The Lace Balcony (32 page)

‘I aim to bring her here after she – finishes work on Saturday night.'

‘I'll say this for you. You don't waste time picking daisies when you find the woman you want to bed. You're your father all over.'

Mungo caught her in a bear hug. ‘I knew I could count on you, Mam. I know you'll love my girl.'

‘Just as long as she loves
you
and plays square with you – she's fine by me. Whatever she's done in the past is dead and buried. Mind you, I insist on checking her out before you get churched. There's many a turn in the wedding march, as they say.'

He paused at the door. ‘You're always saying that. What does it mean?'

‘Manx weddings are open to all and sundry. The band plays
The Black and the Grey
and leads the wedding procession around the exterior of the church three times before the bride and groom enter to be married.'

‘Are you saying it's a warning? That I can make plans to marry but it might not happen? Well, that's one of your superstitions I'm going to prove wrong. I'll bring my bride here by hook or by crook!'

Mungo strode off to the stables and unleashed his pent-up energy by tossing rubbish and broken equestrian equipment out into Little Rockingham Street. He worked all day, cleaning and scrubbing. In a silent act of contrition for her dire warning that the wedding would never happen, his mother joined him, armed with a tureen of Manx rabbit stew and potatoes smothered with onion sauce and served with brown soda bread so moist it melted in his mouth. With it came a pot of tea and a miniature bottle.

‘The dram of whisky is to give you courage, son – not that you need it, I'm sure.'

They had no sooner made her Manx fishermen's toast, ‘Life to man and death to fish,' than Jane Quayle was up a ladder measuring the windows for curtains.

Mungo grinned when she began to sing a jolly old song she had learned as a child and in turn taught him . . . ‘She's for knitting and sewing and scraping potatoes, and you should be glad to catch the like . . .'

Mungo joined in the words knowing the song was her peace offering.

When she turned on the ladder to smile down at him, Mungo had a lump in his throat. His mother's lightness of heart transformed her into a young girl again.

Well that's one woman who's happy about the idea of me getting married . . . now all I've got to do is to convince Vianna.

•  •  •

Late that evening, under cover of darkness, Mungo rode Boadicea to Severin House, disguised by his half-brother's long black cloak and black felt hat pulled low over his eyes. Felix would not even
notice they were missing. He'd been commandeered into escorting his mother to one of Mrs Darling's fund-raising dinners.

Out of sight of Severin House Mungo looped the reins over a hitching post and gave his horse a reassuring stroke with the back of his hand.

‘The last time we were here that mongrel Blewitt threatened to cut off my balls. Don't worry, there's more than one way to skin a cat – in Severin's case, a rat.'

The execution of his plan depended on several factors. Mungo had studied every detail of the majestic building outlined against the night sky. Originally built by a wealthy emancipist to outdo the Exclusives' luxurious townhouses, the layout had dozens of entrances, windows and balconies that could aid – or foil his plan. Plantation shutters concealed the French windows opening onto three-sided verandas on both levels. Light shone through the stained glass fanlight above the classic Georgian entrance where the words Severin House were etched on a scroll.

Cast-iron verandas extended around three sides of the first storey, with iron columns, fine iron lace edging under the eaves, scrolls and embellishments transforming the classical building into a Gothic wedding cake. Mungo absorbed every detail in the hope of finding a chink in its architectural armour to reach his goal – Vianna's bedchamber.

One by one gamblers exited the house to walk or stagger to their waiting carriages. He recognised the last remaining vehicle as belonging to the entrepreneur Humphries, who was as notorious for his maltreatment of his army of convict labourers as he was for his brutality to women. Mungo burned with anger at the thought of Humphries becoming Vianna's protector, but his rage increased when the man himself emerged. He had the cocky gait of a man born to rule, but who took his misuse of power for granted.

When his carriage had disappeared, the last house lights were dimmed. Mungo checked the time by his gold watch. Three hours past midnight. His hour had come.

As if she read his mind Vianna emerged at the end of the upper-storey balcony, dressed in a negligee with a shawl draped around her shoulders. Her hair flowed freely to her waist in rivulets of gold that
reminded him of his mother's legends of mermaids. She gazed down into the garden deep in thought, her sigh so heartfelt that Mungo felt his heart beat wildly. Returning inside, she closed the French doors but left the timber shutters open.

Gaming had ended for the night. Mungo agonised over the question: would Severin spend the night in her bed?
Only one way to find out.

Entering the garden as light of foot as the gravel would allow, he secreted himself in dense shrubbery close to one of the L-shaped pillars beneath the veranda.
How high can I climb before I'm paralysed with vertigo? Only one way to find out.

Wrapping his cloak over his arm he began to scale the iron pillar, the curlicues in the design providing convenient footholds. He promised himself he would not look down, but froze at the sight of Blewitt exiting the house to stroll in the garden, a pipe clenched between his teeth. Mungo gave an audible sigh of relief when the bodyguard lumbered out of sight around the far corner of the house.

On reaching the veranda, he heard a deep male voice coming from the room Vianna had entered. He flattened himself against the wall and heard Vianna's voice in reply.

‘I choose to sleep alone tonight.'

Severin's distinctive voice raised the hackles on Mungo's neck.
You manipulative bastard, Severin.

‘I gave you the choice of refusing any man who failed to meet your taste, Vianna. That choice did
not
apply to
me
.' His tone switched to gentle persuasion. ‘Do you realise this might be the last night we are free to take our pleasure – whether or not I am sent to debtors' prison.'

‘That fact had not escaped me, Severin. But due to circumstances out of
your
control – I shall now always choose my profession above my personal desires.'

‘And what of your loyalty to me?' he asked.

Mungo heard the tremor in her voice. ‘I have paid a high price for that loyalty. But the only person who deserves my protection is Daisy. Don't worry, I shall pleasure whichever man is chosen. I agreed to this contract to keep you out of prison. I also intend to keep you out of my
bed.
'

‘Have you forgotten?' Severin asked softly. ‘I saved you from a life on the streets of The Rocks, at the mercy of drunken whalers and poxy seamen.'

‘True, but there are men even lower. There's you, Severin!'

The sound of a resounding slap was followed by a muffled cry. Only the slam of a door and a man's receding footsteps prevented Mungo breaking down the door.

Vianna was crying softly, not the sound of a broken heart but of total despair. Mungo tapped on the French windows. The crying ceased and the doors opened wide enough for Vianna to emerge. Mungo hated himself for his next move. His hand closed over her mouth and he pressed her back against his chest.

‘Don't scream. I won't hurt you!'

Vianna's response was rapid. She spun around and thrust her knee into his groin with such force he doubled up in pain, trying desperately to keep his groans inaudible.

She froze in the act of hammering him with her fists and hissed in anger.

‘Mungo! What are you doing here? I waited for you. When you didn't come I was forced to have supper with a horrible man who wanted to do things you wouldn't believe! Why did you let me down? I was a fool to trust you.'

Excruciating pain made Mungo powerless to speak. He tried to halt her words with one hand. The other gripped his groin as delicately as possible under the circumstances.

‘Please, listen,' he gasped, horrified by the scarlet slap mark on her cheek.

Nothing would stem the flood of her anger, but she lowered her voice at least. ‘I'm not surprised you have no excuse! Go back the way you came! I don't care if you have vertigo. Or fall and break your neck. You're a liar – Severin proved it. If you were the wealthiest man in Sydney I'd rather starve than be kept by you.'

‘Did he hurt you badly, my darling?' Mungo gently touched her cheek. ‘I'll kill Severin if he lays another hand on you.'

Her voice broke and she turned away, but Mungo barred her way.

‘I
was
here as promised. Please let me explain.'

She wavered. ‘You'd best come inside – but only for a moment.'

Mungo took in the erotic décor at a glance and recognised he was in a high-class bordello, a Venus flytrap designed by Severin to exploit the girl that Mungo loved – past, present and future. He was desperate. Only a few minutes to convince her that he was her man, or she'd sink into a world from which few women escaped.

His hand over his heart, he vowed, ‘I swear to give you nothing but the truth, so help me God. I was here last night – even winning – until Blewitt accused me of cheating and threw me out. He promised to separate me from my manhood if I returned. Forgive my language, but I must make you understand my life is in your hands – if Severin finds me here.'

‘Severin takes laudanum to help him sleep. But Blewitt patrols the grounds every night like a bloodhound.' She bit her lip to conceal a smile. ‘
Did
you cheat?'

‘No – not
this
time,' he admitted. ‘I didn't just come here to win money – but in the hope of winning
you.
You promised to see me alone.'

‘To make me an offer I couldn't refuse,' she prompted. ‘I'm waiting!'

Vianna gestured to the sofa and sat beside him. ‘Blewitt could return at any moment. Tell me the whole truth. No lies. Exactly what can you offer me?'

Mungo looked deep into her eyes.
This is the moment of truth.

‘The truth covers the biggest lie any man ever told you. I am not who you think I am. I stole another man's name. Because the first moment I saw you, I lost my head – and my heart to you.'

‘If you're not Mungo Quayle, who are you?'

‘I
am
Mungo Quayle. But we didn't meet for the first time that day my horse was spooked by a snake. We met three years earlier in gaol. Remember the prisoner who introduced himself as William Eden?'

Vianna shook her head in confusion. ‘You knew William Eden?'

‘We were both found guilty of the same crime.'

‘How could you have met me? I was alone with him, except for a turnkey.'

‘Because it was
me
you talked to.
Me
you kissed. I borrowed Will's name and his death sentence – on a wild impulse to gain your sympathy. For me it was love at first sight.'

‘You're lying! You don't look anything like him! Young Will was barely my height and thin. You must be over six feet and twice his size.'

‘A late growing spurt. The muscles earned on an iron gang.'

‘But your face, your hair –'

‘My head was shaved, remember? And my face got bashed in gaol.'

Vianna shook her head in disbelief. ‘No! William asked to wear my scarf – to be his common law wife just for one day. He was wearing it – I
saw
him hanged.'

‘That's the only part that wasn't a lie. You
did
see Will hanged, wearing your scarf. I was there at the foot of the gallows, one of the prisoners forced to watch the execution – as a deterrent. You were standing on a wall at the back of the crowd.'

Vianna's eyes filled with tears of anger. ‘All these years I've thought of young William, his gentleness. I instinctively knew he was the one man I could trust. And you're telling me it was nothing but a trick?'

‘No! You
can
trust me, Vianna. I swear it on my life.'

‘Trust
you
? You're a bald-faced liar. If it
was
you, you'd know exactly what you said.' Vianna was triumphant she had trapped him. ‘Go on! What did you say you'd
do with me
– if only you didn't have to be hanged?'

Mungo took his time to answer. I know exactly what I'd love to do with her right now. But what the hell did I say
then
? I was lying through my teeth. Whatever I said must have been important because she's never forgotten it.

‘I was within hours of being sent to Moreton Bay for four years. I would have given ten years of my life to be free to make love to you. But all I could do was
talk.
' Mungo took a gamble. ‘I remember you confessed you could only make your mark. I said something about offering to teach you to read and write – if I didn't have to be hanged next day.'

Mungo held his breath, shocked when Vianna burst into tears.

‘How cruel you are! To trick William just before he died.'

‘No! Look, it's true we shared a cell that last night. I told him a beautiful girl promised to attend his execution – so he wouldn't die alone. So you see, Vianna, you
did
comfort him. He died knowing
you
cared.
He heard you call out to him, “I'm here, William. I kept my promise.' Will said his final words on earth to you. ‘As God is my witness, I William Eden, will watch over thee . . .'