“I am doing no such thing! Mrs. Barker is there as are two other maids,” I explained quickly.
“And they are with you all day? Every day? For propriety’s sake?” A nasty smile was growing on his face that I was just itching to slap off. He knew very well they weren’t.
“I am just writing to my father and sister to inform them of Lord Bolingbrook’s reappearance,” I explained.
“And you plan to continue living alone, a single young woman with an unmarried gentleman, until you hear back from them? Until they send you an appropriate companion? What are your plans, Miss Grace?”
I had no answer for him. “We’ll see what my father says,” was all I could manage before walking away.
But he was right and I knew it. It wasn’t proper for me to be living with Marcus like this. One of us would have to go, and I supposed it should be me—it was his house, after all. I went home to pack.
“Laia!” Marcus’ voice rang through the house.
I was down in the kitchen going over things with Mrs. Barker—not that she needed any direction from me. It just made me feel as though I wasn’t abandoning Marcus if I knew he would be well taken care of after I was gone.
I was being a coward and not telling Marcus I was leaving until I absolutely had to. I was scared of what he might do or say. He had finally returned to his normal life; I feared unbalancing him again. I planned to tell him that night at dinner.
“Laia!”
“Excuse me, Mrs. Barker,” I said with a frown.
“Of course! I can’t imagine what’s got into that boy, he just shouts so now,” Mrs. Barker tsked.
I could only laugh to hear Marcus referred to as “that boy,” but I did so as I went up to the main hall. I was standing next to the back wall, having just come out of the door to the kitchen, when there was a deep booming sound as Marcus shouted my name yet again. The wall behind me trembled with the sound, and a battle ax and a sword fell to the floor on either side of me.
The sword fell with a clatter to my right; the ax thunked blade first, embedding itself into the floor on my left.
If I had been standing a mere three inches further to my left, it would have... I started to tremble. I might have even whimpered as I pulled my arms in to my chest.
“Miss Laia! Marcus Bolingbrook, get yourself down here this instant!” Mr. Barker shouted in a tone that I’d never heard before as he strode up to me from his position at the door.
I heard Marcus’ footsteps on the stair, but I was still staring at that ax embedded into the floor just inches from my left foot.
Mrs. Barker opened the door just behind me as Mr. Barker pulled me forward, away from the weapons at my feet.
“Oh my God! Laia!” Marcus whispered.
“What in the world...” Mrs. Barker said as she took in the weapons.
In a moment, I was caught in Marcus’ embrace. My entire body trembled. I rested my head on his chest, reveling in the warmth and security of his arms.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t... Oh, God!” He held me even tighter.
“My lord, I think it’s time those old weapons came down from that wall,” Mr. Barker said.
“Yes. Yes. See to it, will you Barker?” Marcus said over my head. To me, very gently, he said, “Come, come sit down.”
“I’ll get some tea,” Mrs. Barker said, turning right around and returning to the kitchen.
Marcus turned, keeping me tight against his body, and guided me to the drawing room. He saw me safely seated on the sofa and then moved away to pour me a glass of something.
All I could do was stare at the carpet, the sound of that ax embedding itself in the floor next to me repeating over and over again in my mind.
“Here, take this and sip it slowly.”
I took the glass of amber liquid from his hand. My hand was only trembling slightly, now. I took a sip and started choking, the liquid burned like fire down my throat.
Marcus rubbed my back. “Slowly! Slowly.”
I handed the glass back to him. I couldn’t drink that. I don’t know how anyone could. But the burning had spread to my stomach, and oddly enough, was beginning to ease my tense muscles.
“Here, Miss Laia,” Mrs. Barker said, bustling in with a tea tray. “You take one more sip of that, and then I’ll pour you a nice cup of hot tea.”
I gave her my best attempt at a smile. “You are so good to me, Mrs. Barker.”
The older woman just tsked and set about pouring my tea.
Marcus handed the whiskey back to me. “One more sip now, just like Mrs. Barker said.”
I did so, swallowing it down quickly. It wasn’t so bad the second time, although it did cause me to cough and sputter a little.
Marcus gave a little laugh. “All right now?” he asked.
He was sitting so close our knees touched, and he was still rubbing his hand down my back. His attention further calmed me. “Yes. I just…” I finally looked up at him. “Why were you shouting for me?”
“Where were you?” he asked.
“I was in the kitchen with Mrs. Barker, seeing to the menu for the next week,” I explained.
Marcus looked up at the housekeeper for confirmation.
She gave a small nod. “Wanted to be sure you were properly looked after while she was in London.”
“In London?” he choked out. He turned a concerned look to Mrs. Barker, “And you were all right with her doing this?”
“Making the menu?” she asked.
“Yes,” Marcus said.
“Well, she has been looking after the house these past few weeks,” the housekeeper explained.
“And you’re letting her?” he asked again.
“Why shouldn’t she let me?” I asked, confused by his response to something so simple.
“She never let my mother take a hand in the running of the house,” he explained.
“Your dearest mother had no interest in doing so, my lord. Miss Laia is learning and taking an interest. Of course I’m letting her,” the woman explained.
Marcus looked so surprised, I wanted to laugh.
“Oh!” He let out a breath. He then turned back to me. “Why are you leaving?” It was said with such pain in his voice, I wanted to pull him to me and tell him that everything would be all right.
Instead, I gave him a sad little smile. “Because I met the vicar in town today.”
“And he told you to leave Marshfield?” he asked incredulously.
I actually gave a little laugh. “He’s been telling me to leave Marshfield ever since I got here,” I admitted. “But today he threatened to start calling the banns on Sunday.”
“What?” the word exploded from Marcus.
I just looked at him, and then pointedly at how close we were sitting—our knees touching, hardly two inches between us.
He noticed and scooted back a little away from me. “I see. Yes, of course. So you thought you’d just leave?”
“I have to,” I said. I didn’t want to. I truly, truly didn’t want to, and I hoped he saw that in my eyes as I looked up at him. “And I was making sure that everything would remain comfortable for you, although Mrs. Barker has been doing that for so long, she doesn’t need my input. I was just...double checking, that’s all.” I looked a little guiltily at the housekeeper, who was still standing in the center of the room.
“You were doing exactly the right thing, Miss,” Mrs. Barker said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got dinner to see to.”
She bustled out of the room. As she left, we could see Joseph through the doorway with a ladder, taking the weapons down off the wall.
Marcus took my hand. “You mustn’t leave, Laia.”
“I have to. Mr. Collier was right; this isn’t proper.”
“No. No, it’s not. But you’re needed here. You...” He gave a little laugh. “You have made such a difference in this house. Before you came it ran the way it’s run for, well, since I was born. There was no life here. No spark. No interest on the p
art of either Mr. or Mrs. Barker. And today... just now, I saw something I have never seen before.”
I cocked my head, waiting for him to elaborate. He gave another laugh. “Mr. Barker reprimanded me in a way he hasn’t done since I was a child, and even then he never did so with such fury in his voice. Mrs. Barker has allowed you to take over the management of the household. It’s clear they care for you. You’re a member of the family now.”
He looked around at the clean room, the fresh flowers on the table by the door. “You’ve really made a difference here—to the house, to the Barkers... to me. Don’t leave.”
His words filled me with such joy and sadness at the same time. I loved having made a difference. And I wanted so much to stay! But it just wasn’t right. Marcus turned back to me.
“I love you, Laia.”
Oh yes, it was most definitely joy rushing through me. “I love you.”
“I’m going to London,” he said, clearly coming to a decision.
That jolted me. “What? No! Marcus, you’re not ready...”
“I’ll never be fully ready if I don’t just do it. I’ve got to get back on that horse. I’ve got to inform the world that I’m still alive. You were right.”
“Are you sure?”
He gave a brief, slightly tentative nod as if he wasn’t sure at all, but he was going to do it anyway. For me.
Chapter Twenty
Marcus had promised to be back within a week, but it had been ten days by the time I heard a carriage coming up the drive.
I ran to the window to see him arrive but was shocked when there wasn’t just one carriage, but three!
I shouted for Mrs. Barker, who immediately dispatched maids to prepare rooms for whatever guests Marcus was bringing with him.
My sister, Rose, was the first one to descend from a carriage.
“Oh, my dear Laia!” she said, pulling me into her embrace.
My younger sister Thalia jumped down next, without assistance from the footman holding out a hand for her. She was followed by my father.
Five horsemen cantered up, joining us. I recognized Marcus first, followed by Fungy, Lord Huntley, Lord Merrick, and finally Lord Reath.
My God, all of the Merry Men were here! I laughed as they all dismounted.
“What…?”
“What? You didn’t think we’d miss your wedding, did you?” my brother-in-law said.
“My… my…?”
“Um… Fungy? I haven’t asked her yet,” Marcus said, a little sheepishly.
“Oh, right! Forgot. My apologies.” My brother-in-law gave me a quick little bow and then turned to see to Rose and my father.
I turned to look at Marcus, trying for all the world to hold back the giggles that were trying to overtake me.
He took one look at me and broke into a broad smile. “Care to take a walk? I’m sure Mrs. Barker can see to our guests. They’ll want to rest after the journey.”
He took my arm and pulled me off toward the side of the house.
We walked around to the back of the house and the gardens there, where I’d just seen to the fall pruning. The flower beds were looking a little sparse, but there was still a bloom or two enjoying the cool sunshine. The day was mild, and I was in just the shawl I’d tossed over my shoulders when I’d gone out to greet everyone.
“How did things go at Parliament?” I asked, just to make some sort of conversation because the obvious one hanging over my head was getting a little uncomfortable.
“Quite well. I was greeted warmly, I’m happy to say. And your father was extremely kind and had no problems reverting the title and estate back to me.”
“Well, I should think not. He’s already got his own,” I said.
“Yes.” He paused and turned to face me. “Laia…”
“Yes, Marcus. I will,” I laughed.
He chuckled and then grabbed me into his warm embrace. “I love you so much! You… you have brought me and my house back to life. How could I ever live without you?”
“I’m just so happy that you are alive.” I giggled.
He gave a shout of laughter. “Yes.” He paused and said, “You’ve told me a few times over the past month that you wanted to help me reach my heavenly home. Well, Laia, my angel, you have done just that. Being with you is heaven and this is my home. Say you’ll stay with me, here, for the rest of my life?”
“I love you, Marcus. When I’m with you, I feel complete.”
“No need to introduce yourself to any other men?” He laughed.
I giggled. “No need at all. I’m very happy with the one I’ve got.” And then my dearest ghost kissed me, and I, too, knew what heaven was.
Meredith’s Magical Romance Newsletter
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Did you miss Book 1 of the Grace Sisters? It’s also Book 4 of the Merry Men Quartet.
A Dandy in Disguise
If you gamble with your future, you’re bound to lose. Rose Grace doesn’t know any better when she puts her money down. She’s new to London, new to society, and mistakenly thinking that everyone is who they seem.
Fungy doesn’t know who he is anymore, but with the help of the sweet, innocent Rose, he’s in for wonderful reminder because she makes him want to be the best man he can be.
Is he the best man for her? A turn of the cards might have the answer.
About the Author
Meredith Bond's books straddle that beautiful line between historical romance and fantasy. An award-winning author, she writes fun traditional Regency romances, medieval Arthurian romances, and Regency romances with a touch of magic. Known for her characters “who slip readily into one’s heart,” Meredith’s heart belongs to her husband and two children.
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Books By Meredith Bond
The Merry Men Quartet
These books, originally published by Zebra Books, can be read in any order you choose, they are stand-alone novels with recurring characters.
An Exotic Heir (originally published as Love of My Life)
A Merry Marquis (originally published as Miss Seton’s Sonata)
A Rake’s Reward (originally published as Wooing Miss Whatley)
A Dandy in Disguise (originally published as Dame Fortune)
The Storm Series
Storm on the Horizon, a historical paranormal novella
Bridging the Storm, a sweet historical paranormal romance
Magic in the Storm, a Regency-set paranormal romance
The Children of Avalon Trilogy
Air: Merlin’s Chalice
Water: The Return of Excalibur
Fire: Nimuë’s Destiny
Falling, a time-travel, paranormal romance
Chapter One: A Fast, Fun Way to Write Fiction
Self-Publishing: Easy as ABC
“In A Beginning”, a short story featuring Lilith
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