Stephen sighed. “The entire incident regarding Isaac Slaughter still baffles me. He came to us knowing some things and we taught him the rest. Until he was caught in acts of treason against the Crown, he was one of our top five men. Now, he’s back in England, on the loose.” He pounded his fist upon the desk. “If he’s still in England, we need to find him.”
“Where did he live when he was with our Department? I forgot to ask Marrek.”
“He kept a small house in a decent, if not fashionable, part of town. Several bachelors lived in the same area. He had a mistress, the lesser-known actress Jane Darvey. She left London for Paris two years ago,” Stephen provided. “We know very little about the man, I’m ashamed to say. I’ll have Mr. Sheffield get the address for you if you wish to observe the neighborhood.”
“Yes, thank you. He had us all fooled,” Ruan remarked with a scowl.
Lord Lyndhurst nodded. “He did. I’d like to catch him. Why do you suppose he was posing as a vicar in Cornwall and at St. Mabyn of all places?” Stephen asked.
“I suppose it may have something to do with the recent Avalon Society discoveries in Glastonbury. Marrek and I believe he was watching either St. Mabyn or the Duke of Penrose. It seems more likely it was St. Mabyn, since Madingly was the vicar of the village. He went to a great deal of trouble to pose as a reverend.”
“He thought St. Erth to still be in India, I’m certain. You and Creed divided your time between Bath, London and Cornwall. The others who knew him have been out of the country on missions for four months or longer. I’m always in London, behind this desk for at least seven hours a day. Lately it’s been ten. Aside from Mr. Sheffield who spends nearly as much time as I do here at the Department on a daily basis, there was no one else who could have recognized him in Cornwall. I think you would agree with me, that Slaughter would not return to England unless he was hired and being paid very well. Most likely he was being paid to locate something or kill someone.”
“We have deduced the same,” Ruan nodded grimly.
“So, if it has to do with this Avalon Society business, he must be after the treasures or the scrolls.” At Ruan’s look of surprise, Stephen added, “Remember, I was called to Wychcombe House to act on behalf of the King after Crowhurst, Mr. Crow and Percy Davitt were killed. I spoke often with Sir John Nunn while he was in London. He is in Cornwall now, I believe?”
“Yes, he is.”
Stephen nodded. He absently tapped the end of his pen upon the leather top of his desk. “And how is the former Lady Burrow?”
“You mean Lady St. Erth?” Ruan asked.
“No. Catherine, the former wife of the Marquess of Burrow,” Stephen clarified. He gave Ruan a puzzled look.
“Catherine is the new Lady St. Erth.”
“Marrek did not tell me. He married her?” Stephen asked in surprise. He grinned after he spoke.
Ruan grinned, “He did. He said it was his duty to care for her and he would give her the protection of his name.”
Stephen smiled. “That’s what he told you, but I’ve a sneaking suspicion there is more to it than that. My guess is St. Erth has a tendre for Catherine.” He grinned broadly then laughed. “I’m certain that is it. I never thought I’d see the day St. Erth fell for a woman.”
Ruan shrugged. “She is a special woman. Marrek, Creed and I all think so after working to protect her for these past four years. Charlie felt the same.” Ruan would not mention the child. That was for Marrek, and Marrek alone to tell their superior.
“Ah, that was a sad affair regarding Lord Silverley and Lord Gryfe also. I hear he may always walk with difficulty.”
“Yes, I called upon Lachlan yesterday after I left the offices. He’s getting around quite well. He told me he was working on gaining his strength back so he can join us in Cornwall. He’s convinced Charlie died trying to save him and he wishes to be there to help avenge his death.”
“Of course he does. It’s no doubt true. I can understand Gryfe’s loyalty to Silverley,” Stephen commented.
A knock sounded on the door.
“Lord Lyndhurst, Lady Anna is here.”
“Send her in.” Stephen looked at Ruan, “You don’t mind if my darling Anna joins us for a bit. A more loyal child I have never known. She was shopping today. If she’s flitting about in Town, she always pays me a call,” he grinned proudly, “even though I breakfast and dine with her daily. We read together in the drawing room most nights. She is a devoted daughter.”
“Papa.”
It had been some years since Ruan had seen Stephen’s youngest daughter, Anna. He rose from his chair and turned to greet her. He was stunned. The gangly, coltish girl had matured into a beautiful woman. She was stunning. Quite lovely, in fact.
Stephen rose and walked around his massive desk. He embraced his daughter and accepted her kiss to his cheek with a proud father’s smile. “You remember Lord Ince don’t you, Anna?”
“I do. How do you do, my Lord?”
“I am very well, thank you. And yourself, Lady Anna?”
Ruan took in her appearance. Anna was tall and slender, but well formed. Her beautiful heart-shaped face appeared to be flawless from where he viewed her. She had large brown eyes and sculpted cheekbones. Her dark brown curls that he had always thought unruly in her younger years were tamed into an elegant coiffure, though a few errant curls trailed down near her nape. Her smile revealed a dimple in her cheek. Her lips were full and rosy. There was something about her stubborn chin that drew him in. He imagined kissing that chin. He shook off such thoughts and gave the lady a bow.
She was his superior’s daughter for heaven’s sake. Lord Lyndhurst, as head of The Department, was one of the most powerful men in England. He could not allow himself to lust after Stephen’s daughter, not unless he was looking to marry her, which he definitely was not. He cringed just at the thought of getting leg-shackled.
“I am very well, my Lord.”
Ruan could not argue with her. She looked very well indeed.
“To what do I owe this pleasure, my darling daughter?” Stephen asked.
“Papa, you’ve forgotten? You promised to take me for a drive through the park this afternoon.” Her lips formed into a pout and she looked up to her father expectantly.
“So I did.” Stephen clapped his hands together. “Why don’t you go into the front office and tell Mr. Sheffield to order some tea for us. Lord Ince and I shall join you the parlour in a few minutes after we conclude our business.”
Anna beamed. It was clear she adored her father, and he her. She gave her father a broad smile and Ruan a small curtsy.
Once they were alone, Stephen motioned for him to take a seat. “I adore my daughters. It is hard to believe that Ellen and Leticia are both now married. Ellen is in the family way, I will be a grandfather by Michaelmas!” He beamed.
“That’s wonderful, sir. Congratulations. You must have married very young,” Ruan remarked.
“I did. I was married and had a child before I was two and twenty. Leticia came to us a year later and Anna arrived two years after Leticia. Anna was named after her mother. She is so much like her. I thought my life was over when my wife died. Then I became the girls’ only parent and I devoted my life to my daughters. I’ve been happy man ever since. Ellen and Leticia married husbands of their choosing and are happy. So will Anna. My Anna is lovely, don’t you think, Ince?”
“Yes. She is quite lovely, sir,” Ruan said truthfully.
“I could not miss the approval in your eyes when you looked upon her just now. I was trying to remember how long it’s been since you’ve seen my daughter. I’m guessing it’s been four years, maybe five.”
“Yes, it has been some time since I have seen Lady Anna. For the last four years I have not often been to the offices or London for that matter.”
Stephen nodded. “She’s my pet; the baby of my brood, who is now almost twenty and three. I want a good husband for her. One who can protect her, who will cherish her and be
loyal to her alone. I will only accept a husband for her who will make her happy and be completely devoted to her. What are your plans, Ince?”
“Pardon, sir?” Ruan must have lost his train of thought and missed part of Lyndhurst’s question. He was remembering what a vision Lady Anna was.
“Your plans?” Stephen urged. “Do you plan to marry?” he asked.
“Well, yes. Eventually, ah, someday.” Ruan fidgeted. “Um, certainly not any time soon, sir. I don’t give the idea much thought at the present time.”
“You should. Children are the biggest gift we receive in life. Marrying someone you love is priceless. You will join Anna and me for tea, and a drive in the park. You must dine with us tonight, we rarely have visitors. Anna will be pleased to have company other than her father. Though she would never say it, I think she finds me quite boring,” Stephen winked at him.
“Thank you,” Ruan wondered what his superior was about.
Stephen continued, “I won’t lie to you Ruan, I’ve had you in mind for Anna for some time. I never thought Marrek ever to marry, he is so serious and solemn, all business. Now, he is married.” Stephen shrugged. “Creed is something of a rakehell still, though I’m certain he shall calm down one day. But it’s been you I see with her. I can see you and my Anna together. I think it would be a perfect match, actually.”
Ruan gave a nod because he presently had no words.
“I apologize, Ince, I have surprised you. You can be assured that I will never force your hand. You do not have to fear that from me. I just want you to get to know my Anna. Just consider the possibilities if you were to marry her. I already know you were attracted to her physically. I saw it in your eyes. She’s just as beautiful on the inside. She’s even a scholar. It is imperative to me that my Anna marry well, to a good and decent man, which you are. I also know you would protect her with your life. As I have told you, she is so like her mother. I was madly in love with her mother. I will not rest easy until I see my little Anna happily married with a family of her own. I don’t think I have to mention that she has a large dowry. Being wealthy, that should not matter to you. But there it is.”
“Ah, I will consider your prospect,” Ruan said with difficulty after clearing his throat. It appeared his superior had just given him permission and encouragement to marry his daughter. Although Ruan had found Lady Anna lovely and he had been tempted to kiss her stubborn chin among other things; he had never considered marriage. He did not think he was considering it even now. He was quite certain Lady Anna’s beauty did not affect him that strongly.
“You have nothing else to say?” Stephen asked him.
Ruan chose his words carefully. “I have not contemplated marriage. While I find Anna lovely, I do not think I am even near the point of offering marriage to any woman.”
“Fair enough.” Stephen nodded. “Will you at the very least get to know her and just let things take their natural course? Converse with her, that’s all I’m asking.”
Ruan nodded. It suddenly felt very warm in the office, spacious though it was. He adjusted his cravat.
“Let’s join Anna for tea and take a drive in the park, shall we?”
“Of course,” Ruan sighed inwardly. It was quite a mess he found himself in at present. He was suddenly very thankful he was leaving in two days to return home to Cornwall. With any luck, he could stay there awhile. Perhaps he could even pull a mission before the little Season began.
“How dare they shut the doors and leave us out of their discussions. It’s as if what we are doing doesn’t matter. The Secretum Domini is very important,” Rowena said in irritation.
She continued, “When I entered the library an hour ago to search for a book on Latin, they stopped talking and waited until I left the room to resume their conversation,” Rowena sniffed. “I was very uncomfortable. They made me feel as if I didn’t belong in there. Humph.”
“You ladies have been working as hard as they have,” Morva mentioned as she pulled a thread on the piece of embroidery she was working on.
“Yes, you have, my dears,” Rowena’s aunt, Frances Phippen, Lady Sperring, agreed with a nod.
“Can we not just go into the library?” Elowen asked with a mischievous grin.
Wenna grinned, “I daresay we can. We have worked just as hard as they have.”
“We have,” Libby agreed.
“So we should just march right into the library find a table and set ourselves up?” Tuesday asked with a jubilant twinkle in her eyes.
“I’ll have Diggory see that some chairs are brought in,” Morva supplied with an amused smile. She gave a conspiratorial wink in the direction of Lady Sperring and Harry and Lyon’s mothers who sat next to her.
“I agree. It’s just not right to allow them to exclude us,” Sophia nodded.
Grace entered the drawing room. “Alice finally relented to taking a nap. Her father has spoiled her. If she begs him to not make her take a nap, he will give in every time.”
“’Tis the way of fathers and daughters, I’m afraid,” Morva smiled at Grace.
“What has happened?” Grace asked as she noted the determined looks on all of her friend’s faces.
“We have just decided that we shall not allow the men to exclude us from the library any longer. We are going in and setting up to decipher the Secretum Domini in the library with them. We do not wish to be excluded from everything. We are working hard to help them and what we are doing is just as important as what they are working on,” Wenna informed Grace.
“I would just like to point out, that most of you ladies have suffered physically at the hands of the Knights of the Brown Order. Surely they must realize you wish to be a part of their endeavors,” Elowen offered as she looked to Sophia, Libby and Wenna who still sported physical bruises and injuries from their encounters with the Brown Coated men. Then there was Tuesday who lost her brother to them and Senny still abed upstairs.
“We have suffered. I lost my brother,” Tuesday said sadly, as she thought of Charlie. She straightened her back. “And we have every right to be in there, each one of us.” She stood. “So we will go right in there and set up a table.”
“Yes, the ladies have all suffered,” Catherine murmured as she too thought of Charlie. She could say no more than that. No one could know what she had lost. She had lost her child’s father, and a man she loved. Sadness washed over her.
“I wonder why they do not realize we wish to be a part of this,” Libby pondered.
“You would think they would,” Sophia added, “They should know that stopping the Knights of the Brown Order is as important to us, as it is to them.”
“Oh no, they do not realize it at all,” Rowena stood and began collecting the Secretum Domini and her notes.
The other ladies began gathering their notes and books they were using.
“They will realize very soon, the error they made in their thinking,” Morva’s blue eyes twinkled. She gave then an amused smile as she set aside her embroidery and rose from the settee. “I shall have Diggory see to it that chairs are brought in for you, my dears.”
Harry’s mother, Lady Glaston, and Lyon’s mother, Lady Amesbury, and Rowena’s aunt, Lady Sperring, smiled in amusement as they nodded their agreement and chuckled amongst themselves.
“It is good for gentlemen to be reminded of the proper ways to treat their wives,” Jane Bellingham, Lady Glaston, emitted a small giggle.
“I so agree, Jane,” Mary Ravenscroft, Lady Amesbury said. “It does a man good to be frequently reminded of such things.”
“Indeed, it does!” Frances, Lady Sperring, laughed.
Tuesday paused as she noticed how pale Catherine looked as she rose from her chair.
“Catherine, dear, what is the matter?”
“I’m feeling a little fatigued, I think I will go upstairs and rest,” Catherine offered. “Perhaps I am taking am ague or some such thing. Of a sudden I do not feel at all well.”
“Would you like me to accomp
any you?” Tuesday asked her in concern.
“I’ll be fine, thank you, Tuesday,” Catherine said as he turned and hurried from the room. She felt the threat of nausea build inside her.
Once Catherine was on the stairs, tears stung her eyes. She had been happy all day. She realized she had forgotten about Charlie until Tuesday mentioned they had all suffered. She had suffered as well. None could know she carried Charlie’s child, excepting of course, Marrek, Aunt Morva, Ruan and Creed.
She felt guilty she had forgotten Charlie today. She felt sad because she had lost Charlie. Catherine realized at that moment how happy it might make her dear friend Tuesday to know that she carried her brother’s child. Or would it bring her shame?
When she thought of asking Marrek his opinion, she felt guilty for feeling sad about Charlie. Marrek had been very good to her, and he was her husband. She was not sorry to be married to him. In fact, she had very fond feelings for Marrek and found herself growing more attached to him with each passing day. Of course, that made her feel guilty, for Charlie had only been gone a short while, just weeks. Yet, deep down she guessed Charlie would want her to be happy. Marrek was alive and here with her. It seemed so wrong, to even think about Marrek that way. Or was it? She was so confused.
Her stomach knotted as she neared her room. Confusion and sadness weighed her down.
The library doors opening caught Trevan’s attention. Diggory walked in carrying two chairs. One of his men followed with two more chairs. Then two more men came in carrying chairs. They headed toward an empty table in the back of the room.
“Diggory, what is going on?” Trevan asked curiously.
“Please pardon us, Your Grace. The Duchess instructed me to bring extra chairs into the library.”
“Oh. Very well,” Trevan shrugged. He thought it odd. He watched as the men placed the chairs around the table.
Diggory bowed and said simply, “Your Grace,” before he left the room.
Lords of Retribution (Lords of Avalon series) Page 33