“Tea, coffee, hot chocolate?”
“Not at all amusing.”
“All right, a bit of mulled wine it is then.”
“Or whiskey! Lead the way. I’ll go anywhere for a drink, you know that.”
The two men headed up the stairs and went directly to the library when Darcy stopped and rapped on the door before opening. “Is someone else here?” Fitzwilliam grumbled. “Oh, damn me, Darcy, I just wanted a moment alone to smoke, have a drink,” His gaze swept the room, looking for any unwanted relative lurking about, until he saw a tall man standing before the fireplace. His heart sprang up into his throat. It couldn’t be.
“Teddy?”
The young priest spun around. “There you are! Happy Christmas, Papa.”
The family spent the next several hours fussing over their own Father Edward Fitzwilliam. Once word of his return spread downstairs both families had come running, whooping and shouting with excitement. Wassail punch flowed freely, his favorite minced pies, biscuits, sweets and dishes were prepared and brought up by long-standing family servants who had yet to leave for the day, or had returned early, greeting the youngest Fitzwilliam with joyful tears. Questions about his health, his travels, his mission house in China, Chinese culture, Chinese people, were never ending.
Fitzwilliam heard little of it, content merely to settle back in his chair and observe. There could be nothing more gratifying, he mused, than for a parent to see his children all safe and healthy. He nudged Darcy. “How in the world did you keep our Teddy’s visit a secret?”
“That was simple enough. I had no idea he was coming. He just showed up on our doorstep this morning, knowing full well we would be gathering here this year for Christmas instead of Pemberley and wanting to surprise you.” Darcy settled on the arm of Lizzy’s chair. “And may I say, Father Ted, that you look remarkably fit.” He pointedly eyed the priest’s emerging belly. “Eating well, are we?”
“As you remember I am much like my father in that regard, Uncle Wills – never met a meal I didn’t like. They feed me constantly.”
Fitzwilliam chuckled between puffs on his pipe. “Sounds all right, I must say. I shall have to visit. Have you made many converts, son?”
“Not many, Papa; however, they are too polite to interrupt so I continue to proselytize. Enough about me. Uncle Wills I’m glad to see you’ve adopted the German custom of holiday trees and decorations. Father, why don’t you decorate as well? It’s very jolly.”
“Oh, he has, Father Ted.” Elizabeth selected a chocolate from a plate at her side. “The Fitzwilliam home today looks like a page from Illustrated London News, tree and all.”
“Well, the girls pester me – you know, it’s for them.” Meg and Beth rolled their eyes at this, knowing he was the biggest child of all. “You’ll see tonight.”
“Speaking of the girls, what grand news to hear Anne Marie will be returning.” He patted Roberta’s head as the children played in the center of the room before him. “I cannot believe this little one is so grown up.”
“I do remember you, you know.” Roberta beamed.
“Impossible. You were too little when I left.”
“I was amazingly precocious.”
“You were a terror – always pulling off your shoes and throwing them out the window.”
“Yes! I remember that too. Oh, Mama will be so happy you’re home.”
“Well, not forever, but now I want to get to know all my new nieces and nephews, reacquaint myself with Will Darcy the Second over there, and have time with my family, my sisters, my cousins, my brothers… by the way, Kath, where are the others?”
“Other what?”
“Brothers. Mark and Luke. I am anxious to see them both.”
George lifted his youngest child onto his lap. “By Jove, I’d completely forgotten about them with the excitement of having you home, Ted.”
Kathy fanned herself. “Well, I have surprising news for you, husband. Apparently, the reason for Mark escorting Bunny Armitage to her relatives’ home in Hampstead is – wait until you hear this – he has arranged for Luke to meet them there… with one of my Mama’s rings!” When he did not react as she’d hoped, she explained. “He is proposing, silly. To Bunny. He may be doing just that at this exact moment. Proposing marriage. Why are you smiling?”
George patted her hand. “Kathy, we all know that.” She looked about the room and everyone nodded. Even Birdy and Amanda Rose stopped eating chocolates long enough to confirm Mark had said the same to them.
“I don’t believe you. You mean you all knew Mark was planning to propose and no one told me?”
“Mark wished to keep it secret. Telling you is like announcing it from the window at Buckingham Palace.”
“Now that you mention it,” Elizabeth replaced her teacup on the saucer. “Luke visited us here yesterday morning; said he’d paid a king’s ransom to the jeweler and was off to the depot to deliver the ring to Mark. Luke promised to return and tell us what happened, but he never did.”
Kathy was still glaring at her husband. “I do not believe I’ve ever been so insulted in my life. Even the children knew?”
“Only the ones old enough to walk.” George popped a candy into his mouth.
“Never mind about that now.” The anxious feeling Matthew had been trying to ignore was turning into real concern. He began to pace to the windows and back, his stomach tied in knots. “Something is very wrong,” he mumbled. “I can feel it.”
“Oh gracious.” Smoothing the tight bun on back of her head Clarissa sighed. “Not this drivel again, Matthew.”
“It is not drivel to me, wife.”
“Speak plainly you two,” demanded Fitzwilliam.
A long-suffering sigh escaped her. “Matthew and Mark believe they are privy to each other’s thoughts, feel what each other is feeling – merely because they are twins. Is that not the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard?”
“Not really.” Beth took her sister Meg’s hand in hers. “We understand that feeling as twins ourselves, do we not, sister?”
“Actually, Beth, you are a complete mystery to me at times. I mean really! Insisting we wear identical dresses and matching flowers in our hair? We looked like a music hall performance.”
“Oh my goodness, that was one time! Seven years ago! So sorry if I offended–”
“Enough.” Darcy’s quiet works stopped the bickering at once, except for Clarissa, who had not yet noticed the rising tension.
“It’s ridiculous. They oftentimes play a game when Mark visits, writing something down on a piece of paper – a color, or an object – and, if the other can guess what’s written, they take a drink. By morning they are stupidly intoxicated, their papers a series of crossed out and mismatched words. It is most disgusting.”
Matthew exploded. “Will you be quiet! Mark is in trouble, I know he is. Something is very wrong.”
It was at that moment Luke strolled into the room. “Happy Christmas, everyone; sorry I’m late. Uncle Wills, Auntie Eliza, the house looks wonderful, but no one is downstairs. It looks as if the party ended early this year.” He glanced around. “Teddy! Damn me, when in blazes did you arrive? Come here.” As he embraced his brother, Luke noticed everyone staring at him. Throwing an arm around Teddy’s shoulder he looked about and sighed. “All right, all right; what is it? What have I done now?”
“Where is Mark?” Matthew feared in his heart that Luke had no answer.
“Mark? Have no idea. I never heard from him.”
“You were to take the train and meet him, were you not?”
“Yes. Why are you glaring at me? See here, we took the train to the Hampstead as Mark requested, believing he’d meet us there; however, I never saw him. He was not at the station when I arrived, I waited, and since I had no idea where in Hampstead they were visiting we just took the returning train.”
“Weren’t you at all curious?”
“Well, knowing Mark I merely surmised he’d changed his mind.
Wouldn’t be the first time with those two.”
“Where have you been all this time then?”
“What is this? Not that it’s any of your business, Matthew, but I proceeded on to Jeff Malboro’s for cards, and other recreational activities – did excellently well too, thank you very much! What in the world is the matter? Has no one heard from Mark?”
Fitzwilliam felt a pain begin in his chest as fear began to take hold. “I’m certain everything is fine. No need to worry needlessly.”
“Madam?” The butler entered with a note for Alice. After she read the first lines her face paled.
“What is it?” her husband asked in alarm.
“You read it, Harry, please. It is a response from Bunny Armitage to my note this morning.”
Harry nodded, then read. “Dearest Alice, I thank you for your warm wishes and the kind offer of your home for an engagement dinner. Unfortunately, Mark has again disappointed by failing to appear at our home to escort my parents and myself to the house party of our relatives, as he had promised. This thoughtlessness left me no recourse but to cancel my visit with my grandfather and his new wife, whom I abhor. The new wife, not my grandfather. You can imagine my humiliation. I have been accustomed to his casual treatment of me – he often forgets appointments, his work claiming any attentions not reserved for his family…but, I can no longer approve this behavior. It is with great regret that I shall no longer be entertaining thoughts of wedded bliss with Mark Fitzwilliam, hence eliminating the need for an engagement dinner entirely. Yours sincerely.”
Harry offered the note to Darcy then hurried to Fitzwilliam’s side, concerned by the stricken look on his step-father’s face.
“What could she mean? Where is our darling brother?” Meg and Beth spoke at the same time, immediately taking hold of each other’s hands.
As everyone looked around, alarm growing by the moment, Darcy cleared his throat. “I do not recall Mark ever being unkind before. Ever. Something truly is wrong.”
“Merciful heaven. He could be unconscious. He could be bleeding in the street, or worse. We have to search for him. He could be lying in one of those awful hospitals. He could be…” Kathy’s voice trailed off before she finished her thought.
“Nonsense. You are all such alarmists! Although–” Clarissa tapped a finger on her chin. “But it’s too bizarre to even consider.”
Before Matthew could start shouting Lizzy turned the woman around to face her. “What are you saying, Clarissa?”
“Well, while representing the Church of England Temperance Society in memory of our dearly departed Prince Albert, Lady Stanton, Lady Belling and I did visit several hospitals during the country’s mourning period.”
“And…” encouraged Lizzy.
“And, I thought… for a brief moment… a drunkard in one of them looked similar to your Mark. But the idea is absurd, of course.”
Matthew approached her slowly. “And you are telling me this now, knowing how uneasy I’ve been?”
“I suggest you not take that tone with me, Matthew. It was only a momentary thought, I find it very difficult to differentiate among the lower classes.”
Matthew controlled his anger for once. “Where was this?”
“Oh really, how could you even think that a member of this family would be lying in some filthy hospital? The very idea is ridiculous.” She grimaced as Matthew grabbed her arm. “Stop that, you’re hurting me!”
“Forgive me, dearest. Now, think, which hospital was it?”
“Matthew,” Father Ted cautioned. “Calm yourself.”
“I certainly can’t remember right this moment. It could have been Guy’s Hospital, or St. Thomas, or The Royal Free Hospital, or St. Mary’s – now, let go of my arm!”
Matthew released her so suddenly she fell back into her chair and was ready to immediately jump back onto her feet and scratch his eyes out. However, by that time the room was in an uproar with Matthew, Luke, George, Harry, Darcy and Anthony Milagros all shouting at once.
Chapter 17
“Not a trace of the good doctor today. Must be very busy with his fancy, Harley Street clientele. How is our handsome fellow?”
Abstracted, Martha looked up briefly from mixing a medicinal draught. “Mr. Bridges?”
Annie Kelly snorted out a laugh. “Not hardly, I refer to our patient here. My doesn’t he look improved! I’d tuck my shoes under his bed anytime.”
“You are a terrible sinner.”
“No. Actually, I am an excellent sinner. Would you like some hot buttered bread and tea?”
“Yes, that sounds wonderful.”
Mark reached out his hand. “I would slay a dragon for a cup of coffee.”
“Oho, never tell me you are awake!” Annie Kelly covered her face. “Now I’m ever so embarrassed.” Her voice trailed off when she peeked and saw the two people before her seemed to have eyes only for each other. “I said, I am ever so… never mind. Shall I go ahead and get the tea and coffee then? Martha? Martha, I seem to have amputated my hand, shall I stick it back on?”
“Whatever you think best.” Martha’s eyes sparkled with joy. A grinning Sister Kelly walked from the room, shaking her head.
“You’ve had a nice rest. How are you feeling?”
“Another douse of laudanum? You really must stop. My brain is all cotton fuzz.”
“All right, I promise you no more laudanum, besides your color is better, your pain seems more manageable now – is it?”
“Absolutely.”
“Ah. Then I do believe you’re well on your way to recovery.” She sounded very professional to herself, not at all regretful.
“I wish you hadn’t allowed me to sleep so long, I was enjoying our talks.”
“Do you even remember what they were about?”
“No. I merely know I was listening to you and enjoying myself. Did you mean what you said?”
“About what?”
“You find me handsome, and you’d tuck your shoes under my bed any time.”
“Sister Kelly is the one with the sinful shoes. But…” Feeling her loneliness for him already, she took his hand in hers and kissed it. “I should not say this, but if I were to tuck my shoes under any man’s bed, it would be yours.”
His eyelids lowered with desire. “I want more than your shoes in my bed… Damn me, that didn’t sound as romantic as I’d hoped.”
She smiled at him. “I understand.”
“Do you? I don’t believe you really do. Allow me to speak plainly, my angel. I am in love with you.”
She stared at him for a long while. “Nonsense, we don’t even know each other. Please don’t say such things. You may have a wife, children.”
“It doesn’t matter. Heaven forgive me but, I can’t stay away from you.” Cupping the back of her head he urged her lips down to his, slowly tasting them, nibbling until her mouth parted. She moaned with pleasure. It was heaven. She’d never felt such a desire for a man, such need.
Her head angled for deeper, more urgent kisses. “This isn’t right,” she whimpered against his lips.
“Bloody hell it isn’t,” he was becoming more aggressive, more insistent. His hand began to roam, fondle and caress her breast, her hip…
“Sister Clarke! Have you lost your senses!”
Martha jumped to her feet, light headed and dizzy, her heart pounding. “Mister Bridges!” She looked about herself, still in a daze of lust. Over twenty-four hours without sleep, along with constant worry about this patient, had clouded her reason. Again. Still there seemed nothing she could do to keep herself from loving this man.
“And you also appear to be intoxicated!”
“Certainly not.”
Mark wondered who could be speaking so rudely to the woman he loved. “What is it, Martha? Who is that?” His memory was slowly returning and with it the inherent entitlement of a member of a rich and powerful family. Mark was incensed. Only a brigand would dare speak to any lady in this manner, and only someone with a d
eath wish dare speak like that to his lady!
“Quiet, you filthy animal! Sister Clarke, I shall be reporting this dissolute behavior to your betters. Just look at your appearance, your clothes disheveled, your hair coming undone. You are a disgrace, a very poor specimen indeed of both your gender and your profession, and may I add validating the generally accepted opinion that nursing is but a step up from a whore! I shall make it my business to see that you never work in this hospital again! Get out of my sight!”
“How dare you… speak in such a … give me a moment, here!” Mark had pushed himself into a sitting position and was having difficulty breathing, already exhausted from the exertion.
Martha spun around and pressed her hand to his chest. “You will tear your stitches, please lie down, Bob.”
“You have the nerve to turn your back on me, Clarke? Wait until I discuss your behavior with the governors of this hospital. I can assure you that no decent person would think to work with you again! I hope you are listening to me, I hope you realize the severity of your base actions.”
However, she had stopped listening the moment she saw the physician motion for an orderly to bring over a table where he set down a large bowl and several odd looking knives.
“You cannot think to bleed him again, not so soon after the last time.”
“How dare you tell me what I can or cannot do! Such insolence is not to be borne. I want you out of this hospital, immediately. Sister Kelly, I order you to come here at once and secure the patient’s arm.”
Annie Kelly’s employment, as others of the hospital staff, was at the whim of the hospital board. She would never stand up to the men in authority no matter what insults she spoke outside of their hearing. What could Martha do? Her patient was only recently regaining strength, he was still vulnerable, weak. No, this would not do! This man was her patient, her responsibility to protect any way possible.
Besides that, she loved him.
“Do not dare touch this man.”
“What did you say?”
Martha braced herself before her patient’s bed.
Saints and Sinners Page 16
