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Not, she thought with a twist of dark humour, that there was any chance to find out – not whilst they resided in the same house as Maggie. So any internal debate she might have on the matter was rather pointless.
“Then I am doubly glad that it is not an issue. Might… might we sleep now? Today has been very tiring, and I suspect that the days to come will be no better.”
“Sadly, I agree – although, in a few weeks’ time, I must go to London – I have been away from Parliament for too long, and there are matters which need my attention. Perhaps, if you come with me, we might get a few days respite? I cannot leave Mother and Mrs Withercombe to cope alone for too long, but a few days, perhaps even a week, should be possible.”
“Then I will look forward to that time.”
Leon bent and kissed her – a soft kiss which quickly became more, but they soon broke apart, neither trusting that there would not come a pounding on the door at any time. They did not say it, but Iris knew it was there – a threat which hung over her, her marriage, and her hope of love – a threat which would not end, until the day that Maggie died – which could be years.
>>>
Over the next few weeks, it became obvious to Iris that not only was the approach of having her play to soothe Maggie to sleep doing nothing to improve things at other times, but that Maggie was more cunning than she had at first seemed. When Leon’s mother was there, each afternoon and for dinner, Maggie regarded Iris with venomous looks, but did nothing untoward. Lady Greenleigh was, apparently, taken in by this, and believed that the situation was improving. Iris could not bring herself to disabuse her of this notion – the poor woman had enough to bear, with having spent most of her adult life coping with Maggie already.
But when Lady Greenleigh was not there, Maggie took every opportunity she could to disrupt Iris’ days, and to cause her physical harm if possible. It might be such simple things as attempting to trip her, or as overwhelming as the day when Maggie leapt upon Iris from the shadows under the stairs, and beat at her with tight fists, all the while screaming her hatred.
The staff assisted where they could, and Mrs Withercombe drove herself to distraction, attempting to prevent such incidents, but nonetheless, Maggie managed to find – or make - opportunities to vent her feelings on Iris almost every day. Some, Leon was aware of, but others, which occurred when he was not present, she could not bring herself to tell him of. He already bore so much, and seemed to feel a weight of guilt for bringing her into this situation in the first place, and she would not make that burden heavier.
The result of it all was that Iris became increasingly tired, increasingly scared, and the house seemed more oppressive every day, as if threat were bound into its very walls. She started at shadows, and flinched at sudden sounds. The only places which felt even slightly safe were their bedchambers, and the downstairs music room which she shared with Leon.
She was afraid – she could no longer deny it. She felt certain that Maggie intended her harm – that if the girl could not drive her away, then she would attempt to hurt her – perhaps even to kill her. There was cunning in that mind, but no rationality, no common human decency remained. Realising that did nothing to help – for she could not ask Leon to abandon his sister, and all she had tried had failed, with respect to changing Maggie’s attitude.
Last week, Maggie had surprised Iris in the library, and when Iris stepped back from her in shock, Maggie had snatched up a pen knife which had been left on the escritoire near the window, and lunged at Iris with it. Iris had been frozen, unable to move, and had only been saved by the fact that Maggie’s frailty meant that she was unbalanced, which caused her to trip on the edge of the carpet and fall. The knife had spun free from her hand, and slid across the floor to end under a cupboard in one corner.
“Witch! You made me fall. Leave – you do not belong here. Leave, or I will make you leave.”
The words had been hissed, cold and sharp, even as Maggie had scrambled back to her feet, and staggered, half-running, from the room. Iris had stayed frozen, shaking, for some minutes, before she had quietly retrieved the knife, and returned it to its place in the escritoire drawer.
Then, this afternoon, Maggie had come upon Iris as Iris went up the stairs, and Maggie came down. At the point where they should pass each other, Maggie had reached out and tugged upon Iris’ skirt, hard, so that Iris twisted, and nearly fell down the stairs. Only her proximity to the banister saved her, for she grasped it even as she slipped, and landed sitting on the steps instead. Maggie had wobbled, close to falling herself, but then hurried on, as if nothing had happened.
Iris was sure that, had she truly fallen, Maggie would have done nothing to save or help her.
Leon knew nothing of it, for he was out, riding around the estate to check on the tenant farmers. Now, she waited in the music room, hoping for his rapid return, refusing to allow her fear to send her upstairs to lock herself into their rooms, although that was what she most wished to do.
She could not tell him – could not say ‘your sister tries to kill me’, despite the terrifying fact that she had come to believe that to be true. What would he think – after all, he would rightly ask why she had not told him sooner. Or, even worse, he would regard her as hysterical – for who would expect a frail invalid of unsound mind to have the ability to attempt to kill?
She shivered, very glad that the promised trip to London was to happen next week. Surely, she could manage to avoid Maggie’s attempts on her person until then? Perhaps, safe in London, she might find the courage to tell Leon all of what had happened. Perhaps, in London, they might have the chance to actually be as husband and wife?
She was no longer sure what she wanted, except to be safe.
>>>
Leon rode along the lane which would take him back to his stables. In the distance, he could see Maggie’s green attired figure in the gardens, with Mrs Withercombe trailing her. That was good – for if Maggie was outside, then she was not making Iris’ life a misery.
It was a terrible thing to have to acknowledge, but he could no longer deny it to himself – his sister did not just dislike his wife intensely, she actively sought to harm Iris. He was torn, trapped by his duty twice over, with a need to protect and care for both women. And he did not know how to achieve that.
Maggie became steadily more frail, yet as her body’s strength waned, so her determination to have her way in everything grew. He was afraid of what she might do. Afraid that, at the critical juncture, he would not be there to protect Iris, and to protect Maggie from her own actions.
He had not even discussed it with Iris – and he suspected that she had not told him of everything that Maggie had done - but, having avoided the conversation thus far, he did not know how to begin. He could not simply say ‘I think that my sister is trying to harm you’.
He passed his horse to a groom when he reached the stables, and set off to the house, glad beyond measure that they were to go to London next week. Perhaps there, with only Iris, he might manage to speak of it, and between them, they might discover a solution.
Chapter Ten
They had been in London for three days now, and it still felt like an impossible dream. Last night, they had gone to a Ball at Merryfield House, and she had, for the first time, danced with Leon simply for the joy of it, surrounded by her friends and family, and secure in the knowledge that Maggie was many miles away at Greenleigh Park.
When they had returned to Greenleigh House, she had been positively intoxicated still, just by the feeling of it all. Exhausted, she had allowed Lina to ready her for bed, but then, with a courage fuelled by the looming threat of their return to Greenleigh Park, she had gone to Leon and reached for him. He had taken her into his arms and kissed her – a heady kiss full of passion and promise, which stirred every part of her. But then, he had gently stepped back.
“Iris, much though I would wish to kiss you – and more – forever, we must sleep – it is near 4 in the morning, and we have promised to visit one of your sisters tomorrow.”
