Muriel’s Adventures

by Barron, Melinda

  Ewan cleared his throat. “I’m sorry,” he said.

  Muriel felt as if cold water now flowed through her veins. “Sorry about what?”

  He took a deep breath and said, “He is a she.”

  “Excuse me?” she said. The cold water had turned to ice. “You’ve always said he. You never said she.”

  “I felt—” Ewan stopped talking. He toyed with his food, running the fork back and forth through what was left.

  “You felt I would be jealous,” she said. “You didn’t trust me enough to tell me you had a female for a friend. Why?”

  Muriel looked away, and then glanced back at him. “Unless this woman is a former lover. Unless you still have feelings for her. Or she still has feelings for you. Which is it?”

  She couldn’t believe this was happening. He’d lied to her, not once, not twice, but repeatedly. It was a lie he was going to continue telling her. He never planned to tell her the truth.

  “You’ve broken my trust,” she said. Big tears filled her eyes. “Please tell me, do you still care for this woman?”

  “No,” he said. “We were together for a short amount of time, true, but it’s been over for a long time.”

  Muriel glared at him. “Define long. Would it be measured in weeks, months, years?”

  “Darling, please don’t do this,” Ewan said. “I am very sorry for lying to you, but—”

  He stopped speaking, so Muriel picked up where he’d left off. “I understand completely,” she said. “Or at least I think I do. I know about men who keep mistresses after they are married. So, either you’re planning on keeping your friend, whose name you still haven’t mentioned, as your lover, or you were afraid I would become irrational when I found out you still had contact with your former lover. Which scenario is correct?”

  “I don’t love her, and we haven’t been lovers for almost two years,” he said.

  “So, you think I’m irrational,” she said. “You think you can’t tell me the truth about things. If I marry you, for the rest of my life I can count on you to lie to me.”

  “What do you mean if?” Ewan tried to grab her hand but she pulled it away.

  “Don’t touch me,” she said. “You’ve lost the right to touch me, forever. I won’t be in a relationship where I’ll be treated like a child.”

  “We need to discuss this,” he said.

  “You mean you need to decide what to say and then you can tell me what you want me to hear?” Muriel snorted out a laugh. “I can’t believe you profess to love me.”

  “I do love you,” he said.

  “I’m sorry, after you lied to me about your friend, I’m not sure I believe you anymore.”

  Chapter 13

  Muriel felt as if the world had dropped out from under her. When she and Ewan had first met, she hadn’t liked him, and then she’d fallen in love with him. When they decided to get married, she’d been over the moon.

  But now? How could he have a relationship with a woman and not tell her about it? How could he use that woman as a source of information and not say a word to her? He let her think his “friend” was a man. How did a woman own a house in Oxford? Muriel had so many questions about her that she wanted to ask, but she didn’t want to speak to Ewan right now.

  Since they were in Oxford, they had to stay under the same roof. But she made it clear that they would not be staying in the same room. She was in the bedroom they had used, and he was sleeping in a different bed.

  He had tried to get her to talk to him, pleaded with her to listen to him, but she had told him to go to the devil. She wouldn’t even ride the quadracycle back to the house with him. She called for a cab and used her own money to pay for it. When she was back she locked herself in the bedroom and ignored him when he pounded on the door after he was back.

  He kept telling her that they needed to be together, that they had things to talk about.

  “Seeps will be coming here,” he said through the door. “Muriel, please, be sensible! You’re putting yourself in danger!”

  “So now, I’m irrational and nonsensical, too?” she screamed. “Of course, you could save me if he showed up, but I could never save myself. Get out! Get away from this door or I’ll walk into town and sleep at the inn.”

  Silence greeted her pronouncement. Muriel fell back on the bed. She was so angry she wanted to scream. She didn’t want to call Ewan names, or even cry until her eyes were dry. She wanted to scream in frustration.

  How could she have put her faith in a man who lied to her? There was part of her that did want to talk to Ewan, to hear his explanation about this woman, and how she had a place in his life. Things are always worse when you allowed yourself to make up ideas, and not get the true facts.

  Truth be told, she was allowing her emotions to guide her right now. She should listen to him.

  She sat up, ready to confront him and demand that he tell her everything. But she didn’t stand. She needed a night to sleep on it, to get things right in her head. Her emotions were getting in the way of her need for the truth.

  Maybe tomorrow it would be better. She took her time undressing, and as she did so she prayed he wouldn’t come to the door and insist that she listen to him again. Would her resolve be strong enough to resist him this time? She wasn’t sure, but she didn’t want to push things.

  She was used to sleeping naked with Ewan, which meant the one nightgown she’d brought with her was still in her valise. She took it out and held it to her face, and wondered how things had taken such a horrible turn.

  It was only then, when she thought about putting on the gown and going to bed alone, that she tightened her grip on the material and burst into tears. She stood there, letting the wetness flow into the material. Finally, she flung it aside and hiccupped as she tried to get herself under control.

  When the crying jag was over she crossed to the bed and climbed between the sheets, naked as the day she was born.

  Everything would look better after a good night’s sleep.

  * * *

  Despite her anger, or maybe because of it, Muriel slept the sleep of the dead. She woke the next morning feeling refreshed, and she felt like she could see things a little clearer. She needed to talk to Ewan, let him know that she was willing to listen to his reasons for not telling her about the unnamed woman.

  She knew he loved her, and she loved him. The more she thought about it she figured he hadn’t really lied to her, unless you consider omission a lie. She hadn’t thought to ask him, and hadn’t pushed when he’d said he had a friend who had a home in Oxford they could use.

  After she rose she took care of her morning ablutions and dressed. She was somewhat surprised that Ewan hadn’t come to her door during the night. He must have heard her moving around. Why hadn’t he come to her door by now?

  She took a deep breath and turned the knob. Once the door was open she stepped into the hallway.

  “Ewan?” There was no answer, and she called his name again. “Are you here?”

  Maybe he had gone into town to get some breakfast. They should have stocked in a few more supplies. Hopefully there was tea. She stepped into the living room and gasped. There was a man sitting at the table that she didn’t recognize.

  “Who are you?”

  “You’re to go back to London,” the man said. “Today.”

  “Who are you?” Muriel asked again.

  “Your instructions are clear,” he said. “London. Today.”

  The man was large, but despite his size he didn’t seem menacing. He smiled at her and said, “Do you understand your instructions?”

  “May I ask who is demanding I leave Oxford?”

  He’d been smiling, but all that disappeared. “I’m not at liberty to say.”

  “Aren’t you?” Muriel pasted a huge smile on her face. “Then I’m not at liberty to follow your—what did you call it—instructions? Now, where is Ewan?”

  “He is indisposed, and will be for some time,” the man said. “Shal
l I help you pack and escort you to the train station?”

  He was back to smiling, but something told Muriel that he could turn immediately, and he would hurt her, without a doubt.

  “I don’t need you to escort me,” she said.

  “I must insist,” the man said. “The train leaves in a little more than two hours. Please pack, and if we have time we can stop in town and get you a scone for breakfast.”

  “Where is Ewan?” she asked, concern for her lover sinking into her stomach.

  “I told you, he’s indisposed,” the man said.

  “Doing what?” Her stomach was doing flips, and the room seemed to grow smaller. Something was very wrong here.

  This man didn’t work for Mr. Brown. He wanted them to find the missing scroll, and if Ewan was “indisposed” there was no way he could complete the assignment Mr. Brown had given them.

  “Now, I don’t think I want to ask you again. Please do as I say.”

  Yes, the menace was there. There was no way she could face this man physically. If she refused his order, he would hurt her before she took a step away from him. It was best to go along with him now, and figure out a way to get away from him. If that meant riding the train all the way to London, and then coming back, she would do it.

  Muriel nodded. “Ewan and I have had a misunderstanding. I suppose this is his way of getting rid of me.”

  The look on the man’s face didn’t change, but Muriel knew her words were false. Mr. Seeps had sent this man, she was sure of that.

  “It won’t take me long to pack,” she said. “Will you wait here?”

  “I will give you your privacy,” the man said.

  Muriel worked hard to walk slowly back to the room. She didn’t want him to have any idea that she was going to flee out the window, which she thought about doing. But they were so far out of town that there was no way she would be able to get out, and get away from him.

  The best thing to do was to pack her things and pretend to leave. She would come up with a plan on how to get away from him while they were on their way to the station.

  * * *

  The platform wasn’t crowded, which put a kink in Muriel’s plan. She’d thought to rid herself of her unwanted escort by pushing away from him and running into Oxford, leaving him behind. She had no doubt she would be able to do so, since he was much larger than her, and wouldn’t be light on his feet.

  But the lack of people would make that difficult. She couldn’t lose herself in the throng when there were only ten or twelve people. He would catch her before she was away from the station.

  She had to come up with a new plan, and do it fast.

  “I’ve purchased you a first-class ticket,” he said. He took her by the elbow and propelled her toward the train. He had her satchel in his other hand. The porter opened the door, and before Muriel could protest the large man lifted her inside and placed the suitcase on the floor next to her. He handed the porter a bill.

  “Please see that my sister is well cared for,” he said.

  Muriel snorted. His sister. Right. But then an idea crossed her mind. The porter seemed like a nice enough fellow. Something told her she would have the car to herself. Seeps wouldn’t want her talking to the other passengers.

  The velvet seats were plush. Muriel looked out to where the man was speaking to the porter. She glanced at the door that opened onto the walkway. She could bolt right now.

  “Too easy,” she thought, plus, she wanted the man to think she left for London, and he would want to make sure that she did, which meant he would wait on the platform until the train pulled away.

  A thought crossed her mind. She glanced at the opposite door, which lead to the passageway the employees would use to go between cars. She glanced back at the seats. There were many different pillows there.

  “I’m going to rest,” she said through the open window. “Please see that I’m not disturbed.”

  She lifted the window. Her new friend narrowed his eyes, but then he shook his head and started to talk to the porter again.

  Muriel worked as hard as she could, building a mountain of pillows around her satchel. She took off her cape and put it around them, and then put her hat on top, as if she were leaning her head against the window.

  A whistle blew and she knew she didn’t have much more time. Down on her hands and knees, she moved to the opposite door, slid it open and slipped out. She rushed down the narrow passageway toward the other side of the station and jumped onto the platform. She was behind the building before her friend even knew she was gone, or at least she hoped he hadn’t discovered her ruse. She picked up her skirts and ran as fast as she could. On a narrow street, she found a cab and bundled herself inside.

  “The university,” she said to the driver. But then she thought that maybe that wasn’t the best place to go. “No, wait, do you know a teashop that’s off the beaten path?”

  “My sister-in-law runs one,” he said, his pride obvious. “Best scones in the city.”

  ‘Take me there,” Muriel said. She needed time to think, and a cuppa and a scone would hit the spot, since she and her friend had not stopped for food on their way to the station.

  At the teashop, Muriel sat with her back to the wall so she could see anyone who came inside. Seeps’ men would be looking for her, and she didn’t want to be surprised. She wanted to see everyone who came inside.

  Muriel took a sip from her tea and worked to control her nerves. She was alone in a city she didn’t know, and there was no doubt in her mind that Ewan had been taken by Seeps. But why? What was the reasoning? Why hadn’t he taken them both?

  The whole thing was odd, just like Seeps moving his office up to the third floor. It made no sense.

  She took a bite from her scone, and then alternated between it and tea as she contemplated what she should do next. She had to find Ewan. She was angry with him, yes, but she wouldn’t leave him to face whatever was happening alone.

  Besides, she loved him. Once they had the chance to talk about things she was sure he would have an explanation as to why he’d deceived her. But that was for later. Right now, she needed to make sure he was not in harm’s way. If it were the other way around he would be tearing apart Oxford trying to find her. Which meant she needed to be doing that right now.

  Second scone in hand, Muriel tried to put her mind to things. She could go to North, but that would mean telling him everything, including uncovering their lie about Ewan being a journalist there to write an article about Seeps. Once he’d heard they’d lied to him, she was sure he would be unlikely to help her. In fact, he would be more likely to think she was the criminal and not Seeps, who was a member of the staff, someone he knew.

  That meant she needed to think about where Seeps would take Ewan. It was a given that he would not take him to the university. There were too many people there, and if she knew Ewan, and Ewan got the chance, he would tell everyone he came across that Seeps was holding him hostage.

  Muriel smiled at the idea. Ewan was not one to sit back and take things lightly. He would be fighting to get away.

  She had no clue where Seeps resided, but she was sure that he would not take Ewan there, either. If he had a family he would not want to expose them to danger.

  That only left one other place she could think of, and that was the storage area. She knew where it was. It was mid-morning now. Hopefully, Seeps and his thugs thought she was on the train to London. That meant if she was going to explore the space and search for Ewan she needed to do it now.

  She settled her bill with the teashop owner and tucked a few more scones in her reticule, just in case Ewan was hungry when she found him.

  Think positive, she said to herself. You’ll find him, and he’ll be all right.

  “I need to go to an area in the south part of town,” she told the woman. “Do you have someone who could search for your brother-in-law to take me there?”

  It turned out they didn’t have to search. The cabbie was sitting outs
ide the teashop, as if he were waiting for Muriel. She checked her reticle and took out a few pounds. She had very few left, which meant she needed to be careful about how much more she spent.

  Once he’d been given a destination he took two of the three pounds she offered and then helped her inside the cab. When they were near the storage area he stopped the cab.

  “Are you sure about this, Miss?” he asked as he opened the door. “This isn’t the best area of town.”

  Muriel nodded. It was wrong to come to this area by herself.

  “Could you do something else for me?” she asked him.

  “Yes, Miss,” he said.

  “I’m supposed to meet a friend of mine here, but I am worried that he won’t be able to attend our assignation,” she said. “Could you drive by in about two hours? If I’m not here, will you deliver a message to Mr. North? He’s a porter at Oxford.”

  The man nodded. “I know Mr. North, he’s a fine man, very upstanding.”

  “Good.” Muriel took a deep breath. “Tell him that Miss Robertson and Mr. McClacken are at the storage area, and might require his assistance.”

  “On my honor it will be done, Miss,” the driver said.

  “What is your name?” Muriel asked him.

  “Bill. Bill Doors, at your service,” he said as he doffed his hat and bowed slightly.

  Muriel started to open her reticle, but he stopped her. “No more money,” he said. “I will do as you ask for free. I worry about leaving you here alone.”

  “I’m not alone,” she said. “I’m meeting my future husband.”

  “Very good, Miss,” he said. “I will deliver your message to Mr. North if you are not here when I come back.”

  After she thanked him, Muriel started toward the storage area. She was careful to take note of those around her, praying none of them were men who worked for Seeps.

  As she neared the building she couldn’t help but think that Ewan’s friend was somehow in on the scheme. Why would she send him down here otherwise? She was sure Ewan had come to the same conclusion, and it had to hurt in some way, that his friend had turned on him.