authoritative
voice sent shivers of the nicest kind down Maggie's spine. He nipped the soft
flesh of her buttock warningly.
"Yes, no, which?" Nash
asked.
"Oh just get on with
it," Perry said crossly. "Have you news of Dye?"
Nash nodded. "He's safe at
Lyddbrook Manor. When he couldn't find you at The Pike he had the sense to send
word to me. His injuries are improving, and his temper is worsening. I only
kept him there by threats and coercion. He's being fussed over by Mrs. Dagwood who has miraculously been able to
return." He winked. "So rest assured there's nothing to worry there."
Maggie decided the time had
arrived to ask the question uppermost in her mind, ever since she found Perry.
"What happened to Abraham?"
Perry jerked. "My
employer?" he asked, in an ironic tone. "I wondered whether he would
show up."
Nash straightened. "Suppose
we all put our cards on the table and fess up with what we do know? Ladies, can I be very male and overbearing and ask you to take
these remains out and I'll clear a space on the table for us to use to plot and
plan?"
"He just wants us out of the
way," Felicity said in a voice designed to carry all around the room.
"So they can discuss things they think we shouldn't hear."
Maggie sniggered. "Are they
going to compare who has the biggest prick?"
Felicity snorted. "Who is the biggest prick, more like."
She lifted up the tray now covered with crumbs and little else.
"We heard that," Nash
said, and Maggie could hear the amusement running through his voice.
"You were supposed to,"
Felicity said as she left the room.
The laughter followed Maggie as she followed Felicity along the corridor
and toward the kitchen.
"Men," Felicity said.
Maggie heard the fondness in Felicity's voice. "Necessary but how they can
tease. Seriously Maggie, how are you both?"
Maggie leaned on the kitchen door
to close it. "He's in pain, and won't give in, I'm hurting for him. It's a
damnable situation, Felicity. All of us in danger and not knowing where it'll
come from or when. Perry recovering but forgetting things he's sure are
important, and now Nash with information we all need to hear, and I don't know
about. You and I, involved in things we don't fully understand and that blasted
Gussie Gravesend involved in all things murky. I know she was a hoyden as a
girl, but treason? It seems beyond belief."
Felicity shivered. "She
always wanted what others seemed to possess and more. I think Gravesend was of
a like mind. He is the one man I met who to me personified evil. Judith's
husband Welland, who I despise with a vengeance, was a fool, and easily led,
but not, I don't think, evil, just weak. Mortimer Gravesend was something
different entirely. He was all things bad in one body. I can only surmise he
must have turned Gussie's head and made her believe things that she never owned
or experienced were somehow her due. That she deserved more. Why else would she
be continuing his evil?"
Maggie nodded; she thought that
herself. "And poor Judith, that is an unenviable situation she and Abraham
find themselves in, and can you see a happy ending anytime soon for them?"
"I fear not. Another case of
giving in to parental pressure. Poor things, it was bad enough for me when Papa
and others insisted I marry Perry. No one listened to me, but at least with
your help I was able to do something about it. Judith wasn't that strong, and
dare not stand up for herself."
They were both silent for a few
seconds. Outside the window tiny gusts of wind swayed the trees and a few old
leaves danced into the air before being swept away.
"Ah, well, I guess we'd best
go back before they decide how little we need to know." Maggie grinned at
Felicity. "Flissy." The nickname name of their childhood brought back
long-forgotten memories. "Do you remember that although Gussie came from
Derbyshire, her mama's relatives came from Yorkshire? And she has cousins who
lived near Newark? Which is not a hundred miles from here? And who
voice sent shivers of the nicest kind down Maggie's spine. He nipped the soft
flesh of her buttock warningly.
"Yes, no, which?" Nash
asked.
"Oh just get on with
it," Perry said crossly. "Have you news of Dye?"
Nash nodded. "He's safe at
Lyddbrook Manor. When he couldn't find you at The Pike he had the sense to send
word to me. His injuries are improving, and his temper is worsening. I only
kept him there by threats and coercion. He's being fussed over by Mrs. Dagwood who has miraculously been able to
return." He winked. "So rest assured there's nothing to worry there."
Maggie decided the time had
arrived to ask the question uppermost in her mind, ever since she found Perry.
"What happened to Abraham?"
Perry jerked. "My
employer?" he asked, in an ironic tone. "I wondered whether he would
show up."
Nash straightened. "Suppose
we all put our cards on the table and fess up with what we do know? Ladies, can I be very male and overbearing and ask you to take
these remains out and I'll clear a space on the table for us to use to plot and
plan?"
"He just wants us out of the
way," Felicity said in a voice designed to carry all around the room.
"So they can discuss things they think we shouldn't hear."
Maggie sniggered. "Are they
going to compare who has the biggest prick?"
Felicity snorted. "Who is the biggest prick, more like."
She lifted up the tray now covered with crumbs and little else.
"We heard that," Nash
said, and Maggie could hear the amusement running through his voice.
"You were supposed to,"
Felicity said as she left the room.
The laughter followed Maggie as she followed Felicity along the corridor
and toward the kitchen.
"Men," Felicity said.
Maggie heard the fondness in Felicity's voice. "Necessary but how they can
tease. Seriously Maggie, how are you both?"
Maggie leaned on the kitchen door
to close it. "He's in pain, and won't give in, I'm hurting for him. It's a
damnable situation, Felicity. All of us in danger and not knowing where it'll
come from or when. Perry recovering but forgetting things he's sure are
important, and now Nash with information we all need to hear, and I don't know
about. You and I, involved in things we don't fully understand and that blasted
Gussie Gravesend involved in all things murky. I know she was a hoyden as a
girl, but treason? It seems beyond belief."
Felicity shivered. "She
always wanted what others seemed to possess and more. I think Gravesend was of
a like mind. He is the one man I met who to me personified evil. Judith's
husband Welland, who I despise with a vengeance, was a fool, and easily led,
but not, I don't think, evil, just weak. Mortimer Gravesend was something
different entirely. He was all things bad in one body. I can only surmise he
must have turned Gussie's head and made her believe things that she never owned
or experienced were somehow her due. That she deserved more. Why else would she
be continuing his evil?"
Maggie nodded; she thought that
herself. "And poor Judith, that is an unenviable situation she and Abraham
find themselves in, and can you see a happy ending anytime soon for them?"
"I fear not. Another case of
giving in to parental pressure. Poor things, it was bad enough for me when Papa
and others insisted I marry Perry. No one listened to me, but at least with
your help I was able to do something about it. Judith wasn't that strong, and
dare not stand up for herself."
They were both silent for a few
seconds. Outside the window tiny gusts of wind swayed the trees and a few old
leaves danced into the air before being swept away.
"Ah, well, I guess we'd best
go back before they decide how little we need to know." Maggie grinned at
Felicity. "Flissy." The nickname name of their childhood brought back
long-forgotten memories. "Do you remember that although Gussie came from
Derbyshire, her mama's relatives came from Yorkshire? And she has cousins who
lived near Newark? Which is not a hundred miles from here? And who
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