Knotted Legacy

by Brenda Murphy

  Martha’s heart ached as she heard the pain in her sister’s voice. “The smoke alarms would have gone off if they hadn’t been tampered with.”

  Elaine barked out a bitter laugh. “Smoke alarms should not be used as cooking timers.”

  “And you are changing the subject. We’re the only people in the house. You didn’t do it. Myfanwy didn’t do it. And I sure as hell didn’t do it. It only leaves Robin and Lucia.”

  “And Millie and Rachel, and everyone else. The staff has only been gone for two days. You said you hadn’t used the oven for over a week. Disabling the smoke alarms and leaving a pan of grease could have been done before anyone left.” Martha tapped her finger on the table top, punctuating her point.

  “General sabotage? To what end? It was directed at me.” Elaine took a sip of her water.

  “Or one of your staff. Why does it have to be about you?” Martha stood up and stretched.

  Elaine shifted in her seat. The loose gauze covering the burns on her arm was discolored. “I need to change this dressing. Can you help me?”

  “Of course. Do you have the antibiotic ointment?”

  “I think Myfanwy left it in the bathroom. She helped me this morning. How’s she doing in the kitchen?”

  Martha found the ointment in the bathroom next to a box of bandaging supplies. “What else do I need to bring?”

  “Bring the whole box. And a towel. Bring the pain medicine too.”

  Martha placed the box and bottle of pills on the table and spread the towel out. “She and Robin are going down your list. The new oven should be here next week. I’m having sprinklers installed as well. I should have done it after the fire with Bridget.”

  Elaine pursed her lips. “That one.” She placed her arm in the center of the towel.

  Martha waited for the gut clench, a regular occurrence whenever Elaine brought up Bridget and she would automatically think of Octavia, but for the first time since Octavia had left she didn’t. No pang of regret or moment of sadness. Peace. At last. Or at least what passed for it.

  She picked up the bandage scissors and cut the tape holding the gauze. She unwound the dressing slowly, stopping every time Elaine flinched, and sucked in her breath when a bit of the gauze stuck.

  “For fuck’s sake, we will be here all day if you stop every time I make a little noise.” Elaine frowned at Martha. “Get it over with.”

  “No wonder the nurses were so happy when I came to collect you.” She finished unwrapping the burn. Her stomach roiled when she looked at the wound covering the lower half of Elaine’s arm. Martha swallowed hard and blew out a breath. “Thank God your jacket took the worst of it.”

  “How’s your hand?” Elaine glanced at the reddened area on the back of Martha’s hand.

  “Healing. It’s annoying more than anything else.” Martha changed the dressing, following Elaine’s instructions, and took her time as she applied the fresh bandage. “Are you sure you don’t want me to call Roxy? I’m sure she’d come back to help you.”

  “No. She was excited to have the extra time with her niece and the new baby. I’m fine.” The color had gone from Elaine’s face. Her hand shook as she picked up her water glass to take her pills. She grimaced as she moved her arm off the table.

  “You need to rest.” Martha expected a fight, but Elaine nodded. Martha helped her to her bed and arranged a pillow to rest her arm on before she tucked Elaine in. She placed Elaine’s phone on the table. “I’ve got to do some work. Call me if you need me.”

  “Thank you.” Elaine caught Martha’s hand as she turned to go. “For everything. It would have been worse if you hadn’t put the fire out as quick as you did.”

  Martha smiled at her. “It’s what big sisters are supposed to do.” She squeezed her hand and let go of it before she turned off the bedside light.

  Elaine closed her eyes, and Martha waited a few minutes to make sure she was asleep before she left.

  “I KNOW ELAINE is in pain right now, but I will not be spoken to the way she has been talking to me. She all but accused me of trying to kill her.” Lucia shoved her arm in her jacket sleeve.

  “I’m sorry, I’ll speak to her.” Martha rolled the brim of her fedora in her hand. “I know it wasn’t you.”

  Lucia opened the door and stepped out, and Martha followed her. They didn’t speak as they crossed the yard to pass by the stables.

  Rachel passed by them, rolling a barrow of muck. “Morning, ladies,” she called.

  “Good morning,” Martha answered.

  Rachel dumped her load and rested the barrow. “You feeling better, Ma’am? Is Cook okay? It was lucky you were there.”

  “I’m fine. And Elaine is getting better every day.” Martha adjusted the brim of her fedora and turned to go.

  “Ma’am?”

  Martha turned back to Rachel.

  Rachel glanced at the barn. “I reviewed the fire plan for the barn. If you have time later, would you go over it?”

  “Certainly, Rachel. I’ll do it this afternoon. Come to my office at three.”

  “I’ll be there, Ma’am.” She took up the wheelbarrow and started whistling on her way back to the barn.

  Lucia kept her hands in her jacket pockets. Martha did not miss the angry set of her shoulders. They walked in silence. The wind picked up as they rounded the pond, and Martha pushed her fist deep in her pocket, wincing when the tender spot on her hand brushed against her coat.

  “It’s sore still?” Lucia’s voice broke through Martha’s thoughts.

  “A bit. Nothing like what Elaine is going through.”

  Lucia looped her arm through Martha’s and held on to her. “Do you think the blackmail and the fire are connected?”

  “Don’t you?” Martha leaned into Lucia’s body as they walked side by side, hips touching occasionally. “It seems like someone wants to destroy Rowan House one way or another.” They arrived at the trailhead, the rise providing a stunning view of Rowan House.

  “Sex work and employing sex workers is tricky. Some believe it’s never voluntary, that it always begs the question, are the workers truly free or are they being exploited? It’s never simple to run a house.” Lucia squeezed her fingers around Martha’s arm.

  “I’m not a pimp.” Martha pulled her arm free from Lucia’s grasp. “I’ve never forced anyone to work here.”

  “I didn’t say you did. But you do offer bonus pay for them compromising their physical and emotional safety. And you control their access to communication and transportation.” Lucia’s tone was neutral. She met Martha’s gaze. “I’ve been on both sides. I don’t regret what I’ve been and done, but I don’t want to do it anymore.”

  Martha flushed. Lucia’s words stung. “I’ve tried to be fair.”

  “I know you have.” Lucia’s gaze was steady, her voice kind. “I know you model your house after the Onyx, and the option of play without a safe word makes your house unique. But I can’t condone it, nor work anywhere the workers don’t have a say in how the house is run.”

  A flash of anger and overwhelming sadness filled Martha. She’s going to leave. She won’t return after she leaves to attend Madame. She said I was a gift. But she doesn’t have to accept a gift. She doesn’t want what she could have here. Doesn’t want me. “How would you propose to run a house?” Maybe Elaine was right. Maybe she wants to run her own house and wants to shut down the competition. Martha met Lucia’s gaze. “Is it what you’ll do? After Madame…” She hated saying it, saying Madame would die, hated thinking about it.

  Lucia frowned at Martha. “No. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m uncertain. I’ve never been free to make my own plans. The time I’ve spent here is the closest I’ve been to being free since I committed to Madame.”

  “If you hate it so much, why haven’t asked to be free? Asked her for your freedom?”

  Lucia pressed her lips in a thin line. A wave of sadness crossed her face. “I don’t think I can explain to you why it would be wrong for me t
o ask.” Unshed tears filled her eyes. “I know she would say yes, and that would be worse than her saying no. I don’t want to not belong to her. I wanted us to be equal. For her to respect the part of me that wanted to have her. I wanted her to give me what I gave her. She loves me. But not all of me.”

  Memories of screaming fights with Octavia, the hurt in her eyes, the silences, were worse than her begging Martha not go to the Onyx, to give to Octavia what she grew to need and wanted from Martha. She looked down and away from Lucia’s face, convicted in her heart by Lucia’s speech. At a loss for words she kept her focus fixed on the tops of her boots.

  Lucia broke the silence. “I got a letter from Madame. She wants me to return by the end of next week.”

  Martha looked up and met Lucia’s gaze. She tried to hide her sadness, the tender expression on Lucia’s face letting her know she had failed.

  Lucia reached out and touched her cheek. Martha grabbed her hand and brought her fingers to her lips and kissed them. She swallowed hard, struggling to keep her voice even. “Tell Millie what you need; she’s at your disposal.” She let go of Lucia’s hand and straightened her shoulders. Get it together. You knew it was coming. Keep it together.

  “Don’t.” Lucia gripped Martha’s shoulders.

  “What?”

  “Don’t shut me out. Don’t act like I’ve already left.” She pulled Martha close and pressed a kiss to her mouth. “Please.”

  She’s been leaving since she got here. Had one foot out the door. I am a fool. Get it together. Madame needs her. She must be ready. Ask to go with her. You can’t leave the house now. Don’t ask. She needs this time with Madame. They need to make their peace. “I’m fine. I knew what I was getting into from the first time we were together.” Martha moved out of her embrace. “Have I shown you the glen? You should see it before you go.”

  Lucia smoothed her features. “I’d like to see it with you.”

  She took Lucia’s hand, and they walked toward the glen, each lost in their own thoughts, the silence between them heavy and thick with unspoken dreams and desires.

  MARTHA STOMACH’S CLENCHED when she saw the email from the blackmailer come up in her feed. She clicked it open.

  I’m growing impatient. I don’t think you know who you are dealing with. This will be sent to the authorities in forty-eight hours if you don’t transfer the funds. Because you’ve tested my patience I’m doubling my demand. I thought you might enjoy this. I must say the new addition is marvelous. Ta.

  Martha tapped the video attachment, and it started to play. Lucia’s voice was clear, and Martha’s face came into focus. She shut it off. The video was of the first night she and Myfanwy were with Lucia. Bile filled her mouth. She rushed to the bathroom and vomited her breakfast.

  What the hell am I going to do? It has to be Lucia. Who else had access to recording equipment and would be in her room? Fuck. Why? Why? Maybe she’s crazy. She wiped the back of her mouth with her hand and closed the lid and flushed. The stench of her vomit set her stomach off again, and she swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth. She opened the bathroom window, the icy fresh air welcome on her face. Martha leaned her head on the sill until her stomach settled. She rinsed her mouth and brushed her teeth. Her head ached. Fuck. Elaine was right. How to catch her? Do I want to? Why would she do this? Got to talk to Elaine.

  She changed her shirt and paced her room. Why does she want money? Maybe she doesn’t know Madame is leaving her most of her estate. Maybe she’s afraid she’ll be broke again. Or maybe she hates everyone who does sex work. No, hates pimps. She sees me as a pimp. Am I? Maybe she’s right about the safe word. Elaine. I need to talk to Elaine. And Myfanwy.

  ELAINE DID NOT suppress the smug look on her face. “Now you’re not dazzled by her body, you’ve come to your senses. I knew she was trouble.”

  Martha rested her head in her hands. “Spare me the lecture. We need to have our shit together when we confront her.”

  Elaine drummed her fingers on the table. “If my arm was better, I know how I would want to handle it.”

  Martha snorted. “Flogging is not the answer to everything. I just want to know why. I have put a call in to the security specialist who stayed here a few years ago. I need to know how she did it. I was in the room. I would have noticed video equipment.”

  “Where’s Myfanwy? She was there too. Does she know about this video?”

  Martha flushed. “No. I hadn’t told her yet.”

  Elaine pursed her lips. “I told her to come to us after she finished cleaning the kitchen. She’s so paranoid now she checks behind everyone. It makes Robin crazy. Or should I say crazier.”

  Martha frowned. “Crazier?”

  “She insisted on the room under the stairs. The one we used for seclusion before we got the pit outfitted.”

  “Myfanwy said she had a thing about windows.”

  Elaine raised her eyebrows. “And she won’t eat anything she hasn’t fixed herself.”

  “Has she always been so odd?” Martha frowned.

  “No. I don’t know. She could have hidden it before. I don’t pay attention to who eats what at staff dinner, or if people even show up.”

  A tap and the door opened. Myfanwy entered, a frown on her face. “Sorry I’m late, Ma’am, Cook. I went to check on Mistress Lucia.”

  Martha sat up straighter in her chair.

  “She didn’t call for breakfast or lunch. I knocked on her door and she didn’t answer.” Myfanwy rested her hand on the doorframe.

  Elaine looked at Martha. “She wasn’t at dinner last night. Do you think she’s left?”

  “Millie would have told us if she had requested to use the car.” Martha stood up and dug her passkey from her pocket. “Let’s go see if she’s gone.”

  Myfanwy bustled out the door ahead of them. Martha nibbled her lip. “Why wouldn’t she answer the door?”

  “Maybe she knows you’ve figured it out.” Elaine walked close to Martha in the hall.

  “Figured what out, Ma’am, if it is okay for me to ask?” Myfanwy stopped and turned to stare at Martha and Elaine.

  “She’s behind the blackmail.” Elaine’s voice rose in pitch.

  Myfanwy frowned and shifted her gaze to Martha. “Is it true, Ma’am?”

  “We don’t have proof. Something my sister likes to forget.”

  “Who else could have made the video?”

  “Video?” Myfanwy met Martha’s gaze.

  “Of the night. The night we were all together.”

  Myfanwy moved her hand to cover her mouth. “It’s my fault. I bought you to her.”

  Martha reached out and clasped Myfanwy’s hand. “It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself.” Martha leaned in and kissed Myfanwy’s cheek.

  “I hate to interrupt a tender moment, but we have a criminal to apprehend.” Elaine quirked her mouth at them.

  Martha held on to Myfanwy’s hand, and they crossed the center stairs to Martha’s side of the house. They stopped outside Lucia’s door.

  Before Martha could stop her, Elaine pounded on the door with her good arm. “Come out of there. No use hiding from us.”

  Martha stepped in front of Martha and held up the passkey. “So much for surprising her.” She used the key and opened the door. The room was empty.

  Myfanwy stepped around Martha. She opened the bathroom door. “She’s not in here.”

  Elaine opened the drawers of the dresser. “Her clothes are here.”

  Martha opened the closet. She picked up her handbag and looked through it. “She might have left without her clothes, but she wouldn’t have left this behind. Her passport and wallet are still here.”

  Myfanwy came and stood next to Martha. “Her personal things are in the bathroom, Ma’am.” She crossed her arms. “She wouldn’t have left with nothing. Her glasses are by the bed.”

  Elaine pressed lips in a thin line. “Maybe she’s not working alone. Maybe whoever she’s working with wanted her gone.”

  Marth
a’s pulse sped up. “Call the others. We need to find her. Myfanwy, have Robin and Rachel check the grounds outside. You and Millie check the lower house. Elaine and I will check all of the rooms on both sides of the upper level of the house.” She handed Myfanwy her phone. “Call if you find her. Meet us in the ballroom in an hour.”

  Myfanwy left to carry out her instructions.

  Elaine waited until she was gone. “Let’s search the room while she’s gone. Maybe I was wrong.”

  THEY SEARCHED EVERYWHERE in Lucia’s room for a hidden camera and came up empty. They moved down the hall, checking each room and locking them after they left. Anxiety rose in Martha with each room they cleared. They finished their search and went to the ballroom to meet the others. They arrived before the rest of the group.

  Martha noticed how drawn Elaine looked. “You need to rest.”

  “I’m fine. We need to check the playrooms and the dungeon.” Elaine met Martha’s gaze. “I know I’ve been hard on her, but if she’s in danger, or hurt, we need to find her.”

  Martha pulled a folding chair over. “Sit down while we wait for the others.”

  “We need to check the lower-level playrooms and the dungeon.”

  “Why? You and I are the only one with keys to the dungeon.” Elaine patted her pocket.

  “With what has gone on, I’m not taking anything for granted.” Elaine’s face was pale.

  Martha rested her hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you wait for the others? I’ll go check the playrooms and the dungeon. If I find her, I’ll bring her back here.”

  “Okay.” Elaine leaned back in the chair. “Be careful.”

  Martha hurried down the stairs to the lower level. She checked the playrooms. They were empty. She opened the door to the dungeon and turned on the lights. Everything was in place. The video monitors. She pressed the button, and the tapestry moved to reveal the video screens. She turned them on. The pit was empty. She leaned her head against the wall. Where are you, Lucia? Where did you go? And why? Did you plan this? Are you hiding?

  She turned off the monitors and pressed the button, and the tapestry slid back into place. She returned to Elaine. She could hear Myfanwy’s voice and the rest of the group talking excitedly as she approached. Hope filled her chest.