Page 31 of Black and Silver

“I do not think any among your most excellent staff would be so irresponsible as to wander the house at night,” he said, sending the footman a reassuring smile. “They have been kind and attentive to my wife and I since we arrived. In fact, if anything should ever happen to them, I would be happy to employ them at Godwin House in London.”

He met and held the young footman’s eyes until he was certain the offer of employment, should Jessica sack him and his friend under false pretenses, was understood. The look of utter relief in the young man’s eyes, followed by what had the potential of turning into tears of gladness, convinced Lawrence the message had been received.

“Either way,” Jessica said, “it was a tumultuous and disturbed night.”

“In more ways than one,” Lord Otho muttered, winking at Minerva.

Minerva had been picking at her breakfast, but she set her fork down with a loud clink against her plate. Her face was flushed to a degree that alarmed Lawrence. Not only did she look offended by the cheeky comment, she looked a bit feverish.

“Lady Jessica,” she said, using the excuse of speaking to Jessica to turn away from Lord Otho. “Lawrence and I have enjoyed your hospitality so much these last few days, but I believe it is time for us to continue our journey.”

“Oh?” Jessica asked, making the single syllable sound both disappointed and incredibly relieved.

“Yes,” Lawrence jumped in, more anxious to leave than he’d thought he would be. “My dear heart and I discussed it last night, and we are eager to make our way onward to Wales.”

“Are you certain you do not wish to stay another night?” Jessica asked with the falsest of kindness. It was clear to Lawrence that his former lover wanted them gone.

It would be good riddance on both sides.

“Time is of the essence,” Lawrence said. “The sooner we are on our way, the more secure I will feel with Minerva’s condition.”

“Yes, she does look a bit piqued,” Lord Otho said. “And it’s no wonder.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

“Shall I have your carriage brought around?” Jessica said with a harsh edge to her voice.

“Yes, please,” Lawrence said.

The rest of the meal continued with as much awkwardness as Lawrence had ever known at a breakfast. Jessica continued to make false attempts to convince him and Minerva to stay longer, even though it was obvious she did not want them there. It was as if she needed to convince herself that she was a good hostess and a good woman, though Lawrence doubted both with every minute that passed.

Once the meal was over, Silas brought the carriage around, and the footmen carried Lawrence’s and Minerva’s things down, loading them on the back. Lawrence noted the way the two footmen whispered and sent grateful and adoring looks in his direction. It was enough for Lawrence to believe that the two of them would arrive on the family’s doorstep in London within a week, one way or another.

As if to convince Jessica that she had done the correct thing in allowing them to leave, Minerva emerged from the house last, cradling Clarence in her arms.

“Oh, good heavens!” Jessica jumped with fright at the sight of them.

“Lady Jessica, I should like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness and care these last few days,” Minerva addressed her, keeping an utterly straight face asshe deliberately behaved like the madwoman Jessica had told Lawrence she was. “Clarence has enjoyed your hospitality as well and would like me to convey to you that your upstairs maids are among the finest he has ever observed, and counting his living years, he has been observing maids for two hundred years.”

“Oh! I…that is…please give my thanks…oh, no….” Jessica quivered with upset, clearly at a loss as to how to engage with a skull.

“Thank you,” Lawrence said succinctly, resting his hand on the small of Minerva’s back as he steered her toward the carriage.

He sent Minerva an approving look, but the smile she gave him in return died quickly. That did not settle Lawrence’s nerves where the state of their relationship was concerned one bit.

At last, once everything was loaded, Clarence was settled in the carriage, and Lawrence and Minerva had donned their traveling cloaks again, it was time to depart.

“I say,” Lord Otho said, squinting at the carriage. “You need to have someone take a look at your carriage, someone with more skill than your driver. It seems to have become unbalanced.”

“Has it?” Lawrence asked, feigning only mild interest.

In fact, the entire back of the carriage sagged dangerously low. The heavy statue was packed away under everything else now and could not be reached easily, but the evidence that it was there was on display for all to see.

“Yes,” Lord Otho said. “Perhaps my wife was correct in inviting you to stay a few more days. You should not travel when your carriage is in such disrepair. Especially with the amount of rain we’ve had of late. I can have the footmen bring your things back inside, and your driver could take the carriage into the village to have it—”

“No!” Minerva blurted, her face bright red. She cleared her throat and schooled her tone to say, “No, no, all will be well. I am certain of it. We need to continue on with all haste.”

She pressed a hand to her stomach to further the effect of her words.

“Yes, you must be off,” Jessica said, sending Lord Otho a stern look.

---