Lords of Retribution (Lords of Avalon series) (41 page)

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 s
ome 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 no
thing 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.

“Cath
erine, dear, what is the matter?”

“I’m feeling a little fatigued, I th
ink 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 accompany 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?

W
hen 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.

Trevan looked at Tremayne, they both shrugged
.

The library doors swung open again
just several minutes later. Diggory held one door open.

The click of
multiple pairs of heels upon the parquet floor in the corridor filtered into the room.

Chairs
scraped back on the fine carpets as every gentleman present stood to welcome the colorful entourage of ladies who entered. They carried books, foolscap and inkwells. They wore serious, determined expressions. Their backs were ramrod straight. Their heads held high, none looked at any man as they filed into the room.

“Ladies
.” Trevan bowed as Lady Glaston, followed by Wenna and the rest of them, passed him and made their way toward the table in the back. None of the women gave him a second glance. He saw determination on each face.

The ladies
moved past him with expressions as serious as soldiers in rank, their focus impenetrable. It certainly looked like trouble to him.