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With that, the housekeeper pushed by her, sending Marilee stumbling into a pile of soiled nightclothes.
Peggy’s mouth fell open, but she said not a word until she had checked the hall to be sure that the tyrant had gone and latched the door at her back.
“I had a fright,” Peggy gasped. “She came in here demanding to know where you were and why you weren’t tending at my side now that the lady had left. She said she had just been in Lady Lydia’s chamber and you were nowhere to be found. I had no idea what to say.”
Marilee sank into the pile and felt at once as if she needed a strong drink although she never had been one to imbibe.
“I need a clean dress,” she said when she could finally manage a word. She pulled off the soiled dress with distaste. “I’ve been shoved under the bed for what feels like an age and if anyone looks too closely, they are bound to see the dust.” She began to strip her outer garments while Peggy rooted around for a suitable replacement.
“Marilee?” questioned Peggy when she stifled a sob.
“What happened?” Peggy asked.
“Lord Edward,” she gasped, and Peggy wrapped her arms around her friend, and then helped her to dress in clean clothes. While they worked, Marilee told her tale in the merest of whispers. Worry about Nikolas filled her as she recounted the story of woe and his part in it.
The encounter with Lord Edward was of grave concern to both of them. How Lord Edward might choose to retaliate against Nikolas could cost his life or his career. Marilee was only satisfied when Peggy expressed relief that he had only landed the blow in the gentleman’s stomach and not his face. A mark would not be left and perhaps Lord Edward would be too shamed by his defeat to make the matter public. They could only hope that his pride would result in silence.
Marilee paced and worried, but there was nothing to be done, but convince Nikolas to keep his distance for a time until the matter might blow over. It was a blessing that Lady Lydia had been out when the tousle had occurred. She would have rained fire down on both Mr. Crowley and Marilee, but Peggy was right. Lord Edward would have his pride. Perhaps he would not want the truth to be known.
CHAPTER13
Finally, when Marilee had been put to rights and Peggy had brushed out her hair and pulled it back into its braid, finally Marilee revealed the notes she had retrieved.
Peggy stared agape at the list. “So many names,” she cried.
“They are selling us,” Marilee said from behind clenched teeth. “Free labor while we have use, but then we are for sale to cover their debts. That explains the additional funds.”
“Is this proof enough?” Peggy clenched Marilee’s hands so tight that she felt her bones shift. “Kate, can Nick end this now?”
“I don’t know,” Marilee admitted with a shake of her head. “I have no clue what the three sparrows means or where these payments are coming from. I don’t know if it’s enough, and now, if Lord Edward should accuse Nikolas of hitting him… I told him to go. I don’t know when he will be back.”
“He won’t desert us,” Peggy assured her, but Marilee was not sure what she wanted. To never see Mr. Crowley again would be torture, but if she was the cause of the man’s ruin or even death, she was sure she would die herself. “We have to get ourselves together,” Peggy said as she shook her hands in front of her as if the motion would help her to calm her nerves. “He won’t appear today at least, and we cannot let on that anything has changed.”
“Agreed,” Marilee took a steadying breath herself. “We need to hide the list until then. Someplace no one can find it. It cannot stay on my person. It may be found or get wet while we work.”
“Put it in the bottom of the sewing bin,” Peggy suggested. There was no place else to hide it. Their lives were sparse and watched from every angle. None of the servants had much opportunity for secrets. Marilee did as instructed; took one more deep breath and moved to unlock the door.
Before she could, Peggy threw her arms around Marilee’s neck.
“Please promise me that you will never do anything so risky again,” her friend pleaded. “I cannot bear to think what might have happened.”
“But it didn’t,” Marilee protested.
“Kate…” Peggy pulled away and looked down upon her companion with tears in her eyes, “they would have done more than whip you.”
Marilee nodded, her throat feeling choked all of a sudden, but she could not bring herself to confirm Peggy’s fears aloud. “I promise,” she murmured, and she wrapped her arms around Peggy’s waist. “I’ll be more careful. Besides,” she said with a shrug and a half grin, “I don’t think that there is anything else to find in that room at least; I’ve gone through everything.”
Peggy feigned a cross glare, but it soon gave way as she smiled down at her friend. “I love you like a sister; you know that?” she tucked Marilee beneath one arm and moved to unlatch the door. “Getting out of here won’t mean much if you are not with me.”
Marilee tapped her head against Peggy’s shoulder and grinned. “We shall do this… you and I,” she promised. “Together.”
* * *
The pair had puton a good act for the remainder of the day and the next. When Nikolas arrived the following day, he guessed that something further was amiss as soon as he laid eyes upon them. Once more, Marilee shared her stealthy tale. From the tight line of Mr. Crowley’s attractive features, she could see that he was a mixture of pleased and horrified that the girl had gone to such lengths for his request.
“This right before that cretin attacked you!”
“Oh, please don’t scold me,” she said when it appeared that he had opened his mouth to do just that.
