“Is it wise to push when the patriarch doesn’t approve?” Sannah asked. She immediately covered her mouth, realizing that she had forgotten her place. But I ignored the incident and merely answered the question.
“I’ll freely admit it’s not a wise decision at all, Miss Sannah. But at the same time, we have a major force barreling down on us. I’d risk getting an old man who has been a perpetual thorn in my side pissed off if it meant saving our land.”
The maid nodded in agreement, still gritting her teeth in expectation of some kind of lecture. But I moved on. No reason to make the poor woman’s job any harder. Avaline seemed to be quite a handful.
“If you have no objections then, Avaline, I say we make our way to the Frankinsons’ estate as soon as possible. We’ll pick up an Astronomer on the road and see if Nelson’s ready to tie the knot.”
Avaline pulled a face. “Just like that? What if he says no?”
“Then it’s a no,” I said with a shrug. “But we have to try and get this alliance running before we find ourselves getting overwhelmed by Lady Efera. I do worry that her attack is one out of desperation and not calculation. If that’s the case, we must be prepared for her to send everything our way. And that means we’ll need resources from another estate if we mean to survive.”
I paused for a moment, registering the clear discomfort on my niece’s face. She was looking down, wringing her hands, breath short and worried. Now that the reality was sinking in, she seemed worried. “That is…if you’re still up for this,” I added. “I don’t want you to feel obligated if you aren’t ready or you don’t like the man. The agreement was you’d marry an ally and there are still plenty of other houses we haven’t met yet.”
Avaline looked up at me and smiled faintly. “Thanks, Uncle, but I don’t need to think this over. The suddenness is a little anxiety inducing, that’s all.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, reaching a hand out to gently take hers. I squeezed it reassuringly. “I won’t force you to.”
“I’m positive,” she replied, squeezing my hand back. “You’ve been kind enough to open your home and take care of my mother so greatly. She wants for nothing these days. And if we lose the estate, well, she’s headed back home to a tiny shack in a town where she’s a laughing stock. And I won’t let that happen. I’ll start packing up. Let’s leave tonight. We can’t waste a single minute.”
Chapter 36
“Keep it together,” I hissed. In spite of my tone, my words did nothing to stop Avaline from cracking up, laughing in near hysterics at the sight of the garden statue.
“He’s naked and pissing out of his…his…” she giggled, pointing to the large golden statue of a nude man who was perpetually watering the fountain the old-fashioned way.
“That is a Reliphine Antique,” I replied. “It’s high art.”
“So when a drunk does it in a street, it’s a petty crime,” Avaline laughed, “but when he’s covered in gold and standing in front of a noble’s house, it’s high art.”
I found myself turning bright red at her calling attention to the statue like that. It wasn’t a vulgar display, it was meant to show the human form in the ideal image.
“Is that Miss Avaline I hear?” Nelson said as he emerged from the top of the manor stairs. Beside him was the old man himself, Eustace, wearing pajamas and a long red sleeping cap atop his head.
“Hi Nelson,” Avaline giggled, waving to him. She was certainly putting on her girlish charms. The plan was simple. Divide and conquer. I’d take Eustace aside and tell him my plan and Avaline would inform Nelson of her wishes. If everything went well, we’d be done by the morning. And if not? Well, at least we wouldn’t have to waste too much time here.
“Why the hell are you two barging through our door this late?” Eustace grumbled. “It’s past midnight.”
“Come now, Grandfather, it’s not every day we get to host company, please come on in, make yourselves at home!” Nelson said, quickly rushing down the stairs to extend a hand to Avaline. Though she needed no help on the first step (or any step since they were barely an inch off the ground), she eagerly took his hand, smiling all the while.
“Eustace, good sir, fancy a cigar?” I asked, producing two stogies from my shirt pocket. Eustace went to grumble at me, but stopped upon seeing the label.
“Are those Otollen Cigars?” he asked, eyes wide and sleepiness fading. “Otollen was destroyed in the Big One! You can’t get those anymore.”
“Courtesy from Sigmund, said you’d probably enjoy them more than he would.” Of course, that was a paraphrase. When I had asked to borrow those cigars, Sigmund had told me to go to hell. Yet, he had a whole humidor full of them. And he was out on the road, unable to guard them, so…I’m sure he wouldn’t notice or mind.
The old man grabbed his cane and staggered down the steps, grumbling to himself and paying no mind to the couple that was whispering and giggling as they rushed up the stairs past him.
The air was nice and cool, allowing us to sit out under the stars on the front lawn of the garden. Eustace made no attempts at hospitality, barking for servants to leave when they appeared with refreshments. I certainly wouldn’t have minded a hot toddy or some tea, but the maids dared not disobey their master.
“So,” Eustace said as he sparked up his cigar, carefully lighting the end, rotating it in a manner that evenly lit the entire tip. He was quite adept at smoking these things, it would seem. I mimicked him (for I only smoked a few cigars in my life) in order to keep up. “You come here late, unannounced and with a pretty little thing in tow. That’s a sign of a midnight marriage if I’ve ever seen it.”
“Are these common?” I asked.
“Occasionally they happen,” Eustace replied, taking a moment to draw on the cigar. He smiled greatly as he puffed out great billowing clouds of smoke. “This is the real deal. Not one of those fake ones the merchants sell. You can always tell by the smoke. The fake ones aren’t nearly as thick.” He paused once more to puff and then looked at me. “Nelson seems smitten with your girl. Of course, he’ll be smitten with any woman, honestly. Man is hopeless when it comes to the opposite sex. I blame his mother of course. She knew his insecurities like the back of her hand and always dug the knife in. Left him a bit of a sniveling coward, so afraid of his own shadow.”
“He didn’t seem a coward when it came to saving your life the other day,” I retorted.
Eustace sighed. “A coward when it comes to running the big picture, I mean. Man has stayed home his entire adult life and hasn’t done anything with himself. I’m patient with him, you know. His mother did a real number on him.” He paused and looked around to ensure we were truly alone, then leaned close. “They had to take her away, you know. She poisoned his father. I had to take the kids in my custody. It wasn’t a big change, since we all lived on the estate anyway. His sister did fine but he never really took off.”
“I see.”
“So I try to look out for him when it comes to women, make sure he doesn’t run into anyone who would take advantage of his sensitivities. He needs someone who will bolster him, not bully him. And that giggling, blushing act your niece puts on? Total bullshit. I can see through it instantly. She doesn’t respect him. Which leads me to believe you’re attempting to take over this family. And that is why I will not allow this marriage.”
“Is it truly your decision to make?” I asked. “Because you told your grandchildren the first to get married gets the throne.”
“And I’m enough of an ass to rescind what I said if I don’t like the arrangement,” he replied. “I must protect my family. And with my granddaughter now removed from the running, Nelson is the only one who will inherit my estate. And I will not pass it on to him until I die. That is a final decision.”
The old patriarch had a great deal of determination in his eyes. I felt like I was looking at a brick wall, unmoving and with good reason not to budge. He was afraid for his grandson’s health and
happiness. It was hard to fault him. Perhaps there was a way to appeal to him.
“And when you’re dead? What then?” I asked. “How will your beloved grandson fair without those you can trust to take care of him? To back him up?”
Eustace frowned. “I can’t protect him forever, I suppose.”
“So, then, you can choose if you want to set him up for success or for abject failure. I will make no attempt to hide my niece’s motives. She has rightly perceived Nelson as weak. You speak of growing up with a bad mother, well she had a wretch of a father who popped in and out of her life whenever he pleased, paying no mind to the consequences of such absence. She’s looking for someone she can control, not out of malice, but out of fear. I’ll admit it’s not an endearing trait, but…she will look after Nelson. That much I can tell you.”
“Feh,” Eustace grumbled. “You’re just trying to look out for yourselves. Marrying into our lineage means a permanent alliance. And we have far more resources than you do. All at your disposal.”
“And you’ll have your grandson permanently looked after by an entire family,” I said. “I know you don’t trust easily, Eustace. But having something is better than nothing. If you kick the bucket tomorrow, Nelson is plum out of luck. He can’t even rely on his sister, can he?”
“She can’t do much in her current state,” Eustace agreed. “I sent her to some friends across the ocean. A few years working in a mine will sort her out.”
So that was the fate of the murderous granddaughter. No execution, no imprisonment at the Crown. Just a quiet relocation to a mine, probably in the estate of some powerful duke. “So he will have no one. And not even a wife, since you have kept everyone away from him. At that point, I’d assume a great deal of people would seek to just take the estate.”
“Is that a threat?” Eustace asked.
“No, just a reality. So you can choose to ally with my house and know that we will take care of Nelson or you can leave him alone after your heart stops. Alone in this wild world without nary a friend by his side.”
The old man scowled. I had found a nerve. Time to dig a little deeper.
“You freely admit he isn’t cut out for running the show. Having a woman by his side, with a strong heart and courage, will do him well. Even if he never is able to look after himself, Miss Avaline will. She was peasant raised, you know.”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed. Raised in a fishing village, mostly by a single mother. They weren’t afforded any luxuries in life. She has a tan on her face and calluses on her fingers. She’s not some prissy noble who’s never had to work an honest day in her life,” I explained. “She had a rough and hard life.” Some of this was just assumption, of course. Frankly I didn’t know a thing about her life, but I figured from the fact that she had been in awe of the fact that every couch in our estate had pillows that she wasn’t particularly spoiled.
“Huh…so she’s not of noble stock. That’s to her credit,” Eustace said. “Gold digging for her kind means finding a man with all his fingers so he can work well into his old age.” Was this some kind of joke? Did peasants really lose their fingers enough for it to be a stereotype? I kept a poker face just in case it wasn’t humor. “My grandfather was a farmer. Always told me to find a woman from the countryside. To never let all this glitz and glamor of nobility take me in. Might be good for the boy to have a woman with some substance to her.”
My heart leapt a little. Was he going for it?
“So, you approve?”
“Of her? Maybe. Of you? I don’t know. Cause he’s not just marrying her. He’s marrying your family. And I don’t know if I can trust you,” he said with a sigh. I could see his features softening as he started to come to the realization that this might not be as bad an arrangement as he thought.
“Well, word is bond in our profession, is it not? As nobles, we have our reputation to go by.”
“Nobles? Bah, we’re gentlemen. Lowest on the hierarchy. Like cockroaches in the eyes of the Queen,” he replied.
“But rich cockroaches,” I countered. “What is a man without his word, right? I give you my word that we will always take care of Nelson and his family. I will love him as a nephew.”
“I’ll not force him to do anything,” Eustace finally said after a moment of silence. “I’ll let him make his own decision. And if he finds your niece to be acceptable, I will let them marry. But none of this midnight nonsense. I don’t care for rushing things. Too much pressure can make for a bad decision in the short run. If you need aid in the meantime, I will provide it, as a show of good faith. I am assuming that is why you came here, right? An enemy too big for your britches, pounding on your door?”
“You assume rightly,” I said, letting out a deep, deep breath. Thank the Stars this man was able to see reason.
“But there is one thing I’m going to ask you to promise me,” Eustace said. “Should they marry.”
“Yes?”
“That you take care of Tania too, when I’m gone. My granddaughter isn’t a bad egg. She’s just disturbed. Witnessed her father’s death firsthand. Was traumatic. I thought she got out okay, but seems to be losing her way. If she were to interfere with Nelson again when I’m not around…just don’t send her to the gallows, alright?” He frowned. “I don’t know why some people go bad, truly. But I suspect that seeing something so terrible so young awakens a madness that might never truly be healed.”
“You have my word,” I said. “We’ll handle Tania as you would wish.”
“Very well, it’s settled then. A tentative betrothal, on condition that my knuckleheaded nephew doesn’t blow it with her. Now, then tell me what’s heading your way?”
At that exact moment, Avaline and Nelson burst out of the front doors of the estate, smiling wide. The Astronomer we had hired, Percius Almon, walked behind them, holding a document in his hands.
“I finally did it!” Nelson said, raising his hand to show us his ring from the balcony. “I got married!”
Well…so much for the man taking his time in getting to know Avaline. I just hoped Eustace wouldn’t fly into a rage over this.
Chapter 37
Avaline had completed her goal without realizing the ramifications of her actions. Rather than wait on me to get the old man’s blessing, as the plan had been, she had managed to convince Nelson that they might as well marry, consequences be damned. If I had any idea that she was planning such an action, I would have told her no. But now there wasn’t much I could do. They had married out in the backyard of the estate, under the stars. A marriage under the night sky, officiated by an Astronomer was permanent in the eyes of both the Stars and the Crown.
Eustace was predictably furious. At first he accused me of tricking him, but that didn’t make much sense since we had just made a tentative agreement. So his anger turned to Avaline.
“Temptress!” he bellowed. “Harlot! You seduced my grandson! Tricked him into marrying you.”
“Grandfather, please,” Nelson said, stepping in between the old man and his new bride. “It was a choice we made together. I’m tired of being a single, miserable young man. Just because you don’t have anyone in your life doesn’t mean I have to be alone.”
“You barely know her!” Eustace protested. “She could be after your wealth.” His anger seemed to have caused him to forget the conversation we just had.
“And she shall have it,” Nelson replied, crossing his arms. “I’d frankly give anything to just have someone in my life who isn’t you or the servants. I’m tired of waiting in the wings.”
“Well, you shan’t be getting my throne,” Eustace grumbled. “No grandson of mine is going to marry a woman he just met.”
Avaline intercepted before I could say anything. She stepped around her new husband and puffed her chest out while standing up tall, imposing over the short old man. “How dare you!” she bellowed. This caused Eustace to back up, surprised at her ferocity. I could see a vein
in the woman’s forehead begin to throb as her face turned bright red in anger. “Today is the start of our brand new family, a grand union between the Blakes and the Frankinsons, and all you can do is fuss and grumble. Have you no sense of decency? This is a happy occasion for Nelson. And for you because you’re finally going to be getting grandkids. Or do you not want to ever see a beautiful baby in your grandson’s arms?”
The mention of grandchildren caused something to light up in Eustace. He had been thrown off by Avaline’s aggression and he stammered. “Er, I mean, I…”
“She’s right, Grandfather,” Nelson said, stepping beside Avaline and putting his arm around her. “We don’t know how long you have left. Don’t you want to meet Eustace the Second? Or Eustania?”
Naming the hypothetical child after the patriarch seemed to sap him of all his frustration. If anything, it caused him to beam brightly. “You… you’d name the child after me?”
“Of course,” Avaline said, grabbing her new husband’s hand and holding tightly. “Nelson thinks the world of you. And I can’t wait to get to know you, sir.”
“Please, Grandfather,” Nelson said. “Don’t ruin this day for me. I’ve been waiting for this for a long, long time. It’s time to stop waiting and start acting. Isn’t that what you always tell me to do? ‘Don’t just sit around analyzing the water, leap in and a new way will appear.’”
The old man had little to say against his own words. The shock, combined with the pride of having confirmation that his name would live on, seemed to send Eustace into a rare state of silence. After a moment, looking at all of us, he sighed and then waved his hand dismissively.
Gentleman's Wars: The Rules of Engagement: A Tower Defense LitRPG Series (The Great Game Book 1) Page 21