3. Meeting Marfleet

Cordelia pulled her veil off her face and looked up. ‘Yellowwood Inn’ read the sign. The building was fairly small, and she could smell the sourness of spirits even from outside. She had a feeling she was not going to love her stay.

She turned and looked down the dirt road they had been dropped off on. There was no town here, and few other buildings. Really, there was only forest.

“Miss Blue?”

Cordelia started and turned, pulling her veil back over her face. She cocked her head at the man in front of her. “Greetings, Mr. Marfleet.”

The man was exactly as she had last seen him earlier that day: tall, verging on lanky, and well-dressed. He wore a deep blue vest under his coat with a plain black neck tie, neatly tied. And his shoes were still primly shined, despite his current position standing on slightly muddy ground.

Marfleet removed his hat to reveal curly, but well-styled, brown hair, and bowed slightly. “I would’ve expected you to have been at your cousin’s house by now, considering your earlier state of distress,” the man said, his brows drawn together in a thoughtful way.

Cordelia gave him a tight-lipped smile, her mind whirring. “Ah, fortunately I received a letter when I got home that told of good news. It turned out my cousin is now in quite good health.”

Marfleet’s face remained unreadable as Cordelia held a fragile smile.

“It seems unusual to me to find you here, especially all by yourself...” Marfleet said next. His eyes held a slightly suspicious glint.

“Well,” Cordelia cast her eyes to the ground, “It’s just that the news of my cousin’s sickness, it’s made me consider the fleeting nature of this life. Tonight, I am not alone.” She gave him a sultry laugh. “You may call this my vacation.”

Marfleet’s eyebrows rose considerably after hearing her piece, and his nostrils flared in a dissatisfied way. “Do not do anything you might regret, Miss Blue. Life may be fleeting, but that’s no reason to be rash.”

“I believe it is every reason to be rash,” she said lowly.

“Ah, are we discussing rashes?”

Blackburn had appeared at her elbow, which seemed to give Marfleet quite a shock. From the way his eyebrows drew and his mouth shaped into a scornful ‘o’, it was clear that Marfleet was not happy with the surprise addition to their party.

“You’re vacationing. With him!” Marfleet looked ready to throw Cordelia over his shoulder and take her away.

“Yes… the vacationing. Lovely out here,” Blackburn said slyly, leaning casually forward on his cane.

Marfleet bristled and turned his attention to Cordelia. “Miss Blue,” Blackburn gave a quiet snort, “Forgive me for my frankness, but if you know anything about this man you’d know to spend as little time with him as possible.”

Bemused, Cordelia glanced between the two men, who had engaged in a heated sneering contest. When the men realized that Cordelia was doing nothing but observing them with an unimpressed look about her face, they stopped.

“I take it you are not who you say you are,” Marfleet finally said, looking down his nose at her.

She smiled warmly. “Cordelia Green, temporary London investigator.”

Grudgingly, Marfleet shook the gloved hand she offered him. “Temporary?”

“This is all fine and well, but the lady and I do have some… vacationing to do,” Blackburn said, tipping his hat.

Before they departed, though, Marfleet asked, “How did you hear about Samuel Bellingham?” He planted his feet and folded his arms, waiting for an answer.

“Same way I always do… I received a letter!” With that, Blackburn shrugged and started off. Cordelia stood a moment more, long enough to give a mischievous smile and a ‘farewell’ to Marfleet. Then, she hiked up her skirts and followed Blackburn down the path to the forest.

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