Page 45 of The Trials of Alaric
“I see your point,” Tarquin said. “It still seems unnatural to me, but if it is what you want…”
“Bea is what I want,” Alaric told him. “I have never met anyone like her. Even if she didn’t have Claddach as part of her dowry, I’d love her.” He shrugged. “I don’t know if it will be as straightforward as I expect, but the fact is that Bea comes with this… package. The Isle of Claddach, the title of countess, the expectation that she will rule, not her husband. I cannot have Bea as my wife unless I accept the package. So, I do.”
“Then let us rescue Lady Stavely and return to Claddach and the trials,” said Luke.
Chapter Eighteen
Bea and Reinawent out early to visit Mrs. Gorry. The poor woman had had a disturbed night, with Padeen in pain and unable to sleep, and two of the children suffering nightmares in which their father was beating them. She was exhausted but determined.
“I can’t have Eamon back, Lady Bea. But he is my husband. The law says I cannot stop him from moving back in, from beating me, from beating the children, from getting another child on me. What am I to do? If I went to my family, my father would send me back to Eamon, though I think my brothers would help me. But I don’t want to leave my friends and the children’s friends. I have a job here, too. Who is to say I could get work again? Especially work that lets me have time if the children need me. What am I to do?”
“I will talk to my father,” Bea told her. “I think you can apply for a separation on account of his violence. I am certain Dr. Bryant would stand witness to the injuries to the children. You would need the magistrate to appoint someone else as guardian of the children—someone you trusted. You would retain custody, Mrs. Gorry, but someone else would have the legal right to stop Gorry from taking the children away from you. Perhaps your father, or one of your brothers.”
Mrs. Gorry narrowed her eyes, thinking. “Would your father do it, my lady? Gorry is not going to come after the children if your father stands for them.”
It would be the ideal solution. “I will ask him,” Bea said. “At the moment, you are safe. Gorry is locked up, and he is not going anywhere before he comes up before my father to explain why he should not be exiled.”
Back at the castle, she and Reina joined the rest of the house party in the drawing room, where Papa was about to tell the men about the exercise ahead of them. They would be moving the estate’s stud bulls from one pasture to another. It was a small herd—only five bulls—but they were the Isle of Claddach’s own breed. Small for cattle, hardy, and clever.
The Claddach cow was gentle of disposition and gave copious quantities of rich milk. The Claddach bull’s character, by contrast, was surly at best and downright dangerous at worst. Still, if they worked together as a team and obeyed the instructions of the herdsmen, the suitors should be able to manage with little difficulty.
Papa raised a hand as a signal to be quiet, and the room hushed.But, wait a minute.Where was Alaric? Luke, too, was missing.
Even as she had the thought, Fairweather spoke up. “Redhaven and Versey are not here, my lord. Shall we send a footman to let them know the meeting is about to start?”
“They are gone,” Beverley sneered. “Redhaven’s brother Viscount Stavely came to fetch him to face justice for raping Lady Stavely back when she was engaged to Redhaven. I don’t know why Versey went with him.”
There was a burst of comments. Bea didn’t listen. She was having trouble catching her breath and her head was spinning.
“Silence!” Papa raised his voice. It had the desired effect. Everyone fell silent.
“Lewiston,” Papa said to Bea’s uncle, “I am distressed to have to inform you that I cannot like your son. He tries to cause trouble. He listens at doors. He spreads malicious gossip. He treats other people with disrespect. He does not act the part of a gentleman.”
Beverley’s mother began a protest. “Well, I never…”
However, her husband said, “He is, I will acknowledge, a disappointment. I think his cousin would be the making of him. Beatrice my dear, I do hope you will have him.”
“I will not,” Beatrice said, absently. Her mind was still absorbed in Beverley’s accusations.
Beverley added his voice to Aunt Lewiston’s, both of them decrying Bea’s unwomanly determination and Papa’s foolishness.
“Enough,” Papa said, with some force, and again, the room fell silent.
Beverley was the first to speak. “I only speak the truth,” he said. “Stavely did say that Redhaven r… forced Lady Stavely. I heard him.”
“You were not in the room,” Papa said, “so I must suppose you had your ear to my study door and were forced to move away before you heard the rest of the discussion. Since you have repeated the accusation in front of others, I shall explain that the accusation Beverley overheard was retracted when Lord Stavely realized he was mistaken. Redhaven and Versey have gone with Stavely—voluntarily—to assist with a family matter. They will return by this evening. I have excused them from the bull run and instructed them to be back for dinner.”
“You have favored Redhaven from the beginning,” Beverley accused. “He should never have been part of the trials, with his terrible reputation. My aunt agrees with me, do you not, Aunt?
Mama looked embarrassed and began shifting restlessly, avoiding everyone’s eyes, while she sought something to say.“Well, Beverley, dear, there are different ways of looking at such things, and taking one thing against another…”
“I shall be the arbiter of who is suitable and who is not,” said Papa, sternly. “All you need to know, Beverley, is that you are not.”
“I withdraw my suit,” Beverley declared. “I wish nothing further to do with you, with Claddach, or with your daughter.” On the final word, he swung around on one heel and left the room.
“Good riddance,” said Papa.
“I have never been so insulted in my life!” Aunt Lewiston declared.
