Chapter Seventeen #3
Ming Tang grinned. “I would not worry about it,” he said. “He understands why he upset you. But a word indicating you do not hold a grudge would be appreciated, I am sure.”
Now that his fits of rage had died down, Creston was feeling weary. Weary and worried, a combination he was not used to. None of this was anything he was used to, and he didn’t like it in the least. Scratching his blond head, he pushed himself off the wall.
“I’ll do my best,” he said. “It would probably be best if I consult with him on the details of this operation. This is what I instruct my recruits on—interrogation, dealing with an enemy, anything underhanded or dark. I can handle any torture, under any conditions, and I do my job well. But involve my wife in a scheme and it’s like I forget who I am.
But I will remember. Preserving Blackchurch, preserving our home, means we must defend it.
And it means this threat will be avenged. ”
Amir smiled faintly. “Spoken like our Avenger,” he said softly. “Even if it means the death of your wife’s grandfather?”
“Even if it means that,” Creston muttered.
Then he held up a hand as if to beg forgiveness.
“But I want to be clear. Very clear. If St. Abelard takes de Bulverton away as his captive, I will not assume the mantle of the Earl of Sidbury. No matter what the man has done, I am not doing this to usurp the man’s title.
I am doing this to protect Blackchurch. I am doing this to protect the life I am building with the most wonderful woman in England.
Damn the man for trying to destroy it just to exact his petty revenge. ”
No one could disagree with him. Amir put a hand on his shoulder.
“What will you tell your wife?” he asked.
“I am all for protecting women, but she must know. For her own safety, she must. And if it were my wife, I might teach her some ways to protect herself against her grandfather. If the man has any hint that you know what he’s done, the stakes may turn… deadly.”
That was true. If they were about to head into a difficult situation, then Ophelia had to know why simply to protect herself. Sending her in blind would be the worst thing he could do. Creston snorted softly.
“I’ve trained hundreds of men, and women, over the years,” he said. “It never occurred to me that I would be in the position of training my wife to a certain extent. Lia has a level head—she’ll be able to take instruction. She’s not the fearful type.”
“That is wise,” Ming Tang said. “You may not be with her every moment of every day, so she will need to know how to handle herself, or the situation, if you are not with her.”
Creston nodded, thinking of that petite, lovely woman in his cottage, waiting for him to return home. Waiting for him. That was the sweetest thing in the world, but now, with this crisis, he felt the urge to get home to her more strongly than he ever had.
“I know,” he said. “Let me speak with de Lohr first and then I will head back to my cottage. Do we have a timeline of when all of this is supposed to happen?”
The three of them turned for the solar door.
“It will take at least three days for a missive to reach Plymouth,” Amir said.
“If St. Abelard is not there, then it will be another two days to Falmouth. If he still cannot be found, then it simply depends on when the messenger can find him. I have suggested to St. Denis to send more than one messenger. That way, any of St. Abelard’s known ports can be covered in a short amount of time, rather than one man trying to hunt him down. ”
“Agreed,” Creston said. “It could take days or it could take months.”
“Months we do not have,” Ming Tang said quietly.
Amir opened the door to the solar, revealing the group beyond. All eyes turned to them as they entered, most especially to Creston. He locked eyes with Myles, but before he could say anything, Payne was suddenly in his path.
“Do ye know what the man said about the Demons of the Sea?” he nearly shouted at Creston. Then he threw a finger in Myles’ direction. “He’s said they’re a gang of misfits and rogues. Sin is about tae kill the man, so if ye want tae throttle him, we’ll help ye!”
Payne was always excitable in any given situation, but in this case, it was justified.
Astria, his wife, was a former pirate, although she did return to sea from time to time, and Sinclair’s wife, Elisiana, was a cousin to Santiago de Fernandez, the fearsome leader of the pirate group called Demons of the Sea.
Blackchurch had a history with them. But Creston wouldn’t be riled up, not again, so he grabbed Payne by the neck and pulled the man back as he addressed Myles.
“De Lohr, I’m afraid you’ve stirred a hornet’s nest,” he said. “I apologize for my behavior earlier. It’s simply that I am, naturally, quite protective of my wife and I do not want to see her put in any danger.”
Myles nodded, accepting the apology. “I was clumsy about it,” he said. “I am not married and I should have been more sensitive. As for the pirates… I did not realize Triton’s Hellions was the only faction Blackchurch was related to.”
Creston nodded, eyeing Sinclair, who was standing several feet away and glaring at Myles.
“That was the hornet’s nest I referred to,” he said.
“I know you did not mean to upset some of us, but everything you’ve spoken of has involved the women we are married to.
We are, if nothing else, a very loyal bunch when it comes to our wives. ”
St. Denis intervened, his hand lifted to halt any further conversation because this entire situation was already out of control and he didn’t want it growing worse. “I’ve told him,” he said. “He knows it now, so there will be no more insulting pirates around here if he wants to keep his head.”
Creston still had his hand on Payne’s neck to prevent the man from running amok.
“Payne’s mother was none other than Bloody Maude, the Pirate Queen,” he said to Myles.
“She was the leader of Medusa’s Disciples until her death.
It is now led by Payne’s brother, Pope Francis. Did anyone tell you that?”
Myles shook his head, eyeing the big Scotsman. “Nay, they did not,” he said. “We only discussed the Spanish pirates. But I wish they had told me everything. Now I am standing in the middle of the hornet’s nest, and I hope I do not have to jump out of the window to escape with my life.”
That brought some soft laughter from around the chamber, from everyone but Payne and Sinclair.
St. Sebastian, seeing the two brooders were not helping the situation, ushered them both out with the help of Kristian, who was Payne’s best friend.
With the four of them out of the chamber, the tension eased a little and Creston returned his attention to St. Denis.
“Amir told me that you plan to send a message to Triton’s Hellions,” he said.
“He has explained everything and I believe it is a solid plan. I want you to know that I will do my duty for Blackchurch, and in this mission, I will not fail. But I will also protect my wife, first and foremost. I understand that she is the most logical person not to raise suspicions of her grandfather, but I will be by her side the entire time. I hope you can understand that.”
“Of course, I can,” St. Denis said. “I would not expect you anywhere else, Creston.”
His words eased Creston a little, but there was still the nagging guilt he felt. None of this would have happened had he not married Ophelia. Even though it wasn’t his fault, he still felt responsible.
“I am ashamed that I have brought this bad fortune upon Blackchurch,” he said. “Without my marriage to Lia, it is possible that this would have never happened. But know that I will do everything in my power to ensure the situation is resolved. Now, it has become personal.”
Brenton, who had been standing by the hearth for the entire conversation, including Creston’s lunge at Myles, finally came forward to stand with his cousin.
Truthfully, he and Creston didn’t grow up together.
Their fathers weren’t that close, so he’d never spent a great deal of time around Creston enough to truly know the man.
Moreover, Creston was older than he was by ten or twelve years.
Almost a generation. But he knew, from what he’d seen since his arrival at Blackchurch, that he was watching the actions of a noble and decent man who wanted to do right by not only his wife, but his brethren.
That spoke of good character.
And he was very much loved here.
“I know what you teach,” he said, his eyes glimmering with mirth.
“While you were out in the corridor having a tantrum, Lord Exmoor spoke of the skills you have brought to Blackchurch. How you teach torture and capture, and interrogation and underhanded dealings like assassination and damage to an enemy. I must say that I am deeply impressed, Creston, but I also know that you learned your skills under King John’s tutelage.
You learned from the best how to do the very worst.”
Creston nodded, lifting his head to look at his cousin.
“John cost me the woman I loved and the child she carried,” he said.
“Mayhap that is why I am so rabid about protecting Lia. She is the woman I married, the woman I love, and she carries our child. I will not let anything, not Blackchurch nor the Executioner Knights nor cruel grandfathers, take that away from me. Not again. So you will forgive me if I am overly zealous about my wife’s safety.
It has taken my entire life, and eons of healing, to come to this point, and I’ll not give it up. ”
Brenton smiled faintly. “Understandable,” he said.
“I do not think any of us likes the idea of a woman being involved in a mission like this, though the Executioner Knights has had its share of women agents over the years. In fact, Myles’ eldest sister was an excellent agent.
But I know this—any woman you have married, Creston, must be a strong and intelligent lady, indeed.
You clearly love her and respect her, and that tells me she will be more than up to the task of being part of this.
I would wager to say that she is very strong. ”
Creston cracked a smile. “You have never seen such a strong woman.”
“Then teach her correctly for this mission, teach her to keep her head, and she’ll be fine.”
Wise words, indeed. Creston dipped his head in understanding, truly resigning himself to the fact that this was going to be a situation that Ophelia would have to be involved in.
But he was going to make sure she survived it.
“She will,” he said after a moment. “If you have no further need of me, I will return to my wife. Brenton, you may sleep in my cottage if you wish. You and de Lohr.”
Brenton smiled. “Thank you,” he said. “Shall we come with you?”
“If there is no further business.”
There wasn’t. St. Denis shook his head, waving them on, and Creston headed out with Brenton and Myles on his heels.
One by one, the Blackchurch trainers filtered out, heading back into the night with the burden of a future mission on their minds.
That wasn’t usual for them. They taught, they trained, they made sure men and women were ready for this kind of thing.
They didn’t normally do it themselves.
But that was soon to change.
A storm was on the horizon.