by Rebecca King
With that in mind, she reluctantly made her way up to bed.
The new bedroom wasn’t anything like her old one, unfortunately. It left her unable to settle in the bed. She spent the better part of half an hour tossing and turning while willing her tumbling thoughts to settle. At some point, she must have fallen asleep because she suddenly became aware of strong arms sliding beneath her. Her gasp was swallowed by a now familiar mouth, leaving her to moan in sensual delight when she realised what was happening.
“Marcus?” she murmured when he finally lifted his head.
When he lifted her high into his arms, she clung to his shoulders.
“Where are we going?” she gasped, making no attempt to get him to put her down.
“To bed,” he whispered. “What are you doing in here? This is not where you sleep, Jess.”
“I can’t share your bed.” She stared at him with a mixture of raw need and regret.
“Well, you certainly aren’t sleeping in there,” he retorted flatly.
He had seen the room earlier. It was one step above being uninhabitable. There was no earthly possibility that he would allow Jess to remain in there a second longer than necessary. Not after what they had shared.
Before she could summon a protest, he stalked quietly down the hall with his precious burden. Once inside the room, he paused long enough to lock the door and then deposited her onto the bed before he followed her down.
“Now, where were we?” he whispered as he slid beneath the sheets with a relieved sigh.
She turned to face him and found herself snuggled intimately against his naked heat.
With his stomach full from the delicious repast he had just shared with his colleague in the tavern, and Jess safely tucked up beside him, Marcus was now ready for a few hours’ sleep before his nightly duties began.
“You look a little worried,” he murmured. “Has Lloyd been pestering you again?”
Jess shook her head. Before she could stop herself, the words began to tumble out in a cascade of babble that even she couldn’t understand. By the time she lapsed into silence, tears had already started to roll down her face. All of her doubts, fears, and worries about Ben tumbled forth and spilled onto his chest in sodden misery.
“I am sorry,” she hiccupped when she finally stopped.
“Come here,” he murmured. “I think someone needs to have a word with that brother of yours. This house is far too big for one person to run by herself. You need help. Given you cannot get someone to work out here, Ben must do his share whether he likes it or not. Especially given that he expects to eat and sleep here. He is, after all, supposed to be the man of the house now. As for us, you did right. He is not at liberty to tell you how to run your life.”
“He is my brother; my only family, but I get so angry with him sometimes that I could shake him,” she whispered. “He just seems so wayward lately that I don’t know what I am going to do. I have tried to tell him to stop stealing, but he just doesn’t listen.”
“Is he involved in Smithers’ shenanigans?” Marcus leaned back to look down into her watery eyes.
“No,” Jess gasped. “Oh, God, no. I hope not. Smithers is inevitably going back to jail – just like he always does. I hope Ben doesn’t get caught with him. If he goes to prison-”
She couldn’t bring herself to finish.
Marcus nodded his understanding. He felt a little sorry for her. She was trying so hard but battling such insurmountable odds that it was inevitable everything would end up collapsing around her at some point. He just couldn’t bring himself to tell her. He wished he could reassure her that everything would be alright, but it was far too soon for anything like that. They had too many secretive people and dark shadows surrounding them.
“I am sorry. I shouldn’t be burdening you with my problems. It isn’t right.”
“I don’t mind, Jess,” he whispered. “I want you to confide in me. I will help you; I hope you know that.”
“I know, but you are going to move on at some point,” she replied.
If she was honest with herself, the thought of being without Marcus was part of the reason behind her tears. She hated the thought of losing this closeness. She hated the thought of losing him.
When she looked up at him, her eyes were a little sad, silently pleading for him to reassure her that, in spite of everything, they would be alright.
He lowered his head and captured her lips in the briefest of caresses.
“Ask me anything,” he demanded softly.
“Pardon?”
“You need to get to know me. Ask me anything.”
Jess leaned back to look at him and realised he was serious.
“Where do you live?”
“Hertfordshire. A small village called Barrowby.”
She frowned at him. “You told Lloyd you lived in Hertfordshire.”
Marcus grinned unrepentantly. “I lied.”
“What family do you have?” She smiled.
He smiled back. “I have a mother and a father who both live in Barrowby, and an older sister who lives in the next village. She is married but doesn’t have any children as yet.”
“What food do you like?” she whispered.
The open honesty on his face reassured her that he was truthful. She felt herself begin to relax.
Marcus felt her sigh and knew he had made the right decision to do this. He wanted her to know everything about him, as he wanted to know everything about her. If their confiding in each other helped her to understand he wanted more than just a lover’s tryst, then he would answer as many questions as she could think of for as long as she wanted.
“I like roast beef, eggs, and freshly baked bread,” he replied honestly.
“Do you have a horse?”
“Yes. He is called Humphrey and is currently with my colleagues in Framley Meadows. I am hoping they bring him with them when they get here.”
“Your colleagues?” she leaned back to look at him. “The government organisation.”
“It is called the Star Elite,” he murmured.
“The Star Elite?” She frowned at the wall while she thought about that but had never heard of it.
Marcus smiled and rolled her onto her back.
“My turn,” he whispered.
She smiled and looked ruefully at him when he began to slide her nightgown up.
“That isn’t asking me any questions,” she protested.
“Alright. So, what about you? I know where you live. I know you have Ben, but what about your mother and father? Where are they?” He didn’t attempt to take his hands off her while he spoke. He just didn’t have that much self-control whenever she was around.
Jess suddenly became solemn. “My father died when I was young. Ben was about one. My mother died about three years ago from a wasting disease.”
“I am sorry,” he whispered. Desperate to bring the smile back into Jess’ eyes, he dipped his head. “What kind of things do you like?”
“Well,” she began only to gasp when his hands began to slide over the contours of her body. “I like this.”
“Anything else?”
Firmly blocking out all self-doubt, she wantonly copied his instructions from earlier. This time, she rolled him onto his back and straddled him.
“I like this,” she murmured huskily.
“Good,” he groaned. “That’s very good.”
“It is probably best if I just show you,” she whispered as she leaned down for a kiss.
“Please do,” he pleaded and allowed her to do just that.
CHAPTER NINE
Three days later, Marcus stood in the kitchen and drank the last of his ale while Jess finished washing the plates. He relished the companionable silence that had settled over them and watched her work for a moment. So far, his relationship with Jess was turning out better than he had ever expected. Jess was a wonderful companion who spoke when she had something to say. Otherwise, was content to leave him to his thoughts. And,
right now, he had a lot to consider.
Like what he was going to do when the time came for him to move on. He couldn’t just leave her behind. Nor did he want to live in Smothey. It was a nice enough village, but this house was falling apart, and he had his home, and family, in Barrowby.
Would Jess consider relocating?
After such a short acquaintance, he knew it wasn’t the right time to ask her just yet. She might worry, and try to put some distance between them if she felt that her home and her livelihood was under threat. He just couldn’t risk her backing away from him. He had to be patient. They could discuss where they were going to live when he had a bit more time on his hands, and she felt a little more confident in the permanency of their association.
His investigation for the Star Elite was progressing nicely. While they had yet to gain access to the cottage Joe continued to watch, they had seen five people entering the property on a regular basis. Those frequent visitors used the woods at the end of the garden to their advantage and knew how to hide. While Marcus and Joe had yet to track any of them successfully through the dense woodland to their destination, they now knew that Smithers, and all four of Jess’ guests, frequented the cottage. Lloyd and Carruthers usually patrolled the woods outside. Whether the magistrate and his assistant had anything to do with the guests, though, had yet to be discovered.
Hopefully, Barnaby would have received his note by now, and would be on his way with reinforcements. Until then, Marcus spent most of his nights showing Jess just how much she meant to him and, as a result of his new contentment, had finally started to sleep a little better.
The only dampener on their joy was Ben. He had stopped warning Jess about the dire implications of what she was doing but now spent hardly any time in the house. When he was there, he was surly and of little help. Marcus could only hope that the lad would come round to the idea of sharing Jess in time. If not then they had a significant problem on their hands.
Suddenly, the peace was shattered by a series of loud raps on the front door.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Marcus asked her.
Jess shook her head. “Not today.”
Marcus went to take a look out of the sitting room window. He reappeared in the kitchen moments later and rapped on the scullery door.
“Ben, I do believe your magistrate friend has returned to speak with you again. Maybe he wants to know why you abandoned your sister and left her to do all of your chores?”
Ben appeared in the doorway. Rather than answer, he turned to look at his sister.
“Go and see who it is, will you?”
“No, go yourself,” Jessica snapped. “I am not your servant, Benjamin Parkinson. Like Marcus has just said, the magistrate has probably come to try to accuse you of stealing something. I am sick of having to defend this house against that man. Get rid of him yourself. When you have done that you can turn your attention to the rest of your chores that I haven’t had the time to do today.”
Ben went to answer the door.
Once they were alone, Marcus studied the distress on Jess’ face and opened his arms out.
Jess walked into them without hesitation.
He didn’t speak, but then he didn’t have to. It amazed her that he always seemed to know how to handle any situation that arose. It didn’t dawn on her to question him. Instead, she welcomed his steady support and returned his embrace with all of the love in her heart.
“What does he want this time,” she whispered, trying to make out what the men in the hallway were discussing.
Marcus shrugged, the dull murmur of voices was too low for him to hear either.
“Don’t let him see that his presence in the house bothers you in any way,” Marcus murmured.
“At some point, he is going to arrest Ben, and there is nothing I can do to stop him,” she replied sadly.
Marcus tipped her chin up.
“I promise you that Ben is not going to go to jail, or be arrested by that man. Just leave it to me, Jess. I don’t work for the War Office for just the thrills.”
She smiled sadly at him. “Sometimes, I think the army might be the best place for him. It will keep him on the straight and narrow, and teach him to be a man.”
“Lloyd is a man,” Marcus teased gently.
Jess rolled her eyes. “I was talking about Ben,” she replied dryly. Then she smiled. “But now that you come to mention it, Lloyd might do better in the army.”
Marcus smiled. “I don’t think it would make all that much difference to either man, Jess. I do know of another organisation that might be able to teach your brother a thing or two, though. Just leave it with me, sweetheart. I promise you that it will get better.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, and she stood up on tiptoe to press a kiss to his chin.
Before he could respond, they were interrupted by the voices in the hallway growing louder.
“I told you I haven’t taken it,” Ben was protesting when they joined him.
“Oh, come now. You are good friends with the Smithers’ boy. He has been in jail more times than you have had hot dinners. Do you think I would believe that you would hang around with someone like that and not get drawn into his schemes?” Lloyd drawled mockingly.
“That’s enough,” Marcus snapped. “He has told you his version of events. He wasn’t there. He knows nothing about it. Until you have more in the way of facts, you have no right to come here and harass the boy.”
“Who are you to decide that?” Lloyd challenged. “Are you a magistrate?”
“No, but-”
“So stay out of this. It has nothing to do with you. You are just a lodger in this house, and have no jurisdiction over me.”
“I know a corrupt official when I see one, Lloyd, and plenty of men in the War Office to deal with you.”
His words made the magistrate stop and look hard at him. “Prove it.”
Marcus gave him a cruel smile and stepped forward threateningly.
“Contact Sir Hugo Dunnicliffe at the War Office. He can confirm my credentials. He will also confirm them to your boss. I am a close acquaintance of his too. You are, of course, at liberty to contact whomever you wish. I am on hiatus at the moment while I decide whether to relocate or not. However, whether I am working or not is irrelevant to the likes of you. I still uphold the law. More effectively than you do, it appears. So, I am advising my client here that unless you have hard facts; credible details to support your theories, you are breaking the law by calling around here and threatening people in this house.”
Lloyd stepped forward. “I warn you now that until you provide proof that you do know somebody at the War Office, I will continue to do my duty.”
“Then make sure you stay within the law. I promise you, here and now, that if I see you doing anything else you know you shouldn’t be doing, I will ensure you lose your job,” Marcus snarled.
Lloyd suddenly clicked his fingers at Carruthers, who stomped forward with a look of rage on his face. As soon as Carruthers got within arm’s reach, Marcus spun around. He moved so quickly that Carruthers was helpless to prevent Marcus propelling him out of the front door.
Once the man had gone, Marcus turned to Lloyd.
“Now, if you don’t walk out of here, I shall throw you out,” he growled and pointed meaningfully at the door.
“I am the law around here,” Lloyd protested weakly, a little lost now that his right-hand man had gone. “I just have to ask myself what you have to hide. It is obvious that you don’t want us to question Ben, here. Why?”
“Because I know he is an innocent man,” Marcus warned him. “It is a pity you cannot say the same.”
He shoved Lloyd out of the door before he could say anything else, and closed it on his spluttering protests. He slammed the bolt home and then threw Ben a dark glare.
“If you steal anything from the Priory again, or take another thing off that Smithers fellow, I will have you behind bars, Parkinson, with or without Smithers. I will u
se my connections with the War Office to ensure you go away for a very long time.”
“Are you really a solicitor?” Ben asked curiously. He tried valiantly to ignore the threat but had never seen anybody like Marcus before.
Marcus sighed. He hated to lie to him, but couldn’t tell him the truth either. Not when Mr Ball and Mr Gillespie had come out of the sitting room to see what was happening. Their keen gazes watched with acute interest.
“I think we have disturbed the guests enough for one day, don’t you?” He murmured with a nod to them.
In contrast to the rather violent scenes of a few moments ago, Marcus now appeared perfectly normal. Jess was amazed at the swift change in him, and the efficient way he had despatched the magistrate. He was the only man she had ever met who had the temerity to do so, and it made her feel somewhat proud to be a part of his life.
Once they were in the kitchen, Marcus closed the door and then rounded on Ben.
“No. To answer your question, I am not a solicitor. However, I know a lot of men who work for the War Office. As such, I know that Lloyd is wrong to keep coming here the way he is. That doesn’t mean he is entirely wrong to warn you. You and I both know what you are doing is illegal. You must keep your hands off the game at the Priory. Don’t trade or purchase anything from Smithers either. It has been stolen; you know that. I cannot help you if you get caught with stolen goods on you. Nobody can. Think about that the next time temptation gets the better of you.”
“You don’t need to steal, Ben,” Jess added. “We can get by.”
“I want out of this house, Jess,” Ben murmured.
“So much so that you would rather live behind bars?” she gasped, horrified at the thought.
“No,” he snapped. “Of course not. I am just saying that I want to do more with my life than ‘get by’. This house is something you want, not me. I hate the bloody place. It is cold in the winter. It is bloody freezing in fact. I don’t even have a proper room. I am sleeping in the scullery like a mouse. Even lowly servants don’t do that. There is barely enough to make ends meet as it is, yet you persist as though it is going to get you somewhere. Well, it won’t because while you are running yourself ragged trying to keep everything going, this house is slowly falling apart around you. It is already going to take more money than you can afford to turn it into a home. Living in a smaller house might mean that we don’t have lodgers. But it does mean that we only have to feed ourselves, not that lot of strange creatures who lodge here.”