Jane Feather - Charade by Unknown (howl and other poems .TXT) 📕

had passed,supper would be forthcoming. She stripped off her clothes, droppingthem carelessly on the Turkey carpet, and, finding water in the ewer,.sponged the dust and sweat from her body. She yawned as a wave ofirresistible fatigue smothered her, quite extinguishing the demands of

her grumbling stomach. The wide bed with feather mattress and linensheets tempted like the devil on

the mountain and she lay down, drawingthe covers to her chin. Just for a moment .. . only a doze that wouldgive her added strength to deal with discovery. . . .

*  *  *

"Will you be sleeping below, m'lord? It's a fine night." Forsterindicated the black water sighing gently beneath the prow, the studdedsky, and the soft breeze. They had some company on the crossing,

judging by the flashing lanterns across the water.

"I think not." Linton placed his hands on the deck railing and breatheddeeply. "1 will fetch my cloak and sleep beneath the stars. When thinkyou we should reach Calais, Forster? Not by dawn, I'll lay odds."

"No, my lord." Forster sniffed the wind. "I don't think it'll die onus, but it'll not pick up this night. Midmorning, I'd say."

Justin nodded his agreement. "I'll be on the road by noon, then. Eighthours hard riding will bring me close to the gates of Paris. The delaywill be of no great moment. I'll enter the city tomorrow morning

as Ihad intended." He went below in search of his boat cloak.

The instant Justin turned the knob on his cabin door he had the sensethat something was amiss. He

stood just outside the door, trying to identify the indefinablesomething that lifted thehairs on the nape

of his neck. In the same instant he realized it wasthe sound of breathing, his eye fell on the discarded

pile of clothing,a dark shape on the carpet in the moon's glow. Stepping into the cabin,he closed the

door softly and wondered why he had not guessed. It wasalways possible, of course, that outguessing Danny was a chimeric hopeand it was time he accepted that. His bed was occupied by a lump and hetrod stealthily toward it. As usual, the covers came over her noseleaving only the closed eyes and the crown of her head visible. If hepulled back the sheet, he would find her body curled in a perfectposition to invite his itching palm. He resisted the temptation withsome difficulty. How the devil had she managed to get here?

Justin turned away from the bed and scooped up the heap of clothing asthe retaliatory plan took shape. With a grim smile, he picked up hisown portmanteau—Danny should have no opportunity to rifle hispossessions in the absence of her own. He collected his boat cloak andleft the cabin as quietly as he had entered it, removing the key fromthe inside and locking the door on his sleeping wife before pocketingthe key.

He opened the door to the neighboring cabin, intending to dispose ofhis burdens, and gazed in disbelief

at the petrified maidservant whohad leaped from the bunk and now stood, wide-eyed and mesmerized like arabbit faced with a fox.

"What the devil are you doing here, girl?" Linton's horrified eyes tookin her attire, the shirt and britches stretched to begging point overthe ample curves of bosom and hip. He thought of his sailors andslammed the door at his back.

"P ... p ... please, my lord," Molly stammered. "My lady.. ."

"It's all right, child. I'm sure you are not here of your ownchoosing." Justin tossed Danielle's clothes

onto the bunk and droppedhis portmanteau to the floor. "How long have you been on board?"

"Since midaftemoon, my lord." Molly recognized Danielle's clothes andher pulse slowed. She had

nothing to fear from the Earl of Linton, whoclearly already knew the worst.

"Have you supped?"

Molly's stomach was emptier than she could ever remember it being andthe prosaic question brought a dimension of reality to this dreamlikesituation. "No, my lord. We finished our picnic at noon, but it wasnecessary to remain concealed until. .."

"Quite," he interrupted, in no need of explanation on that point, "Ishall be gone about ten minutes. Do you have any clothes other thanthose you are wearing?"

"Oh, yes, my lord," Molly said, eagerly latching onto something thatmust please him. "My own clothes and her ladyship's are in theportmanteau."

Linton glanced around the tiny cabin. "And where may that be?"

"Under the bunk, my lord."

"I see. Well, in my absence you will dress yourself properly. I amquite unable to vouch for your safety attired as you are."

"I wore a cloak, my lord," Molly offered. "Her Ladyship thought itwould be best."

The earl turned away to hide a quivering lip. "Ten minutes," he saidand left the cabin.

When he returned with a tray of bread, cold meat, fruit, and a tankardof port, he found Molly in gown, apron, and cap looking immeasurablymore at ease. "Eat, child," he said, placing the tray on the table."And while you do so, you may tell me the whole."

Molly had gone through too many novel experiences in the last day and ahalf to find sitting down to eat in the company of her employer morethan a little strange. Linton leaned against the door, twiddling hisglass as the girl recounted the tale. He made no attempt to interrupt,except for the occasional question, but at story's end he had thecomplete amazing picture.

"Rest now, Molly," he said. "I am sure you have need of it after youradventures and you must prepare yourself for some hard traveling in thenext two days. You need have no fear that you will be disturbed beforemorning and then only by those I send to you."

"Thank you, my lord," Molly whispered in a wash of relief.

"But My Lady . . ?"

"You may safely leave Her Ladyship to me," Justin assured, in a ratherunreassuring tone.