Authors: Mary Beeken
Hearing her gasp he turned his head and looked at her, raising an eyebrow inquiringly and for a long moment their gazes held and he could not mistake the hint of panic he saw in hers.
“What troubles you, Gherkin?” he
asked eventually.
She shook her head slightly in denial and looked away.
“Nothing is troubling me,” she told him and then before he could question her further said, “Having discovered for yourself that I cannot dance, I think we should be getting back.”
“I have discovered nothing of the sort. Come on!” and so sayin
g he pulled her up and into his arms. “I need to distract you so that you are not thinking about your feet!”
“Oh Glenmore, give up! I will never be able to waltz!” she pleaded, not wanting to be in close proximity until she had sorted
out her rather strange musings, but he would not listen.
“Nonsense! Shall I distract you by showering compliments on you? Liken your eyes to the summer skies and your lips to ripe cherries?” he laughed, whilst beginning to twirl her around the grass, though anyone looking on could be forgiven for believing he was witnessing a
grappling match.
“
If you start that rubbish I will do you some serious injury! All that sickly sweet, codswallop really makes me uncomfortable,” she told him.
“Is that how you get ideas for your stories? Hapless young men pay you compliments and you think up heinous ways to punish them for their audacity? Tell me; how will you make me suffer?”
“Actually, my maid informed me this morning of a man who was arrested for the murder of his wife,” Dizzy replied, noticeably brightening. “He maintains that she burst into flames before his very eyes. Have you ever heard of such a happening?”
“
Yes. It is called spontaneous human combustion and there were several reported cases last century. It has never been proved as a medical condition though and I do not believe it has ever been witnessed,” Glenmore informed her. “In nearly all reported cases a foot or lower leg is all that remains of the body; along with a pile of ash of-course.”
“That is all that was left of this man’s wife, by all accounts
and unlike the cases you have mentioned, my maid heard that he was there when his wife burst into flames,” Dizzy said.
“Seems to me that if it were a medical condition then it would oc
cur much more frequently and more people would have seen it happen. Instead there are a few cases all reported around the same time with no records of it prior to last century. That alone renders it suspicious. What do you make of it?” Marcus asked.
“I find it fascinating; the idea that people can just spontaneously
combust but must agree with you,” she told him before adding, “It is also all so very convenient, do you not think? If all that remains is a pile of ash and the odd limb then there is no evidence of foul play; no knife wounds or strangle marks or so on. Who could be found guilty in those circumstances? Unless a witness can be found murder cannot be proven can it?”
“We shall have to see if this man you talk of actually goes to trial and if he does
, keep a close watch on proceedings.”
“Yes we will. No doubt it wi
ll be reported on in the papers,” she absently agreed, still mulling over it in her mind.
“
Obviously gruesome murders are a good distraction for you have been waltzing now for several minutes. Not gracefully admittedly or with any degree of elegance but passably so nevertheless!” He observed, smiling down at her.
“So I have!
” Dizzy exclaimed then promptly tripped. “Whoops! Of-course now you have pointed it out I have acquired two left feet again!”
“Actually sweetheart you wer
e dancing with two left feet!” he laughingly pointed out. “But you were dancing! Did you enjoy it?”
Dizzy thought for a moment before replying; “Yes I did; very much! I would not want to do it in a ballroom
mind, but like this with no one to frown at me and no other couples to bump into, it has been lovely. Thank you.”
“From now on, I shall endeavour to find secluded spots at every ball so that we can waltz in privacy and comfort. Of course you must be prepared to dance in gardens, retiring rooms and even the odd cupboard but waltz we will
, my delightful gherkin!” Marcus proclaimed and when she opened her mouth to protest the absurdity he continued. “No need to thank me again but tell me; your old dancing masters were offered a bonus if they succeeded in teaching you to dance?”
“Yes. I believe my father and later, my brother offered a rather hefty sum but it was never claimed. Would you like me to ask
Gideon to present it to you?” she enquired with mock demureness.
“We need not bother him; I shall just claim my reward now
,” and before she had time to protest he had pulled her close and was kissing her.
This time there were no gentle preliminaries. He had wanted to kiss her ever since he had taken her in his arms when helping her to dismount, but he had kept a tight hold on his desires. Now that he had accomplished what he had set out to do; namely teach Dizzy that she could enjoy such pursuits that required a level of coordination; even if she was not very good at them, he could no longer resist his physical needs. While his mouth claimed hers, his hands caressed her back, running up and down; setting her nerves alight and sending tingles throughout her body. When she groaned and pressed closer to him, Marcus’ initial reaction was to lay her down and allow his hands and lips to explore the rest of her delectable body before burying himself deep inside her, but the snort of his horse nearby reminded him not only of their location but also of their servants seated nearby. He therefore had to content himself with devouring her mouth and revelling in her passionate responses.
“Ted, should we not go over and put a stop to it?” Doris asked, looking concerned.
“Nay lass. It is naught but a kiss after all and if what master says be true, they will be tying
the knot afore too long anyway,” Ted reassured her before pulling her into a kiss which was immensely satisfying to them both.
As promised that afternoon, Robert Prentiss arrived to take Dizzy for a drive in his curricle; a beautiful equipage painted a glossy, rich blue and being pulled by matching bays. A tiger, dressed in livery of the same colour, stood at the horses’ heads talking gently to his charges whilst he awaited his master. Dizzy smiled at Robert as he handed her into the passenger seat before rounding the vehicle and climbing up beside her. When Prentiss gave the office to go, the tiger released the harness and leapt up onto his perch with practised ease and they set off for the park at a smart trot.
Although it was earlier than the established hour when
the members of the elite daily took the air during the season; there were still many people enjoying a turn around the park, either on horseback or in carriages and so frequently they were obliged to stop and exchange pleasantries with their friends and acquaintances.
“Good day, Lady Derwent,
” Dizzy said as Robert set the curricle in motion. She then turned to him saying, “It is a bit stop, start isn’t it?”
“I should have chosen a different destination; away from the crowds. I shall remember f
or next time,” He replied “But whilst we have a few minutes before we must stop again, tell me how you are getting along with Glenmore?”
“About as well as you are getting along with my sister!” Dizzy was quick to respond which brought a chuckle from him.
“That good eh?”
“He
is an acquaintance that is all,” she told him but when he looked sceptical she capitulated. “He was extremely arrogant when I met him and although he has improved on knowing him better, he is still incredibly annoying! He wants to pretend an attachment to stop the husband hunters and even though I have expressed abhorrence at the very idea, he will not be put off. I have thwarted his effort thus far by making myself scarce in public but he is very obstinate.”
“He thinks this plan of his will work does he?” Robert asked.
“Yes though I told him it wouldn’t. Marriage is the only true deterrent to Duke hungry maidens and their ambitious mammas but he will not listen.”
“Are you sure his plan is to deflect the matchmakers? Perhaps he is in earnest in courting you and wishes to make you his wife
,” he suggested.
“I have been told that you are a very intelligent and astute man so I can only assume you are joking. He has no intention of marrying and most definitely not me, I can assure you! I overheard him tell Trevellyn that he likes to annoy me. I believe it enlivens the social events he feels
obliged to attend.”
“Yet he
is not obliged to attend any!” he interjected. “He has no sister or female relatives to ferry around and there are plenty of other pursuits for a single gentleman that would keep him away from the functions designed primarily for selecting a partner for life. So that leaves one wondering why he does go to them”
“Please disabuse yourself that he is there for my benefit! Perhaps having come to the title unexpectedly and
being a comparative stranger amongst the ton, he wishes to widen his circle of friends and what better way than in the ballrooms of the elite,” she said
“Possible I grant you
, but very unlikely,” he mused. “Perhaps he is governed by something else; something that we know nothing about.”
“Pure devilment perhaps?” Dizzy smiled impishly teasing a laugh out of her companion.
Everyone gathered in the yellow drawing room before dinner that evening to present Alfie with his birthday gifts. Being a scientist and inventor; one moreover renowned in his field, it was not surprising that most of his family had purchased items that would be of use to him in his work. Dizzy was particularly pleased with the portable microscope that she had found in a small shop off Bond Street. It came in a beautiful wooden box which was lined in red silk and she had arranged for his name to be engraved on the inside of the lid.
“Thank you, my dear,” Alfie said after it had been passed around for all to see. “I cannot tell you how useful it is going to be when I am out and about on field study and I can record my findings in these lovely notebooks that Genevieve gave me.”
“They are very smart,
” Dizzy replied, picking one up to look at.
Genevieve had bought him a comprehensive set of notebooks bound in moleskin and dyed in a range of colours, and each colour was in a set of different paper including plain, lined; both wide and narrow and squared.
“I thought they would make it easier for you to keep a record of your various experiments and theories. I know how frustrated you get when you cannot find your notes becaus
e they are haphazardly recorded on bits of paper and have been filed in the wrong place,” she said.
“Too true, my love
,” stated Mrs Honey Dew. “I cannot tell you how much time we spend hunting for things that have been put down somewhere and then cannot be found.”
“They move themselves, I am convinced of it!” laughed Alfie. “Either that or we have a mischievous ghost, moreover one who particularly likes writing implements; pens, pencils it matters not for they all just disappear as if into thin air!”
“Ah that is my cue to present you with this,” said Gabriel, handing over a polished oak case about eighteen inches wide with a depth of half that. “It will take a while for you to lose these; or should I say for the ghost to filch them!”
Inside Alfie found a va
riety of pencils, pens and inks, all neatly laid out in three layers. “It certainly will!” Alfie replied. “Thank you, my boy. It is a marvellous gift.” Taking out first one item and then another to examine them before returning each one to its rightful place in the case.
“I am glad you like them,” h
e smiled then added, “Are we to go into dinner soon? I am famished!”
“No change there then
for you are always famished!” his twin announced. “But you will have to wait another half hour I am afraid. Dinner will be served at eight as is the norm when we dine at home in town. One would have thought you knew that after all this time.”
“Then I am glad that I had the sense to save this from teatime!” he said, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and unwrapping it to reveal a biscuit. “This should hold the hunger pangs at bay.”
“Are you going to share that?” Gideon asked whilst devouring the shortbread with his eyes.
“No chance of that! You s
hould have saved your own piece,” Gabriel informed him before taking a bite. “Mmmm. Delicious!”
Whilst Gabriel was distracted taunting his older brother, Dizzy spied her chance an
d made a lunge for the biscuit, grabbing it out of his hand she turned swiftly to make her escape.
“Hey!” shouted
Gabriel, giving chase. “That biscuit is all that stands between me and starvation. Give it back.”