‘Someone was pushing you away from me,’ said Thea, trying to reassure her. ‘That much seems clear. Martha, I did not send those letters. Somebody clearly did, and they sent you away from the house, but you have my word that it wasn’t me.’
‘Then how could it be in your hand?’ asked Martha quietly, but now it was more of a question than an accusation.
‘I don’t know.’ Thea thought for a moment. ‘What did he look like?’ she asked, trying to fit scant pieces of a puzzle together in her addled brain. ‘The footman who sent you away?’
Martha gave a small shrug. ‘Tall, blonde, quite gangly with a bit of a limp.’
‘James,’ said Thea, furrowing her brow. ‘I always liked him.’
‘We should speak to him,’ said Martha definitely.
Thea shook her head. ‘He’s dead. Coach accident.’
‘Unfortunate,’ said Martha. ‘I didn’t write after that. I went straight off on a voyage to South America, and only just returned at the end of last year. I couldn’t bear for you to push me away. That’s why I didn’t see you when you came to the house.’
‘You were there?’ asked Thea.
Martha nodded, and her eyes filled with tears. ‘I watched from behind the curtain. To see you there was too much. I had seen your carriage and told Mrs Jenkins to send you away. If you had come to ask me to be your friend I could not have borne it.’Her voice broke on the last words and Thea stepped in towards her, taking her hands. The rain came hard now, but she barely noticed. The only thing that mattered was Martha, and that the rejection of the past two years may have been a lie.
‘But you changed your mind, and came after me?’
‘You looked so dejected,’ said Martha. ‘It roused a little hope, and I had to find out. But then you kissed her.’ Her face fell at the memory.
‘And then you robbed me and tried to shoot her.’ Thea allowed herself a little teasing smile and was delighted with the shadow of amusement it caused on Martha’s lips. She had missed that hard-earned smile most desperately.
‘I guess neither of us is without blame,’ said Martha.
‘Someone is very much to blame,’ said Thea, ‘and we will find out in time, but for now, are you…’ she paused, not even sure she wanted to ask. She pulled them into the shelter of a clipped oak and kept Martha’s hands. ‘Martha, are you saying that you still feel the same. As you once did?’
‘Of course I do,’ said Martha softly, cupping Thea’s wet cheek in her hand. ‘God, Thea, when I thought you had given me up…’
‘Never,’ Thea said quietly as Martha trailed off. ‘Nothing could change how I feel about you.’ She looked down to their feet. ‘But I admit I almost wished it to be so. I imagined you disappointed in me, or that you had someone else. I could hardly bear it.’
‘Oh Thea,’ Martha drew them even closer. ‘That could never be. Even when I thought I could never have you, I spent years at sea only to escape the pain of being here without you. I would do anything for you and that includes walking away when I thought you wished to forget me. I just knew I couldn’t be around you and so I have prevented our meeting – with success, until tonight.’
Thea tugged Martha closer and dropped her voice. ‘Tonight, when I danced with a pirate, and she got all cross.’
A breath hitched in Martha’s throat. ‘When I heard your voice…’ she trailed off and her eyes closed, then her head dropped and to Thea’s horror she saw her bottom lip start to tremble. She placed an urgent index finger under Martha’s chin and lifted her face, brushing a thumb over that quivering lip.
‘Martha, I love you,’ she said, just to ensure there was no doubt.
A small, wet laugh erupted from Martha. ‘I love you too,’ she whispered, gripping Thea’s waist with both hands as if she thought she might flee.
Thea couldn’t stop herself; she grasped the collar of Martha’s waistcoat and pulled her in, their lips meeting roughly. Martha didn’t hesitate for a second. She took Thea’s face in her hands and kissed her hard, her lips hot against the cool rain. Someone whistled from the river, but neither of them cared. In the melee of illicit activity in the gardens tonight, a kiss between a pirate and a goddess was inconsequential. When Thea ran out of breath she pulled back, grasping Martha’s neck with one hand and looking into her eyes. It was difficult to believe after so long, and there seemed to be too many unanswered questions.
‘I can hardly believe it,’ she said, doubt creeping in. ‘You really hadn’t given me up?’ Emotion surged and she gripped Martha tighter.
She thought there might be tears in Martha’s eyes, but they were indistinguishable from the rain. ‘Come home with me,’ she said gently. ‘Now or whenever you can get away. There are things I need to show you.’
Chapter 15
Going home with Martha hadn’t been hard. George was taken up with his nymph and Thea knew he wouldn’t look for her until the morning. Now, Thea stepped out of the carriage in front of the familiar front door of Number One Foxmore Square. Uncertainty warred with optimism inside her. Martha hadn’t given her up. She wondered how Doctor Hunter would explain the fact that her blood felt like it was fizzing in her veins.
The front door flew open and there stood a familiar figure.
‘Mrs Jenkins!’ exclaimed Thea, happier than she could say to see Martha’s old, round housekeeper. On better terms this time, she hoped.
Mrs Jenkins’ face went through various stages of comprehension and recognition. She looked at Martha who smiled and nodded. Mrs Jenkins threw up her hands in delight. ‘Miss Morell, I mean, my lady – no, my greatest apologies – I mean, Your Grace.’ She made a move towards Thea, and then remembered herself, jigging around on the spot and making her ample curves wobble, a huge grin splitting her face as she looked from Thea to Martha and back again.
