Page 75 of No Ordinary Lady

“Mother told me she’d not seen Marian since the afternoon,” Daniel said slowly. “Why would she omit seeing her last night?”

“Must have forgotten about it. She is getting older, your mother, if you don’t mind me saying so,” Sunday suggested.

“I wouldn’t say that around anyone else if I were you.”

“Course not. Sorry, my lord. I know better than to risk your mother’s wrath. At first glance, you’d think she was a sweet lady who wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

“Of course, she is. Why would you think otherwise?”

“Well, there isn’t a lad around who’d dare sneak onto the estate to steal even an apple from the orchard these last dozen years or more. Not after that nasty business she dealt with.”

Daniel’s lips parted as he struggled to recall exactly what the nasty business had been. Something to do with an intruder? “Oh yes, I remember now. An intruder in the house. I’d almost forgotten about that.”

“No one else who was here ever will. That thief was up to no good, but he was no match for your mother in a temper. The servants had little to do after she was done with smashing a vase over the fellow’s head. She had him tied up nice and tight and scared the wits out of him into the bargain. Heard he got himself transported too. Anyone with sense learned to avoid the manor and grounds after that affair.”

Had Daniel ever had that complete story told to him? Apparently not by mother, because there was so much more to the encounter than he’d ever dreamed existed, including her bravery.

But that had been years ago. Surely, she wouldn’t attempt to restrain a thief who…

He gasped out loud.

Marian had stolen from him yesterday…and she was still missing this morning. Was there another conclusion to reach?

Mother might have Marian locked up somewhere in the manor, and had kept the news from him to take care of the matter herself.

She’d done it before.

It would explain why she’d been so unwilling to speak to him last night or help with the search for Marian this morning! She might have known exactly where Marian was the whole time.

Dread washed over him. What exactly did she intend to do with Marian? Call the magistrate?

He couldn’t have that. Marian could wind up transported to a penal colony or even hung!

“We need to go back home,” he whispered, and wheeled his horse around and kicked it to a gallop, heart in his throat. If Mother had found Marian with her hands in his drawers, he didn’t want to imagine what she might do.

If Marian was in any way harmed, there would be hell to pay. Even if it had been at mother’s hands.

Chapter Seventeen

Marian listened to the comings and goings of the house early the next morning and, upon hearing utter silence, removed her hands from the bonds that had held them all night.

Well, half the night.

Once she’d gained her freedom from the ropes, Marian had stayed where she was. She’d had a lot to think about. About the countess’ troubles with her family, her reasons for trying to leave the way she had, and about discovering she was in love with Danny, particularly.

Danny would not be pleased about that or to learn she’d fallen back into old habits. She was sorry that she had because she did not deserve his love or trust because of the latter.

The countess would surely tell Danny all about her thieving, if he didn’t already know, and he would never respect her again.

Though what was keeping Danny away this morning, and the countess from having her sent off to the magistrate, she couldn’t possibly imagine. The countess would surely have gloated about catching her red-handed, preparing to escort her out the door with his blessing. Clearly, Danny’s mother would never trust her again to not be like the rest of her family. She never had to begin with. It gave her pain to be tarred with the same brush as blackmailers and murderers, though.

Her rushed decision to leave had been a mistake. Taking money certainly had been, too. She’d forgotten the first rule of thieving—always know where every soul was before even beginning. A week here and she’d forgotten all the basics of her early training.

She’d assumed the countess would be occupied at the dinner and never imagined anything could bring her back upstairs so early. It was her own fault she’d been caught. The countess had been watching her every movement.

Marian brought her hands forward and inspected her wrists, pleased they were not terribly chafed. The bonds hadn’t been tight enough to cause any lasting harm to her skin. In fact, the countess had been much too gentle with someone of her unsavory habits.

She’d been tied not with rope, but with a soft linen sash belonging to a pretty robe of the countess’, which in the end had allowed her wiggle room. Marian wound the material around her fingers, neatening the creases so it would not be too much work for the laundress to press flat again.