my lady miriam part 12

Charles opened his mouth, closed it and then opened it once again, seemingly bereft of speech, and Mr. Kendall watched him with a pained expression on his weathered features while he waited for Lord Blackmoore to reply.
“Er…perhaps…ah, well—Mr…ah, Kendon—”
“Kendall.” He corrected affably.
Charles blinked in the face of this correction and continued his confused communication,
“Kendall! Yes. You—ah, I seem to…er, you wish to, indeed. I—ah—”
“Look ‘ere me young flat. There is no need to be buffle-headed see? You don’t want to be settin’ up me bristles, and I won’t take no bags o’ moonshine from ye. I’m not in the basket see? I don’t want you to give me no tips o’er the dibs!” He paused and after seeing that this enlightening message had done no more to help Lord Blackmoore’s confusion, he persevered, “Curse me, if you ain’t a clunch and cursed rum touch at that! Look ‘ere. I wants to see ‘er Ladyship and—”

He was interrupted from this informative proclamation by the entrance of a very pretty young lady; Mr. Kendall glanced at her appreciatively and nodded in her direction. Charles turned at the sound of the saloon door opening and was surprised and somehow relived to see Lady Miriam enter the room with a twinkle of amusement in her eye.
She walked up to him and smiled,
“Why, you look quite done up Sir! I believe Mr. Kendall is wishing to speak to me,” She moved forward to Mr. Kendall with her hand out, 

“I am pleased to meet you Mr. Kendall. You desire to speak with me?” 

He took her hand reverently in his and bent deeply over it with some difficulty, as his rounded berth did not allow him make such flexible movements as he would wish to at such an occasion as this. He then rose again with a wide smile and replied,
“I am more than pleased to meet with your acquaintanceship, yourn Ladyship. If I might be ‘aving a word with yourn Lady. A private word,” He added while glancing severely at Lord Blackmoore, “would be’ove me be most ‘ighly in the ‘igh ropes and shall be inclined to think that I ‘ave the best of honey falls.”
"Indeed Mr. Kendall! You are most welcome to private speech with me." 

Miriam turned to Charles who stood with eyes open wide. 

"Charles, my mother was asking for you I believe, would you be so good as to go to her and see what it is she may need?"

Charles frowned  and opened his mouth as if to speak and then closed it again. Then he replied,

"Yes. Yes, but only is you are sure, Miriam." He looked her in the eye as if searching for the answer, but Miriam merely smiled cheerfully,

"Why of course Charles! Mr. Kendall wishes me no harm, do you Sir?"

Mr. Kendall looked shocked,

"Bless yourn 'eart yourn Ladyship, course not!"

Charles bowed gracefully and walked to the door, looking back once before exiting. Miriam turned to Mr. Kendall, her expression of cheerful assurance replaced with anxiety. 

"What is is Bill? Why in heaven's name are you in England? Where is Nic? Tell me, please!"

Bill sighed and sat down heavily on the gold-trimmed, plush seat. 

"Ah, Miss Miriam. Don't fret. It's--I am in need of your assistance, that is all. Young Master Nic is in one of his whirly moods again."

Miriam quickly sat down opposite him,

"Bill---Bill, he is...he is not, not in England?"

Bill looked away guiltily and Miriam's eyes grew wider and her breathing more rapid.

"Oh Bill! How could you?"
He sighed again and pulled the large pin out of his cravat.
"It's not easy getting about in this made-up man of mine and telling people the Banbury stories that I do. I did think, Miss Miriam, that my slum was done rather well, or did you perhaps think I was doing it a bit too brown? One never knows how easy people will be to take in you see."
"Bill! Where is my brother? Tell me in this instant!"
Bill looked sheepish and tapped his fingers on his knee, trying to avoid Miriam's searching, intense gaze.
"He...er. Well, Miss Miriam. You must look at the predicam--situation this way. You see, Master Nic being the kind of fellow that he is and me being the compassionate kind that I am and me never being able in my heart to say a cross word to a dog, let be a boy I have know all his born days--well you see, he--we--"
"Oh good word," Miriam exclaimed, interrupting Bill as she stood up and turned away from him, "He is here is he not? Oh Bill, what can he be thinking of?"

not very much this time, once again. and it's mostly dialogue. but who can ever read a huge post full of writing anyway?

Copyright 2012, property of Jessica McGhie, All Rights Reserved.