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Loretta nodded, clearly happy to be given a task as she disappeared into the adjoining parlour Marion shared with Simon to fetch her a glass of fortified wine. Marion was glad that Simon was downstairs somewhere and far away from her panic right now.
She quickly looked over the note one more time, then, as a preventative measure so that Loretta or anyone else might not see it, fed it into the fire. She was unlikely to forget it. She wondered how on earth she was going to create an excuse to go to London and see her father tomorrow.
She could not risk it getting back to Simon that she was meeting a stranger in London. With her behaviour over the last few days, he would automatically be suspicious—she knew he would. However, she also needed to be careful. Her father was undoubtedly not a man to be trusted, and she needed to protect herself and her reputation. She quickly engaged her sharp mind to consider a solution, and by the time Loretta placed a small crystal glass of Madeira on the desk in front of her, Marion had a plan.
“Thank you, Loretta,” she said, taking a fortifying sip. The intense, rich taste strengthened her somehow.
“Is there anything else you might need, mistress?” Loretta asked, twisting her small fingers together. “How might I help you?”
“I do need your help,” Marion began, taking another sip before setting her glass down. “But I must impress upon you the importance of discretion in this matter.”
“Oui, Madame,”Loretta said, accidentally slipping into French as she adopted a serious posture before her mistress. Marion knew that she could depend on Loretta’s secrecy—she was a French lady’s maid, and they were trained to keep bigger secrets than this.
“I have to go to London tomorrow,” Marion began. “I shall say that I am going shopping.”
“I shall come with you, Milady,” Loretta said immediately. “You shall need someone to help you with your parcels.”
“No, Loretta, you won’t come with me because I shall not actually be shopping.”
“Oh,” Loretta fidgeted, obviously repressing the urge to ask Marion where she would be. “You wish me to…to say that you are shopping?”
“Yes,” Marion nodded. “But I also need you to be cautious. If I am not back by four o’clock in the afternoon, then I need you to alert Hughes that there might be a situation.”
“A situation, mistress?” Loretta’s frown deepened. “You sound as if you might be in danger?”
“I might be,” Marion said quietly.
Loretta immediately flushed deeply, shifting uncomfortably, but she didn’t vocalise the clear fretting she was feeling inside. Instead she said carefully, “So you wish…you wish for me to raise the alarm if you don’t return in good time?”
“I do,” Marion watched as Loretta swallowed hard and then nodded, taking in the information.
“What is it that I should tell Hughes if you do not return?” Loretta asked, bowing her head as if accepting the position she was in. Marion couldn’t help but be a little bit proud of Loretta for taking a strange circumstance in her stride. She really had been trained well.
“You should tell him that I had a meeting at Green Acres Park at noon, and I planned to visit the tailor in Covent Garden at one. He shall be able to track my movements from there, if he should have need of it,” Marion explained carefully. Loretta nodded, and Marion could tell she had committed it all to memory. She was a smart girl and she cared about her mistress.
“And the master should not be told?” Loretta asked cautiously.
Marion sighed, measuring her breath carefully. How dearly she wished she could reveal everything to Simon. How dearly she wished she could weep in his arms and go to him for comfort, but she knew she couldn’t. To do so would possibly put him at risk. The implied threat in her father’s words was clear.Do not tell your husband.He had already made it evident that he could get to Simon, had threatened to hurt him. Marion knew she could not live with her decisions or actions if they lead to Simon being hurt.
“Not unless you are unable to locate me,” Marion said carefully. “If I am not home by four, as we said, then inform Hughes of everything. Allow him to make the decision about what to do, but you will have to inform him that there is a possibility of a person or…persons in play who might wish the Earl of Reading ill.”
Loretta’s eyes widened. “Oh, mistress,” she whispered. “Are you - are you quite sure you should be alone tomorrow?”
Marion could feel the seriousness of what she was doing, the danger of it, settling into her bones and making her tremble. But she nodded at Loretta firmly, her decision made.
“Yes. I shall be in a public place. I shall be home by four. All shall be well. I am merely being cautious.”
Loretta nodded uncertainly. “Of course, Milady. I shall do exactly as you ask.”
“Thank you, Loretta.” Marion smiled briefly at her maid. “You may go.”
“Of course, Milady.” Loretta bobbed a curtsey and disappeared. Marion waited until her footsteps had disappeared and then rose and crossed to her bed, rolling on her side and letting her anxiety over take her as she tried to keep her breathing regular. She had to get a hold of herself! She had to go and confront her father and tell him to get out of their lives forever. Only then would she feel content again.
* * *
Marion stood in the park, anxiously waiting for her father to arrive. She had deliberately stopped at the tailor’s at Covent Garden to let them know that she would be back at one, hoping to protect herself slightly from the pressure of the potential danger of her father’s appearance.
She had chosen her outfit for the occasion with care, wearing something that would stand out among a crowd so that people would notice her, recognize her, recall her if something bad happened. She had picked an elegant emerald green silk gown with matching wool pelisse and small hat. It was a show-stopping ensemble. It flattered her beautifully and she knew the bright colour had already caught the eye of other people in the park. It made her feel a little bit safer being out here, exposed and alone.
