Dory's Avengers

by Alison Jack

  ‘I don't know about you,’ she said casually, ‘but I'm ravenous. If anyone fancies joining me for a bite to eat, I'd appreciate some company…’

  ‘I know just the place,’ said Steph Rogers. ‘A gorgeous bar by the river. It's got a garden with lovely views of Tower Bridge, exclusively for Gold Sponsor cardholders, and the food is top notch.’

  ‘Don't you mean top nosh?’ said Faye, laughing; delighted that Steph, whom she admired greatly, had taken up her offer. ‘Anyone else?’

  The Fosters, Fiona Turnbull and, surprisingly, Mortimer O'Reilly decided to join Faye and Steph for lunch. They all kept the conversation light as they were seated by the bar's proprietor, who was delighted to have a group of topranking Sponsors in his establishment. No one mentioned the morning's meeting until they had all been served food by the attentive waiting staff. Finally, her tongue loosened by a couple of large glasses of wine, it was Fiona who broached the subject.

  ‘Where do you think Lord Theodore's gone?’ she asked lightly. ‘His Lordship appears to think he's still in Applethwaite, judging by his anxiety to get back up north.’

  ‘His Lordship wants to go back to cut the village off from the rest of the country, doesn't he?’ replied Steph. ‘Being as it's become the centre of some Unsponsored network.’

  ‘I'm sure he could have his security deal with that,’ Fiona argued back. ‘The fact remains that his son is missing, and I'm sure he wants to find Lord Theodore…’

  ‘I'm not so sure,’ interrupted Mortimer O'Reilly. ‘His Lordship's never been…’ Realising what he'd been about to say, Mortimer shut his mouth abruptly and started to sweat profusely. Laughing mirthlessly, Julia Foster continued for Mortimer.

  ‘His Lordship's never behaved particularly paternally towards Lord Theodore? Well actually, he has. Don't you remember when Izzy gave birth to a boy, the son and heir His Lordship craved? He thought the sunlight shone out of Lord Theodore then.’

  ‘Well, that certainly changed, didn't it?’ replied her husband. ‘Changed big time.’ All the Sponsors smiled ruefully, except for Faye who looked confused.

  ‘Didn't Lord Theodore have some sort of breakdown?’ she asked.

  ‘Not at all,’ replied Dr Fiona Turnbull. ‘Lord Theodore's one of the most strong-minded people I've ever met, the other probably being his mother. I'm afraid, Faye, that Lord Theodore paid a very high price for speaking his mind…’

  ‘Which is what we're doing right now,’ warned David Foster, thinking of Adam and not wishing to incur the wrath of His Lordship. Ignoring the warning tone in David's voice, Faye turned her attention on Fiona.

  ‘What exactly happened to Lord Theodore then?’ she asked bluntly. ‘If I'm to be part of the inner circle then I have a right to know as much as you all do.’

  ‘You have a right to know what His Lordship wishes you to know…’ began Mortimer, but Fiona hushed him.

  ‘Faye's right, Mortimer. Faye; you need to know whether you have the strength to work for Lord William. Lysander, it transpired, didn't, and we don't need another loose cannon on board.’

  Pacified by Fiona's criticism of Lysander, Mortimer nodded his agreement.

  ‘Faye,’ continued Fiona, ‘in brief, Lord Theodore was held prisoner by his father from the age of thirteen. We don't know exactly what the catalyst was, but over the years we've pieced together that Lord Theodore disagreed with the aims and principles of the Scheme. Let this come as a warning to you, Faye; do not challenge His Lordship! Until autumn of last year, Lord Theodore was confined to his bedroom. We only used to see him when His Lordship had a point to prove; then he'd have Lord Theodore chained to his office wall and flogged senseless. Have a look at the iron rings in the wall next time we have a meeting. Look carefully, and you'll probably see Lord Theodore's blood splattered on the wall…’

  Fiona's voice trailed off as she realised that the wine had made her rather more animated than she'd intended to be. Looking round at her colleagues, she found it difficult to read their faces. At last, her long-term friend Steph came to her rescue.

  ‘So you see, Faye,’ said Steph, ‘His Lordship is not a man to be messed with. This is how he is capable of treating his own son. Do you have the strength to work for His Lordship?’

  ‘I do,’ said Faye firmly. ‘The only thing I'm intrigued about now is what changed? What made His Lordship go from imprisoning Lord Theodore in his bedroom to taking him to Applethwaite?’

  ‘Again we're not sure,’ replied Steph. ‘But we think in the end that Lord William actually enjoyed Lord Theodore's company, found him challenging…’

  ‘And amusing,’ said Mortimer unexpectedly.

  ‘Is he amusing?’ asked Faye. ‘What is Lord Theodore like?’ As one, her companions smiled. Not the mirthless smiles of earlier in the conversation, but real, warm smiles. Once again to everyone's surprise, Mortimer O'Reilly summed up the Sponsors’ opinion of Lord Theodore.

  ‘He is amusing. He's fun, witty, intelligent and brave. Oh, so brave! He suffered so many awful things at such a young age, things most of us couldn't imagine; he lost his beloved mother, he was imprisoned by his father, he was cut off from his family, tortured. Yet, when His Lordship decided to free Lord Theodore from his room last year, he didn't come out a broken man at all. Instead, he brightened up that gloomy old house in a way it hadn't been brightened since the disappearance of Lady Isabelle…’ Horrified at his loose tongue, Mortimer's voice trailed off as Fiona's had earlier. It was Fiona who spoke in his defence.

  ‘Mortimer's spot on, Faye. We all knew Isabelle and miss her greatly; Steph and I were particularly close to her. Lord Theodore's his mother's son all right, and I suspect that's why His Lordship loves and despises him in equal measures. Now, I think we've all probably said too much, so shall we pay up and move on?’

  As the Sponsors left the bar to return to the safety of their homes, Brian Mooreland was signalling to the waiter to bring his bill over. Completely concealed by a large rosebush in full bloom, Mooreland had listened to the Sponsors’ every word.

  Part Four

  Unsponsored Revolution

  Chapter Twenty-one

  The morning after a group of his most trusted Sponsors had gathered for an informal and impromptu meeting in a wine bar next to the Thames, Lord William once again called his inner circle together. The head of the Scheme himself was, as usual, seated behind his desk; an expression of mild amusement on his face as he looked around at his companions. Had Lysander or Theo been in attendance they wouldn't have been fooled by His Lordship's expression for a second; Theo, in particular, had seen the same look on his father's face too many times as a precursor to punishment. Waiting patiently for the Sponsors to settle themselves, Lord William then began to speak.

  ‘Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,’ he said. ‘And what a beautiful morning it is too. One almost wishes it were lunchtime already so one could take oneself off to…let me see…a nice wine bar by the river, perhaps?’ Chuckling at the dawning horror on some of the faces around him, Lord William continued.

  ‘Fiona, Steph, David, Julia, Mortimer, Faye. Thank you particularly for joining me at such an early hour. I trust you didn't wake up too thick-headed following your little drinking session yesterday afternoon?’ The Sponsors who'd decided not to join Faye for lunch the previous day started to look very smug, as Faye herself addressed His Lordship.

  ‘Lord William, I take full responsibility…’

  ‘SILENCE, Maloney!’ roared Lord William. ‘I don't remember asking you to speak.’

  ‘I only wished to acquaint you with the facts…’

  ‘I am already acquainted with the facts. Brian Mooreland heard every word of your highly informative conversation yesterday afternoon. Maybe you should have been a little more selective about your choice of venue before you went behind my back…’

  ‘With respect, Lord William, we were hardly going behind your back,’ said Faye, ignoring Steph's attempt to hush her by kicking her ankle. ‘I was unaware
that we were forbidden to meet up outside of this office. Forgive me; the mistake was all mine!’

  Looking steadily at Faye, Lord William's expression returned to one of detached amusement.

  ‘You are not forbidden to do anything, Faye,’ he said. ‘However, I do ask for honesty and integrity from you, my inner circle of Sponsors. Otherwise, I shall crush you as comprehensively as I intend to crush the Unsponsored rabble. The rabble in which your daughter is a very active member, Faye.’ Rounding on David and Julia Foster, Lord William added, ‘And your son.’ Standing up, Lord William crossed over to the iron rings set into the wall of his office. Wrapping his fingers around one of the rings, he addressed Faye once more.

  ‘This is where I have had to have Theodore punished, rather more regularly than I would have liked. Here, as you can see,’ – Lord William pointed at the discoloured marks on the wall where Theo's blood had splattered from the whip – ‘is evidence of how severe I have had to make these punishments. Theodore is young, misguided and hotheaded; all descriptions that fit your daughter if I'm not mistaken, Faye. I never baulked at punishing my son whenever he challenged the Scheme; I certainly won't baulk at dealing even more severely with your daughter.’ Impressed that Faye continued to stare back at him, her face giving nothing away, Lord William turned his attention once more to the assembled company.

  ‘I can't have insubordination from any of you. I will not tolerate it! Later today, I return to Applethwaite. Lady Marina is coming with me, as are Faye, Mortimer, Fiona and David. Julia and Steph, you stay here with the rest of the group to attend to any loose ends regarding the little surprise I have in store for the London Unsponsored. Lady Rosanna will be remaining in London to oversee this surprise; I have no doubt that her ability and desire to crush the Unsponsored matches my own.’

  Sitting to the right of her father's desk, facing the occupants of the room, Lady Rosanna nodded and smiled at Lord William's words. She would once have felt immensely proud at the trust placed in her by her father; but now any pride was totally overshadowed by a continual, painful longing for Adam to be part of her life once more.

  ‘Those of you nominated to come to Applethwaite have two hours to pack your essentials and be back here ready to go. I think in light of your reckless behaviour yesterday afternoon it would be prudent for us all to travel together.’

  Lord William had commissioned the same luxury limousine that had transported his family to Applethwaite for Chris and Georgie's wedding to once more make the journey north. One of Lord William's security men sat up front with the driver, while His Lordship sat in the back with his younger daughter and the disgraced Sponsors. Mortimer O'Reilly made frequent attempts to amend for his careless talk the previous afternoon, but Lord William was having none of it.

  ‘No, Mortimer,’ he said every time the money man tried to speak, ‘I am glad you've made me aware of your affection for Theodore. I had no idea, but now I know to keep a close eye on you. That is why you're coming to Applethwaite in person. You can witness for yourself Theodore's reaction to the destruction of everything he and his companions hold dear. It's only fitting that you should be in attendance at the end,’ Lord William continued, smiling almost fondly at Mortimer, ‘as it was you who predicted so rightly all those years ago that the Trevelyan boy would be at the forefront of a rebellion against the Scheme.’

  ‘Your Lordship,’ said Mortimer desperately, ‘that prediction was fake; I'm not a seer at all…’

  ‘Of course you are, Mortimer,’ interrupted Lord William smoothly. ‘I believe in you, and I expect you to believe in yourself. Drink, anyone?’ he added, producing a bottle of wine from the limousine's cooler.

  The wine, and the cheerful mood of Lady Marina who was delighted to be returning to Applethwaite whatever the reason, helped to alleviate the tension in the car a little. By the time the limousine left the motorway, the mood in the back was almost relaxed as the conversation and wine flowed. However, the relaxed atmosphere vanished as the car approached Applethwaite.

  A pitched battle was in progress between the Unsponsored protecting their village and Lord William's security, fortified by guards from all over the country, and headed by a smirking Stephen Dyer. Several of Dory's Avengers were among the Unsponsored desperately trying to defend the road into the village, but they were severely outnumbered by Lord William's security and were being pushed back as the limousine edged slowly into Applethwaite. David covered his face, unable to look as Adam was repeatedly pummelled by a couple of thugs until his friends finally managed to drag him away. Far better than David at concealing her feelings, Faye watched with interest as Alan attempted to pull their daughter out of danger while Matilda aimed vicious kicks at any Sponsored security guard foolish enough approach them.

  Lord William watched the battle with undisguised delight, almost punching the air in triumph every time a blow landed on one of the Unsponsored and noticing that Philip Lorimer had lent his support to the Applethwaite rabble. The Unsponsored were pushed further and further back into the village, more of them getting hurt by the minute. To Lord William's satisfaction, Lysander Trevelyan was bloody-faced, a huge bruise already swelling and discolouring around his eye. He only just had time to note this before a tall, familiar figure strode to the forefront of the Unsponsored and called for order.

  ‘Enough!’ shouted Theo St Benedict, the authority in his voice halting the battle immediately. Indicating that he would like his friends to stand behind him, ignoring their protests that he should have stayed concealed from Lord William, Theo faced the limousine containing his father, his sister and the Sponsors.

  ‘Your Lordship,’ said Theo clearly, ‘what do you want?’ Lord William got out of the car, much to the concern of his security men. Shrugging them off as they crowded around him, Lord William walked forward and faced his son.

  ‘Call off your rabble, Theodore! This is not a game, and unless you wish the Unsponsored scum you regard as friends to get seriously hurt I suggest you stop trying to resist. I will lead the Sponsors into Applethwaite, and your paltry little band of underclass will not stop me. As you can see, you're pretty seriously outnumbered…MARINA!’

  Taking advantage of the fact that everyone was focusing on the dialogue between her father and her brother, Marina had slipped unnoticed through the car door, carelessly left open by Lord William himself. Sprinting past the sponsored security guards as they concentrated on protecting His Lordship, she now faced her father along with the rest of the Applethwaite Unsponsored.

  ‘Looks like Marina's one of us now, Your Lordshit,’ said Theo, smiling at his sister before turning back to Lord William. ‘Congratulations on successfully alienating two of your three children…’

  ‘SILENCE, THEODORE!’ roared Lord William, furious at the unexpected turn of events. ‘I haven't come all this way to suffer your insolence. You have five minutes to get your rabble out of my sight. Five minutes, Theodore, and you're lucky to get that…’

  ‘Your Lordshit, I don't operate like you,’ interrupted Theo, eyes flashing as angrily as his father's. ‘I don't give orders.’

  Turning to Louis and Matilda, who'd appeared on either side of him, Theo had a brief, whispered consultation with them both. It was Matilda who stepped forward after a couple of moments; Faye watched from the car, face still impassive even as her stomach churned with fear for her daughter. Walking right up to Lord William, staring at him the whole time, Matilda spoke for the Unsponsored.

  ‘As you wish, Your Lordshit. You've won the battle, but not the war.’

  Turning her back on Lord William, Matilda indicated to the Unsponsored that they should return to the relative safety of their homes or The White Lion. Alan rushed over to Matilda and put his arms around her, shielding her from the Sponsor thugs and Lord William. Catching Faye's eyes briefly as he led their daughter to safety, Alan shook his head at her, the disgust on his face clear for all to see.

  By the time Lord William had settled himself and his Sponsors in th
e Applethwaite Guesthouse, he was once again in a cheerful mood. He had promised that he would no longer allow himself to get weighed down by sentimentality, and it was a promise he intended to keep. Repressing the pain he felt that his gentle, loving daughter had followed his spirited son in deserting him; denying even to himself that he still loved both Theodore and Marina dearly, Lord William concentrated on the victory he had just achieved over the Unsponsored. Smiling as he bought drinks for the Sponsors who'd accompanied him to Applethwaite, their misdemeanours of the previous day forgotten in the joy of celebration, he raised his glass in a toast to the Scheme.

  Equally in denial about her true feelings was Faye. Of course, Alan Santiago's disapproval didn't hurt in the slightest – why should she care about the opinion of someone she'd only ever spent one night with, and that nearly twenty-two years ago? Why should she care about the daughter they shared, her only child who was a stranger to her? Raising her own glass, she proposed a toast to the eternal success of Sponsorship with a sincerity and enthusiasm that matched His Lordship's. Beaming his approval at Faye, Lord William was truly delighted to have her back onside. Hot-headed as she was, she was also determined, intelligent and brave. From what little he'd seen of Faye's daughter, they were all traits that Matilda shared with her mother, and Lord William was very glad to have at least one of them on his side.

  Lord William wouldn't have been so happy had he been able to see the scene in The White Lion at that very moment, where a delighted Marina was becoming reacquainted with her equally delighted mother. Theo proudly filled Izzy in on the details of his sister's cool-headed use of the distraction caused by himself and His Lordship, while around him their friends tended to each other's wounds.

  ‘What do you think His Lordshit has in store for us next?’ Jess asked, holding a hastily improvised icepack, also known as a bag of frozen peas, to Lysander's swollen face.