake the servants. Don’t you think it would be best to wait until we got him back to the country?” For a moment Ambray barely breathed, his anger slowly giving way to good sense. “Very well. Bring me the candle.” He turned to Horn. “Remove the blindfold.” The servant scuttled forward, as Ambray took the candle, its low, flickering wick barely staying lit. He quickly looked to his cousin’s expression. Michael Kelton sat, wide-eyed, tense and unmoving. Still as stone, the fear reflected in his drawn expression. “No!” He cried. “What’s the matter, Michael? Are we afraid of the little flame?” Ambray teased. Slowly he brought the candle closer until it was but inches from Michael’s face. For a moment neither Ambray nor Winthorp breathed. Only seconds passed before Michael’s tremors began. Small and barely noticeable, the convulsion started with the repeated clenching of his jaw. The effect spread across his face, down his neck and shoulders, until the Earl’s limbs shook, and a loud howl erupted from him until his mouth clamped shut upon it. A violent shudder shook the earl, until muscle by muscle he relaxed, his eyes fluttering wildly. In seconds all his movement ceased and he remained with eyes closed, his body relaxed in a strange parody of the dead. Ambray watched him until Michael’s chest began to rise and fall with the return of his normal breathing. “Amazing,” Winthorp said behind him. “Absolutely amazing. In the morning, he’ll remember none of our questions?” “Nary a thing,” Ambray responded quietly. Sitting back, he turned to the physician. The man’s face was a study of fascination. Ambray certainly didn’t envy his cousin’s plight at the hands of Winton Winthorp. |
ÇáÓÇÚÉ ÇáÂä 12:51 AM. |
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