The Invisible Husband (7 page)

“Yes?”

“It’s a quarter
to seven…”

“Is it?” Adam’s
senses focused on worshiping the left corner of her mouth.

“Will you kiss
me tomorrow?”

“My heart would
kill me if I passed up the opportunity.” His attention moved back
to the middle of her lower lip.

“I’m going to
open my eyes…if you don’t want me to see you…”

Adam’s heart
moaned in horror at having to withdraw. “No…please…”

“You’d better
go unless…” Adam’s heart screamed as he forcibly denied it another
kiss and staggered back into the darkness. He paused near the
secret door and watched her sitting there, staring at the ceiling
with her mouth still open as if stunned by his kisses. A few
seconds later she lowered her head and rubbed her neck as she
turned to find his shadow. “Adam?”

“Eve?”

“I hope your
heart sleeps well.”

“It never
sleeps. It calls your name night and day, ‘Eve…Eve…Eve…’ Like a
deranged actor in an empty playhouse performing the same line,
desperate for applause.”

“The playhouse
is no longer empty; there’s a young lady sitting in the front row
of the pit. Good night Adam.”

“My Lady…” Adam
bowed and then stumbled into the darkness feeling drunk. As the
secret door clicked shut he leaned against the wall and rubbed his
triumphant heart. Licking his lips he sighed with pleasure as he
relived sweet kisses. For once his heart had made a singularly
sensible choice; Eve Latham, the name was sweeter than Christmas
pudding. He couldn’t imagine any snake slithering into the Latham
garden and poisoning his bit of heaven. His heart agreed as it
rested against its bars panting in ecstasy at having been heard by
its Mistress.

Eve opened her
eyes and yawned as blurry images of her room slowly came into
focus. Her window and bed curtains had all been closed when she’d
gone to sleep. They were now all open. She sat up. There was no
fire in the grate. A servant wouldn’t come in the morning without
starting a fire. As she turned her head to see if the secret door
was open a strange glint caught her eye on the bed curtain. She
hurled off her covers and scrambled out of bed laughing out loud.
Her demon-Lord had pinned a single sheet of paper to the curtain
with a large old broach in the shape of cupids bow and arrow. A
single large diamond tipped the arrow strung from a bow of small
rubies. She unpinned the paper and carried her new treasure to the
window to read the scrawled words.

Your obedient
creature came to wake you this morning with a kiss, but it wasn’t
to be. I kissed your hand; you withdrew it under the covers. I
kissed your cheek; you turned away. I kissed your plaited hair and
nearly gave in to a mad urge to cut some off so I could have a part
of you always with me. Your demon-Lord tries hard to be good!

I’ll be in my
study all day thinking of you and praying for nightfall when I hope
to escort you on a moonlit stroll in the gardens. Perhaps if the
Gods are smiling on me you’ll permit my heart another taste of
heaven? My heart wishes me to tell you that it despises me and
longs for the company of its true owner!

Your humble
servants,

Adam and his
heart

Eve smiled as
she held up the broach and watched the overcast morning light
kindle fire in the stones. The strange feeling in her chest that
had followed his kisses was still there as she reread the letter.
She looked down at her chest in dismay as it seemed to ache for
something. Looking out the window into his garden, she hoped to see
her demon-Lord, but none of the gardeners looked remotely
interested in her window. If he was outside he’d be watching her
and she’d know. Her vision blurred as she remembered his soft
tender kisses; in the stillness of her room she was sure she could
hear someone was faintly calling, ‘Adam…Adam…Adam…’ She turned back
to look at the room; she was alone. She shook her head and sighed
with disappointment at having missed seeing his face. Tucking her
treasures in a dressing table drawer, she rang for her maid and
spent the time waiting trying to find the button to open the secret
door. If she could figure out how to get into his room she’d do a
little surprising of her own. The thought made her heart throb. She
glanced again at her chest and shook her head in irritation. She’d
obviously she’d eaten too much…or something.

Breakfasting in
the over decorated dining room, she sent a scribbled note to her
husband that he could watch her eat if he pleased, but all the
painted eyes staring down at her remained static. There was no
sensation of being watched. After wasting an hour prolonging her
meal she decided to try a more direct approach. She tip-toed up to
the door of his library and slowly tried the handle. Her attempt at
cunning was met with disappointment. Footsteps approached the door.
The inner keyhole guard swung up, “It’s locked!” The whisper was
full of humour.

She stuck her
tongue out the door before leaning against it. “I got your love
letter. Don’t you want to see me wearing your broach?”

“Tempting your
Lord is a sin.” The whispered words seemed to have been formed with
a smile.

“Why didn’t you
come watch me eat? I ate so slow my food was starting to freeze by
the time I finished.”

“Watching you
through a wall makes me feel like a peeping Tom. I’d much rather
breathe the same air…my heart would rather breathe your air.” The
strange ache in Eve’s chest seemed to deepen as she heard that
strange imploring whisper again, ‘Adam…Adam…Adam…’ She looked
around to see if anyone was near. Had her husband paid one of his
servants to follow her and whisper his name? “Eve? Are you still
there?”

“You’re not
having me followed are you?”

“No, why? Are
you in danger?”

“It’s nothing.
I’m being silly, but I think you should let me in. I’d be safe in
there. You could show me your favourite parts of the globe.”

“My heart is
demanding I let you in; the silly creature thinks you the sweetest
most perfect woman ever born. It can’t believe you’d reject me just
because I’m hideous, but it’s been wrong before. Forgive me Eve,
but I couldn’t bear to be rejected today. Maybe tomorrow morning
I’ll feel more reckless.”

“But you came
to wake me this morning.”

“It was first
light; I was barely more than a shadow.” Eve scowled at the door
and wondered how she might lure him out. “You’re not upset with me?
Eve?” Eve put her head against the door as that strange whisper
kept calling his name. She had to see him and she knew what to do.
Without replying to his question she picked up her skirts and ran
back the way she came to fetch her cloak. She heard a key faintly
clank in the lock and that sensation of being watched, but she
didn’t look back. He’d know her feelings soon enough.

After tying on
a brown bonnet lined in pink velvet, she threw on a thick brown
wool cloak and carefully pinned her morning treasure over her left
breast. Her demon-Lord was going to get more than a glimpse of her
if he forgot to lock the glass door in the floor to ceiling window
at one end of his study. Laughing with glee, she grabbed of leather
gloves and hurried down stairs and out into the gardens. She looked
around with furtive glances half in fear one of the servants
working outside would drag her back into the house. Eve sighed with
relief when they merely lifted their caps. She returned their
cordiality with a cheerful ‘good morning’ and passed them without
stopping. She had to get to the window before he had time to
concoct some sort of curtain. The demon might order the servants to
hammer a cloth over it…or drape some ghastly tarpaulin over a
couple of movable book cases.

She giggled
into her glove as she crept up to the large arch of glass
reflecting dull grey skies, bluish green grass dotted with fat
ivory sheep and flat still water snaking through naked trees. She
slowly peered around the edge of the window and forgot to breathe
as her chest throbbed with longing at the sight of him sitting at
his desk. He was leaning over, resting the scarred side of his face
in his hand. He looked like he was reading something. There was a
single candle burning on his right, hidden behind what was probably
the pile of cravats. She couldn’t see much; his hair was dark,
short and wild. Light gleamed against a sharp line of shadow; he
had a long nose like his brother. His right arm moved highlighting
a strong broad shoulder; was he turning a page or writing her
another letter?

Unnerved by
hearing that strange voice calling his name, she slowly rolled away
from the window and stood there trying to catch her breath
in-between muffled giggles. The ache in her chest demanded she
return her eyes to the man inside. She slowly inched closer and
silently placed the brim of her bonnet against the glass enabling
her to see more clearly through the reflected landscape. The line
of his cheek appeared handsome, though with his head bent it was
difficult to tell. The ache in her chest grew as she put her hands
to the side of her face as she strained to see him. She ignored the
strange whisper calling his name as she silently begged him to look
up so she could see his face.

She felt
tingles down her spine before she realised the light glinting off
his face was his good eye looking at her. His right hand went down
on the candle extinguishing it against his palm turning him back
into a shadow. Her amusement faded as the darkness rolled down the
study and enveloped her chest. She pressed her cheek to the
freezing glass as her chest throbbed for more. Peering into the
dark study the shadow sat back and folded its arms as it watched
her. She reached out and tried the door handle. It was locked. The
demon was safe for now. Of course she could smash the glass and
rush at him, but that would probably upset him and then he’d remain
in his room and he wouldn’t meet her at dusk for a night walk; she
had to coax him out.

Smiling, she
took three steps back from the glass and made him an elegant
curtsey before slowly lifting her skirts and cloak around her
knees. Seeing the shadow stand up, she laughed as she turned and
ran. How outlandish would she have to be before he put on his black
hooded cloak and followed? There was only one way to find out.

Seeing his wife
lift her skirts about her knees revealing pretty shaped legs
outlined by white stockings, Adam shot to his feet to get a better
view. He laughed to himself as he watched her smile and run away.
He knew what she was doing. He glanced at his black hooded cloak
he’d brought in case he had to leave the study before dark. He
walked past it and cautiously approached the large arched window.
Folding his arms, he stood there laughing as she started dancing in
circles back towards him. Taking off her hat she was swinging it by
one of its ribbons when she suddenly tripped and fell flat on her
face. His smile faded as he strained against the glass as his heart
screamed an order to go to her immediately. It didn’t care if she’d
fallen over on purpose. She needed him. He restlessly switched his
weight from one foot to the other as he waited to see if she got
up. His whole body relaxed as she awkwardly got to her feet and
took a bow before starting to run back and forth like a
lunatic.

Then she was
twirling in circles until she fell over, doubtless dizzy, and lay
there. Again he tensed as he waited to see if she needed help. His
heart screamed again for him to put on his cloak and to go to her.
He tensed to turn and grab it up off the floor, but she soon found
her feet and staggered with exaggerated difficulty towards him. He
took several steps back from the glass as she paused and turned her
attention to something in the direction of the front of the house.
She turned to him and pointed in that same direction before making
a large circle with an arm and made a charade sign for horses. She
looked around and ran to retrieve her bonnet and putting it on,
waved at him to follow her. What the devil was she doing now? She
was quickly out of sight causing his heart to curse him to hell as
it tried to follow her. He grabbed up his cloak and flung it around
his shoulders as he ran to his desk and pulled the hated eye patch
from the book. Tying it on, he cursed the wretched object and
pulled the ample hood down over his face and nearly forgot the key
to open the glass door into the garden. He hurried in the direction
his Eve had taken, his heart urging him to go faster. He turned the
corner of the house and stopped in horror. His mother’s coach was
sitting in the drive. The woman would have concocted another mad
scheme to ‘help’ him.

He growled in
irritation as he looked for Eve and found her half way up the steps
helping a heavily pregnant woman. His footman catching sight of him
hurried across the gravel holding a letter. “My Lord, a Mr and Mrs
Roberts are requesting overnight lodging. They say they’re friends
of your Mother.” The footman held out the introductory letter and
bowed low as he waited for instructions. Adam scanned the letter in
his mother’s handwriting and handed it back.

“It’s not even
noon. Why the devil do they have to stay here?”

“I believe my
Lord, Mrs Roberts is finding the journey uncomfortable.”

“Then she
shouldn’t have taken the journey.”

“No my
Lord.”

“Give them
refreshments and send them packing. I don’t trust my mother’s
friends. You may repeat that in their hearing.”

“Very good my
Lord.” The footman’s words went unnoticed as Adam watched his
wife’s caped figure reach the door. He smiled as she turned to blow
him a kiss before turning away to say something to someone inside
the house. Curse his mother and her obnoxious friends; he’d given
her specific instructions to leave him alone for the first month of
his marriage. He should have known she’d send trouble.