No one in London can be unfamiliar with the circumstances of the death of one of our most beloved and renowned citizens, the elephant Chunee, who Wednesday last met his fatal end at the Exeter Change in such a barbarous manner that many were moved to write letters on his behalf. The Tattler has learned the identity of one lady of quality, whose letter we reprint here. While we must applaud the lady’s sentiments on behalf of this noble creature, we must also wonder if so outspoken a young woman as Lady Emily Radstock will ever find a husband among the gentry and nobility of England. Rumor has it that she is one of the financial backers of Sir Arthur Broome’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Sir Arthur currently resides in Marshalsea Prison for debt.
Sir:
The facts in the death of Chunee are so well known as to
need no recounting. Thousands in London have seen the prints of his cruel
slaughter. His agony at the hands of those on whom he long depended for his
sustenance and whose pockets were lined with the proceeds of exhibiting him to
the public is indefensible.
His handlers’ inability to consider his needs and to
foresee a time when distress of body and spirit would render him a danger to
himself and others and to plan accordingly for his care and ultimately for his
end brings into question the fitness of human persons for keeping any wild
animals in captivity, confined against their nature in cages, to be stared at
by the masses with no freedom to act in accord with the promptings of their
natures.
It is time to close the Exeter Change and all similar
institutions whose indifference to the well-being of their charges is a stain
on the honor of our city.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
E. Radstock
About the Book: The Spy’s Guide to Seduction
Weeks from her twenty-ninth birthday, Lady Emily Radstock receives from her mother a little blue book, The Husband Hunter’s Guide to London.Outraged at her mother’s attempt to push her out of the nest, Emily declares she’ll marry the first imbecile she meets. Overhearing the beautiful heiress, Baronet Sir Ajax Lynley, newest gentleman spy in the Pantheon Club, takes her at her word. From the moment their engagement begins, Emily finds herself intrigued by her fiancé, a man who encourages her daring and who offers a most seductive partnership in spy-catching. When mounting danger and an uncanny echo of his painful past lead Lynley to abandon the partnership, Emily has to put aside the hurt and humiliation of a missing fiancé to save her partner in spying and seduction. A 2019 Library Journal Top Pick in Romance.
Kate Moore taught English lit to generations of high school students, who are now her Facebook friends, while she not-so-secretly penned Romances. In Kate’s stories an undeniable mutual attraction brings honorable, edgy loners and warm, practical women into a circle of love in Regency England or contemporary California. A Golden Heart, Golden Crown, and Book Buyers Best award winner and three-time RITA finalist, Kate lives north of San Francisco with her surfer husband, their yellow Lab, toys for visiting grandkids, and miles of crowded bookshelves.
What propriety is possible with women whose heads are filled with nothing but men? Can charity improve flawed character?
Dear Mr. Clemens,
I have it on very good authority that the reputations of some
of the supposed ladies, who are members of the The Ladies’ Society for the Care of the Widows and
Orphans of Fallen Heroes and the Children of Wounded Veterans would not bear close scrutiny.
Her Grace of H, whose generosity is well known is being taken advantage of by
females as scandalous as that jade, Miss M. P. C. It is all well and good for
Her Grace to sponsor the woman’s employment as almoner at the Benevolent Paupers
of the Apostles Hospital, where Miss C will only encounter persons of as low an
order as herself. But to foist her upon society as part of the group organizing
Her Grace’s latest charity ball is by far too much. Bad enough that the good
folk of the ton must tolerate, those sisters, Misses M. and J. G. because of
their relationship to the M of A. Now Her Grace is elevating a woman of Miss
C.’s repute to the heights of society by association with the likes of Lady T. M., sister to the reculsive Duke of E ,
who is involved in this charitable effort. Her ladyship is young and can be
forgiven a small error in judgement. However, Her Grace cannot have considered
the impact that associating with such dubious women will have on an impressionable
and high-spirited young lady such as the Duke of E’s sister. Since Her Grace is
always most kind and generous, her continued support of the likes of Miss C can
only be a detriment to any charitable effort. What will come of those efforts
of Her Grace when Miss C shows her true colors and steals every penny, like the
dishonorable strumpet she is. I beg of you sir, and your good readers,
encourage Her Grace of H. not to tolerate any association with Miss C. on the
part of any members of the The Ladies’ Society for the Care of the Widows
and Orphans of Fallen Heroes and the Children of Wounded Veterans.
With
kind regards and concern for the welfare of our young ladies,
D.
Cummins.
Dear
Readers,
We
publish this letter in the interests of fair play and welcome any epistles
countering the concerns of its author. We cannot help but wonder if the
concerned “D. Cummins.” might be a relative of the Miss C. mentioned
in the letter. Perhaps a relative who has benefitted from the young woman’s
difficulties and would prefer to see her banished from society rather than
reformed. We are well acquainted with Her Grace of H’s kindness and wisdom. She
is an unlikely dupe, so we welcome any response either in support or in
opposition to the concerns noted in the letter above.
Sincerely
S.
Clemens, Editor and Publisher
Learn more about the ‘scandalous’ Miss C. and other protege’s of the Duchess of Haverford in the Bluestocking Belles’ boxset Fire & Frost.
The ladies of London, led by the indomitable Duchess of Haverford plot a campaign to feed the hungry, care for the fallen—and bring the neglectful Parliament to heel. Their campaign involves strategy, persuasion, and a wee bit of fun. Pamphlets are all well and good, but auctioning a lady’s company along with her basket of delicious treats is bound to get more attention. When the Thames freezes over, the ladies take to the ice at the Frost Fair. With handsome gentlemen at hand, what could be better for their purposes than a little Fire & Frost?
Your Teatime Tattler once again has the pleasure of receiving scandalous news from afar, this about a notorious Pinkerton agent.
Dear Mr. Clemens,
You may not be able to print this
scandalous story. I am reporting to you an event that has horrified my friends
and me! Miss Lydia Wood was seen in the company of a man, Mr. Jake Hunter, in a
saloon for commoners. To make matters more appalling, she wore a scandalous
dress that exposed her ankles and a bit of her… appendages. His dress presented
him as a riverboat gambler. This was not to a costume ball, Mr. Clemens, but a
night on the town. She even sang in the saloon!
Miss Woods said she and Mr. Hunter are agents of the Pinkerton Detective Agency’s Denver, Colorado, office. I hesitate to call her remarks into question. Nevertheless, have you ever heard of a woman Pinkerton detective? You can understand why I am dismayed beyond words!
Pinkerton Agency Reward Poster
The two rushed off to some ridiculous
place called Hole-in-the-Wall, Wyoming, to chase after robbers. Don’t you agree
that a woman going to a place where robbers congregate is outrageous? Miss Wood
is from a prominent Kansas family and knows society’s rules. I am surprised she
would act so boldly in public. I pity her poor parents, who must be distressed
at their daughter’s choices. You may remember Miss Wood was left at the altar
two years ago by this same Mr. Hunter. She said
they are now in a marriage of convenience for this assignment. If that is true,
her parents know nothing of the arrangement.
As I learn more of this distressing affair, kind sir, I shall keep you informed further.
Miss Lilith Black
About the Book
AN AGENT FOR LYDIA, Pinkerton Matchmaker Series #56
When Lydia Wood is left at the altar, she
believes something beyond her groom’s control has happened. Two years with no
word have hardened her heart. She has to get away from her parents’ constant
urging her to choose an acceptable husband and wed. Becoming a Pinkerton agent
suits her plans.
Pinkerton Agent Jake Hunter has recovered
from injuries that put him in a coma and a long convalescence. He realizes
Lydia would have been injured had she been with him. To protect her, he vows to
distance himself from the one person who means the world to him.
When they are paired for an investigation of robbers they must follow the trail to a dangerous hangout of men on the run. Can the two successfully pull off their charade and capture the robbers and their stor will this trip confirm Jake’s worst fears?
An Excerpt
Lydia gazed out the train window at Wyoming’s desert landscape, recalling how terrified she’d been last night in the saloon. The man who’d wanted to take her upstairs was huge and smelled as if he hadn’t bathed in months. He carried a bottle of whiskey in one hand, some of which he had spilled on his shirt.
Thank
goodness she had her gun and her knife. Would her little gun have stopped such
a large man? With any luck she’d never have to learn the answer.
Forcing
herself not to snuggle up to Jake for comfort had been almost impossible. His
presence reassured her. He’d had several years experience at Pinkerton’s and
knew how to deflect and defeat combatants.
An
older couple sat in the seats facing theirs. Lydia avoided eye contact with the
prune-faced woman across from her. The woman had snubbed her and Jake as if
they carried leprosy.
Prune-face
ceased staring long enough to tug on her husband’s sleeve and whisper, “Horace,
doesn’t he look like the man on that wanted poster we saw in Cheyenne?”
Horace
frowned at her. “Hush, Mattie.”
Did
those two think she and Jake couldn’t hear them?
Lydia
gestured to the window. “I’ve never seen so much sand and scrubby bushes.
Barren as it is, it emanates a serene beauty.”
“Wait until you see where we’re headed. I’ve
heard it’s picturesque as well.” Jake flashed his bone-melting grin.
No,
thank you, she couldn’t weaken now. She’d had the vaccination for that grin’s
affect. Too bad the inoculation hadn’t proven very effective.
About the Author
Through a crazy
twist of fate, Caroline Clemmons was not
born on a Texas ranch. To compensate for this illogical error, she writes about
handsome cowboys, feisty ranch women, and scheming villains in a tiny office
her family calls her pink cave. She and her Hero live in North Central Texas
cowboy country where they ride herd on their dog and three rescued indoor cats
as well as providing nourishment outdoors for squirrels, birds, and other
critters.
The over fifty titles she has created in her pink cave have made her an Amazon bestselling author and won several awards. She writes sweet to sensual romances about the West, both historical and contemporary as well as time travel and mystery. Her series include The Kincaids, McClintocks, Stone Mountain Texas, Bride Brigade, Texas Time Travel, Texas Caprock Tales, Loving A Rancher, and Pearson Grove as well as numerous single titles and contributions to multi-author sets. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, reading her friends’ books, lunching with friends, browsing antique malls, checking Facebook, and taking the occasional nap.
Lord
Roland de Wolfe burst into his sister’s bedchamber, sword drawn to meet
whatever peril she was facing. A frown quickly marred his brow to see her calmly
sitting by the fire reading a book.
“You
said ’twas urgent,” he muttered placing the blade in the scabbard strapped to
his side. “I thought mayhap you were in danger.”
Livinia
gave a light laugh. “I am perfectly fine.” She pointed to his attire or lack
thereof. “You could have at least put on a tunic. Obviously, I interrupted your
bath with my summons.”
“Aye,
you did, among other things,” he replied with a sly grin, not that his sister
needed to know of the woman waiting for him back in his own chamber. “What was
of such import that it could not wait ’til the morn?”
“I
have an idea that could be of mutual benefit to us. A wager if you would care
to take a chance,” she said with sparkling eyes. She reached over for a cup and
took a sip. “Are you game?”
His
eyes narrowed as he pondered her. Livinia had always been mischievous in her
youth. In the past, Roland had been more than willing to be an accomplice for
whatever she had in mind as long as no one was hurt in her games. She was used
to getting her way and Roland supposed he was much to blame since he had been
left to raise her.
He
came to sit opposite her, leaning his forearms on his legs. “What did you have
in mind, my dear?”
“Our
cousin Catherine arrived this morn. She brings with her Sir Charles…”
“Nay!”
“…
along with her husband’s sister, Lady Freya,” Livinia continued with a smirk.
His
brow rose. Now his sister had his attention. Roland knew of his Livinia’s
infatuation with Sir Charles since she was a young girl. He had hoped she had
outgrown those feelings but apparently not. “Laird Douglas has a sister?”
“Aye,
he does, and he has brought her with them to Wolverhampton. I was introduced to
them a short while ago, although I am expected to return to the great hall
shortly.”
“Go
on,” Roland said sitting back in his chair as he began tapping the wooden arms
with his fingertips.
“You
worm your way into Lady Freya’s affections. I do not care how you do it, only
that it drives a wedge between the woman and Sir Charles,” Livinia answered.
“How
exactly do you know Charles cares for the woman and why does this matter to you?”
“I
am not blind, Roland. Suffice to say I would like to see just how far we can
push them, tear them apart, or bring them together. I only care to make Charles
suffer a bit for not returning my affections in our youth,” she lifted her nose
a bit higher causing Roland to laugh at her antics.
“What
is in it for me?” he said mockingly. He just may enjoy this challenge if only
to see what depths his sister might go to try and finally win Sir Charles.
“Why,
you get the company of a lovely young woman who no doubt has a hefty dowry that
could be yours if you play this game right. Have you not said that we both
should marry soon to replenish your coffers?”
“And
you finally get Charles.” He let his comment fill the space between them ’til
he watched Livinia shrug.
“That
is the whole point of this, Roland. Are you in?”
“This
seems like an easy bet to make with you, sister. You will fail, of course, and
would never be happy with Charles as your husband. If he and Lady Freya ended
up as husband and wife, our wager will be that you agree to marry the man of my
choosing. Agreed?” he smirked knowing Livinia would agree before she thought
out her plan in greater detail. Generally, she could charm anyone to bend to
her will, Charles being the exception.
“Agreed!”
she said clapping her hands.
“’Tis
a wager then.” Roland stood and bent down to place a kiss on her sister’s cheek.
“Now if you will excuse me, I shall see to making myself presentable.” He also
needed to get rid of the woman currently waiting for him in his chamber. As he
left Livinia, he began mentally composing a list of eligible noblemen whom he
might consider worthy enough to marry his sister.
This is an original piece with secondary characters from Belle Sherry Ewing’s novella, To Love An English Knight: De Wolfe Pack Connected World, that released today. Read on to learn more about her medieval romance.
Excerpt:
Sir Charles de Grey read the missive he held from Wolverhampton Castle a second time. Disbelief changed to anger, filling his soul that perchance the outcome may have been different had he been with Lady Catherine’s brother and his family. But, nay… he was Catherine’s guardsman, sworn to protect her. He knew his duty to her and what was required of him. She may have been born Catherine de Wolfe, but she was now the lady of Berwyck.
Knowing the heartbreak this would
cause Lady Catherine, Charles knew he must quickly locate her husband so he
could reveal the news from the missive. Charles would like nothing better than
to crush the parchment beneath his feet than to deliver such horrible news to
someone he cared for.
He gave a heavy sigh as he left the
stable area after seeing the runner was sent to the kitchens to fill his belly
after his trip. Memories flitted unbidden across his mind, and he shook his
head remembering how he had once been in love with Lady Catherine. Aye! ’Twas
foolish on his part he knew, but the months he had been at Berwyck had
dispelled such feelings. She was happy in her marriage to the Lord of Berwyck.
Thankfully, Charles and Douglas fell into a common accord to keep the lady safe
at all costs. Her happiness was all that mattered. Charles’s heart would mend
one day, or so he supposed.
As he came into the inner bailey,
he saw a flash of fabric as a woman ran behind the healer’s hut. A hint of a
grin lit his face. Lady Freya, the laird’s sister, had been a bit of an
annoyance when he had first met her while traveling to Caen. When he had first
captured the woman who had been following him through camp, he had thought her
one of the whores who tended to show up at such events. ’Twas hardly his fault
for the mistake.
Fire had blazed in her blue-green
eyes, and for the briefest moment when their lips touched, he was reminded how
long it had been since he had a woman beneath him. His fingers had skimmed her
brown hair with blonde streaks lightened from the sun. She was beautiful, but
at the time, his heart had been clouded by another.
She had continued to shadow him
throughout their time at the tournament and even on their travels to Berwyck
last year. He had strange feelings for the young woman who could be no more
than a score of years. Considering he had been thrown into Berwyck’s dungeon
because of the jealousy she felt toward Lady Catherine, he supposed he could
forgive. She was young and sometimes foolish. Charles’s heart had become bitter
from the ordeal, and the wound that Catherine loved another was part to blame.
As he neared the hut, she came
around the corner carrying a basket as though she had not a care in the world.
Her eyes sparkled when they met his while she hummed a merry tune. But this was
no time to tarry with whatever antics she was up to today. He must find Douglas
without haste.
“Sir Charles,” she called out. She
offered him a smile, and he gave the briefest nod of his head. “’Tis a lovely
morn, is it not?”
He was momentarily startled by her
comment when he looked about at the cloudy sky above. “I suppose if you care
for the possibility of rain,” he murmured.
“I love the rain. ’Tis fun tae
dance in. Have ye never tried it?”
“I have hardly had time for such
amusement. Your brother keeps us busy with our training. Once it rains, I am
too busy trying to keep upright from slipping in the mud.”
“Ye should make the effort
sometime. Ye might enjoy it as long as ye have the right partner.” She fell
into step with him when he continued on his way toward the keep.
To Love An English Knight: De Wolfe Pack Connected World By Sherry Ewing $0.99 or #FREE in Kindle Unlimited
Can a chance encounter lead to love?
Sir Charles de Grey is
in turmoil. He cannot forget the Scottish lass he kissed in Caen, but her
jealous spite toward the lady he was sworn to guard infuriated him. Living at
Berwyck Castle, he is torn between his desire for Lady Freya and his need to
rebuke her sometimes reckless behavior. Leaving her almost tears him apart, but
it might give him time to recover some balance.
Lady Freya of Clan
MacLaren didn’t expect to become blinded by love until she became quickly
besotted on first seeing the English knight in Caen. How quickly everything
fell apart when she defies him! Even worse, when he begins to show signs of
returning her feelings, he receives a message from home that will tear them
apart. Defying him again may put an end to any chance they may have together,
but what other choice does she have when he leaves her?
Can the fragile love
they found blossom into something more or will circumstances beyond their
control continue to provoke behavior that keeps them apart?
Sherry Ewing picked up her first historical
romance when she was a teenager and has been hooked ever since. A bestselling
author, she writes historical and time travel romances to awaken the soul one
heart at a time. When not writing, she can be found in the
San Francisco area at her day job as an Information Technology Specialist.
Sam, you were right about the story, but you can’t use it. You’ll have two dukes down on you like a ton of bricks. You won’t be able to hide this one in initials and pretend you’re talking about someone else.
I’ve written it up anyway. Maybe it will come in handy when their Graces have gone to their reward — which, if there’s any justice in the afterlife, will involve hot flame and pitchforks. In any case, it will satisfy your curiosity.
Mr Redding, the young man who insisted on seeing the Duke of Sutton, was a gentleman — Perkins could tell a fake a mile off — but almost certainly a younger son, and so of no account. He had an attempt to spruce himself up, but the marks of travel were clear to an experienced butler. Poverty, too.
Perkins thought it unlikely that His Grace would receive Mr Redding, but he was not prepared to take the risk of making the decision for that irascible peer. To interrupt him and his friend the Duke of Haverford at their port might earn him a glass flung at his head. To fail to interrupt him if Mr Redding’s claim of urgency was true would see him on the street, never mind a lifetime’s faithful service.
To Perkin’s surprise, he was ordered to show Mr Redding in immediately. “You’ll be interested in this, Haverford,” His Grace of Winshire told his friend.
Perkins was, too, so he was careful not to completely close the door once he’d ushered Mr Redding inside, so that any conversation would reach the ear he put to the crack.
“Well, Redding,” the duke said. “Where’s my son?” His son? Lord Sutton was probably at his club, Lord Richard had been dead nearly two years, and Lord James, God bless him, had met his end on foreign shores fifteen years ago.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace,” Mr Redding replied. “We weren’t able to persuade him.”
“What!” Even over the duke’s roar, Perkins could hear the crash as he leapt to his feet fast enough to knock his chair over. More crashes followed. He’d be sweeping anything before him off the table. Perkins winced as priceless Italian crystal goblets and fine Chinese porcelain were sacrificed to the duke’s rage.
“You should have abducted him!” the old man shouted. “The Devil knows I gave you a large enough purse to hire an army.”
“We did, Your Grace. We had men at the ready, but we thought to persuade him first. He seemed open to it. Then he asked if he could bring his wife and eight children home, four of them sons.”
The duke’s snort gave all the answer needed.
“Exactly, Your Grace. A native woman and her brats? And him the heir to one of the premier titles in Britain?” Perkins could almost hear Mr Redding shake his head. “We weren’t fool enough to tell him that, but he must have known, because he slipped away in the night, and managed to evade the men we had ready to detain him.”
“That was it? He escaped and you let him go?”
“We chased him, of course, Your Grace.” Mr Redding managed to sound a little hurt. “No catching him. Those horses they breed in Turkmenistan are devilish fast, and you’ve never seen endurance like it. Of course, once he made it into his mountains, and was locked up in that kingdom of his, there was no point in anything but going home. He left a note for you, Your Grace.”
There was silence for a moment, then the duke’s voice, raised again. “Cognizant of your generosity. Must regretfully decline at this time. Will pray for good health and a long life for my nephew. Damn the boy. How dare he!”
Haverford’s voice sounded amused. “Refused you, did he? He always was an ungrateful cub. Never mind, Winshire. Sutton’s whelp seems to be in better health. You don’t need your youngest son. He has clearly gone native, and is unfit for your high position.”
Winshire snapped at his old friend. “You’re just upset because he coveted your wife, Haverford! Four sons! He’s a good breeder, I’ll give him that. I’ll get him home if it’s the last thing I do. Get out, Redding. I don’t want to see your face.” Something smashed on the door, warning Perkins, and he stepped away in time to escape being caught as Mr Redding scurried out of the room, just ahead of another crash.
Perkins, his mind seething with conjecture, conducted Mr Perkins to a small parlour, well away from the salon where the duke still raged. Lady Georgiana, the duke’s daughter, would not be pleased if he let the man leave without consulting her. Besides, Perkins himself wanted to hear news of Lord James, whom all the servants had loved — something that could not be said for the duke or his eldest son.
“Sit yourself down, Mr Perkins. You are fatigued and must be hungry. Let me get you something to eat and perhaps a drink. Do you have somewhere to stay the night? Shall I have them make up a bed?”
He sent a maid scurrying to the kitchen and another to the third floor where an anonymous guest might stay with the duke none the wiser, and hurried upstairs to her ladyship. If he was fortunate, she might permit him to stay and listen when she questioned Mr Perkins.
Paradise Regained
In discovering the mysteries of the East, James has
built a new life. Will unveiling the secrets in his wife’s heart destroy it?
James
Winderfield yearns to end a long journey in the arms of his loving family. But
his father’s agents offer the exiled prodigal forgiveness and a place in
Society — if he abandons his foreign-born wife and children to return to
England.
With her husband
away, Mahzad faces revolt, invasion and betrayal in the mountain kingdom they
built together. A queen without her king, she will not allow their dream and
their family to be destroyed.
But the greatest
threats to their marriage and their lives together is the widening distance
between them. To win Paradise, they must face the truths in their hearts.
Paradise Regained takes place in 1794. Eighteen years later, the hero of this novella, now a widower, returns to England with six of his children. The series that tells of the adventures and romances of these children will begin publication around March next year.
Excerpt
James regarded the Russian and the
Englishman across the delicately hand-knotted silk and woolen rug. He may have
made a tactical error in wearing European clothes. He’d thought to emphasise to
Redding and Michaelov that he was English and a duke’s son and to be treated
with respect. Instead, they appeared to have taken the message that he was
ready to abandon the life he had built here in the Middle East and crawl back
to accept whatever crumbs fell from his father’s table.
Their contempt and condescension grew as
the interview, if you could call it that when he sat silent and impassive,
continued.
At his shoulder, Yousef bristled with anger
on his behalf, but he would do nothing without James’s signal.
“You can be sure of the prodigal’s welcome,”
Redding said, folding his hands across an incipient paunch with a smug smile. “Your
father is prepared to forgive all and to welcome you with the fatted calf.”
Forgive him? For what? For being exiled?
For continuing to live after he was imprisoned by the Persians and his father
refused to pay the ransom? For certain, Garshasp Khan would have had him
beheaded or at least castrated if the man’s mother had not been English and
ready to intervene on a fellow countryman’s behalf by pointing out that James
had weapons skills that made him valuable to the Khan’s guard.
James inclined his head at Redding’s
nonsensical comment, a noncommittal sign but one Michaelov took as agreement.
“And you may yet be duke, Lord James. Lord
Sutton has only the one son, and he is a sickly boy. With Lord Edward’s death,
you are third in line.”
Time to end this.
“I have four sons,” James told them, “and
three daughters.” And another child by now, whose birth he had missed, thanks
to the troubles they had encountered and a further delay to meet these idiots. “I
take it that my father is willing to accept Lady James and our children with
the same enthusiasm?”
Not likely and the expressions on the faces
of his father’s men confirmed it.
“Lady James?” Redding said cautiously. “Your
native wife, is it?”
His Mahzad, royal in all her bloodlines,
every inch a princess and the holder of his heart, though that organ did not
appear to be as essential to her as the children and the kingdom they shared. If
he were to abandon good sense and his duty to their people and traipse back to
England to live on his father’s erratic goodwill, he had very little hope she
would come with him.
After that, the meeting broke up fairly
quickly. Redding did a good job of hiding his shock that James would put his “native
wife” ahead of the supposed advantages of being possible heir to a duke, but
Michaelov showed open disdain, and James left before he lost his temper.
“We’ll leave as soon as we can pack,
Yousef,” James said as they arrived back in their room.
“Carefully, my lord,” Peter warned. “They
have a force of armed men just outside the village.”
James raised his brows. “Good to know. How
big a force, and how did you find out?”
“I went to find the black cat I spoke of,
my lord. Sure enough, it brought us good luck, though I did not think so when
it walked away from me, staying just out of reach until we left the caravanserai and crossed the whole of
the village. Then, it dived behind a wall, and when I went after them, I heard
them say your name, Winderfield, so I hid and listened.”
“Just as well for us, Peter,” Yousef
agreed. “What did you hear?”
Peter explained that the men were itching
for action, since they’d been lying in wait for several days. “But Michaelov
said you were going to come of your own accord, so they wouldn’t be needed, and
they were complaining about having to camp out in the fields in the cold.”
James asked a few more questions about the
disposition of the men and the number. “We leave tonight, as quietly as
possible, after the caravanserai is
asleep,” he decided. “Yousef, let the men know. Once we are out in the desert,
no one will catch our horses.”
He left Peter to pack up the room and Yousef to organise the men while
he wrote a note for Redding to take to the duke a few conciliatory words. If he
had to go back to England one day to be duke, as well to leave the door open.
