The Hired Wife (7 page)

“You’re very
kind I’m sure. If you’ll excuse me I wish to return to my
husband.”

“Don’t be silly
my dear. Society wives never display a preference for their
husbands; it’s simply not done. Allow me to introduce you to a few
people…”

“It’s very kind
of you, but I’d rather return to Lord Raynham.” Mary tried to pull
her hand free but it was held firmly in place as she was carried
like a duckling into a fox’s den.

Mary was
finally allowed to limp back to her angry husband, emotionally torn
and bleeding. She’d barely sat back down when her ears were steamed
with a boiling hiss. “How could you spend forty-five minutes
chin-wagging while I sat here waiting for you?” Mary blanched at
his fury and silently prayed Lord Morley would disappear.

Taking
advantage of Mary’s silence Morley leaned towards his friend, “She
asked me to introduce her to a few people. She said she’d feel more
comfortable attending engagements if a few faces had names. She’s
not a parrot. You can’t expect her to sit on your shoulder all
night.”

“Yes I
can!”

“You sound like
a brute. No woman wants to spend every hour of an evening propped
against her husband, it isn’t natural. Give her some space to
breathe. You want her to be happy don’t you?”

“Yes of course,
but…”

“Well then let
her spread her wings a little. Caged birds may get fed daily, but
their hearts shrivel and die. You can be angry, but you know it’s
true. It was a pleasure to meet you my dear; I shall call on you
soon. We shall become…better acquainted. Now if you’ll excuse me, I
need to go find two young ladies who look almost identical, but not
quite. I wish you both a very pleasurable evening.” Mary blushed
again as the man winked at Marshall insinuating something lurid and
sighed with relief as his face was lost in the crowd of strangers.
She glanced up at her husband, but he was either deep in thought or
ignoring her.

The rest of the
evening was unpleasantly quiet. The few times she had to speak into
his ear his shoulder stiffened at her touch, her nearness clearly
unwelcome. The ride home in the early hours of the morning was a
noisy chatter as the twins tormented their sleepy brother with
details of their conquests, but as soon as they were home and the
door shut on the world Mary felt his burning eyes.

“A private word
Wife…” He held the study door and waited as she untied her bonnet
and handed it to a maid. Mary opened her mouth to protest that she
was too tired to talk, but wisely stepped into the moonlit room.
The door closed behind her with a quiet click and then Marshall
folded his arms. “I didn’t hire you to mingle in polite society!”
The deafening words made her ears pop. “At least ten people tried
to talk to me while you were socialising and I had to sit there
like an imbecile. I’m very disappointed in you Merry Dunne. I
didn’t think you were a woman who sought the approval of her
betters. What are you crying for? If you think weeping will soften
me think again. I hate weeping! Well?”

“I didn’t…”

“Speak into my
ear!”

“I didn’t want
to meet those horrid people, Lord Morley insisted. I couldn’t pull
free without making a scene.”

“Do you expect
me to believe my oldest friend forced my wife to meet people and
then lied about it? I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous.”

“Please don’t
sack me; I didn’t want to meet those hateful people.” The terror in
her voice unlocked Marshall’s arms. He could feel her trembling as
he pulled her close and sighed with disgust at his soft yielding
heart. Whatever the truth, with her face pressed into his shoulder
it was hard to hear above the blood pounding in his veins. “I’d
rather haunt your shoulder than meet the King.”

“And if the
King wasn’t mad?”

“I’m not
someone who needs to meet the great and good. They mean nothing to
me.”

“So you
say.”

“I don’t lie,
it’s a personal rule.” The words were wet with tears.

“Ah yes,
Merry’s rules…” Shadows were starting to form out of the inky
morning blackness. “…it’s been a long night. You need to come to
bed.”

“
I won’t be able to sleep…you’re angry with me.”

Gentle fingers
took hold of her chin, tipped back her head and caressed her
cheek.

“Come, Sleep,
and with thy sweet deceiving,

Lock me in
delight awhile;

Let some
pleasing dreams beguile,

All my
fancies; that from thence

I may feel an
influence

All my powers
of care bereaving!

Though but a
shadow, but a sliding,

Let me know
some little joy!

We that suffer
long annoy

Are contented
with a thought

Through an
idle fancy wrought:

O let my joys have some abiding!
”

Holding her
close, he could feel the poem fall into his empty soul with a dull
thud. He desperately needed some little joy. His plan to wait a few
weeks before declaring his intention was forgotten.

“Who wrote
that? It’s lovely.”

“John Fletcher;
you’ve no need to fear being sacked. I told you I’m pleased with my
Lady Raynham.” The rising light glinted off lonely sapphires. Mary
was conscious of a possessive hand on her waist as her husband’s
warm breath rhythmically approached and receded like the tide.
“Merry, I’m getting old.”

“I wouldn’t
say…”

“Don’t
interrupt! I hate people who interrupt.” The roar dropped to a
faint whisper, “You don’t find my touch repulsive.” Marshall
punctuated the statement by running his fingers over her cheek to
her throat.

“No…of course
not…” She shivered as his fingers slid down to the hollow of her
throat.

“I may be able
to put flesh on two of your ghostly dreams Merry; motherhood and
security.” His fingers slid around to hesitantly caress the nape of
her neck. “I’ll give you a home and you’ll give me a happy
family.”

“But…”

“You’d never be
hungry again and I’m not a brute…I’d never hurt you.”

She stared up
at him in disbelief. “You’d abandon all hope of being loved and
settle for a woman you’ve known for two days? I don’t think you’ve
thought this…”

“I’m a starving
man; I need to wake up and find a kind woman in my bed.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re
kind and you’re already my wife. You’re not ideal, but you’ll do. I
can’t keep searching for woman who doesn’t exist. Does that make me
a monster?”

“No of course
not, but…”

“Well? Say
something!”

“I need
time.”

“Time for
what?”

“To see how I
feel.”

“Feel about
what?”

“I need time to
explore how I feel about being your wife, mothering your children.
You hired me to be your chatelaine not your soul mate. I need time
to see how I feel about you.”

“I don’t expect
you to feel anything; I just need you to be kind.”

“I need
time.”

“How much
time?”

“I should know
how I feel after six months.”

“Six months?
I’m not waiting six months to bed my wife!”

“Two days ago
you were willing to wait a year before getting an annulment; I
don’t see what difference it makes.”

“The difference
is that I no longer desire an annulment, I want you to be my
wife.”

“Marshall,
let’s be sensible…”

“I’m tired of
being sensible. I want to wake up and find you in my bed. You can
have three weeks.”

“What can I
know in three weeks? I’ll need at least six months.”

“Blast six
months to hell, I’ll wait one month.”

“I need at
least three months.”

“What do you
need three months for?”

“I’ve already
told you.”

“Humph…”

“What will you
do if I can’t share your bed?”

Marshall’s
shoulders slumped in despair. “I’ll hire a Mistress, if I can find
one. You’d think virginity and cleanliness weighed more than gold
the way they hold out for the biggest catch. Apparently there’s no
future in pleasuring a loud ugly brute. I’m tired of searching for
someone, anyone. I just want a woman!”

“A harlot isn’t
going to love you Marshall.”

“I know that,
but I can’t get close enough to women to hear what they’re saying
without injuring their finer sensibilities. I’m tired of rejection.
It feels so good to hold you. Please come upstairs and be my
wife.”

“I’d feel like
a fallen woman. What’s the difference between hiring a Mistress and
buying a wife to pleasure you?”

“There’s a
world of difference. You’d be the mother of my children. You’d be
kind to me because you’re kind. I wouldn’t have to give you gold
and jewels every time I wanted a kiss or tumble.”

“A Mistress can
give you children and she might even be kind. What’s the difference
if there’s no love?”

“With you as my
wife I won’t have to creep about after dark visiting a woman who
privately wishes me to the devil. I’ll be watched across my table
by smiling eyes. I’ll wake up with an intelligent companion who
makes me laugh. I’ll be greeted at the end of a long day out with
genuine warmth and concern. You offer more than any beautiful hired
mistress.” His voice dropped to a hungry whisper, “A mistress would
never shiver from my caress.” Morning light dried away pools of
shadow as Marshall leaned forward and feathered her lips with
hesitant admiration. Her almost imperceptible response lit a fire
in his stomach urging him to explore the offered sweetness until
there was no suspicion of self-delusion.

Mary wasn’t
conscious of being pulled closer or her fingers slipping under wool
to find a silk waistcoat. All she knew was warm moist air in
between tender kisses causing delicious new sensations. The door
burst open and a maid squeaked in shock, disappearing before the
couple could detach. Mary blushed as blue sapphire’s smiled in
triumph.

“You can’t kiss
me like that Merry Wife and refuse to share my bed.”

Mary gulped
down an irrational agreement, “I need time.”

“You don’t need
time, you need to come upstairs and fall asleep in my arms.”

“If I fall in
love with you I will, if not I’ll allow you the dignity of
hope.”

Marshall was so
stunned he forgot about carrying her upstairs to his bed. He
impulsively pulled her closer and pressed his lips to her forehead.
“Heaven smiled when you stepped into that dusty office. May I woo
you with kisses, buy you presents and read you my favourite love
poems?”

“If you
wish…”

“I do…if you
weren’t my wife I’d be gnashing my teeth in jealousy.”

Marshall
scowled as his hired wife laughed in his ear. “You’re either mad or
you’ve been recently blinded by sparks from a fire. I’ll instruct
the maid to keep your armchair a safe distance from the grate.”

“If I say I’d
be jealous I’d be jealous.”

“If you say so
my Lord.”

“Impudent
woman, you’d best go to bed before you say something…”

“Mad?”

“That’s enough
impudence for one morning…what are my chances?”

“Chances for
what?”

“Do you think
you’ll fall in love with me or not?”

“Ask me again
in three months and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

“Can’t you give
me a hint of what you think the final outcome is likely to be?”

“How can I hint
at what I don’t know?”

“Well what can
you tell me?”

“You’re almost
handsome in early twilight…”

“So I’m
handsome in the dark eh? Come back here you impudent woman I’m not
done with you.” She was already out of the room and half way up the
stairs. Marshall ignored the amused maids and followed. He
reluctantly passed Mary’s closed door and retreated into his own
room. Staring at his empty bed, he stood transfixed as heat coursed
through his veins. He’d forgotten kisses could be so overwhelming,
so sweet. He licked his lips and wondered what he’d do if she
decided not to stay. The thought instantly chilled his blood making
him shiver with horror. All he had to do was ensure she fell in
love with him. How did one capture a woman’s heart? He had three
months to answer a question that had remained unanswered through
the ages.

Marshall woke
six hours later feeling disoriented and groggy. It took several
minutes after sitting up to realise there was a bath of steaming
water waiting for him. It was late afternoon by the time he sat
down to eat his first meal of the day. He opened his mouth to shout
for his breakfast, but closed it again when the footman hurried in
with his usual plate. Nothing was undercooked or overcooked and his
footman for once remained respectfully at his side. “Is my wife
still asleep?”

The footman
further astonished him by bending over and speaking into his ear,
“Her Ladyship is arranging flowers in the parlour my Lord.”

“Humph…pour me
another cup of chocolate. That will be all, thank you.” The footman
escaped the room in shock at the polite dismissal.

Marshall ate
slower than normal as he savoured the memory of his hired wife’s
kisses. Would she remember their morning embrace? Would she kiss
him again? His heart stamped his chest with an urgent need to know.
There was only one way to find out.

He found the
woman working magic on his home wearing a new pale yellow morning
gown under a dark blue apron. Marshall’s stomach churned as he
watched her head tip to the side as she stepped back to inspect her
last vase of flowers. “I believe I’m qualified to say you have a
magic touch.” She started and abruptly turned to face him. “Do your
lips taste of heaven or did I dream up that kiss we shared this
morning?” The words vibrated the window panes scorching her pale
skin. She watched his studied approach until she had to tip back
her head to look into his eyes. “When did you rise?”