Lady Fiasco, A Traditional Regency Romance (My Notorious Aunt) (21 page)

Maria blinked up at him. Her chin began to quiver and her eyes filled with tears. Fiona tapped the surgeon’s shoulder
.
“You mustn’t speak to her in that manner. It isn
’
t her fault
.
Our
family physician
set leeches on her gums
.
He even seared them with hot irons.”

Dr. Meredith turned a steely glare onto Fiona. “How could you allow those barbaric treatments? Such practices may be common among the poor. But you are obviously quality and at least somewhat educated
,
how could you stand by and watch your sister being tortured with primitive cures?”

“I?” Caught off guard, Fiona gasped. “I didn’t, sir. I wouldn’t. How could you suggest such a thing?” Then she collected herself and lapsed back into their ruse
.
“You don’t understand. It was,
um
, our mother. God rest her soul. She doted on that horrible old quack
.
There was nothing I could do to stop them. Nothing.”

Fiona noted the skeptical set of his brow. She stamped her foot. “Don
’
t you see? The damage is already done. Now, it’s up to you to help her
.
Surely, you can do something?”

He stared pensively at Maria. Tears shimmered in her enormous blue eyes. He shook his head. “I cannot understand why anyone would do such things to so beautiful a creature.” Meredith picked up his instruments
.
“Open your mouth
.
Let us see what can be repaired
.
”

When Fiona and Maria left Dr. Meredith’s surgery, Maria’s mouth was packed with cotton wadding. She tried to speak. Translating her garbled speech, Fiona ascertained that Maria did not think it a good idea to go directly to her home with her cheeks puffed out like a fat walrus
.

“I quite agree. We’ll go to Alison Hall and perhaps the swelling will go down before long.”

Maria rolled her eyes, skeptically.

Lorraine scuffled along behind them and contributed her opinion
.
“I wager a chunk or two of ice on them gums might help. When we get home, I’ll go straight down to the kitchen an’ chisel some nice pieces of ice for you. May I say, miss, you were that brave, you were. I near fainted
,
what with that doctor prying them teeth out. But you, you never even flinched
.
Ooo,
all that blood—”

Fiona cast Lorraine a quelling frown
.
“Now, Maria, you must remember to apply Dr. Meredith’s salve to your gums every night, and to use this special tooth powder exactly as he directed. No more musk tablets
.
Truly
,
they do not improve mouth odor
.
I
know many members of the
ton
use them, but I think they create an even worse stench
.
”

Fiona fell comfortably into her role of older sister and lectured Maria all the way home. They arrived at Alison Hall with Maria mumbling about a head-splitting megrim, and a fear she might lose the contents of her stomach.

“Whatever have you done to the child?” Honore asked her niece. “She looks ghastly.”

Fiona led Maria to a divan and propped a pillow under her head
.
After settling her patient, she turned to her aunt, “I quite like your new hair color, Aunt Honore. I do believe it is the loveliest shade of auburn I have ever seen.”

Honore smiled and put a hand up to her new dark tresses. “Thank you, dearest
.
Monsieur
Renellé
was here this morning. I’m pleased with it.” Honore checked the mirror and twisted one of the short curls surrounding her face back into submission.

Then she clucked her tongue
.
“Clever diversion, Fiona
.
You haven’t answered my question. What ails Maria? Looks as if her jaw has been bludgeoned with a hammer. Where have you two been all morning?”

Maria moaned and cast her eyes heavenward.

Fiona squared her shoulders
.
“I took Maria to a proper surgeon to have something done about her dreadful mouth.”

“Did you?” Honore crossed her arms and regarded her niece from under a cocked eyebrow. “Did you
,
indeed?”

“Yes
.
” Fiona’s face remained impassive. “It needed doing. She deserves better than a mouth full of rotting teeth and festering gums.”

“I suppose Lady Haversburg approved of this excursion
?
”

“No. No, she did not
.
When she discovers what I have done, no doubt she’ll turn quite livid
.
I offer no defense for my actions.
”

“
Humph. You had better devise a defense, my girl
.
When Louise finds out what you’ve done, she won’t turn livid. She
’
ll eat your liver for breakfast
.
”

“I don’t care. I could not sit idly by while Maria’s life was ruined by her mother’s misplaced confidence in a
cruel
old charlatan she calls a doctor
.
What he has done to her, under the guise of practicing medicine, is criminal
.
He ought to be horsewhipped. I am
n
ot sorry. Nor, will I pretend to be.” Fiona folded her arms across her chest and waited for Honore’s wrath to fall.

Honore surprised her by clapping her hands and laughing
.
“
Bless me, child! You
do
have a backbone. I knew it all along. You’ve got gumption
,
my child, just like me
.
”

“Does she?” The question came from Marcus, who stood in the doorway, flipping open and snapping shut a silver snuffbox.

“Of course she does. Why, only see how she has turned Maria
’
s life upside down. That’s not the half of it
.
She’s willing to face Lady Haversburg’s wrath into the bargain.”

“That’s
what you call
backbone
? How very curious.” He sauntered into the room. “The Haversburg chit looks as if she might die. You’re right. Death will certainly turn her life upside down.”

He paused in front of Honore. “You’ve changed your hair again. Too bad. I rather enjoyed the yellow stuff
.
” Marcus scanned Honore’s sedate morning gown. “Very proper dress, my dear, quite matronly.” Although he smiled
,
his expression resembled an adder preparing to strike.

“It is eminently suitable for the occasion. My solicitor is coming this afternoon. We’ve serious matters to discuss.” Honore looked fondly over at Fiona, and then snapped her attention back to Marcus. She jutted her chin into the air and marched toward the door. “I’ll be in my study.”

She paused and called over her shou
l
der. “Fiona, dear, I forgot to mention Lord Wesmont is taking you riding tomorrow morning. He arranged it with me last night
.”

Caught off guard
,
Fiona started
, “No, I shan’t—”

“You shall.” H
er aunt waved a dismissive hand in the air and pranced out of the room.

Marcus glowered at Honore’s departing back. A puff of air escaped his lips and made a sm
a
ll popping noise
.
He spun around
to
Fiona and snapped his snuffbox shut. “That’s that,” he mutte
r
ed to himself, and flopped into
a chair across from Fiona and Maria. “Looks as if you’re the heir apparent for the moment
.
”

“Pardon
?
” Fiona glanced at him quizzically
,
not have heard his mumbled words
.

“Nothing.” He waved her question away. “By all means, continue nursing your victim.” He lounged, watching them, stroking a finger back and forth across his lips.

Fiona leaned over her patient and
ordered Maria to open her mouth. She removed the cotton wadding and checked inside
.
“It looks as if the bleeding has stopped.”

With the toe of his boot, Marcus raised the
back of Fiona’s skirt
.
He t
i
lted his head slightly to
have a better view of
her ankles and calves. “Nicely shaped
. I
give you that much,” he mumbled, lifting her dress still higher.

Fiona felt the air under her gown and whipped around.
“
Marcus! What on earth are you doing?” She batted his foot away.

He cocked an eyebrow and grinned wickedly. H
i
s leer collapsed into a lazy boyish smile. “Don’t scold me, cousin.” He
steepled his
fingertips together and raked his eyes over her figure
.
“It’s
your fault
,
you know
.
You’re too enticing. You tempt me and tease me
,
mercilessly.”

“I do not
.
”

“Yes you do
. Y
ou tantalize me by your very closeness.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“It
’
s true.
”
He protested. “My passion for you is nearly uncontrollable
.
Every night I thrash in m
y
bed for want of you. I can’t eat
.
Can
’
t sleep. I’m beside myself. Marry me, Fiona, or go aw
a
y someplace where I cannot see you. Someplace, where your presence will not torture me with longing.” Marcus tapped his fingertips together, and in a decidedly different tone continued his speech. “Otherwise
,
I c
a
nnot be responsible for my actions.”

Maria gasped.

“Ignore him, Mari
a
.” Fiona shook her head. “Marcus
,
stop being absurd. If you are thrashing in bed
,
it is with some ballet dancer somewhere
. I know for a fact,
you never arrive home until dawn.”

“
You lay awake listening for my return
,
do you?”

“
Heavens no.
Everyone
at Alison Hall knows when you return. You’re generally so foxed
you stagger into the furniture, shout and carry on so loudly you rouse
the entire household. The servants must help you to bed. I must hold a pillow over my ears until you are settled.”

“
Ah well
,”—
he brazenly assessed her figure again—“As my wife, you could reform me
.
Think of it, Fiona. You might devote your life to changing me into a respectable gentleman.
”

“
That, my dear cousin, would be a life destined for disappointment.
”
Fiona turned back to Maria who looked quite alarmed. “You mustn’t fret. Lorraine will return soon with some ice
.
It might help slow the pain and swell
i
ng.”

But Maria didn’t relax. She peeked around Fiona at Lord Alameda and her eyes opened even wider in alarm.

Chapter 17
Lies One Tells to One’s Self

E
arly the next morning, Tyrell
s
to
o
d in Countess Alameda’s foyer, tapping the white marble floor with the toe of his black boot
.
He glanced with irritation at the hall clock ticking away
t
he minutes.
Where was she?
He uncrossed his arms, straightened his shoulders, and schooled his glowering expression into one that was slightly less ogre-like. He had no wish for Fiona to think of him as the ill-tempered sourpus
s
Lady Haversburg had described
.

Not three more minutes passed before his dark brows pinched together again
.
Tyrell’s black polished boots clicked against the white marble as he paced. The hall clock ticked on with deafening loudness
.
He thwacked his r
i
ding crop against his leg.
Where the devil was she?

A splash of green caught his attention as it moved past one of the white Grecian urns on the marble balustrade upstairs
.
Tyrell caught his breath.
She was here
. Without any conscious effort, his scowl changed to an expression of delight
.
The swishing of Fiona’s green riding habit and the sound of her boots pattering down the stairs filled the austere foyer with pleasantness
.