"Enough! You have wasted time already with your stupidity, away before I shoot you, go and order the remainder of the troop to be ready to move at once!" shouted Lord Vorace. Genevieve smiled, with her lips, at Lord Vorace, " it seems, your lordship, that your visit is unfortunately curtailed?" Stand and Deliver - Part 5 by Alys

Genevieve took a sip of her tea and looked at her guest. It was less than half an hour since Bessie had aroused her from her slumbers and urged flight from Lord Vorace and his yeomanry. After a few minutes Genevieve had succeeded in calming her housekeeper and reassured her that she, herself, was unlikely to be in immediate danger. Now she sat facing her potential accuser feeling very nervous.

"Was it possible that he had recognised me?" Genevieve thought, while looking carefully at the arrogant Lord pouring sugar into his tea and stirring it with vigour. He seemed to be staring at his cup with an expression of cruel pleasure, as if every turn of the spoon represented another poor African torn from their homeland to work on his Lordship's plantations in Jamaica.

"Well Lord Vorace, pray tell me the noble reason that has brought you to my household this afternoon?" Genevieve asked, as sweetly as possible.

"Lady Osborne, to wish to be in your company for a few moments is not reason enough?" oozed the slimy lordship, in reply.

Genevieve smiled a response, but with her lips alone.

"That is most kind, Lord Vorace, but I fear that a married man as successful in trade as yourself, with such pressures on their precious free moments, would need to find a more singular reason to visit an unattached young woman," Genevieve suggested, with a slight, but obvious emphasis on the word 'married'.

"Do not fear, Lady Osborne, or Genevieve if I may address you in a rather more familiar fashion, my presence here is not to impugn your honour but only to ensure your safety," replied Lord Vorace, letting his gaze move slightly from Genevieve's face to her shoulder.

"I am grateful for your consideration, sir, but in what way may I be at peril?" Genevieve enquired, noting the eyes staring at her shoulder as if trying to see whether there might be an injury under the clothing.

"I am sure that you have heard of a series of villainous attacks on persons of substance and quality by a female vagabond, known in the local parlance as 'Midnight Mary'," he stated, with disgust clear in his voice.

"I believe I may have heard some mention of an audacious highway woman," Genevieve countered, " although I must admit I am at a loss to understand how bodies of yeomanry, led by persons of 'quality' have so far failed to apprehend this lady"

Lord Vorace stiffened at the implied criticism in Genevieve's comment.

"Lady Osborne, I find such a remark......." began Lord Vorace before he was interrupted by one of his yeomen rushing into the room.

"Lord Vorace, Lord Vorace, we just saw her, bold as brass, sir!!", shouted the portly, middle aged soldier.

"William!" responded Lord Vorace in an angry tone, " please remember where you are, it is not your place to run into a lady's front room without being announced"

William stopped in his tracks, the excitement and enthusiasm completely drained out of his countenance.

"Please accept my apologies for intruding Lady Osborne," he said meekly, his hat doffed and his head lowered.

"There is no offence taken, William," responded Genevieve as warmly as possible, " everyone makes mistakes in their rush to announce urgent news or even in their eagerness to judge others"

"Now, man, tell me what you were babbling about!" commanded Lord Vorace angrily, clearly noting Genevieve's rebuke but content with having restored the true order of deference in the room.

"Sir, we saw her on the ridge, if we make after her now we can catch her by the copse," explained William urgently.

"You are trying my patience, soldier!" responded Lord Vorace, his face turning red with rage," who on earth are you talking about. Quick man, explain, before I have you and your family put out of your cottage and driven off my land!"

"Sir, sorry sir, we saw her, sir, your Lordship, yes we saw the woman, sir, your Majesty, the Midnight Mary, sir, please don't throw me and mine out of our home, sorry your Lordship, please forgive me...." spluttered the yeoman, fearfully.

"Enough! You have wasted time already with your stupidity, away before I shoot you, go and order the remainder of the troop to be ready to move at once!" shouted Lord Vorace.

Genevieve smiled, with her lips, at Lord Vorace, " it seems, your lordship, that your visit is unfortunately curtailed?"

"Indeed, Lady Osborne, I must seek your leave to join my men in our mission to rid our county of this miscreant. I bid you good day," said Lord Vorace, before rising, bowing, with a fashionable click of the heels, and departing.

Genevieve sighed and sat back in her chair, the tension within her dissipating. She put out her hand and rubbed her injured shoulder. She felt a little moisture in the material covering her wound. She stood and made her way to her bedroom to change the dressing.

She untied the laces at the top of her dress to expose her shoulder and began to slowly remove the tightly wrapped fabric.

"Oh Lady Osborne, you are safe," said Bessie, sounding very relieved as she walked in a few minutes later carrying some clean pieces of material, slightly pink in places," I have some new coverings for you, I must apologise for the discolouration, there was blood on your sheets two weeks ago and I have not been able to completely remove the stains"

"Yes, Bessie I am safe, the immediate threat is over, please do not fret and don't worry about the material I'm sure that it will be perfect as a bandage." responded Genevieve, reassuringly," I told you my plan would work and it has been a complete success so far, now everything depends on your Malcolm."

High on the hill above the country lodge Malcolm stood near Prince, Genevieve's horse, in the shadow of a large gorse bush. He felt stupid wearing a mask, a wig and a lady's cloak but he was pleased with the effect on the soldiers below of his fleeting appearance in the open. He finished strapping the dressed human sized mannequin to the handsome steed and then, checking that the yeomanry were making their way up the hill, sent him on his way with a slap across his rump.

Immediately there was a hue and cry and the line of soldiers, on horseback, altered their direction to follow Prince, as he sped away from the bush where Malcolm sheltered. Genevieve's handyman and lover watched as the lightly encumbered Prince quickly increased the gap between himself and the pursuers before entering the thick forest.

Once the coast was clear Malcolm rose from the bush, under which he had been squatting, and quickly removed his lady's outer garments. Luckily Genevieve had planned for such an occasion and the plan that they were carrying out now was the one that they had devised in the event of her being trapped in the lodge with some suspicious company. He began making his way down the hill.

An hour later, a little tired after walking through the fields, Malcolm walked into the kitchen to find Bessie taking some scones out of the oven and putting them on a tray with a pot of newly brewed tea.

"Hello Mama," he said.

"Malcolm!" she responded excitedly, moving over to hug her son," you took longer than I thought, I was afraid that you would be caught"

"It's OK Mama, our Lady's plan was perfect and by this time Lord Vorace and his men will be covered in scratches from the thickets in the forest," responded Malcolm, stroking the gray hair of his mother, " and Prince will be half way home, we have trained him well to follow that route home on his own"

"Miss Genevieve said we should join her when you returned," said Bessie, after she had extracted herself from Malcolm's hug," come, you can carry the tray for your old Mama"

About a quarter of an hour later Genevieve swallowed the last piece of her scone, " they were wonderful, you are such an admirable cook, Bessie"

"Nothing like Mama's cooking," added Malcolm.

"Thank you Miss Genevieve," responded Bessie, smiling," but if I could say one thing after this morning's scare"

"What is that?" asked Genevieve.

"Please Miss Genevieve could you take a rest from your adventures on horseback, I fear that next time you will not be so lucky," Bessie pleaded.

"I think I will take your advice and recuperate," replied Genevieve, " well at least until my shoulder is fully healed"

The others laughed and then for the rest of the day, after rewarding Prince on his successful return, the three occupied themselves with their various tasks in maintaining the household.

Two days later found Genevieve bending over the toilet bowl, relieving herself of her breakfast.

She heard Bessie come into the room.

"What ails you, Miss Genevieve," she asked with a strong note of concern in her voice.

"I cannot fathom it Bessie I have just been feeling sick for the last two days in the morning," Genevieve replied.

Bessie looked at the expression on Genevieve's face before responding quietly, "I think you may be with child Miss Genevieve"

Genevieve was shocked by such a suggestion, "But Bessie, how is that possible, I have never been affected by the Menses"

"I know, Miss Genevieve, that it has never afflicted you and I have always wondered at your luck in avoiding the monthly woman's curse," responded Bessie," but what about the blood on your sheet last month"

"Oh heavens, perhaps it has started for me.....that is a bit of a shock I never thought that my unique anatomy would allow such a thing," said Genevieve, holding her hand to her mouth in surprise.

"Could I be bold enough to ask who might be the father?" asked the Bessie.

Genevieve smiled at her housekeeper.

"My dear sweet Bessie who would have thought that one day I might be presenting you with your grandchild," she responded.

Bessie was silent and showed her complete shock for a few seconds, "Grandchild? Who, what? Do you mean my Malcolm, oh, Miss Genevieve"

Genevieve smiled and nodded her head and then took the mother of her lover in her arms to share the moment of joy at the discovery of her parturient state.

"That is a touching family scene, I'm sure that Judge Viscerate will be pleased to arrange adjacent gallows for Midnight Mary and her servant," were the chilling words of a familiar voice, interrupting the celebration.

The two women turned to see Lord Vorace standing in the doorway pointing two raised pistols at them.