Journey's End (Marlbrook) (15 page)

The majority of the elite group had youth on their side, and all were well versed with pampering and luxury.  The women, on this particular evening, had long since
gone
away to their beds, the remainder of the night
left
at the mercy of the men.  The
promise of port, along with the prospect of a win at cards,
was an
adequate adhesive to bind
the men
to their seats.

As the hour grew late, Laura decided to retire the remaining staff; tomorrow would be another lengthy exercise.  She would stay within range of the bell to satisfy any late calls for refreshments.

At two o’clock in the morning, with just a few gentlemen still at large, Laura made her final rounds of the house.  Beginning at the maids’ quarters, located at the top of the house, she would wind her way back to her apartment
,
past
the other servants’ chambers.

Laura navigated the maze of corridors and found only one anomaly, Molly’s room.  A peep of light slithered out from under a firmly closed door, inferring that something might not be as it should.  Molly, Laura concluded, had probably fallen asleep, and a forgotten candle held danger for them all.  She tapped lightly before trying the handle.

The man stood by Molly’s bed, his overweight frame blocking Laura’s path.  The mature gentleman, although Laura used the term “gentleman” lightly, glared at her with the vacant stare that excessive drink brings.

The man’s shirt lay open to his waist.  Barren of hair
,
his
luminous skin
contrasted with
the dark hue of his jacket
, the disparity painting a ludicrous picture.  His open pant buttons revealed off-white undergarments.

Molly, a petite girl of about fifteen years of age, had been blessed with an abundance of carrot
-
coloured curls, the
bright
mass going untamed by the night-cap adorning them.  Her lips appeared artificial
;
such was the intensity of the colour red.

Laura thought Molly looked like a small child huddled beneath her sheets
;
the young girl attempting to fend off her would be assailant.

“Sir
!
” Laura
cried
.  “It appears that you are mistaken in the location of your apartment, and if you would be so kind as to follow me
,
I will show you where your proper course lies.”

The would-be assailant furnished Laura with a look of contempt, but she ignored his stare and continued.

“Perhaps you prefer to be escorted to where Lord Henry is stationed?”

“Get out
,
you stupid woman, unless of course you want to join us?”

Under the circumstances the man’s ugly sneer, rather than pose a threat, appeared foolish.

He dismissed Laura.  “
Be gone
with you. Can you not see that I am occupied?”

Molly intervened.  “Please miss, please leave – you’ll get us both fired if you don’t and me marm ’ill kill me if’n I lose my job.”  Molly uttered the quivering offer of sacrifice with an air of resignation.

“I won’t be long
,
Molly, do you hear me?” Laura called.  “I am going to get help.”

Laura tossed weariness aside.  Her steps were taken at pace leaving her panting for air by the time she reached Lord Henry.  She hesitated, fully aware that he would not be alone.  Voices penetrated the walls.

“Henry, you were always prone to being a rogue.”  The laughter was shared.

Lord Henry replied.  “I pretend not, my dear friend, but I suggest that it may be your skill that is suspect.  Perhaps your talents are better aimed at the women rather than trying your hand at cards.”

Drink moistened their tongues, loosening them on the night.  When the knock arrived on the door, announcing their unexpected caller, jovial pleasantries erupted.  Lord Henry, by unanimous vote, accepted the
allotted
rank of door opener.

Precious seconds ticked by, and a natural drug seemed to enhance Laura’s being.  When the door opened
,
Laura sprang into action.  She clutched at Lord Henry’s hand and began dragging him in the direction of the stairs.

The pair had barely covered any distance when Lord Henry pulled Laura to a compulsory stop.

Laura’s breath was laboured.  “Indulge me
,
sir.  A crisis has arisen that demands your assistance.” 
Uncontrollable s
haking ran the entire length of Laura’s body.

Lord Henry again called a halt to her movements.  “Whoa
,
madam, whoa I say!”

Lord Henry’s lack of action annoyed Laura.  Clearly the man did not sense the urgency of the matter.  She made another attempt to press on but again Lord Henry held her back.

A silly grin crossed Lord Henry’s lips, a precursor to his ill-directed remarks.

“Stop
,
madam
!
First you haul me from my amusements and then you take it upon yourself to instruct me to take you above stairs.”

Stunned by
Lord Henry’s
misunderstanding
, Laura felt the blow of his condemning words
.

The error
went unnoticed
by Lord Henry
.  “While a welcome change from your constant neglect, I had expected more of a challenge from you before I tasted your delights. Still, I shall not resist
your offer
and you may rest assured that I will not disappoint.”

Lord Henry
completed a half bow, the clicking of his heels
serving to
fling the insult in Laura’s face.

Lord Henry remained ignorant of his bl
under.  “I am at your bidding.
Lead on Mis
s
Jennings
, your bed awaits.”

Mortified, Laura threw Lord Henry’s hand aside as though horribly burned by the offensive item.  Had another not relied on her, she would have slapped him hard for his conceited comments and not given a damn as to the outcome
b
ut
,
she would not let Molly down.  Drink accepted the fault, and Laura gave credence to the account - not as an excuse but to allow her to stifle her suffocating anger.  Duty called for her to make him understand and with haste.

“Sir, it is imperative that you pay close attention to what I have to say.”

Laura ignored the stupid, drink
-
induced grin that Lord Henry displayed and
continued
her explanation.

“One of your companions, as we speak, is in the
throes
of,
of
-” Laura grappled for the words that were adverse to her, “- molesting one of the maids. It is my intention to stop this indiscretion. I ask you
to
ensure that no harm comes to anyone in your household.”

Laura again searched for Lord Henry’s hand while continuing the uphill climb to Molly’s chamber. 

Just short of their destination, Lord Henry assumed control.  “All right, all right. Slow down
,
madam. Let me do the leading.”

The maid and her problems were secondary to the fact that Lord Henry had Laura to himself.  The experience of her hand within his was sufficient to make him want more.  He considered how easy it would be to just drag Laura into one of the neighbouring rooms and have her.  Sampling her would free him of his insidious desire.  Except
that,
deep down, he knew that in Laura’s case this would not be enough.  Damn the woman, he thought, and he released her from his grip.

“I shall enter the room alone, assess the situation and decide what action is to be taken. In the meantime, you make ready to see to the girl. If any
harm
has befallen her
,
you shall see to her needs. Do you agree?”

“Yes.”  Laura aired her answer, as the door closed soundly behind Lord Henry.

Minutes passed before the two men exited, arms about each other’s shoulders, swaying down the corridor and away from Laura and her light.

Laura sat with Molly, adding what comfort she could.  Physical contact had resulted, but Molly did not record any permanent damage.

Laura skirted the real issues, but Molly was
accepting.
  She shared none of Laura’s reluctance to discuss the topic, the girl a woman
far
surpassing Laura in worldly knowledge.

After the excitement
,
the kitchen surfaced as cold and lonely, a cup of tea Laura’s sole comfort.  Laura used the seclusion to reflect upon the drama that had unfolded.  Lord Henry had discharged his obligations, she supposed, as any gentleman would, but his allegations, spoken while in his drunken state, she could not dismiss.

Since their first meeting
,
Laura’s instincts had tried to warn her, and it grieved her terribly to think that she had been right all along.  Laura’s disappointment in Lord Henry was rife.

The door opened, and Laura started at the unaccustomed sight of his Lordship standing in her domain.

Lord Henry immediately recognised Laura’s fears and set out to still them.

“Madam, I hope you will forgive my intrusion.”  He did not require a response.  “I am here for two reasons. First, I seek assurance that you and the maid have not been too affected by this evening’s events. My friend, it seems, has developed a more than obvious gap in chivalrous behaviour.”

“You do not have to apologise for my benefit,” Laura began.  “You did what was expected of you and for that you have my gratitude. Molly is a resilient wee thing, but without your intervention
,
I dare not th
ink what might have happened.”

Laura thought Lord Henry looked tired and the word came to mind
:
vulnerable.

“I have a second request, Laura.”

Lord Henry used Laura’s name as though they were equals and her anguish
doubled
.

Lord Henry controlled the moment.  “I recognise that this may not come naturally, but allow me to begin by stating that I can offer no excuse for my earlier behaviour except to inform you that drink played its part.”  He added in quick succession.  “Would you object if I sat with you awhile? I have developed a preference for company that makes no demands of me,”
he
said, as he took up residence at the kitchen table opposite to where Laura had abandoned her cup.

Laura prepared Lord Henry a hot drink, not out of consideration of his needs,
but because
the gesture kept her occupied.

They sat in silence, at peace in their relative solitude.  Lord Henry relaxed.  Laura’s face displayed exhaustion, set in the hollowness around her eyes, and he realised that even at this late hour, stripped of the trappings of
grooming, she captivated him.

Remorse
,
Lord Henry soon discovered, as with any new sensation
,
proved exhilarating but only until the novelty had worn off.  Tonight’s mistake had undone all his hard work, his weeks of preparation and effort abolished in one moment of carelessness.  Somehow
,
he would have to regain Laura’s respect if he ever hoped to possess her.

CHAPTER
TWENTY
– Deception

Everything shone with a gleam obtained from many hours hard labour.  Decorations, chosen for their vivid hues, adorned the sober framework of Marlbrook, the grandeur of the ballroom designed to mesmerise and delight.  The gardens, along with their connecting pathways, had been manicured and embellished with lights.  The landscape’s beauty commanded as much attention as its interior counterpart.  Laura thought preference a decision she would not like to make.

Sarah had been beside herself for near
ly
a week.  “I can dance just as well as any of those stupid women. And I am more beautiful.”

“You know
that you cannot attend the ball
and that there is no argument you could possibly put forward to change your circumstances.”

Laura felt sorry for Sarah but had no inkling of how to console her.  On the other hand, neither could she issue a reprimand as she too confessed envy for a night that promised to enchant.

The weather remained warm for the ball, a sprinkling of rain the sole, spasmodic deterrent from an otherwise perfect night.

When a final inspection of the kitchen indicated that everything was as it should be, Laura made her way to her chamber to dress.  The time approached for the festivities to begin, and Laura was eager to take her seat in the gallery.  From there
,
she would view the kaleidoscope of colours
,
as the women in their gowns added the final touch to the richly decorated hall and the gentlemen supplied harmony in their dashing formal attire.