Chapter Thirteen
“Mother? Father? When did you arrive?” Alastair asked, standing and coming over to join the group.
Antoinette smiled and hugged her son, kissing him on the cheek as Beauregard shook his hand.
“We arrived at the same time as the Kensingtons. Both of our carriages pulled up at the same time. I know we arrived a day early, but we wanted to get here as soon as we were able to get away. Bard let us know that you and Scarlett were in the courtyard.”
Scarlett pinked a little at the look on her mother’s face.
“We know that you and Scarlett have been working closely to find Catriona,” Beauregard said, looking from Alastair to Scarlett.
“Have you found anything?” Graham Kensington asked, bringing everyone’s attention to him.
“Right now, we have little information, just bits and pieces of what we have ascertained so far. Let’s go to the parlor and we can get some tea and discuss it further,” Alastair suggested, holding out his hand for Graham to lead the way.
Graham held his hand out for Babette and she took it, Beauregard doing the same for Antoinette as Alastair held out his arm to Scarlett.
She took it and they headed into the house, walking as a group.
Beauregard asked about the crops and how the castle was doing, wanting to know how everything was going.
Graham joined in as they talked, adding his own knowledge to the discussion.
Scarlett watched how animated Alastair was when he talked about the castle’s care, his love for his home evident from the excitement he displayed.
They arrived at the parlor a few minutes later and their discussion waned, Alastair calling for tea. He waited until everyone was seated to begin.
Scarlett looked around as they waited, unable to help but feel happily uneasy; a very odd feeling for her to be. She was happy to see her parents, but very uneasy about his parents being there as well. She had never met them and so she really was worried that they wouldn’t like her.
If she was going to marry their son, she did want them to like her so that they could have a relationship. She looked over at Antoinette and could see where Alastair got his coloring from, his black hair and green eyes an exact replica of his mother.
He looked more like his father Beauregard in facial feature and body type, both men tall and broad with a strong chin, high cheekbones, and broad, wide shoulders. Scarlett had not yet seen Beauregard without his shirt but she was certain that he looked the same, only older. Scarlett had to fight off her blush as she remembered the day that she saw Alastair without a shirt.
They were at the hospital and Alastair volunteered to help with some of the landscaping, and after a few hours of work in the heat, most of the men had stripped off their shirts to keep cool.
Scarlett was asked to bring some extra water out to them and had obliged because the little boy she was spending time with had to rest. She walked out of the hospital and into the construction area, many of the men saying hello to her and waving.
Even though many of them had their chests bared, she only had eyes for Alastair. He had a muscular chest, the definition of his torso almost unbelievable. His chest was tanned and had a light sprinkling of dark hair on it. She halted so suddenly that she almost dropped the water, causing the other men to look at her.
She cleared her throat and walked over to him, smiling through her blush. He smiled at her and she bowed her head, acknowledging the greeting.
“I’ve brought some water for you and the men. I know it is quite warm out.”
He took the large bucket from her and replied, “It looks as if you have been out too long as well. Go back inside and cool down.”
“I will, do not fret, My Lord. I wanted to ensure that you did not get overheated.”
“Worry not, fair lady, for me. I will take good care of myself and the other men,” he proclaimed with a wink.
She giggled. “I am going back inside now. Do you need anything else, My Lord?”
He shook his head. “Thank you, but no.”
She bowed slightly and then headed back inside.
Her attention was drawn back to the present when Alastair cleared his throat.
“Would you like some tea?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you.”
Alastair nodded and turned to Babette, offering her some tea, then his mother, finally offering some to their fathers.
After everyone was settled with their tea, Alastair started the story, telling them about the sitting room and the threats against Scarlett, making sure to include their suspicions as well. When Alastair was finished explaining all of his information, Scarlett added some of her own that she had acquired.
“I have recently found that there is one maid who disappears daily, abandoning her post to go somewhere and the other maids have not been able to find out where she goes.”
Alastair looked at her in surprise.
“How come you did not tell me this yesterday?”
“I wasn’t completely sure I needed to. I didn’t speak to that maid because she was out on a family emergency. I was unable to ask her where she went.”
He became increasingly suspicious as she spoke.
“Which maid were you unable to speak to?” he asked.
“Olive said her name was Liza. Bard confirmed with me that you hired Liza the day before I arrived and since then, she has done a less than excellent job. Since we don’t want anything getting out, Bard has not yet had Mrs. Boudrow fire her.”
He stood there, waiting until she finished before he walked over to the door.
Opening it, he called out for Bard to come see him.
The abruptness of his movements made the other occupants of the room jump and when he saw Bard coming, he turned to apologize.
“My apologies, but you will see why I did what I did in just a moment.”
Bard walked into the room and Alastair closed the door behind him.
“My Lord, I came as quickly as possible. What do you need? Is there a problem?”
Alastair shook his head and rested his hand on the older man’s shoulders.
“Everyone is all right, as you can see.” He used his hand to sweep the room. When Bard visibly relaxed, Alastair smiled. “Bard, I need to know if Edward Holmes and Liza were hired at the same time. That might explain why she was leaving all the time. I believe it was her and Edward I saw leaving the guest wing two days ago.”
Bard looked at Scarlett and then at Alastair.
“I will have to check our record with Mrs. Boudrow. I believe she will know exactly when they were both hired.”
“Wonderful. Let us know when you find out.”
He nodded and stepped away from Alastair and bowed at the waist.
“Please excuse me, sir,” he said, heading out of the door.
When he’d shut the doors once more, Babette asked Alastair, “Do you think this Holmes fellow has something to do with what is happening to my daughter?”
“It’s too soon to tell. We will have to keep looking for clues before we jump to any sort of conclusion.”
He looked around the room at all of them.
“Right now, we are just trying to keep Scarlett safe. That is what matters.”
“We cannot agree more. It would not do well for something worse to happen to her,” Antoinette stated.
A small smile came to Scarlett’s lips and she looked over at the older woman seated across from her.
She did indeed give her son her coloring, but she had a wisdom in her green eyes that Alastair did not.
Scarlett was sure that he would have it one day though, but not until he was older.
“We cannot have our new queen in any more danger than her title would normally bring her.” His father spoke up from the back of the room, bringing everyone’s eyes to him.
Scarlett opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by her father.
“She is not the queen. Catriona is the queen. My niece is the rightful queen until she is found dead. Only then will the crown pass on. However, I have no doubt that Catriona will be returned to us, safe.”
Scarlett almost couldn’t contain her pride in her father.
She knew how much he wanted her to be queen, but he had proven to her that family was more important.
He knew she had no interest in being queen, regardless of the circumstances. Especially those they now found themselves in.
“No, Scarlett is not the queen, but Art wants everyone to think she is. This keeps the focus on Scarlett as he campaigns to get the law overturned by the Counsel and he becomes king once again,” Alastair growled, Graham’s concerned look turning into a scowl.
“Art is trying to become king again? Why would he do that so soon after he gave up the throne?”
“Darling, you are not so naïve,” Babette admonished softly.
Graham’s face took on a ruddy hue in his anger. “He did all this because he KNEW of the kidnapping plot?”
All Alastair could do was nod in the face of her father’s anger.
He was just thankful it was not directed at him.
“I am fairly certain that Art learned of the plot against him and abdicated to keep himself safe. Catriona was next in line, and if she were to be captured or killed, the throne would be Scarlett’s in her absence. They passed you both after Catriona was named queen because it moved to the next generation.”
Babette scooted closer to Scarlett and wrapped her arm around her, her mother’s face as angry as that of her father’s.
“What do we do? Should we take Scarlett back to Ciomodors Garden with us? Would that keep her safe?” Babette asked, looking at her daughter.
Scarlett could barely contain the apprehension that filled her body, her breath caught in her lungs.
He looked at her with a reassuring glance. “Not at this time. If you take her off this island, she will most likely be in more danger. We have not told Art about the poisoning and I do not intend to. If he were to learn of it, it would be more fuel for his campaign fire.”
He looked at Scarlett with the smile that always calmed her.
“It is best that she stays here where we can take care of her. I am a doctor and I have been caring for her. Making sure this stays a secret is of utmost importance to me. The only way to ensure that is for Scarlett to stay here, on Elfyre Hollow. That way she is sure to remain healthy.”
“Then, sir, you will want to make yourself ready for more permanent houseguests; we are not leaving our daughter’s side.”
Alastair looked at the father of the woman he was going to marry.
“I can assure you, sir, that we are more than adequately suited to have you and my parents as our guests.”
“My dearest,” Antoinette murmured, motioning for Alastair to come to her, “Might we request an extension beyond your original invitation? I have so long wanted to get to know the Kensingtons and to spend extra time with you as well, my son.”
“I would be delighted to have you and Father stay for a while longer than originally expected. Then I can show him what we have been working on here at the Hollow.”
He kissed her cheek and stood.
Antoinette made no show of trying to hide her excitement.
“Lovely, my darling. It will be so delightful to have us all here on an extended holiday, will it not?”
“Absolutely, Mother. It makes me happy to know that I will be able to spend some time with you, without having to worry about you needing to leave so soon.”
She beamed at him and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
A soft knock came on the door and Alastair went to open it, letting Bard back in.
“My Lord, I have the information you requested,” he said, walking in and shutting the door behind him.
He handed Alastair a small piece of paper and he opened it, reading the words written in Mrs. Boudrow’s chicken scratch.
“It says here that Edward Holmes was indeed hired the same day as Liza, but they were hired after separately interviewing. No one saw them come in together or leave together. Their association must have occurred after they were hired.”
Alastair read the rest of the short note and then looked up at the rest of the clan.
“It also says here that both Edward and Liza have not been seen in two days, not since I saw them together upstairs in the hallway.”
“Didn’t Melody say that you found the note upstairs in the hallway where they were?” Scarlett asked.
Alastair looked at her, and then back at the note.
“I did. I think we may have found our poisoner.”