by Tara Gill
Gazing unseeingly at the fire that Fanny had the maid start, she wondered if the lion had scented her.
Barghurr had looked so proud and unapproachable, when she’d first entered the morning room that she’d thought that he was snobbish and had looked down upon them all. Now she wondered if he had just reacted to the smell of the City and the multitude of unwashed humans which could hardly be attractive to those with sensitive noses.
“It is all very odd. His lordship offering for you when you don’t even remember meeting him,” Fanny murmured as she dabbed Mia’s temples again.
Mia closed her eyes, enjoying the coolness. “Thank you, that feels wonderful. Mama says he saw me at Lady Farley’s ball and wanted an introduction.”
“Well, this is far beyond an introduction. An invitation to visit his estate, to consider marriage!” exclaimed Fanny gesturing with excited hands. “It is beyond romantic! A rich and famous Lord sets eyes on you, is bowled over by your beauty and would have nothing else but pay his addresses to you at the earliest. I don’t wonder at it! It is a beauty you are,” she added sagely.
Mia sighed. Fanny was only repeating what Society gossip said. While other heiresses who had both beauty and charm were more popular, Mia had her share of admirers who admired her beauty—none of whom she found any difficulty in keeping at a distance. There were a few who endured her attempts to enter discourse with them as equals, but most found it hard to accept a young lady who knew more about the world than they perhaps did.
The situation with her possible suitors remained an unsatisfactory scenario, not least because Mia’s Mama constantly exhorted her to settle on a gentleman and enter the matrimonial state.
However, Mia was hesitant. Not having much of affection or attention for most of her life, she wanted to marry for love and for mutual respect. If that was not her fate, Mia was perfectly happy being single as she quite liked her own company.
“Thank you, but it is all rather strange. I do not care for Lord Barghurr, or even know him, in all honesty. In truth, over the past few months I had come to the conclusion that marriage… is possibly not for me.”
The world was vast, there were many things to explore, and Mia would find something to do—though she had no illusions Papa or Grandmother would support her financially if she remained a spinster. It was even possible that Lord Barghurr was an attempt by Mama to force Mia’s hand and lock her into matrimony.
Fanny was quiet for a moment, then she continued applying the water to Mia’s temples. “Being an unmarried spinster at the power of employers who may be fickle at best and exploitative at worst, is not a position that any intelligent women would choose to be in. This I can tell you from experience. From my own observations, I… understand why you might be disillusioned with the idea of family, of marriage. But have you considered that Lord Barghurr could be the answer to your problems? He could give you a new life—an interesting life, even.”
Mia frowned thoughtfully, considering Fanny’s words. She knew Fanny had had several unsatisfactory, even dangerous experiences with her prior employers. Since Mia was not financially independent she feared that she would have few choices available to her if she veered away from the path that her parents pressed upon her. Would she be facing a life similar to that of her friend? In that case, should she not heed her friend’s warning?
“Even if he offered me an escape—and a very good life—he would expect something from me in return. I suppose I could try to be a proper wife to him, if that is all he requires.” But she kept her real fears unvoiced; she couldn’t bear an emotionally barren married life, she just couldn’t.
Fanny rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to reply when a knock at the door disturbed them. Mia’s maid entered. “Miss. Mia, the master is down in the study asking for you.”
Mia got up, having expected this. “Has His Lordship left then?”
“Wilkins showed him out, Miss. Mia. It seems the horses didn’t take to him and there was a bit of a ruckus with the carriage out front. Your poor Mama was delayed in her errand to the tailor.” Betsy threw water on the fire in response to Fanny’s gesture.
“That is odd. Was Mama angry?” Mia checked her appearance in the mirror and adjusted her red-gold hair as a few strands had gone askew.
“The Missus was furious with Joe for not controlling the steeds. She was all smiles to Lord Barghurr, not that his Lordship paid her any attention. In a weird temper he was, not saying a word to the Missus. He just nodded to her, and he stalked off, as cool as you please, not bothering a bit about the to-do. A bit strange if you ask me. But nothing you can’t expect from those Others.” The maid made an expressive face.
“That is all very well,” said Fanny quenchingly. “Betsy, you can take this tea back to the kitchens. It is cold now. Mia, you may be wanting to go down before Mr. Gray forgets why he called you.”
Fanny was right. Often Papa forgot his duties as head of the family and could get lost in his studies and essays. Without Mama, he would be entirely adrift. While Fanny appreciated the freedom, the pay and lack of overmuch interference from her employers—circumstances infinitely better than many other women of her age could boast of—she was not insensible to their neglect that made Mia what she was.
With an exhale, Mia left for the study. Dealing with Papa was far easier than dealing with her eagle-eyed and single-minded mother, so she’d better get this over with before Mama returned from her errand.
*
Wall to wall shelves bulged with books in the small study downstairs. Spare open spaces on the walls displayed framed pictures of dried blossoms and plant parts. The surface of the massive desk before the large windows was quite untidy. The bespectacled man reading a letter with focused interest was untidy too, his hair dishevelled, his clothes worn with the air of someone throwing them on to face the daily rigors of Society than of any vanity.
“Papa, did you ask for me?” She had knocked, but Papa had been too distracted to hear as always.
“Ah yes!” Papa looked up and rubbed his hands, looking cheerful. He was a medium-height man in his fifties with a receding hairline and a distracted mien. “Sit down, my child.”
Tentatively, Mia sat at his desk facing him. The door opened, and Mama bustled in neat as a pin as always.
Mia frowned. Mama had returned from her errand quickly. Or had she not left yet?
“Well, what did the man have to say?” Folding her arms across her chest, she addressed her husband in imperious tones, ignoring her daughter.
“Mrs. Gray! You will never guess Barghurr’s proposal in a thousand years! He has offered to sponsor our trip to the South American mountains to study the carnivorous plants. Not only has he extended generous financial support, he has also volunteered guides who will help us traverse the mountains and may be able to provide a safe, comfortable place for us to stay.”
Mama’s face lightened before it took on a determined look. “Well then, that is settled. We must now decide Mia’s fate before we set off to South America. Mia,” she added, directing her attention to her daughter. “I think we have been more than patient with you, generous even, allowing you a Season in Society. We spend a fortune on your wardrobe and go to pains to secure introductions for you in order to meet the most eligible men. In return, you shun these men or treat them with cold silence. It is the height of ungratefulness, I must say, when your Papa has taken time away from valuable expeditions to secure your future.”
She shook her head, her expression close to contemptuous. “Children are so uncaring of their parent’s sacrifices. However, it is time that your father and I put our foot down. Lord Barghurr is wealthy beyond count, titled, highly respected, and there is certainly nothing to scorn at in his appearance. An intelligent man, he will make you a good husband, one who will protect you and guide you well.”
Mama talked as if she herself had a hand in creating Lord Barghurr, and in procuring him as a husband for Mia. Pointing to Mia with a stern finger, she instructed, �
��You will be a good daughter and accept his proposal. And at the soonest, so that we may be free of the burden of settling a marriageable daughter.” Her eyebrows met in the habitual frown she seemed to wear whenever she dealt with her daughter.
Mama considered her a burden?
Mia had long suspected, but it was the first time her parents said so to her. All will to argue deserted her and her head bowed. She bit a wobbly lip and blinked fiercely to keep tears at bay.
Taking Mia’s bow as acquiescence, Mrs. Gray turned to her husband. “Now Mr. Gray,” she said briskly, “has the man invited us for a stay? Did he mention a date?”
“Yes, dear. He mentioned a fortnight, I think,” said Papa absently. He pulled open a journal from his desk and buried his nose in it. Clearly Papa was done with Mia’s situation and wanted to move on.
“Child, did you hear your father? Go upstairs and start packing. Tell Fanny to do the same. She will be accompanying us. Bring that new lavender silk net gown we got from the modiste. I have ordered you another yellow crepe. It should be ready by the end of this week. Leave us. Your father and I have much to discuss.”
*
That night, Mia lay awake in her bed for a long time.
Today had been a quiet day with Fanny watching over a subdued Mia with worried eyes. She knew enough though to leave Mia alone when she fell into these moods, typically triggered by her parents, when she grew silent and lost in her own thoughts. She went far away into the inside her head and withdrew from the outside world. Maybe it was a way of protecting herself.
From everything that Mama had said in the study and later, her alliance with Lord Barghurr seemed to be considered as finalised by the family. No one had bothered to ask Mia if she had any misgivings with regard to the path decided for her.
But she did. Many ideas had played in her head including the thought of running away and joining a convent, even becoming a tradeswoman, but though she was good with numbers, no one would hire a woman to be their accountant or secretary. Over and above that, no particular path held a stronger attraction to her over the other.
Confused and frazzled, she chewed on her lip until it was raw. What could she do?
After her nightly bath, Mia slipped on a simple nightgown and slid into bed. She rubbed her hands over her upper arms thoughtfully. Tiny prick marks in the shape of a claw adorned the tender skin. She thought she’d felt something when Barghurr had grasped her earlier but had forgotten with the events of the day. When she’d soaped herself, the marks burned and had announced their presence. Against her pale skin, they were quite vivid if small.
Exhaling, she turned to her side. After seeing these claw marks, she now quite believed that the Others had forms beyond the human. Uncertainty gripped her.
What are my parents sending me into?
But much as she tried to feel alarm about her prospective husband, Mia couldn’t. She kept remembering his eyes. The lion’s eyes. In turns adoring, possessive and hungry, the lion’s eyes had looked starved for her, as if given a chance he would gobble her up—only not in a carnivorous way. As for Barghurr…
Thinking back to his expression, she shuddered—he had been distant at first, but his gaze had steadily grown heated and become downright covetous at the end.
She had felt pinned by his gaze.
Overcome by his strong musky fragrance,
Overawed by his stature and the way he’d towered over her.
Weakened at the knees by the way he’d touched her and stood so close.
Lord Barghurr had stirred strong emotions in her today. And it was not repulsion, but more amorous—not love perhaps but certainly something apt for a young woman to feel for her prospective husband. She didn’t understand how after one meeting and a short exchange of words she could be so attracted to this strange meld of beast and man from another world, but her body didn’t lie.
She wished she could talk to someone about it. But not many knew much about the Others. Tomorrow, Mia decided, she would go to the library and try to find out more about the Other Planes and their people.
As she slept, she could swear she felt the lion again, gently nuzzling her face and neck.
*
In preparation for the anticipated trip to Lionhaeme, the Gray household was a bustle of activity during the next couple of weeks. Mama was quite busy organising for their trip as well as helping with other things related to Papa’s work. Mia hardly saw her parents who were in and out of the house on most days.
She went into the public library every day and spent a great deal of time reading late into the night. To her dismay, her attempts to find the quaint shop with the fortune teller that Fanny and she had stumbled onto, were futile. It seemed that the shop had closed.
Mama had spread the news among their small circle that Lord Barghurr had spoken to Mr. Gray to offer for Mia and that things were likely to be settled soon. Mia received widespread congratulations from titled men and women who hadn’t even deigned to notice her before.
Her grandmother hadn’t expected her to snag a titled nobleman and was thrilled with Mia. “You’ve done far better than your mother.” Grandmother cast a jaundiced eye on Papa who she had always disapproved of. “Here are ten pounds, child. Spend it as you wish. I am quite pleased with you.”
Though known to be too busy with his travels to socialise much, Lord Barghurr was known and well respected in certain circles. Hence the news was exclaimed over, a seven-day wonder. The small number of admirers that had circled around Mia, moved on to other equally beautiful girls, though a few expressed concerns, that Mia would be allied with one of the ‘Others’.
“Seems strange beyond reason to me,” said young Mr. Trentham, who claimed to be all things fashionable. “Why couldn’t he find a woman on his own world? Huh? Beats me.”
Her admirers had dropped in for a morning visit to wish her well. Mia didn’t mind. Her male friends were preferable to other female acquaintances who professed to wish her well but had mostly seemed to be fishing for gossip.
Chubby Lord Lieven answered him. He was a bit shy and pedantic but seemed to know something of the subject. “Others have been known to marry a few women from the Earth plane. While not common, over the ages, they have made successful alliances with ladies from many prominent societies—from Persia to China. It is not well known, but my French grand-aunt, Lady Adalie of the House of Poitiers, was known to have wedded with one of the Others. It is generally said that she was happy in her situation and had many children. Of course, that branch of the family is now out of contact. The Others tend to be secretive.”
“I did not know that, Lord Lieven. How interesting,” said Mia thoughtfully.
So, I might lose all contact with my parents, with the people here after my marriage?
Would I even mourn this?
If she was honest, there was no one here that she was close to besides Fanny, so the idea didn’t cause her any dread. But still…it made her uneasy.
“Besides how old are they? My father says he met Lord Barghurr when he was young and cutting a dash in society. It has been thirty years, I daresay, and the man looks the same,” said Mr. Allwyn, a personable young man from a rich and established family and hence considered quite the catch, irrespective of his lack of a title.
“Nonsense. Your father probably met the current Lord’s father. Bound to be that they look so alike that he mistook the resemblance. Didn’t your father start wearing glasses recently?” said Mr. Trentham. Since the senior Mr. Allwyn wore spectacles which he often lost and had to enlist his family’s aid in recovering, he had to admit that there could be a thread of truth in that.
Observing Mia’s pale face, Lord Lieven tried in his awkward way to cheer her up.
“Do not worry, Miss. Gray. Lord Barghurr is a first-class fellow, as far as reputation goes. Will do right by you. You’re a smart girl compared to some silly chits like my sister.” Mia tried not to make an expressive face. His sister was a feather head who thought of nothing
but gossip and being the rage, so that was not much of a consolation. “You’ll be alright,” he added reassuringly. The other men followed his lead and soon changed the subject.
Chapter 4
A week later, Mia stood in a corner of a popular circulating library, the folds of her pale green muslin shifting with every step. Shelves rose to the roof in a long, rectangular room. Here there were books for every topic under the sun, aimed at capturing the interest of a gentlewoman of leisure. At the counter near the door, female customers armed with a pelisse to protect them from the pallid sunshine, waited in a short queue to return their books. Shop assistants bustled about guiding the browsing ladies and gentlemen.
A red-bound, colourful book captured Mia’s interest, as it held an artist’s illustrations of the Other Planes based on rumoured descriptions. Pulling over a chair, she sat and pored over it, fascinated. Surely such places could not exist—flying machines, huge boats that moved underwater, lighting even more powerful than gas lighting, dragons, unicorns, humans with wings?
Suddenly her skin prickled, and she became aware that she was being watched. With inconspicuous fingers, she brushed back a lock of hair, and peered around through lowered lashes, but could not find a suspect. A few women some feet over, were exclaiming over Mrs. Radcliffe’s latest work, but other than that, no one paid any attention to her. Fanny had accompanied Mia to the library but had gone next door to purchase sketching supplies.
Frowning, Mia gazed with unseeing eyes at the book in her lap. Whenever she’d left their small rented townhouse this week, Mia had sensed someone following her. Even now as she sat in the library, the feeling of being watched wouldn’t leave her. A familiar, musky smell surrounded Mia, and despite herself, her shoulders relaxed, and her eyes lowered to half-mast. As a haze of the most delicious heat cloaked her, she had to will her head from falling back and stifle a moan. While she felt aroused, an ache developing in her lower belly, she also felt surrounded by a warm cloud of security. Oddly, Mia didn’t feel threatened but rather protected and cared for. Still, the uncontrollable reaction of her body was unsettling. She licked dry lips and tried to regulate her breathing, her thighs clenching together, trying to ease the throb between them.