To Love A Myth - Book 1: Mr. Higgs and the Maid🎩✔️

13

Merida stopped the carriage in front of the mansion she had been directed to and jumped off of the seat as carefully as she could. She scrambled back up and opened the door quickly. Jamison hissed angrily at the intrusion, blood all over his mouth, chin, neck, and teeth where it looked like he'd been feeding. Merida yelled and shut the door for a moment. She breathed in a little and opened the door again.
"Wh- what are ye doing?" she asked quietly.
"Did you really think it was the best of ideas to put me in a carriage with a bleeding person when I'm in this state?" he growled. "I tried as best I could to hold back but... the blood kept pouring."
Merida looked behind him and saw Higgs lying on the floor of the carriage, looking quite pale and literally drained. Merida made a face.
"Is there a possibility ye could have just kept yer clothing over the wound? It will get infected and now ye may have just eaten infected blood."
"It's not infected. That was part of the reasoning. I removed any toxic blood and our mythological forms are immune to infection."
"But ye have to turn back at some point and I'm assuming that this willnae just stay on the mermaid part of him?"
Jamison climbed out of the carriage and leaned in to grab his son. Higgs trembled against him, holding onto his bloody shirt as the two rounded the carriage and headed for the door. The door opened unexpectedly as a man that was about the same age as Jamison looked out and frowned as it began to sprinkle again.
"Lord Northumberly, you're back earlier than expected. Did they have a lot of garlic there?" the man asked, Merida noticing a slight lilt in his tone.
Jamison bum-rushed past him. "Please get your glasses, Davros; you can't even see that my son is dying in my arms as we speak due to a jealous idiot."
Davros was about to close the door on Merida but she stopped it and he looked back at her. He squinted his eyes.
"Who are you?"
"Higgs' maid. Let her come with me. And put your bloody glasses on, Davros!" Jamison yelled from the top of the stairs.
"As soon as I find them, I'll wear them. They've been missing for three days, milord."
"Then tell Catherine to help you look for them. How are you supposed to help me in anything if you can't see?" Jamison growled from a room.
Davros rolled his green eyes and went to try and find Catherine as Merida made it up the stairs and followed the sound of a moan that Higgs let out. She came to the open door and found Jamison climbing into bed with just his legs, walking on his knees to a good point and then laying back, letting Higgs lay on him. Higgs trembled against him and Jamison looked up.
"Get some hot water and some towels. Don't just stand there."
"Aye..." she said, walking out and looking for a maid.
Merida had no idea where she was but judging by the non-surprise that the butler seemed to have towards Jamison, she assumed these people knew about the curse. As she still looked for someone to ask where the linens were, Davros came up the stairs, glasses on, and stopped in front of her.
"What are you doing?"
"Laird Northumberly told me to get some towels and water."
"We're already on it. I'm Davros McClavish, Lord Northumberly's head butler. He mentioned something about you being Higgs' maid?" he said, shaking her hand.
"Aye, I'm Merida Dunbrough." she said with a small smile.
"A Scot? Well, it seems that only those north of the border or outside of England seem to want to try and understand this family... You do know about everything, right?"
"Aye, I do."
"Where are my towels and hot water?!" Jamison yelled.
"Coming, milord!" a female voice said and Merida saw someone dash behind Davros and down the hallway.
"That's Catherine; she's me cousin. Where is Lady Saxon?"
"She was coming in a separate carriage with Ms. Fuscia and the doctor."
As if on cue, the door opened and the three burst through the door, Margaret holding onto it as she took out the key from the lock.
"Jami?! Jami, where are you?" she called.
"Fourth room on the right! Hurry!"
Margaret and Lucus looked like they took the steps in twos and went into the room. They pushed Catherine out and slammed the door shut. Merida frowned for a second when a scream came from the other side followed by crying. Fuscia walked up the stairs slowly and stood next to Merida.
"Merida?"
"I hate that man..." she said softly and then looked at Fuscia. "That disgusting worm of a man that did this to that poor lad. And that woman..."
"Don't think too badly of Elizabeth, Merida."
"Why wouldnae I think badly of the little bint?" Fuscia frowned. "She came over to Mr. Higgs and asked him to dance with her. If she kenned her fiancé was so jealous then why in all that is bloody hell did she ask him to dance with her?! Why would she do that?!"
"I'm sure she has her reasons, Merida. Usually I would agree with you, but I know Elizabeth and she would never want to put someone in harm's way. I don't think she realized how bad Lord Clarvins really was. All a girl can go off of is rumors and gossip when it comes to a man she has never really known too well. Besides, Higgs is in his merman state and it's always very flirtatious. I'm sure whatever innocence was there was read very wrong from Higgs due to the promiscuity of the merman."
"So ye blame Mr. Higgs?"
Fuscia looked at her, the first time Merida had ever seen the kind girl make a negative expression other than sadness.
"I would never do that! Ask anyone in the family and they will tell you that the merman is the most promiscuous and causes a lot of problems. Father even said he almost cost a family three generations because he flirted with the wrong girl. The grandfather, the father, and the son all wanted to duke it out with him because he almost cost the marriage of the son to the woman."
A scream caught the two off guard and Davros, whom Merida had forgotten was there, put his hand on either one of their shoulders.
"Come along, now. Ms. Fuscia, I will have Catherine get your usual room ready along with your bed clothes. Ms. Dunbrough, was it?"
"Aye."
"I'll see if we have a spare guest room for you and some spare clothing."
"Oh, no need ye mind all that. I can just sleep in this."
Davros made a face as Fuscia smiled. "Merida, you can't go to sleep in this."
"Why not?"
"Because it's not comfortable. I put a corset under that dress and I highly doubt you'll be able to sleep comfortably in that."
"I don't know how you women even stay awake comfortably with that vice around your waist. Just cut out a rib and be done. No need to suffocate yourself all the time."
"It's all the rage in France, Davvy."
"Does this look like France to you?" he grumbled, walking away.
He disappeared as he went down the stairs and Fuscia smiled a little.
"I miss Davvy." She said with a smile. "He doesn't come to visit with father too often anymore. I wonder if he got hurt..."
Merida didn't know how to answer that one and just headed down the stairs.
As she got to the bottom step, there was a knock at the door and another maid walked out, opening it.
"Oh, constable... What can I do for you?" she asked nicely.
"Good evening, ma'am, is the lord of the manor in?"
"He is but he is tending to his son. May I ask your business here?"
"We believe that a woman named Merida Dunbrough is here."
Merida walked over to the side of the door.
"What do ye want with her?"
"She is under arrest."
"For what?"
"That's something for Ms. Dunbrough."
"I'm Merida, ye git." Merida snarled. "What do ye want with me? Didnae ye ken that Higgs Northumberly was hurt verra badly at the party and in need of medical attention?"
"Then it won't matter about you being here or not." The constable said with a smile.
Merida frowned. "Ye best tell me what I'm being charged for. I'm not going if ye cannae even tell me the reason I'm being taken to the slammer."
"Attempted murder and assault."
Merida frowned deeper. "Attempted murder, ye say?"
"Yes."
Merida rolled her eyes. "Bleeding hearts of the world unite, this is getting quite elaborate. I'll come to yer building and answer ye questions if I have to. Put me in jail too if that suits Lord Clarvins."
"He's not the one-"
"Really? I suspect it was a random guest at the party then? The only one who would have anything against a Scot enough to try and overbuild his idiocy into a legal case would be Laird Clarvins, who was at the party Laird Graves was throwing. It's not that hard to figure out..."
"Then you'll cooperate?"
"Until I cannae do it anymore." She said, pushing past the maid and out into the rain.
The constable followed behind her and they got into the carriage to go off and do questions.