Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Trent woke feeling grumpy and agitated. Worrying over Ash’s letter had kept him awake most of the night.
But when he opened Maggie’s door, her smile chased away the darkness from his mood.
She was the reason he worked so hard every day.
She was also the reason he even had this position.
Ash had been wrapped around her finger from the first moment he met her.
“Happy birthday, Maggie!” Somehow her smile grew even more brilliant.
“It’s my birthday!”
He picked her up, like he did every morning, and carried her downstairs to the dining room.
The servants all stood around the table, greeting her with a chorus of happy birthdays. She giggled and her eyes grew wide when she saw the beautifully decorated cake that sat in the center of the table. The cook here always spoiled her. They all did.
“Do I get to have cake for breakfast?”
“You sure do, Little Mouse.” Trent kissed her cheek and set her in her usual seat before sitting down beside her.
“Why don’t you all join us?” he said, looking at Mrs. Archer. “There’s plenty of cake for everyone.”
Slowly, they all seated themselves around the long table, leaving the chair at its head vacant.
That was Ash’s seat and none of them would dare sit in it.
Not even Trent. Not out of fear, but out of deference.
They all held him in high esteem, even in his absence.
Moulton and a footman quickly set the table for everyone, serving each of them a slice of cake before stationing themselves off to the side.
“Sit down, Moulton,” Maggie said, furrowing her brow. “Have cake with us.”
Trent gestured toward the empty chairs at the foot of the table. “It is her birthday.”
“It’s my birthday!”
Laughter broke out around the table and after cutting two more slices, the men joined them.
Moulton smiled, something Trent had rarely seen the man do for anyone but Maggie. “Happy birthday, Miss Maggie.”
She giggled and swung her feet as she stuffed a large bite of cake into her mouth. Trent gave thanks for this life he’d been gifted. When he was Maggie’s age, his mother had struggled to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies.
Hopefully, Ash’s summons wasn’t going to bring an end to it all. He’d find out soon enough. They’d be leaving for the train station directly after breakfast.
Trent tried to keep his thoughts occupied during their long journey south, pointing at things along the way for Maggie to identify. But eventually, she drifted off to sleep, and with each passing mile, the churning in his stomach grew more vigorous.
When they walked through the door to Raven House late that afternoon, Maggie immediately spotted Ash and kicked her feet until Trent set her down. She sprinted across the main hall toward him.
“Uncle Ash!”
Ash threw his cane to Trent, so his hands were empty as she jumped into them. He groaned dramatically as he lifted her into the air. “You must have gotten bigger since the last time I saw you!”
She giggled. “I did! It’s my birthday!”
“It’s your birthday? How old are you?”
She held up her hand, fingers spread wide.
“Five? No wonder you’ve gotten so big!”
She nodded animatedly, joy bubbling up in her laughter. Trent’s chest filled with gratitude. Ash was so good to her, and in turn, to him.
“Well,” Ash said quietly. “Somebody might have told me it was your birthday, and I’m quite certain there will be a surprise waiting for you when you get home.”
“A birthday present?”
Ash gave her an indulgent smile. “A birthday present from your uncle Ash.”
“What is it?”
He chuckled. “It’s a surprise. You’ll find out when you get back home. Right now, your aunt Gwen has something for you in the sitting room.” He set her down and pointed to the doorway.
“Aunt Gwen!” Maggie called as she ran. A chorus of feminine voices wished her a happy birthday as she entered the room.
Ash held out his hand and Trent threw his cane back to him. “Come on in, it’s good to see you.”
He followed Ash into his office. Ash closed the door but then he placed a hand on his shoulder, his gaze scouring Trent’s face.
“Christ. You look like hell, Trent. When was the last time you had a good night’s sleep?” He shook his head. “Sit down.”
They settled across the desk from one another.
“Tell me what you need, Trent.”
He shook his head. “I don’t need anything, Ash. You’ve already given me far too much. And speaking of which, what is this gift that will be waiting for Maggie?”
“It’s a surprise.”
Trent shook his head. “It’s too much, Ash.”
“You don’t even know what it is.”
“I have an inkling. She did send you a painting, after all.”
Ash shrugged. “I suppose you’ll see when you get home.”
Trent sighed. “I do appreciate it all, Ash, but I feel as if my debt to you only continues to grow.”
“Trent.” Ash waited until he made eye contact. “You are not now, nor will you ever be, in my debt. You are my brother.”
Trent nodded, but it was still hard for that to be real to him.
“Let me say that again, because I feel like you didn’t fully hear me. You. Are. My. Brother.”
He closed his eyes. When he opened them, Ash was standing beside him with an arm out. He stood and they embraced.
“Thank you, Ash.”
“Thank you, Trent. You are the one who has quite clearly taken on far too much work for one person. You should have asked. I would have gotten you the help you need.”
Trent was about to argue but Ash held up a hand. “Upfront and honest, remember? When you need help, you tell me.”
Slowly, Trent nodded.
“Do I need to ask Mr. Braithwaite to come back? Is there more training he can offer that might help you?”
“No. I think he taught me everything I was capable of learning.”
“Well, I haven’t seen a lot of money going out to pay laborers for the repairs you’ve been reporting.” He paused, closing his eyes with a sigh. “Tell me you haven’t been doing it all yourself.”
Trent didn’t say anything. He had been doing it all himself. Regardless of what Ash said, Trent did owe him. More than he could ever work off.
“That ends today.” Ash shook his head. “I hate to even ask for something else from you, but right now, I need your help. Let’s go over to the Den. There are others that need to be a part of this conversation, and this office is too small for that.”
Trent had never been in The Raven’s Den when it was actually a gaming hell. When he’d visited for Ash’s wedding it had been completely transformed into a large reception hall.
“Come on over tonight, after Maggie’s in bed, so you can see it in all its glory. It’s quite an experience.” Trent had never really seen this side of Ash’s life. He was more relaxed here than he’d been at Woodburn. More at home.
“I can’t wait to see it.”
“I don’t know if you’ve met these two yet. Michael is one of my partners, and Allister heads up our security.”
“We have met, but Mr. Allister wasn’t working for you then.” Trent shook both of their hands. He still had no idea what he was here for. At least it didn’t appear he was about to be sacked.
“Brandy?” Ash asked as he walked to the bar.
“Yes, please.” Hopefully a drink would calm his nerves.
They all settled around the table before Ash spoke again.
“I know you’re curious about why I requested your presence here, so I’ll just get right to it.
Allister’s sister, Samantha, is in our care.
She’s been through an incredibly difficult few years and isn’t acclimating very well here.
In truth, she needs more help than we can offer her.
I’d like to send her up to Woodburn Hall. ”
“And what is it that makes you believe I’m qualified for that? Is she a child?”
“No,” Allister said, shaking his head. “She’s definitely not a child.”
“But I don’t know anything about women, Ash. I can’t— I can’t—” He downed half of his brandy, unable to complete whatever that sentence should be.
“This is where Maggie comes in,” Ash explained. “She’s going to be our secret weapon. I think she might be just what Samantha needs.”
His fear was instantly extinguished by his protectiveness. “I don’t like the sound of that, Ash.”
Ash’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You don’t actually think I would do something that might put her in danger, do you?”
Of course he wouldn’t. Ash would do anything to keep her safe. Trent shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
“Samantha isn’t dangerous,” Michael said. “She’s just scared and lost. She doesn’t know who she is or what she wants.”
“My sister was a victim of that fraudulent marriage scheme.” Allister swirled his glass. “She endured five years of unimaginable abuse.”
“But how can I possibly help her?”
“Woodburn is somewhere she can just be,” Ash said. “She won’t have any expectations and can simply work through her grief however she needs to. And I know I can trust you to not take advantage of her vulnerability.”
“Of course I wouldn’t.”
“You do need to be warned, though.” Michael’s features were serious. “She sometimes tries to show gratitude in ways that are not appropriate.”
“Cover your ears, Allister.”
Allister sighed and shook his head. “Say what you need to say, Michael.”
“Last night, before I even knew what was happening,”—Michael’s eyes flicked to Allister but he continued—“she was on her knees and had a button open on my trousers.”
Trent’s stomach tightened. Even just the words made him uncomfortable. The last thing he needed to worry about was a woman. Especially a woman who might do something like that.
Michael looked at Allister again. “I’m sorry you had to hear that, but he needs to know, so he can be prepared.”
Be prepared? How was he supposed to be prepared for something like that? He was a virgin, for God’s sake.
Allister shook his head. “You’ve nothing to apologize for. I’m lucky she’s here. Any other man would have taken full and immediate advantage of her.”