“I will send it up, my dear. Is there anything else?” Lady Worsley inquired.
“Well…yes.” She hesitated a moment. “Would it be permissible to ask Max to visit? With Anna, of course. I have several things I feel the need to discuss. Perhaps we could use the upstairs sitting room?”
“If you are certain that is a good idea. Dr. Perth specifically requested that you get rest. I fear that a visit from Max will be anything other than restful.” A smile lit up Lady Worsley’s face.
“I think I know what you are hoping for, but the chance for Max and me disappeared so long ago. I am afraid I am damaged goods. Besides, he has someone by now, I am sure.”
“What do you mean, Max has someone? Has he told you something? He has shared nothing of the sort with me. And I should think he would, considering how much I nag him. He left home for almost three years to get away from that.” She grinned at Maggie. “I am kidding. He left home, but it was because of other things. You should rest.” She tucked the blanket at Maggie’s side and turned to go.
“Do you mean that Max left after I married? I had not realized.” Maggie’s voice choked with emotion. “Truly, I would not have hurt Max for the world…”
“We know that, dear…now. At the time we did not understand. Your parents died, and then poof! You disappeared. For a while, the world felt like it was crashing down all around us. Max searched for you. He was broken-hearted. I can only imagine the suffering they must have put you through.” Lady Worsley got up and straightened out the place on the bed where she had been sitting earlier. “I have probably said too much. But I want to add this—please do not count yourselves out. I see the way you look at each other. There are feelings there…if you only coax them to the surface.”
“Harriett, before you leave…can you tell me where Max went when I got married?”
“To the front lines of the Napoleonic War, my dear,” she returned with a somber expression. “It was a hard time for me. But my Max was one of the luckier ones. He and Harlow returned—without injury. That was not the case for many of their friends.”
“You must have hated me.” Maggie looked away.
“No, never hate. But I would get angry, truthfully.” She sat back down and hugged Maggie. “But, my dear, I have always loved you. I have known you since you were born. Life was cruel to all of us. I did not understand why I was losing everything—my dearest friends, my son, and you. And so, for a short time, I blamed you. But then the rumors started, and I asked for forgiveness, feeling they were true. Your mother came to me one night in a dream and told me to look for you. I did not understand what she meant. Now, pish! I know you probably think that is an old woman’s fancy, but it was as if she was as real as you are. She asked me not to abandon you if you ever found your way home. I did not understand what that meant. I still am not sure. And maybe it was just a dream.” She stood and straightened the covers and then looked at Maggie. “But that dream happened two nights before Max brought you home.”
Lady Worsley paused at the doorway. “I will send Gertie and Anna to prepare the sitting room. Perhaps it would be good for you and Max to have a meal together, if you do not mind the company.”
“You think Max would want to eat up here? Can we have more than soup?” Maggie grinned broadly.
“Certainly.” Lady Worsley looked back wearing a smile on her face. “Happiness looks good on you. We may have you on your way back to health.” She left, softly closing the door behind her.
Maggie could not stop hope from filling her heart. Perhaps there was no one else in Max’s life. At least his mother seemed to think the way was clear. Could there be even a tiny speck of a chance for them? She replayed his kisses in her mind and a flicker of hope wormed its way into her heart.
Maggie knew society would expect she mourn Lord Tipton, but it would be a lie. He was a spawn of the devil himself. She would pay proper respects, but never mourn him. Never.
Only minutes later, the door to her room opened, and Anna directed the maids that followed. “Place the tub over there.” She stoked the fire while the maids filled the tub.
“Your ladyship, your bath is ready. Would there be anything else for you?” Anna bobbed a curtsey.
“Yes, Anna, I think my dog needs to eat. Although I know he hates to get up from such a cocoon of warmth.”
“He appears to be right toasty, milady. And he enjoys being ’round people. Brings a smile to everyone.”
“He does! This little man has kept me company through the worst days of my life. I owe him so much.” Maggie leaned in and kissed Shep on the head. “Would you be so kind as to take Shep to the kitchen for a bite? Cook has been ever so kind and fixes him a bowl of his favorite chopped vittles.”
“Yes, milady.” Anna encouraged Shep down from the warm bed and closed the door behind them.
Maggie left the bed and put a toe in the water. It felt heavenly. She quickly gave up her clothing and eased her still aching body into the warmth. Taking advantage of the small bar of lilac soap, she lathered herself and rinsed her hair. After what seemed like an eternity in the tub, she dried herself and pulled on a wrapper. Taking her pink pearl brush, she sat next to the fire and dried her hair, combing through it slowly and thinking about her day. She was not sure what she had done to become so blessed in her life, but with Slade lurking around, she was still putting a family she loved in danger. She would have to leave soon. The money she found in her father’s study would be of great benefit. It would keep her from begging, to be sure, until she found a post. Her mind drifted to what it might be like to live in her own home.
She owned a house! Why had Uncle Silas not told her about that? He had made her feel like she was poor with nary a penny. It was as if Uncle Silas had other plans for it. Her mind stilled at that thought. Possibly he had. That would have meant that I was in the way. Maggie already knew her life meant very little—if anything—to her father’s brother. He had given her away to pay a gambling debt. And the man he married her to was pure evil. How lucky for the world that Uncle Silas had no children. Then she recalled the rumor that Slade might be his son and shuddered. That cannot be true. That vile man was his toady.
A shrill bark sounded at the door and jarred her from her thoughts.
“One minute, boy.”
Maggie opened the door to let her small dog in, only to see two very well-shaped calves instead of her dog. “Max!”
“Mind if we join you?” She did not miss Shep’s look of pure satisfaction at being cuddled by Max.
“Your mother suggested that the small parlor might be appropriate for us…if you are inclined to share a meal with me tonight.”
A sudden surge of shyness overcame her and forced her to look down while her heart fluttered with happiness at the promised time together. She remembered her state of undress and flushed a deep shade of crimson. “Oh my! I am not dressed for this. You caught me musing, and I need to dress. Can you give me a minute or two?”
“Anna is right behind us. We will wait in the parlor.”
As soon as he turned to leave, Maggie flew behind the screen. What she was wearing, while not indecent, was inappropriate. Harriett would be most unhappy with her, even though she was a widow.
A widow! She wanted to be happy to have lost that bad seed of a husband of hers, but his death weighed heavily on her. Who would have wanted him dead? She had wanted away from him, but not once did she wish him harm. Well, she had wished him harm, but not death. Satisfied that she had finally given God a true accounting, she pulled on her chemise.
“Milady, I’ve come to help. Allow me.” Anna rushed in and helped her into the rest of her clothes.
“Your timing is perfect, Anna. Thank you so much.”
“I have pins for your hair, I do. Will a simple bun do, or would you like something different? Miss Gertie has been teaching me the hairstyles. I am eager to try them out on you.” Anna laid out a selection of pearl and other pins on Maggie’s vanity.
“I am excit
ed to have you try out your skills, but for tonight, let us keep it simple. A small bun with a few curls would please me greatly.”
A few minutes later, Anna passed her the looking glass. Maggie opened and closed her mouth like a fish when she first saw her reflection. “Anna, you have learned well! If this is simple, I cannot wait to see the next level.”
“Thank you, your ladyship.”
“Let us be off to the parlor. I am quite starved this evening. I fear my expedition this day created a bit of an appetite.”
“Yes, milady. And you were quite tired, if I can be so bold. When you arrived back, you were a bit pale, as if you had seen a ghost.”
Maggie laughed aloud at that and quickly noted the look of concern on her maid’s face. “Oh, I apologize, Anna. I did not mean to laugh at you. You do not understand how close to the mark you were with that, is all.”
A look of confusion and relief passed over her servant’s face. “Yes, milady.” Anna followed her mistress into the parlor and immediately found a seat toward the back of the room.
“Welcome!” Max stepped away from the door, and to her astonishment, an elegant table set for two stood waiting behind him with a footman in service. Shep was curled up on the settee near the wall with one eye opened, in case any morsel should fall. Maggie had not been in this room in an age, and the delicate pink shades of velvet and satin in the curtains and upholstery gave the room a glowing hue of happiness. The gold and crystal appointments on the table only added to the elegance. She felt giddiness well up inside of her and hoped that she could shut out the real world with this man for at least this short time. She needed his smile. She wanted to remember every moment of tonight.
“You look beautiful. I had worried the day had over tired you, but Mother insisted we eat privately and discuss things. I thought of meeting in my office to discuss the contents of the box, but I gave in to her wishes.”
“That is unusual. She let it seem like it was my idea. She is crafty.” Maggie smiled as she allowed the footman to place her napkin and fill her glass. “I thought I saw you leave again this afternoon.”
“Mr. Nizal and I rode back to your house.” He placed his napkin down and looked up at her. “There are some things we need to discuss, Meg.”
“Such as?” Her bravado was threatening to quit on her. She needed to stay strong. If she thought a life together was possible for them, she might convince herself to stay. She would not endanger Max and his family. Her uncle and Slade were both reprehensible people. She already knew her uncle was smearing her name for a reason she did not understand, but Slade—he was scary. She wanted no more pain to come to Lady Worsley. She had already caused enough. But this dinner…this time was hers. It had to be special.
* * *
Max was happy to have this meal with her. Quiet, almost alone. Meg was brimming with more energy than she had this morning. She seemed excited. She caught him studying her and broke into a big smile.
“Why are you looking at me like that? It is as if you are a cat and I am a bird.”
“Ha! I know you would give me a merry chase. I might never catch your tail feathers.”
She leaned her head back and laughed. Tears of mirth leaked from the corners of her eyes. It was so good to see her smile.
“If I knew you wished to fly about like a canary, I would have only had to mention it to Mother. She would have ordered all of your dresses in yellow.” He grinned and stirred his soup with his spoon.
“I hate yellow with my hair, I confess, but to fly about would be lots of fun.” They both laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. Max sensed she was finally relaxing. He hated to change the subject, but they had to discuss things.
“We found something.” He pushed his chair back slowly and studied her face. Could she handle this?
“Tell me. Nothing you could tell me is worse than what I have imagined.” Maggie put down her spoon. Her excitement evaporated. This would be a terrible evening because what he had to say was horrible. “The carriage. It was a lucky stroke that Mother had it moved here. Nizal and I found several things wrong with it, and they all looked to be intentional.”
Maggie’s eyes darkened with pain. “You are telling me that someone intended to murder my family? Who would do such a thing?” Her voice shook. “How do you know?”
“Someone cut both the traces and an axle on the carriage but attempted to make it appear an accident.” He stopped. “Look, I feel like we both had different ideas about how this evening would go. You came in happy, and I have ruined the evening by forcing you to relive the worst day of your life.”
“You are doing what must be done.” Her lower lip trembled as she spoke.
He resisted the urge to kiss her pain away. Meg was distraught, and he needed to comfort her. “Should we take a few moments away from dinner and perhaps sit on the settee?”
Meg shook her head. “I will be fine. I have lived through worse.” She sniffed and sat up straighter in the chair. “Your family has been kind enough to shelter me from whatever has been happening. We must see this through. Please continue.” She clasped her hands in front of her on the table.
“The problem was that the carriage was fairly new, and the wood had no bad places.” He reached over and clasped her frozen hands in his, squeezing them gently as he continued. “The person who did this severely damaged the rear axle and the traces, the straps connecting the horse to the carriage through the breeching bar. The breeching bar hangs between each horse and the vehicle. Either breaking would ensure a horrific accident. The rear axle succumbed first, probably because of the rough roads. When it broke, it sent the carriage careening off the bridge and into the overflowing river. Mother’s quick action probably preserved the evidence without the perpetrator realizing it still existed. The remaining axle shows sabotage, but not enough to have created an accident. And a piece of axle my footman salvaged from the river shows a clean cut. Meg, the person who did this planned the accident.”
She lost her ability to contain her tears. “That is horrible. Perfectly horrible. My little brother was only just learning to swim. My poor mother could not swim. If I had been there, I could have helped.” Her throat clogged with emotion. “I was told my father drowned trying to save them both.” Tears streamed down her face. “I lost my family only days before Christmas. I have never celebrated the holiday since.” A cry escaped her.
Max removed his handkerchief from his waistcoat and handed it to her before continuing.
“The water was frigid. One horse drowned and the other only made it because it stayed afloat, although no one could explain how. It would have been a challenge for the best swimmers. The person who planned this seemed to know your parents’ habits. They must have known they would be together in the carriage.” Max grasped her hands over the table and rubbed them. “This is important, Meg. You are in danger.”
“Me? But why? Who?” Her voice trembled with fear. “Slade? He has never hurt me, and when he was in the house, he left without hurting me… It makes no sense. This is all so evil.” She became pensive.
“I read your father’s will, and I could read the birth certificate. Some very important things came to light that we need to discuss. Once I discovered these facts, Nizal, and I returned to the house.” He squeezed her hands lightly. “The box was the key to your life. That it stayed intact and hidden all this time is a miracle. We can continue this discussion in the morning, if you would rather.” He lifted her hands and swirled his fingers around in her palms, hoping to calm her even more.
“No. Despite my show of tears, my spine has toughened over the years. The abuse I have suffered has only made me more determined to find a better life.”
“Darling, I want to help you—”
Maggie spoke bravely, although all color had left her face. “Then tell me what you know. I have to clear the cobwebs that have subdued me and kept me prisoner these past years. Pray continue. I must hear all of it.” Her hands rested palms down, bracing for what
he would tell her.
Max kept his hands on the top of hers. “There are two other important details that your father’s lockbox revealed.” His eyes held hers. “The first is that your uncle had a bastard child.”
“A child…out of wedlock? Uncle Silas? So, the rumor your mother spoke of could have some basis.” Her tone was incredulous.
He glanced over at Anna, who stared out the window at something that held her interest. Damn. He had almost forgotten she was there. “Anna, would you ask my mother to join us?”
“Yes, milord.” The maid left immediately. Shep stood, stretched, and followed Anna through the open door.
“I thought we needed a bit of privacy.” He lowered his voice. “What I am to tell you is sensitive. And I believe it is important.” He hesitated. “The child is Nash Slade.”
“What? Slade? That would make him my…cousin.” She gulped between words as she worked them out of her mouth. “That cannot be true.”
“The birth certificate we found today says otherwise.” He allowed that to settle. “My guess is that he wants that document, and he probably will not stop looking until he has it.”
“So Slade wants to kill me for a birth certificate?”
“We cannot say it is Slade for certain. Perhaps he is working with his father.” Max felt almost nauseous saying the words out loud. Silas was using his own son for his dirty deeds. That made the man lower than any excuse for a human being. It seemed crazy, but he felt a small bit of empathy for Slade. If they could prove he had sabotaged the carriage, Max would see him hanged. “Your uncle stands to inherit your home if he survives you, so that means you are in danger.”
She gasped. “But why? Dear God…do you think he really had my parents killed? I thought so but had only a hunch. He cast me out with no feeling. Father had mentioned he was no longer paying his brother’s debts and had ordered him to get help with gambling. I heard him and Mother arguing one night about it. Mother told Father to pay something because Uncle Silas frightened her. He said he would not and planned to meet with him the same week he died…” Her voice fell quiet as she said the last words.
The Earl She Left Behind (The Noble Hearts Series; Common Elements #1) Page 9
