The rest of the event went smoothly enough. Those that caught wind of the sudden marriage had quickly walked up to the new bride and groom to congratulate them. A song was even played for them for the joyous occasion. As much as many disgruntled women were sad that such a catch was gone, they felt better knowing that they were at least there to honor it.
"You're sure about tomorrow?" the Chief asked when he walked with them to the carriage.
"Yes. I'll call it a wedding gift to her," Dupin smiled. Marjery was still too stunned to properly speak. "Will you accompany us to her old apartment? She needs to collect her things."
"I was planning on it," the man nodded. His wife was already taken to their home, so he was free for the rest of the evening. When the carriage started to move, Dupin had Marjery so close that he could have been holding her in his lap. When they got to her place of residence, there were already several officers there. Dupin escorted Marjery to her room to help her gather up her things.
"None of the furniture?" he asked.
"No, Dupin. This place was already furnished," she said.
"Good. Less to take. Ah, you'll need some new dresses. I didn't realize that you had to patch up your own clothes! Oh! This is a tear in your clothing that you got from helping me?"
"Yes. I got quite a good bit of my clothing destroyed on quite a few of your cases," she chuckled.
"I'll have to be careful with the gown then, hmm?" he smiled. "Considering that I did help you with it. What? You thought that a gown like this would be easy to afford?"
"Dupin! What did you do?!" she gasped.
"I only paid half," he grinned. Her jaw dropped, and he laughed. "Pre-wedding gift! No complaints. You can think of it like that."
"Your mind is like one giant puzzle box, I swear it!" she scowled. He started laughing a bit more. "And I hardly doubt I'll ever be able to solve it."
"Not even I have a guidebook to tell you how to do that," he agreed. Then he pulled her close to bend down and whisper enticingly in her ear, "Now hurry up so we can get home. I have a feeling that you'll be moving into my bedroom instead of your own room."
"Of course..." she blushed. At the kiss he gave her next, he almost lost control. His detective nature kicked in and forced him back. Gasping a touch with the denial he gave himself, he knew there would be plenty of time to continue soon.
"I'll take that," he said and took her bag. When he got out to the hallway, he paused. His instinctive sense of danger kicked in quickly. The Chief wasn't there. "Something's wrong."
"Dupin..." she whispered.
"Marjery," he said in his familiar way. "we have a new case."
"Yes, Detective Dupin," she nodded.
"Chief Johansson is missing," he said. "Where was he last located?"
"Just outside the building," she said.
"Okay. I'm leaving this here," he said and took off her bag to set aside. "It will be safe enough. Stay behind me, please. As my wife and assistant, you need to be kept safe and out of harm's way."
"Of course," she nodded again.
"I didn't tell you this, but I was warned to beware of a coachman. I failed to recognize the driver that took us here. I was too...preoccupied with current events," he sighed. At her look of worry, he turned and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Don't worry, my dear. We'll figure this out."
"I know," she smiled. He took out his small hand pistol and had her stand directly behind him. When they got out to the carriage, he noticed that the Chief was knocked out. His suspicions were correct. The coachman was gone. The other officers were gone.
"I don't trust this situation," he muttered.
"You shouldn't," a familiar smirk was heard. He turned quickly to find his new wife being held against a masked man. A knife was at her throat. He recognized the voice all too well. "She'll be coming back with me now."
"Stanley, unhand my wife," Dupin said calmly. Stanley scowled that he was remembered and pulled the mask down. There was no need for it now. At what Dupin called Marjery, he smirked again.
"Wife? Hah!" he grinned. "You just said you only got engaged! Such a thing takes a while to put together! There's no need to lie."
"It's true. We were just married," Marjery said calmly. At Stanley's gaping look of disbelief, she chuckled. "We simply couldn't wait. You didn't notice the new ring on my finger?"
"You have no more claim to her. She's my wife. Let her go. I might forgive you," Dupin said.
"No. I think I'll kill you now," Stanley growled. "If she's widowed, then she's free."
"You forget who has the gun. And the armed guards," Dupin said in a stern tone. Several of the officers had returned with their guns raised up. Stanley's ruse to distract them had worn off. On seeing their Chief on the ground, and Dupin's gun out, they knew what was happening. "Release her. Now."
"If I can't have her, then neither can you!" he spat. Then Marjery turned to bite his shoulder hard. He screamed at the attack and flung her away in an instinctive notion. Once she was out of danger, Dupin fired his weapon to cripple the man's hips a bit more. He knew the weakness of the town inhabitants. The lameness was from brittle bone structure. He likely just shattered the man's hip. When Stanley fell, the knife clattered away from him. An officer was quick to kick it out of reach.
"You're disgusting!" Dupin growled. "She's your cousin! Of the same family tree!"
"It doesn't...matter...with my family!" Stanley hissed, as he was apprehended.
"You're breeding yourselves out to death!" he argued.
"It's our decision! Our oath!" the young man argued back.
"Stop!" Marjery whimpered. Dupin looked over at her and forgot about the intruding youth. He moved straight to her side and hugged her tight. She had landed on the ground from where she got tossed aside, and he lifted her to cradle her.
"Are you hurt?!" he asked quickly.
"No. Just shaken..." she trembled. A sigh of relief slipped past his lips at that.
"Let's go home, my love," he whispered. "Let's get your things and go home."
"Please..." she whispered back. "But...the Chief..."
"He'll be fine. He just got bumped on the back of the head. His men will care for him. I'm sure I'll get a call on his condition. Let's get your bag, and we'll go," Dupin said. She could only agree with him. One of the officers was quick to take control of the carriage to start taking them back to Dupin's estate. While on the trip back, her dress was inspected. "He tore a bit of the hem..."
"I...figured that..." she winced. "At least it's clothing and not me."
"We can get it fixed. And you're right. It's just clothing. I should front him the repair bill," he smirked. At her look of disgust, he smiled. "No, you're right. I wouldn't want any part of him near us."
"I'm...surprised that he was able to leave the village," she frowned.
"He was planning on returning. I think that's the loophole. To promise to return with a prize."
"And he thought that prize was me."
"I wanted to laugh at his look on hearing that we married," he grinned.
"I'm still surprised about that. It's always an adventure with you. Isn't it?" she mused.
"Would you have it any other way?" he muttered softly. At his gaze, she smiled gently.
"No. I wouldn't," she murmured back. He kissed her tenderly at first. Then it got more wanting. Several times he had to remind himself that he was in a carriage on his way back to his home.
"Maggie..." he groaned at the feel of her pressing against him. "I think...the carriage stopped..."
"It did," she said in a husky tone that he never heard before.
"I'll get a wedding band soon," he said and forced himself away from her. She nodded and followed him out of the carriage. He grabbed her bag, thanked the officer for his aid, and led her into the house. The moment they walked in, the door was shut, and he dropped the bag to grab her and ravish her mouth with his again. She was able to hold onto his cane when he gathered her up to take her up the stairs. He couldn't wait any longer. He knew she was the same. The night was finally able to end for them the moment his bedroom door shut tight.