I'm just going to slid this into publication and hope no one notices how long it has been since I posted ð
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Just down the edge of the Dukes and Lady Eleanores house there was a sound of crackling fire, swishing of beer and deep bellied laughter. Once in a while when the staff gets their work done early and the owners of the house leave for the night. The house empties out and all the workers wonder into the woods to remember how to dance and be merry. As ordered by the master of the house.
Lord Robert, on these special nights ask Cook to make a extra serving of dinner and order extra beer. He even leaves his great grandfathers violin in the kitchen. So a talented lad from the stables can fill the empty night with lively tunes.
Because the house staff did not have the restrictions of upper class society. They danced male and female, even male and male, with out concern for proper form.
Mary laughed as Cook danced with a fellow male kitchen servant. Everyone clapped and rooted them on in their silly movements. Hidden in the corner was the young man who earlier in the month dumped a pile of silverware.
He looked intrigued by the rambunctious group at the center of the circle. Like he had never seen people dance with each other. Or seen so many happy at once.
Mary wanted to ignore him, but she couldn't shake the feeling he needed a little nudge to join in.
Even as she stood by his side, he did not see her. His eyes stuck on everyone else.
"Have you ever danced?" She asked.
He visibly jumped in surprise. But instead of looking mad for being scared. He smiled gayly. He looked like the child he was. "No, never wanted too. I see the way the Eleanora dances. It looks stiff. She says it can be boring." He had an unusual way of elongating the "or" in boring. Like a joke she did not know.
Mary smiled at his explanation. "The way she dances can be. But we are not so stiff." She leaned down slightly to him. "I can teach you."
His eyes glinted with excitement. He was delighted by her offer. Then he looked down. His sleeve hanging limply where he imagined an arm. "I am probably better of watching. Eleanora always uses two hands to dance."
Mary felt his pain. "That dancing is boring. You would never want to learn to dance like that. But this you can do with two left feet. Look at Cook. have you ever seen a man look more ridiculous." They both looked as he tried to twirl one of the lady's around. Then nearly fall.
She could see she convinced him so she grabbed him by his hand and led him to the center. Mary consciously danced with one of her own hands behind her back. Showing him how to move wit a lady as they danced. His face was a mask of concentration. Like the first time they meet and he was trying to explain the rules. Slowly a smile of confidence grew. He became unstoppable. Every girl waited their turn with him.
Cook gently patted him on the shoulder. "Seems I have some competition." He joked warmly.
"You will always hold a special place in my heart. But you can not beat this boys smile." Sally said as she grabbed Elliots cheeks and pushed his lips inward. Making him smile even more.
Mary grabbed wine and sat as the music slowed. Elliot following her like a excited puppy. He was only 5 to 8 years younger than her. But his eyes showed a maturity she did not even have. Like he was aged by something out of his control. She only saw that in a few. Eleanora and Robert came to mind.
"That was fun. Much less stiff. Eleanora should do this." Elliot said absently.
"The Lady of the house is to stiff for this kind of fun." Mary said a grunt of frustration.
Elliot laughed. "Your right she would hate it."
Mary smiled at his agreement. He was a sweet and kind lad. Nothing like the first time they meet. "Where are you from?" She asked to make small talk.
He flinched a little. So slight that Mary almost missed it. "Ireland" He said, his amusement dissipating.
"Not fond of Ireland?" She asked jokingly.
"No. Just not of its people."
She could see the age coming back to his face. Grim lines forming around his mouth. Eyes loosing their luster.
"I grew up here. In London. There is not a place in this city I did not crawl into. My mother could never find me when it was supper time. Always had to send the dog to sniff me out." She did not want the silence to form between them. She was growing to like Elliot.
He looked over as if he was going to say something. But then he heard the soft sounds of carriage wheels. "They are home early." He jumped to run to the house.
Mary gently grabbed his hand. "The master gave us the evening off."
Elliot did not looked convinced. "In your brief interactions with the Lady of the house, did she ever seem the type to approve an evening off." His eyes insisted she look back into her memory.
"Why should I try to make her happy she is never satisfied." She huffed.
Elliot tugged on her one last time. "Would you be satisfied moving into the house of a man you did not know? With a staff his dead wife hired?" He gave her a pleading look. Like he wanted her to understand the Lady. Like it was important to him. He went on ahead with out her.
Then she remembered the fact he called her by her first name. Intrigued she left the staff behind and followed him soon after. As she entered the dimly lit house she heard slight arguing.
Just before she rounded the corner a hand pulled her back behind he stairs. Elliot placed a single finger to his lip as the Duke and Lady Eleanora talked.
Eleanora sounded frustrated. Her voice tight. "You will need to visit Essex."
Robert voiced sounded tired. "Why?"
Hanging her own cloak she looked around annoyed that there was no staff to help her. "Richard's father in law visit his mistress there. It would be wise to stop in tell a few people you visited. It will be the slight nudge we need to inform Richard our threats are serious."
Robert shook his head. "You mean your threats. I would rather we not sit on this information and report him to the proper authorities."
"If we did that my Lord he would not have the connection we need to parliament. He is our catalyst. Plus he will be much easier to work with. I have seen all the men on that list. They all have a tendency to be unpredictable. One has changed his mistress ten time in one month. Lack of loyalty does not build a good puppet."
Robert made a face of disgust.
Mary could see Eleanora saw it. "What?" She asked.
"Why would we want to work with him." His voice slightly raising.
Eleanora looked perplexed. "Because we need to full-fill our duty."
"But is fulfilling our duty worth working with him?" Eleanora still looked confused. But she waited quietly for him to explain. Robert had his back to her. All he could hear was her silence. He turned on his heels to look her dead in the eye. "He killed his wife and possible his own child. Why would a Lady like yourself want to be anywhere near him?"
Mary saw the click in Eleanora's mind. The understanding. Then her face change into indifference. "Did you read those document?" Her voice removed of emotion. Robert gave her a look that said she knew the answer. "What he did does not harm me or you. While it seems like justice to report him, it will not bring back his wife or make the child reappear." She took a step toward him. "But do you know what having him under our thumb does, it adds pressure to all of those who did much worse on that list. Things that make Richard look like a saint sent from God himself." Eleanora frowned as she remembered the list of names. "One of our great leaders who protect the people from the King has raped half of the women he keeps in his house. Another murdered his wife's family so she would no longer cry about going home to see them." She paused for him to process it. "My personal favorite is the cherished Duncan, who keeps small boys no older than Elliot chained to his bed." There was venom as she spoke about him.
Mary could not help but look at Elliot. Who showed no expression.
Eleanora took a deep breath. Pressing her hands to her stomach to calm herself. "To answer your last question. I like you serve the king. But I will particularly enjoy destroying the lives of these men who feel they are above the law. But feel they can chain the King down."
Eleanora placed a uncharacteristic hand on Robert's forearm. Like she was asking him to accept the plan and her.
Robert did not acknowledge the friendly contact nor did he brush it away. "We will speak on it in the morning Eleanora."
Eleanora was surprised by his words. She internally flinched as he called her by her name, not the annoyingly endearing title the tied them. Wife