The Hired Wife (19 page)

“I’d be
honoured to share infinity.” As the tart disappeared between white
teeth the mantel clock paused. Blue eyes conjured that familiar
look of adoration as his tongue tasted the tips of her fingers.
Suddenly her wet fingers felt the cold draft coming down the
chimney and the clock resumed striking each second. “Infinity is
sweet, but I much prefer the taste of my Lady.” His eyes darted
down her person with a disappointed expression. “I was hoping to
open my eyes and find us both naked like Adam and Eve.” Flushing,
Mary watched in hope of a kiss as blue eyes approached. “Do you
know what I’d have done?”

“Made an apron
of fig leaves?”

“No, I’d have
put my arms around you like this and…what am I supposed to do with
this stupid plate?”

“Give it here…”
Mary threw onto the bed and smiled at her lord. “Didn’t your mother
teach you how to put down a plate?”

“If I’m Adam, I
didn’t have a mother I was formed of clay. Come to think of it I
didn’t have plates either…”

“If you don’t
kiss me I’ll leave you alone in Eden and go play whist with the
Smirkes.”

“We shall be
cast out together, but first you must be punished for tempting me…”
Shivering from her husband’s warmth Mary listened to the clock
ticking behind her as she answered humble lips begging for a hint
of love.

A grove of five
foot ceramic candlesticks encircled the seated company, their
flickering light picking out the swirling gold pattern woven into
endless yards of blood red silk covering the walls. Matching
upholstered chairs and sofas arranged around the fire were empty.
The Marquis of Morley was content to lean against the mantelpiece
and watch Mary through his eyeglass as the rest of the company sat
in groups of four around three square tables.

Oblivious to
her secret husband, Alyce sighed as she watched Robert Smirke at
the next table playing cards. Triumphing in his score he turned and
caught her eye. His come hither smile was torn from his lips as his
eldest brother hissed something in his ear. Ignoring the beautiful
Smirke sitting at her own table, Alyce leaned towards her sister
and loudly whispered, “Have you ever seen anyone so beautiful?”

Distracted from
watching for Buckingham’s return, Emily scowled at her sister.
“What?”

“Isn’t Robert
Smirke the loveliest thing you’ve ever seen on two legs?”

“No, the eldest
Smirke is definitely more beautiful.” Charles Smirke flushed with
embarrassment as he shuffled his cards and cleared his throat to
remind the whispering sisters that a Smirke was sitting at their
own table, but his noises went unnoticed.

“Cecil Smirke?
The most beautiful? You must be going blind; he’s far too pretty.
He could almost pass for a woman as could that one, whatever his
name is.” Alyce nodded towards her red faced partner.

“My name is
Charles.” His attempt at joining the conversation completely
ignored, he picked up one of his stakes and ate it.

“I think
there’s something wrong with this one. He never says anything.”
Both sisters glanced at the tortured young man sitting at their
table staring off into the distance trying to look deaf.

Emily rolled
her eyes at her sister, “If you were a man who looked like a pretty
woman you’d be shy too.”

“Men can’t be
shy…no, the youngest is by far the most handsome and he’s already
as tall as that daft George who walks like he has large rocks in
his unmentionables.” Charles Smirke abruptly stood and curtly bowed
before escaping to stare out of a distant window.

“Alyce Godfrey;
if Marshall hears you speak like that he’ll cut your dress
allowance in half. Bucky’s worried about you; he says Morley has a
well deserved nasty reputation. He only invited him because you
were a cow and insisted.”

“Bucky can mind
his own business.”

“If you think
Morley will marry you, you’d best visit Bedlam and decide which
wall to be chained to.”

Alyce snorted
in irritation, “So you want a rabbit and I want a lecherous
cur.”

“Bucky isn’t a
rabbit, but Morley is certainly a lecherous dog. That’s the first
sensible thing you’ve said in weeks. Perhaps you’ll notice Robert
Smirke is seventeen and not yet out of the school room.”

“He doesn’t
look seventeen.” He didn’t kiss like a boy either. Alyce smiled as
she conceived the perfect plan. If she got with a male child and
Henry just happened to conveniently die she could remarry someone
young and beautiful and if Henry were to die in the near future it
wouldn’t matter if the father wasn’t Henry Fitzalan. The thought of
a Smirke becoming the next Marquis of Morley made her laugh out
loud. The old rutting goat would turn in his grave. Her dark
thoughts were disturbed by her brother shouting in exasperation
that Mary was supposed to keep track of her points. Alyce turned
her gaze towards the fireplace where Morley was avidly watching
Mary through his eyeglass. Alyce sneered in amusement as Marshall
caressed his wife’s cheek briefly contorting Henry’s features with
envy. “I think Marshall’s lost his wits. The way he stares at Mary
you’d think she was pretty.”

“Don’t be vile.
I think it’s sweet. Marshall’s waited forever to find a little
happiness.”

“Ensnaring
Bucky has made you insufferable. She married him for his money and
is making the best of a bad situation. Can you imagine having to
share Marshall’s bed? Ugh!”

“You’re
becoming more unspeakably vulgar by the hour.”

Alyce ignored
the reprimand with haughty disdain, “Where’s Bucky? I thought he
was supposed to haunt you like a ghostly rabbit.”

“He had a call
of nature; I couldn’t accompany him could I? He’s the dearest,
funniest, sweetest creature…do be kind to him for me.”

“If I must…love
is making you hare-brained. Henry will entertain me…”

“Stay away from
Henry, he’ll ruin you.”

“No he
won’t.”

“Philistine.”
Alyce ignored her sister and caught Robert Smirke’s eye as she
stood up. Returning his smile, she flicked her head and reluctantly
turned away and crossed the room towards Morley.

Morley’s hooded
gaze momentarily shifted from Mary’s lithesome back to the pretty
young woman sneering up at him, “Henry dear, are you lusting after
my brother’s wife? I believe that’s a sin.”

“Yes, one of my
favourites; meet me in the conservatory in twenty minutes. I need
you.”

“You woke me in
the night. You woke me in the morning. You insisted I pleasure you
in the castle ruins. I’ve performed my wifely duty for the
day.”

“You don’t
appreciate the honour I bestow upon your person.”

The cold words
settled like hoar-frost on his companion, chilling her eyes and
fanning her temper. “And you have no idea how tolerant and good I
am to allow you to spill your seed when the whim takes you. On my
wedding night I had to listen to you moaning for another woman in
your sleep; Mary doesn’t even like you.”

“Women are
notoriously fickle. She’ll worship me, given the proper
incentive…”

“Mary’s married
to my brother and you’re married to me, remember?”

“A trifling
complication my dear, meet me in the conservatory.”

“You’ve had me
three times today; go bore a chambermaid.”

“Pleasure me or
you’ll be enceinte without a husband before you can hail a mail
coach to some forsaken corner of the Kingdom to have my bastard.
You don’t need me to tell you what it’ll do to your social calendar
if I unkindly let slip the reason for your absence next
season.”

“How dare
you…I’m your legally wedded wife.”

“Alyce my dear
stupid child, you are not yet of an age to marry without your
loving brother’s permission. The license was obtained by deceit.
Your helpful Aunt Beatrice came along and spoke as your guardian,
but she is not your guardian and you are not legally my wife. Obey
me or you’ll wish you had.”

“And Mary; a
penniless, flat chested Vicar’s daughter who thinks you’re a
repulsive monster doesn’t bore you?”

“You wouldn’t
understand; you have the artistic integrity of gravel. You should
have listened to your brother. Meet me in the conservatory and
pleasure me or I’ll inform my favourite Town-tabby that I know you
in the biblical sense. She’ll be quite amused by your folly.”

Alyce stared
the smiling devil in the eyes and started planning her husband’s
funeral. With the rutting old goat out of the way she’d be a rich
Marchioness with undisturbed sleep. All she had to do was get with
child and ensure Henry died in an accident. The dowager Lady Morley
would ensure no scandal touched her only legitimate grandchild. “My
husband commands, I must obey.”

“My last six
illegal wives were not so wise. They found their dreams of being a
Marchioness dust to dust, ashes to ashes. Forget our illegal
ceremony and I’ll forget I broke your maidenhead. Please me and
I’ll help you find a husband. Cross me and you’ll be exploring
death first hand.”

Enraged, Alyce
sneered as she cast her eyes towards her brother’s table, “Mary
doesn’t appear to have noticed your presence. Perhaps having your
hand down her dress was so repugnant she’s pretending you don’t
exist. I wish I could.”

“Spurned women
are naturally hostile; they scoff their lovers like Swiss
automatons. The next time a man procures an illegal marriage
license, have the sense to invite your brother to the wedding.”

“The next time
I marry I’ll have the sense to choose a man my own age. You’re so
old you’ll be dead long before you can blackmail Mary into your
bed.”

“Pray exercise
your wit on the Smirke near the window; he’ll be dead by evensong
from boredom.”

“Guess what
happened before you deigned to honour us with your repugnant
presence?” Alyce ignored Henry’s mask boredom and leaned closer,
“Marshall was honouring his wife with public kisses and she didn’t
appear to mind in the least. I’d wager my wedding ring my brother’s
enjoying all of Mary’s favours.”

Henry’s harsh
laughter was followed by an amused sneer, “You’re ignorant as well
as stupid my dear. Your brother’s hired wife was meant to be sacked
at the end of the year via an annulment. The marriage was never
meant to be consummated, but Marshall has fallen in love with his
servant-bride. He’s fighting for his meagre portion of happiness,
but the good Mary insists on having time to decide whether to make
the position permanent. Marshall hasn’t yet sampled her charms and
if his ill-luck continues, he won’t live long enough to savour
marital happiness.”

Alyce stared
with growing horror at the smiling devil, “You wouldn’t…”

“Wouldn’t what
my dear?”

“…
kill Marshall…to widow Mary.”

“I have no idea
how or when Marshall will die, but when fate tips its hat in my
direction I certainly won’t question how my future wife became a
widow.”

“If my brother
dies in an accident I’ll kill you.”

Morley lifted
his eyeglass and peered at Alyce as if she’d told him she was
Cinderella’s fairy godmother. “Well, well…my pretty pet is showing
sharp little teeth.”

“I mean
it.”

“Before you
begin a life of crime I suggest you learn the rudiments of chess;
you’ve moved your Queen within reach of my pawn.”

“I spit on your
measly pawn.”

“Well, I
suppose that’s one way to resist checkmate, but highly
ineffectual.”

“Leave my
brother alone or I’ll kill you.”

“Kill is such
an ugly word. Eliminate is far more tasteful. Life is a game and I
always win. So how are you going to kill me Wife, poison my morning
tea? You should know that the use of inheritance powder is
sometimes detected. A rope collar wouldn’t suit you. Have you ever
watched someone hang? Your pretty face would swell up purple as
your lungs slowly burned for air. It would be a slow painful
death.”

“Leave my
brother alone or you’ll regret it.”

“This show of
sisterly affection is astonishing…”

“He’s my
brother, he loves me you pig.”

“Ah truth, a
wormy half eaten apple; ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’.
You’ll keep your pretty scorned nose out of my affairs or you’ll be
venting your fury in hell along side William Congreve for writing
that abysmal play.”

“You’re so
clever Henry…your mourning bride will be sure to mention it at your
funeral with a single dramatic tear.”

“Touché!”

“Mind you don’t
chew on your chessmen between play Henry, we wouldn’t want you to
choke on your Queen would we?”

“My dear, I
wouldn’t dream of choking on you.” Morley smiled as he noted
Marshall approaching with an unfriendly glare. “Our pleasant tête a
tête will have to be continued later. I’ll meet you in the
conservatory in half an hour.”

I don’t want to
pleasure you, you smell of moth-eaten socks.”

“Defy me at
your peril…”

Alyce sighed in
disgust, “At least wear some scent so I can pretend you’re someone
else.”

“Yes, I’ll
splash myself with cologne so the maids will smell it on you and
tell the household that you have a lover. Your reputation will be
mud before your belly starts to swell. I fear the rules of chess
would float in one of your pretty ears and out the other. Ah,
Marshall, your lovely sister and I were just discussing you. She’s
developed a sudden fear of you dying and leaving Mary a widow.”

“What is this
fixation on death Henry? Spare the rest of us your morbid ravings
and go shoot yourself. Alyce come away from Henry, he’s not fit
company for a young lady.”

“No, he’s a
heartless pig who smells of old socks. Why couldn’t you have a
school friend with a soul?”

“I told you to
avoid Henry, but you thought him amusing remember?”

“I must have
been possessed.”