The Bad Luck Wedding Night, Bad Luck Wedding series #5 (Bad Luck Abroad trilogy) (41 page)

Charlotte ran to him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and gave him a big hug. "Thank you, Nick. We were all so scared. We love her so much."

"I know, sweetheart," he said, the words catching in his throat. "I know."

The McBride brothers approached and began firing questions like bullets. Sarah wandered over to provide some of the answers about what had happened to her since leaving Weston House that morning. With a brotherly arm draped around Charlotte's shoulders, and making a point not to look at his wife, Nick added some of the details Sarah skipped. As a result, he only vaguely listened when Aurora went courting calamity.

"Oh, look. Some awful person has caged this funny-looking cat and her kittens. Isn't that awful? I don't believe in caging animals, and a mama and her kittens... that just makes me so angry!"

From that moment on, time slowed to a crawl. His arms fell away from Charlotte as he turned in time to see his youngest sister throw back the blanket covering the skunk cage and kneel down. He heard Emma McBride shout, "No!" even as Aurora unlatched the door.

"Aurora, no! Get away!" Nick called, shoving his elder sister toward the McBride men and stepping forward as the mama skunk snapped at Aurora, who pulled her hand back just in time.

"Skunk!" Maribeth McBride yelled, darting for the exit.

"Oh, hell. You're getting married in a week," Tye McBride said as he pushed Charlotte out the warehouse door.

Nick stood at the doorway, his gaze on the skunk as he circled his hand in the air, motioning for the ladies to hurry. But Melanie and Aurora, unfamiliar with the ugliness that awaited them, were slow to follow the McBride females as they darted toward the exit.

"Aurora, Melanie! Run. Now!"

English ladies to the end, the girls walked briskly instead.

Sarah muttered something and started toward them, but Jenny grabbed her hand as she flew past, tugging her friend along with her. Trace McBride followed his wife outside.

Seconds passed like minutes as Nick, with a growing sense of doom, watched his sisters bring up the rear. Their hesitation had cost them. "It's too late," Nick muttered as the mama skunk stomped her feet.

The skunk's tail came up.

"Damnation."

She sprayed.

The acrid stink of skunk musk filled the air along with Aurora's and Melanie's screams.

Now they ran. They ran and screamed and choked and screamed some more until Aurora paused just long enough to bend over and vomit.

"Damnation," Nick repeated. "Today has not been my day."

He stepped back inside the warehouse to help his miserable, frightened sisters. Almost immediately his eyes began to burn. His skin tingled, and curses as nasty as stench in the air tumbled off his tongue.

This was all that cursed Chambers's fault. He turned his head to glare at the cause of all this trouble, and despite his disgust with the man, Nick couldn't help but wince. Chambers was rolling on the floor, groaning. He'd caught a direct hit of the foamy yellow spray.

"Oh, my eyes hurt," Melanie moaned as Nick hurried her and Aurora outside. "They burn."

The others waiting outside took a big step back, then circled around Nick and the girls, taking position upwind. Aurora sniffled. "My eyes burn, too. And my skin. Am I going blind? Is my skin going to turn black as though it's been on fire?"

"No. You'll be all right in time," Nick said. "I promise."

"I think I'm going to be sick again," Aurora sobbed. "What was that animal?"

"They're skunks. That odor is their defense."

"It's all over me!" Melanie wailed, pulling away from Nick and brushing at her sleeves, her bodice, her skirt. "Get it off me. I need it off. I'm going to jump in the river."

"Yeew," observed Emma McBride, covering her mouth and nose. "Wouldn't that compound the problem?"

"I think it's in their hair." Maribeth McBride leaned toward her mother and lowered her voice. "They won't have to shave their heads, will they?"

Nick winced, and Aurora and Melanie gasped, their hands flying to their heads. "No!"

The howls rose another octave.

"No, you won't need to shave your heads," Sarah said, her face locked in a grimace as she stepped forward—just a little—and took charge. "We'll get you home and out of these clothes. I've heard a number of different treatments for skunk odor. We'll use them all. Now, we'll need separate transportation home for those of us who were inside, and those who made it out. Trace, would you find us an open-air wagon? Buy it if you must Jenny, if you and Claire would take the girls home in our coach and ask Mrs. Higgins to send someone for tomato juice—lots of it, carbolic soap, vinegar, ammonia. Can you think of anything else?"

Claire nodded. "I've also heard a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and soap is quite effective in neutralizing this particular odor. You apply it in a paste while it still bubbles."

Tye McBride squeezed his wife's shoulder, then called out to Melanie and Aurora as he left to retrieve the coach. "Don't worry, girls, we'll get rid of the smell. It simply takes a little time."

"How much time?" Melanie asked.

Trace offered a comforting smile as he, too, departed. "Oh, only a week or so."

"A week!" all the girls exclaimed. "It can't last a week. Charlotte's wedding is in a week."

Now even the clean-smelling females were wailing and moaning. Nick wanted to cover his ears with his hands. Instead, he tried to comfort his stinky sisters. Sarah, he was glad to see, looked after Charlotte.

In the midst of this turmoil, Jenny McBride motioned toward the warehouse and brought up another smelly subject. "Nick, you do realize we still have a bit of a problem in there, don't you?"

Nick did know, he'd simply been trying not to think about it.

Jenny continued, "What are you going to do about Lord Chambers?"

Overhearing the question, Sarah stiffened, and her gaze whipped around to meet his. Damn her whisky eyes, he thought. Damned if she wasn't still pleading for the bastard. Nick's stomach took a nauseated roll that had nothing to do with the skunk spray.

Nick turned his face toward the wind in hopes of soothing the burning discomfort in his eyes. In the periphery of his vision, he saw Sarah give Charlotte one more hug before releasing her. She then turned toward Nick, swallowed hard, and squared her shoulders. "Nick? Please let Trevor go. I would say that under the circumstances, he has been justly punished."

"I'll cut him loose," Nick replied, grimly addressing Jenny McBride instead of his wife. He couldn't talk to her now. He just couldn't. "He can wait until after the girls are settled, though, and the warehouse has aired out a bit. He brought this trouble on himself."

"I won't argue that," Jenny said, her worried gaze shifting between Nick and Sarah.

Moments later, Tye McBride arrived with the coach. His family and Charlotte climbed inside. One foot on the step, Sarah turned to look at him, a dozen different questions in her sad and somber eyes.

Nick's answer was to turn away.

The stinging in his eyes grew worse and he blinked rapidly, blaming it on the skunk musk, as the coach rattled off Turning his attention to a wretched Aurora and a miserable Melanie, he attempted to console them until Trace arrived with transportation.

"A refuse wagon?" Aurora wailed.

Melanie moaned. "If anyone sees us, I'll die!"

With three daughters of his own, Trace was well prepared. He tossed a pair of blankets from the front of the wagon into the back. "You can use these to hide yourself No one will know it's you under there, and I won't let anyone stop us."

Aurora held the blanket like a lifeline until a worrisome thought occurred. "What if someone tries to dump trash in the wagon?"

"Trace will run them down," Nick assured her. "Right, McBride?"

"I'll squash them flat."

"Good," Melanie declared. Sniffing and releasing an occasional sob, the two girls climbed into the back of the wagon and pulled the blankets over their heads.

"Speaking of squashing flat," Trace said to Nick from a safe distance upwind. "What are you planning to do about Chambers?"

Nick closed his eyes and shook his head. "I have half of Scotland Yard out looking for him. I can't simply send them a note saying never mind. I expect Lord Kimball or one of his men to arrive at any moment now. I thought I'd turn Chambers over with a recommendation to give him a bar of carbolic soap and help him find his way aboard the
Hampstead.
It sails tonight." He paused a moment, then added, "Sarah was right. His punishment has been fitting."

The Texan nodded, then glanced toward the warehouse. "What about the skunks?"

Yet another subject he'd tried to avoid. Nick sighed wearily. "I can't leave them to run free, can I?"

"I shouldn't think so."

Skunk trapping was an exceptionally risky business. He wondered what his chances were of getting through the task unscathed. "At least I've become rather impervious to the odor."

"You're the only one," Trace McBride replied. "Let's hope one of those odor-removing remedies works, otherwise you'll be difficult to be around for awhile."

Nick shrugged. "That's all right. Sarah did promise a wedding London would never forget. Looks like we're off to an unforgettable start."

It's good luck to be the first man to kiss the bride.

Chapter 21

May 1877

Buckingham Palace

My Lord Marquess,

In recognition of your recent service to the Crown, Her Majesty the Queen wishes to offer a boon. I have been instructed to ascertain any particular preferences you might have in regard to the nature of a Royal gift. Your reply is requested at least one hour prior to your private audience scheduled for two o'clock this afternoon.

Lord Chancellor

Appointment

Secretary

May 1877

Weston House

My Lord,

The opportunity to serve my Queen was ample reward for my small efforts in regard to the events that transpired four days ago.

However, the Queen's support in a personal matter would prove quite advantageous at this time. Following a review of the summary of events enclosed forthwith, including medical evidence proving Lady Weston to be virgo intacta, should Her Majesty feel inclined to forward a letter to the Court in support of my annulment petition and urging the expedition of its execution, my wife and I would consider it a boon of infinite magnitude.

Regarding this afternoon's reception, might I suggest that the palace windows of the room in which I am to be received remain open?

Weston

Tuesday, 10 May
1877

Weston House

Dear Jenny and Claire,

On this, the eve of Lady Charlotte's wedding day, I wanted to take a moment to thank both of you not only for your efforts on this special young woman's behalf, but also for your years of invaluable friendship. I love you both dearly and without your support, I would have been lost during these last few difficult days.

Nick's attorney sent notice that he would deliver the annulment papers before the wedding tomorrow. I find it amazing how swift the tide of justice can run once a monarch waves her scepter over the proceedings.

I have secured passage to New York on the Manchester, departing on the evening tide tomorrow. I look forward to our reunion in Fort Worth. Enjoy the rest of your holiday in Britain.

I will pray that you and your families enjoy a safe trip home.

All my love, Sarah

P.S. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well tomorrow. Lady Pratt has been giving poor Charlotte a terrible time of it. I almost wish the boys hadn't convinced their father to have the scent glands removed from the skunks. I am just about ready to turn Stripe loose in Lady Pratt's bedchamber!

Tuesday, 10 May 1877