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“You are fortunate that the skin is not broken,” he hissed. Before Marilee could even begin to prepare herself, his lips slammed against hers in the most unwelcome and wet of kisses. She recoiled with disgust and shrieked with distaste against his mouth.
“No. You are the one that is fortunate that I do not break your face,” came a male voice from over Lord Edward’s shoulder. The young lord was wrenched from Marilee and was soon doubled over from a swift punch to the gut. “Get out of here you drunken lout.”
Lord Edward turned away, cursing and holding him stomach. “Watch your back, Crowley,” he snarled. “You have no idea what I could do to you.”
Marilee looked up into the eyes of her savior. Nikolas stood at the top of the stairs with his fists balled and an uneven breath unlike anything Marilee had ever witnessed from the perpetually calm man.
“How did you get here?” Marilee cried as she rushed to him and grasped his hands, checking for injury.
“I heard you cry out when I arrived and I raced up the stair to find that mongrel …” he shook his head as if he could not dare put into words what had nearly come to pass. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” she whispered. “You arrived just in time. For that I will ever be thankful.”
He reached up to run his cool hand over the hot redness of her cheek. Again, he shook his head, his eyes narrowing. Marilee had never seen the gentle Nikolas with his temper so hot. “I’ve never liked the man but now… now I hate him.”
Marilee allowed herself a deep breath knowing that in this moment it was her turn to have the level head. Nikolas was always so calm and collected when she needed it but now, he was clearly beside himself.
“You must go,” she instructed. “You must go and not return so that no one will know that you have been here. Were you seen? When you entered the house?” Their eyes connected and for the first time the severity of the situation seemed to dawn upon Mr. Crowley. A commoner had just laid hands upon a peer, attacked him no less. The repercussions could be disastrous.
“Only by the butler,” he shrugged. “Though I doubt he even notices me, let alone remembers when I visit.”
“Then you must leave,” Marilee repeated.
“I cannot leave,” he argued. “We are too close to answers.”
“You must. Lord Edward will have you hanged.” She begged.
“Come with me,” he said.
Marilee felt her heart give a wild leap in her chest. She wanted nothing more than to run away with this man, but that was not really what he was offering. He was offering his protection to her, but what about Peggy? What about Miss Caroline? What about the rest of the girls?
“You know that I cannot,” she said. Oh, how she wished she could walk straight out that front door with him this very moment. But it would never be allowed. Besides, she would never abandon Peggy. She said as much and he sighed, running a hand over his face as he paced the upper hall in thought.
“Peggy can come too if you can get her now,” he offered. “We could all escape. We could go to my brother in the north. A few maids are too insignificant. I doubt they would even come for us.”
“Lord Edward was drunk; perhaps he will not even remember.”
All at once she felt as if the world was crashing down around her. The depth of her feelings for Nikolas began to make themselves known when the fear of what might come to pass from attacking a peer had suddenly become a reality. She cared for him, deeply. Perhaps too deeply. Perhaps even more than she was willing to admit. If she really thought it possible to leave, she might. If she thought that the three of them could escape and then somehow, by some miracle, find a way to free Miss Caroline, she would go with him in an instant. But the empty hall below was never truly empty. It was always guarded. And they would not get far before they were brought back to meet an even worse fate for all. “I cannot,” she cried. “I wish that I could, but I cannot.” She shook her head violently. “And you must go. If Lord Edward gathers his wits, you will hang. The only thing that will save you is your absence. Please,” she begged. “I cannot be the cause of your death!”
He sighed as if he too knew that this was the only option. “Then I will take caution. If he was truly in his drink, as well as you say, then I will have faith that all shall be forgotten.”
“I am sorry that you had to take such action.” She dropped her head in shame. “I had no idea he…”
“Don’t,” Nikolas stopped her with a hand to her chin, the pressure slowly raising her gaze to his own. “Don’t you ever say that. You could no more have prevented his advances than I could have stopped myself from ripping him off of you.” When she pursed her lips, preparing herself to argue that he might have stayed clear of any harm to himself, he stopped her. “Given the chance I would do it again and again. You deserve better and that loathsome creature needs to be put to a stop.”
Marilee smiled up at her rescuer and nodded. Despite the danger, she was glad that he had been there to protect her. He always seemed to be there to protect her when she needed.
“Then go for now,” she pressed. “We will talk later, when you return. For now, be safe. Who knows what Lord Edward could do?” Marilee felt her hands begin to shake, and she needed to get Nikolas out of here before she fell apart. “Go!” she begged, pushing him toward the stairs. He turned to leave, but turned back, and pressed a kiss to her lips. It was so fast, so unexpected that she gasped, and then he was gone, leaving a tingling on her lips and a flutter in her heart.
“Be safe,” she murmured as he raced down the corridor and out the door.
Marilee barely made it down to the washroom, her knees were so weak. When she arrived, Mrs. Cavendish was throwing the pile of items to be laundered at an overwhelmed Peggy and demanding to know, “Where in the devil is that blasted Kate?”
“My apologies, Ma’am,” Marilee broke in when she saw Peggy’s eyes grow wide with fear. “I had to use the necessary.”
Mrs. Cavendish snorted as if she thought it a waste of her staff’s time to even think of the need to relieve themselves. “Well,” she said, “Be quicker about it, would you? We both know these clothes will not wash themselves.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Marilee dipped into a curtsy with what she hoped was convincing deference for the haughty old bag.
