Perfect Wedding

by Duncan, Alice

  “I haven’t had a chance to examine her yet,” Jason said with rancor. “For pity’s sake, I just got here.”

  Vexed that he should be snapping at her, who had done absolutely nothing wrong, Marjorie snapped back. “Well, how should I know how long you’ve had her?”

  “Just find a place to put her and stop crabbing at me, will you?”

  “Well, for heaven’s—”

  Neither of them could continue their argument because the kitchen’s door from the pantry swung inward, and Loretta, clasping her pretty brocade dressing gown to her throat, marched into the room. “What in the name of glory is going on in here? First I heard a crash, and then—” She broke off when she saw Jason and Jia Lee. “Jason! What’s wrong? Who’s that?”

  Marjorie could but admire Loretta’s instincts. She seemed instantly to realize that Jia Lee was in trouble. “The poor girl has been beaten up, Loretta. Jason brought her here to hide her.”

  “And nurse her.” He scowled at Marjorie. “You wanted nursing practice? Well, you can have it.”

  “But . . .”

  Loretta interrupted what had been going to be a sensible caution on Marjorie’s part. “Of course. You must keep her here. She can’t be moved, poor thing. There are two rooms off the kitchen. She can stay in one of them. We’ll have to make up the bed, but you can lay her down on the coverlet in one room while we prepare the other one in the meantime.”

  “But . . .”

  This time it was Jason who interrupted her. “Thanks, Loretta. That would be great. She’s in pretty bad shape. I’m not sure if anything’s broken because I haven’t had the opportunity to examine her.”

  “But . . .”

  Loretta had hurried across the room. “Here. Bring her in here. It’s small, but it’ll be handy to water and so forth. There’s a bathroom between the two rooms.”

  Jason rose with Jia Lee still firmly clasped to his bosom.

  “But . . .”

  “Thanks, Loretta. You’re a real pal.”

  “But . . .”

  Loretta laughed. “Of course I am. If the authorities would only see fit to repeal the Chinese Exclusion Act, this sort of thing wouldn’t happen.”

  “But . . .”

  “Amen. But just try to make a politician see reason. I’m beginning to think it can’t be done.”

  “Wait!” Marjorie stamped her foot. The gesture wasn’t as effective as it might have been if she’d been wearing something more formidable than her bedroom slippers. Still, it got Loretta and Jason’s attention. Both turned and looked at her, Loretta with astonishment, Jason with irritation.

  “What is it now?” he asked sourly.

  “It’s dangerous, is what it is now,” said Marjorie. “It’s as dangerous now as it was then.” She wasn’t sure that made sense, but she meant it.

  “Dangerous?” Loretta blinked at her.

  “Oh, brother,” muttered Jason.

  Irate with him, Marjorie all but shouted, “Oh, brother, my foot! You yoursel’ said that three individual parties were out to kill the lass, if you’ll recall, Jason Abernathy!”

  “So what?”

  “So what? I’ll tell you so what, you damned, bluidy man! There are wee bairns in this house nowadays, lest you forget! What if the tongs and that other devil do trace the poor girl here. What will happen then?”

  “Three individual parties?” Loretta looked confused.

  “Let me put the girl down, and I’ll tell you about it,” Jason said wearily. “Marjorie’s right.” So saying, he shot Marjorie a hideous scowl, leading her to deduce that, while she might be right, he didn’t appreciate her for it.

  “I’ll get clean bedding,” Marjorie muttered. “And clean clothes. The poor thing can’t wear that scandalous dress any longer. It’s ripped to shreds.” She disapproved in general of the shimmering brocade gown barely concealing Jia Lee’s slim figure, but even if it were a more demure and proper dress, it was ruined now.

  Loretta, in command as ever, said, “Good idea. You get the bedding, and I’ll get one of my old maternity gowns. They’re big as houses, but they’re clean.”

  So the two women left Jason in the room off the kitchen, while they went about their business.

  Chapter Nine

  Impotent fury raged in Jason’s breast as he examined Jia Lee. The injustice of her situation was so overwhelmingly obvious to any right-thinking individual that he couldn’t understand why everyone in the entire city of San Francisco wasn’t agitating for relief for people like her and incarceration or death—Jason was very upset—for the villains who profited by her condition.

  And Marjorie MacTavish, whom Jason had almost begun to believe was actually human, was worried about the damned babies!

  His conscience tapped him on the shoulder and reminded him that Marjorie had been correct about there being three individual, and remarkably vicious and violent, parties after Jia Lee, and that Loretta was a new mother with two new children to protect. Not to mention the household staff, her husband and herself. Jason also wasn’t entirely sure about Malachai’s interest in having his home used as a refuge for battered Chinese women with bloodthirsty villains on their trails.

  “Bah,” he grumbled. Damn it, it wasn’t his fault the world stank and bad things continued to happen in it with a relentlessness that sometimes left him reeling with outrage and frustration. He was only trying to clean up what few messes he could and make things better in his own small way.

  And the Quarleses, not to mention Marjorie, might still be in danger from the tongs and whoever had bungled the importation and sale of Jia Lee.

  “Sale,” he growled. “A human being. There ought to be a law.”

  “I think there already is.” The deep, grumbling voice coming from behind him startled Jason.

  He glanced over his shoulder and almost managed to smile. “Sorry about the interruption of your beauty sleep, Malachai.”

  Slipping around her husband, Loretta hurried to Jason’s side. “How is she?”

  “I don’t think anything’s broken. I’m not sure about internal injuries. I wish that fellow who invented the X-ray machine would hurry up and create a way to carry them around in a doctor’s bag.” Another glance at the parties in the small room made him frown. “Where’s Marjorie?”

  “She’s making tea.” Loretta grinned, in spite of the nature of the gathering.

  “Huh. She ought to be here, if she wants to learn how to nurse people.”

  “I thought you didn’t want her nursing your patients,” Loretta said sweetly.

  Already in a bad mood, Loretta’s teasing didn’t improve Jason’s temper any. He snapped, “I don’t. But Jia Lee needs her.”

  “Why don’t I let Miss Forrest nurse the poor girl. Give her something to do besides interfere with my babies and me.”

  “No!”

  Jason’s vehemence caught Loretta by surprise. She gave him a questioning look.

  “Nobody should know she’s here except the few who have to, and that means you, Malachai, and Marjorie. Is it possible to keep this from your domestic staff?”

  Loretta and Malachai exchanged a glance, and Jason felt another stab of guilt. Brushing his fingers through his hair, he said, “I’m sorry, you two. I’m assuming too much.” Damn Marjorie for being right. “Do you mind hiding her here? It might be dangerous if anyone finds out. As Marjorie mentioned, both the Chan and the Gao tongs are after Jia Lee, and whoever bought her in China seems to want her back, too. If I knew who it was, I might be in a better position to see that his career as a slaver is brought to a conclusion, but I don’t know who he is. He’ll probably be looking for her, too. I probably shouldn’t have brought her here, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “Your pursuits aren’t exactly benign, are they, Doctor?” Malachai asked acidly. “I don’t know that I want to put my family in jeopardy for the sake of this stranger, however much in need she is.”

  “Malachai,” Loretta said, reproach in her voi
ce. “You know we talked about it.”

  The big man nodded, frowning. “I know we did, but this is a real mess, Loretta. And we have the children to think about now, remember. This isn’t just another one of your street-corner rants.”

  “They aren’t rants!”

  Malachai rolled his eyes, and Jason felt a quarrel coming on. He loved these two like kin, but he didn’t have time for a domestic spat right now. “May I keep her here until her condition is stabilized? I don’t know where else to hide her, but . . .” He frowned, puzzling the matter over in his head. The only other people he dared ask would be Isabel and Somerset FitzRoy, and they, too, had a child to protect. And Eunice, the child in question, was extraordinarily bright and inquisitive. They also didn’t have a Marjorie handy.

  Damn it, he didn’t mean that. He didn’t want Marjorie involved in this problem in any way. Except as a nurse, of course.

  After another exchange of glances, Malachai and Loretta both turned to him. It was Malachai who spoke. “You can leave her here. We’ll watch out for her. I wouldn’t hesitate for a minute, except that we have Oliver and Olivia to think about now.”

  Contrite, Jason nodded. “I know. And I’m sorry. I just couldn’t think of anywhere else to bring her.”

  Patting him on the back, Loretta said, “It’s all right, Jason. Finish up your examination, and then come back to the kitchen and give us instructions.”

  “Thanks, you two.” The kindness of his friends humbled Jason. In many respects, he knew, he was a very lucky man.

  It didn’t take him very long to determine that Jia Lee was suffering from concussion, and that her ankle was badly sprained. He bound it with strips of linen and decided to splint it to keep it from moving. To do so, he had to call upon Marjorie’s services, which she performed admirably. And in total silence. Fury radiated from her in waves, and he expected he’d be in for it once the operation was concluded.

  With one last strip of tape, he finished fastening the makeshift splint into place, and stood back with a sigh. “There. I think she’ll do.”

  Marjorie said, “Hmm.”

  He gave her a sidelong glance, and decided it would be better if he didn’t look her full in the face yet. Best not to antagonize an angry bull by waving a red flag in front of it, after all.

  “I’m primarily concerned about her head injury. I think the instrument of damage was a man’s fist, although I don’t know that for a fact. I didn’t see any blunt instruments, but it was dark, and everyone scattered as soon as I showed up.”

  Marjorie huffed.

  “Even so, there may be swelling in the brain. She’s a small woman, and her head might have knocked against a building. They were having at her in an alleyway.”

  Another huff.

  “If I hadn’t come along, she’d be dead now.”

  “Aye. Undoubtedly.”

  Shooting her another slanty-eyed glance, Jason kept talking. “I recognized the Chan and Gao enforcers. I’m assuming the other man was a bully boy hired by the white importer. At least that’s the gist of what little conversation I heard. They weren’t interested in chat at the time. They were more interested in poor Jia Lee.”

  “Hmm.”

  “The bully boy was trying to grab her away from the other two. I don’t know what he aimed to do with her once he got her, assuming he ever did, but it probably wouldn’t have been anything good.”

  “Undoubtedly.”

  Her voice was dry enough to turn a grape into a raisin. With a sigh, Jason guessed he couldn’t put it off much longer. “I hate to move her . . .”

  “Then don’t.” Crisp. Remarkably crisp.

  Jason decided to brave her fury. Turning and looking her in the eye, he said, “So, may I leave her on the coverlet? You can put sheets on the bed once we’re sure she’s going to survive. I don’t want to move her around anymore.”

  Marjorie’s face was as stony as stony as could be.

  Jason dared say more anyway. “Because of the concussion. Anyone with concussion shouldn’t be moved, and I’ve already had to haul her all over the city.”

  She said, “Fine,” turned on her heel, and left the room.

  For a moment, Jason just stared after her. Then, with another sigh, he shoved his hands into his pockets and went out into the kitchen to face the Quarleses and Marjorie. Of the three, he dreaded Marjorie the most.

  # # #

  The Quarleses’ large kitchen was toasty warm and everyone in it looked quite bright-eyed and alert, considering it was the middle of the night. If one didn’t know that catastrophe lurked in the very next room, anyone would consider the room cozy and inviting, and the people gathered there merely friends chatting after a nice day. Marjorie knew, and she was furious.

  “You canna leave the woman here!” she hissed. “Ye’ll call down the wrath of the whole of Chinatown on the heads of Loretta and Malachai and the children!”

  “Now, now, Marjorie, I’m sure it’s not that bad.” Loretta patted her hand.

  Marjorie suppressed the urge to grab and shake the woman who was a brand-new mother with two wee bairns to consider.

  Jason passed a hand over his eyes. He looked as if he were feeling guilty about having brought Jia Lee into the Quarleses’ home. As well he should, although his guilt was rather late in arriving, if you asked Marjorie.

  “She’s right,” he said wearily. “I probably should have taken her somewhere else. But I couldn’t think of anywhere else to take her.”

  “Hmph.” Marjorie folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.

  This time it was Jason’s hand that Loretta patted. “Nonsense. You were perfectly correct in bringing her here, Jason. No one in the entire city of San Francisco would ever think to look here for her.”

  “Codswallop. You’re known as one of his best friends, and also as a supporter of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act and any number of other radical causes. Yours the first place anyone would think of to look. After all, I’m sure they know it was Jason who took her.”

  “Well, but will anyone bother to search for her?”

  They all turned to gape at Malachai. “Look at it this way,” he continued. “You had two tongs trying to beat her up; perhaps kill her. You had someone else trying to wrench her away from the tongs. Maybe they all just want her out of the way.” He shrugged. “She’s out of the way.”

  Loretta liked this idea a lot. Marjorie could see it in her face, which brightened right up. Marjorie herself didn’t believe it for a second. In her experience, life was never that easy.

  “I don’t know,” said Jason doubtfully. “I think that, somehow or other, Jia Lee’s become some kind of playing piece in a game of power going on in Chinatown. I doubt that anyone’s going to stop searching for her.” He dragged his fingers through his curly dark hair. “Damn, I wish I knew what the problem was.”

  “I thought you knew,” said Marjorie accusingly. “What you told me was that the same girl was sold to two different tongs, and they’re fighting over her now.”

  “Yes, but why? I don’t know why. As a rule, women aren’t considered all that important.”

  Loretta began to puff up, and Jason held out his hand. “I didn’t say I felt that way, Loretta. But I can’t change several thousand years of Chinese culture overnight all by myself.”

  “Humph.” Malachai squeezed his wife’s shoulder and grinned.

  Marjorie always felt vaguely jealous of Loretta when her husband demonstrated his affection so openly. Not that she wanted Malachai, but it must be wonderful to have a man love you that much. In fact, she knew it was, because she’d been loved that much by Leonard. He’d died for her. It seemed like a million years ago now. She sighed heavily.

  When Jason’s hand covered hers where it rested beside her teacup, Marjorie started violently.

  “I’m sorry, Marjorie. You’re right, of course. I’ve put everyone in this house at risk, and it was thoughtless and stupid of me.”

  Marjorie’s mouth
dropped open.

  It was Loretta who spoke. Naturally. “Don’t be silly, Jason. Marjorie knows you only did what you had to do.”

  “I should have thought harder before putting you in danger.”

  Marjorie’s hand felt as if it were on fire, and prickles of heat radiated from the point of contact to the entire rest of her body. She knew she was blushing, because she always blushed, confound it. And she was gratified that Jason had finally admitted her correctness in the Jia Lee affair. Yet she felt guilty for having been such a wet blanket about it. After all, the poor woman wasn’t at fault for any of the things that were happening to and around her. “Well . . . I suppose it isna your fault, Jason. Not entirely.”

  When she saw his right eyebrow lift in an ironical twist over his bright blue eye, she regretted her compassion instantly. “And you still put the whole family in danger,” she stated firmly. “Including the wee bairns.”

  He squeezed her hand. “That’s my Marjorie.”

  Scowling at him, Marjorie thought, I only wish. Then she couldn’t believe she’d had so alarming a thought. Backpedaling furiously in an effort to banish it, she asked a question she’d wanted to ask Loretta before everyone had so brusquely confiscated the kitchen bedroom. “I thought Li and Molly had the bedrooms off the kitchen.”

  Loretta looked puzzled for a minute, then her expression cleared. “They moved upstairs last year. I asked them if they’d rather have rooms on the third floor where they’d have more privacy, and they said they would.”

  “Oh.” However had she missed that? The fact that she had missed it proved with finality that Marjorie’s job with Loretta was nothing but a sinecure provided by a big-hearted woman to another woman who ought to be more independent. Marjorie was ashamed of herself. As usual.

  “That’s probably for the best,” said Jason. “Nobody need know that Jia Lee is here at all.” He turned to Marjorie, and his eyes were pleading. Marjorie wished they weren’t, because they made it difficult for her to resist the man. “I know it’s asking a lot, Marjorie—”