Philip’s thought was that the guilty party would confess to seeing Ewan in the garden, and that is what happened. Unless he was wrong, Muriel thought. Perhaps the three couples were in on it together, trying to get their hands on all the artifacts without having to pay for them.
“Get them out of the house!” Philip was red in the face, and Muriel actually thought what was happening was real.
Gabriel and Nolen hustled the two suspected thieves from the room. There was a carriage waiting out front, and once Muriel and Ewan were inside, it took off like a shot. Muriel knew the plan was to get them far enough from the front door that the suspects could jump from the carriage and rush for the cover of trees before the other house guests arrived to watch the carriage make its way down the path.
Whoever was driving the carriage barely slowed down so they could jump. Ewan went first, and Muriel landed in his arms. They fell and rolled, and then rushed to the trees before Muriel heard Della scream out, “They deserve it!”
“Over here.” The muttered words made Muriel gasp, until she realized it was Pansy’s voice. The maid was motioning them toward her. They ran to her and she led them through a side door.
“This way,” she said. They went down several long hallways until they came to a set of double doors.
“Where are we?” Muriel asked.
“Somewhere we probably shouldn’t be,” Ewan said.
“True,” Pansy replied. “These were the marquis’s apartments. They have been cleared of his personal effects, so they might seem empty. There is only one bed, but Philip said that wouldn’t be a problem since the two of you are lovers. There is a sunken tub you can use, and we’ll deliver food in a little while.”
She pushed open the door and then rushed the other way.
“Since we’re lovers?” Muriel said. She counted to five, and then counted to five again before she thought she had herself under control enough to speak again. “Did you tell Philip we’re lovers?”
“No, I suppose he thought so since he caught me spanking your bare bottom.” He indicated she should enter the room. She did so, and was about to scream at him about letting Philip know they were not lovers.
“Oh my heavens above,” she said when she was barely inside the room. Ewan pushed her farther in and closed the door behind them. She stared at the furnishings; the golden frames on the photos and the bed that looked like it would fit the whole staff of her bookstore in London.
To the right of the bed was the sitting area, which was centered around a fireplace that was large enough to fit an army. And to the left was a doorway. Muriel marched toward it, ignoring Ewan as he asked where she was going.
She opened the door and stopped in her tracks. There was a sunken tub that took up almost all of the room.
“How would they heat that much water at a time?” Muriel asked.
“There is a hot water spring near here,” Ewan said. “I don’t understand how it all works, but I do know it’s piped in somehow, and then the water disappears down a drain and the water is used in the gardens.”
“That’s a very specific thing to know about the bath water,” she said. “Did you help build the house?”
“No.” He crossed the room and sat down on the sofa, stretching his feet out in front of him.
“Then how do you know about the water disposal?”
He shrugged. “I’ve heard that’s how it’s done at many houses now,” he said.
Muriel glared at him. Something was off about this situation. She wasn’t sure what, but she knew most people didn’t know details like Ewan had just told her. She wanted to scream at him, to see if she could get him to tell her more about the water. Instead she moved about the room, examining the statues and furniture.
“How many times have you been here?” she asked.
“A few,” he said.
“Two is a few, so two?”
“I don’t think there’s a specific number assigned to a few,” he said, and then he sighed. “I’m hungry. I hope they bring us food soon.”
It was like the world was spinning around her. In the last two days she’s received an incredible orgasm at the hands of a man she barely knew, and those same hands had spanked her until her bottom had burned.
Now she was stuck in a room with the same man, and expected to spend the night with him until this was resolved, things that involved her being thought of as a thief.
“Something is rotten in Denmark,” Muriel said.
“It’s a good thing we’re in France,” Ewan said. He got up and walked toward the bed. She watched him as he yanked a bell pull.
“You walked right to that,” she said. “You’ve been in this room before.”
He plopped down on the bed. He crossed his ankles and joined his hands over his chest.
“I want the truth about what is happening here,” she said. “You’ve set this up somehow, or Mrs. Temple did. The two of you did something to lure me here, but the question is why? And how is it that you know the marquis’s bedroom so well?”
She waited for him to answer, and when he didn’t she said, “Let me guess, you’re the marquis.”
“No, the marquis is dead, at least the old marquis is dead.” He opened his mouth and closed it without saying anything, and then he said, “The staff is not aware of the new marquis’s identity.”
“Is that you?” She pointed a finger in his direction. “You’re lying to me, aren’t you?”
“No, I am not the new marquis, but a friend of mine is. We worked together before he came into his title and money. He’s sitting downstairs trying to find evidence that Philip and Pansy are stealing his uncle’s possessions, his uncle being the late marquis.”
Muriel stared at him. “You used me.”
“I did, and I apologize,” he said. “What can I do to make it up to you?”
“When you approached me in London, did you know Mrs. Temple? Did she know you were using me? Was she part of this?”
“No,” he said. “Philip contacted her to try and make the sale look legitimate. He invited all three couples, who have expressed interests in erotic items in the past. My friend took the place of one of the couples.”
“How did he do that, kidnap them so he could pretend to be them?”
“No, he offered items they wanted to buy, and money. Lots of money.”
Muriel sat down on the edge of the bed. “Please tell me he didn’t give them the Fortuna reliefs, and that’s the reason they’re gone.”
“No, they are gone because they were stolen, by Philip,” Ewan said. “Now, I am sorry I set you up. Please tell me what I can do to make it better.”
She thought about it for a few moments before she said, “You can answer every question I ask with the absolute truth.”
“I await your every question,” he said.
She had so many of them, but she wasn’t sure what to ask first. The room was silent as she pondered her first question.
When there was a knock at the door she turned toward it. “Who is it?” she called out.
“Pansy.” Her voice came through the door. “I have food for you but the door is locked.”
Muriel stared at Ewan, who stayed where he was. She went to the door and opened it. Pansy stood there, looking confused. She pushed a cart into the room and left it near the sofa.
“If you need anything please let me know,” she said. She started for the door, but stopped. “The passage way from the main house to this room is locked. I’m going to unlock it so you can come and go to the main part of the house.”
She crossed to the fireplace and turned a knob. A panel opened in the wall. Without saying another word, Pansy rushed out the door.
“The door didn’t make a noise,” Muriel said. “That’s the way they’ve been taking items out of this room. I would bet that there is a room along the passageway that is full of very expensive items. It would explain why there is nothing but furniture in this room.”
“I’m sure you’re right,�
�� he said. “We just have to figure out a way to pin the thefts on Philip and Pansy.”
Chapter 6
Muriel popped a piece of cheese into her mouth and said, “So, to sum things up, Simon and Julia Petit are not really Simon and Julie Petit.”
“They are the new marquis and marchioness,” Ewan said. He ate a piece of cheese.
“What about Fake Simon’s real aunt?”
“She left the house after her husband’s death,” Ewan said. “She hated her life here, except for the money. Fake Simon said she is in Italy.”
“How did Fake Simon figure out Philip and Pansy were taking items out of the house?”
“Fake Simon was at an auction in Paris, and he saw something he knew was from his uncle’s house,” Ewan said. “He looked over the catalogue and saw many items for sale. That’s when he contacted me.”
“And how do you know him?” she asked. “And, before you answer, what is Fake Simon’s real name?”
“Victor,” Ewan said. “And his wife’s name is Sofia. But I think, for the sake of not making a slip-up in front of Philip or Pansy that we continue to call them Simon and Julia.”
Muriel nodded. “How did you meet Fake Simon?”
“We did several archeological digs together,” he said.
“You’re an archeologist?” she asked. She thought about her parents, and all the things they had done in their lifetime, and all the places they had taken her.
“I am,” he said.
“Did you study at university?”
“Oxford,” he said. “And you?”
“No,” she said. “But my parents taught me quite a great deal.”
“Your parents were wonderful people,” he said. “I always wanted to work with them, and I am sorry I never had the chance.”
“They would be sorry, too,” she whispered. “I know they would have liked you.”
A lump formed in her throat. She cleared it and managed to say, “You were telling me about meeting Fake Simon. Tell me about your time together.”
“We were wild bachelors at first, and then he met Sofia, and well, things changed. I didn’t find out he came from money until we’d known each other for a few years. I had no idea that money came with a title until his uncle died. I think Victor hoped his young aunt would produce an heir and he wouldn’t have to be the marquis.”
“You mean Fake Simon,” she said. She took a sip of wine. Ewan had opened the bottle after Pansy had delivered the food. They’d finished half the bottle already, and Muriel felt very calm, despite the fact that they were following the plan of someone who was guilty, and was probably trying to figure out a way to get rid of her and Ewan so they would look guilty.
“We need to examine the secret corridor,” she said.
“Yes, but not right now,” he said. “It would be better if we waited.”
Muriel giggled. “Because that worked so well the last time. We managed to get to the auction room in time to watch Philip spank Pansy.”
“Are you complaining about the orgasm I gave you?”
Muriel’s face heated at the memory of his fingers on her most private of places. “That’s not what we’re talking about.”
“I seem to remember lots of moaning and groaning and words that described how much you liked feeling my fingers on your clit.”
She needed to change the subject as quickly as possible, because her clit was responding in ways that were not appropriate at the moment.
“I think we need to explore the corridor before Philip finds out that Pansy was dumb enough to show us the passageway.”
The look on his face told her he was considering her words. He frowned and said, “It wasn’t really bright of her to reveal the location, was it?”
Muriel followed his train of thought. “No, it wasn’t.”
They turned at the same time and stared at the panel.
“There’s a trap in there somewhere,” he said. “We need to consider the consequences of entering that tunnel.”
Muriel started to pace. “She gave me directions to the auction room when I’d known her for two minutes.”
“They had it planned from the start,” Ewan said. “That means—”
“That means Fake Simon and Fake Julia are in trouble,” she said. “They’ve known from the start. We need to get to them, now!”
Before she made it two steps Ewan put his arm around her waist.
“We need to make a plan,” he said. “Philip has worked here a long time, and he probably knows everyone in the area. If he calls for help from the local constabulary, they are likely to believe him, and not us.”
“But Fake Simon is the marquis,” she said.
“With no proof of possessing the title,” Ewan said.
He held her close and she stared up into his eyes. “We need to discuss a plan, and we need to have something to eat because I’m starved.” He kissed her forehead and moved toward the tray.
“What if it’s been drugged, so that we fall asleep and they are able to carry out their nefarious plans?”
He picked up a piece of bread and took a bite. “I’ll eat and if I fall asleep in a few hours then we know it was drugged.”
Muriel couldn’t help but smile. “I’m going to take a bath now, if I can figure out how the knobs work. Please stay over here and eat all you want. If you’re asleep when I return I will save the Fake Simon without you.”
“I’ll wake up in time to save the day, I’m sure,” Ewan said. He’d been looking at the food, but before she turned toward the bath area he caught her eye. “Do you need me to scrub your back? Or perhaps I should come in and help you figure out how to work the faucets. That’s what they’re called. Faucets.”
“I’ve heard the word before,” she said. “Now, stay here.”
She went into the bath area and examined the elaborate tiles in and around the bath. Blues and greens and yellows mixed in with gold inlay. It almost seemed a shame to use it.
Almost.
She knelt and examined the knobs. There was a pulled up one and Muriel noticed a hole in the bottom that was closed. She pressed it down and it opened. She pulled on the second knob and water came out of the faucet. It was so warm that steam started to fill the area.
“Hot water spring,” she whispered. She quickly closed the opening at the bottom and watched as water started to pool in the huge tub. She watched a little, knowing it would take a while to fill the bath.
She took a deep breath, and then started to undo her clothing. She was looking forward to soaking in the hot water and letting her mind wander. Something told her she would think of the solution to their problem while the hot water was caressing her skin.
And while Ewan is scrubbing your back, a voice inside her mind said.
Stop that! She pushed away the thought of Ewan joining her in the tub. It was a fact she had thought about seducing him, but they had more important things to think about now. There had to be a way to warn Fake Simon that he was in danger.
They could climb out the window or they could go out the front door.
The steam filled the room, giving it an atmospheric, almost gothic feel. She stepped away from her clothes and went to the tub, carefully taking the steps one at a time. The water enveloped her feet, her calves and her thighs. When she was up to her lower back she sighed in pleasure.
“You look like Venus rising from the waters, except you’re descending, and I believe she was in a seashell and not a bathtub suited for five people.”
Stay calm, she said to herself. “I thought we agreed you would stay in the other room.”
“No, you agreed,” he said. “I couldn’t sit in there any longer and think about the beautiful naked woman taking a bath so close to me.”
Muriel sat down on the stone. After she’d reached behind her and closed off the faucet, she looked up at him, thankful for the steam that, hopefully, hid her gaze from him.
“You need to go,” she said. “I’m not comfortable with you here.”
>
“Well, let’s even things out, shall we?” He started to undress and Muriel’s eyes widened.
“Stop that!”
“These are the only clothes I have here,” he said. “I don’t want to get them wet, which means I can’t get in the tub wearing them.”
His chest was bare now, and his fingers were undoing the buttons on his trousers.
“Ewan, I must insist that you stop undressing and leave this room.”
Muriel didn’t trust herself around him when he was naked. He was too handsome, too masculine, too alluring.
“Ewan, please.” The steam surrounded him, but even with the wisps filling the air she could see that he was naked now, and his manhood jutted straight up. She fastened her gaze on him and licked her lips.
He was moving down the stairs now, making no moves to hide his nakedness.
“Your manhood is—” She wasn’t sure what to say. She’d felt him pressed against her the other day when they’d watched the spanking.
“It’s a prick,” he said. He was walking through the water, heading toward her. “Call it what it is.”
“Leave.”
“Say prick, Muriel,” he said as he stepped in front of her. “Talk about my prick, which is as hard as those sweet little pebbles at the end of your breasts. Your mind is telling you to say no, but your body wants to know what it feels like to be loved.”
“No,” she whispered. Then she put her head on his chest, her own chest heaving at the excitement she felt. “Yes, I do, but this isn’t the time, or the place.”
“But it is,” he said. “As you can see, the food was not drugged, which to me means they are not planning anything too quickly.”
Ewan stroked his finger down her shoulder. She shivered at his touch.
“They will wait until dark, I believe, which means we have a few hours to spend together.”
Their faces were inches apart, his lips close to hers. “Kiss me,” he said.
“No,” she said. “If I remember right, you were disgusted by the fact that I am a virgin. You made the word sound as if I had the plague.”
Muriel’s Adventures Page 7
