Page 19 of Lord Ramsey's Red-Headed Ruin
Amber piped up. “It looks swollen, Edouard. Will you allow me to bandage your wrist? If we keep it secure, it will heal more quickly.”
“If you think it wise,” the boy agreed.
“I do. My husband had an injury like that, and we healed it with good, firm bandaging.”
What she had said about Maurice had Ram holding his breath. But he, in the process of buttering bread, heard no gasps of surprise. They all assumed it was he who had hurt his wrist. He glanced at Amber in kind regard to cover the story, and she sat, unmoving, realizing, he supposed, what she had almost revealed.
Edouard was not bothered. “I can dance now. I wished to.”
Georges locked his gaze on Ram. “Edouard has atendrefor Suzanne Moreau. The lovely daughter of the new director of the armory.”
Beneath the table, Amber nudged her foot against Ram’s.
“She has many suitors, Papa.” Edouard shook his head, accepting his lot. “I’m her age and she pays me no mind. Besides, when I go to Paris in September, she will just have one fewer man calling on her.”
Georges frowned. “She would be lucky to have you. But I say you are too young to think of courting. Go to university and you will find many pretty young women.”
“Your papa is right,” Amber told the young man with a smile. “Paris is filled with many lovely ladies who enjoy men who have a good education.”
“And those,” added Sophie with a jab of her elbow to her brother, “who can play the drums.”
“Oh, phew,” Edouard replied.
“Suzanne Moreau doesn’t want any man from Charleville.” This came from the oldest girl, Adele.
“No?” Ram joined in this little family debate as he helped himself to eggs. “Why not?”
“She wants to return to Mauberge, where they lived before. Her father was transferred here last autumn to increase production, and she hates being here. That’s because she likes aman who works at that Mauberge factory. She hopes her father will fail here and they can return. Then she can encourage the fellow she favors.”
“Can her father?” Amber asked that as casually as if she simply discussed a young girl’s frivolous affair. “Return?”
Ram knew the man could not. If he failed to ramp up production, he would find himself in prison.
Adele drank her coffee. “Suzanne says she is stuck here until her father helps the old director figure out where to hire new workers for the factory.”
“They need another forty at least,” Edouard added, and asked Adele to pass the platter of ham.
Amber looked bewildered. “That is a lot of men. But then, wouldn’t there be enough men in the next town down along the Meuse River to come work here?”
Ram regarded Amber, his brain ticking like a clock. The town of Mézières was around the bend of the river, and many traveled between the two towns by boat. But it was just as easy to journey between them by coach or horse. Still, that town was far enough away that if men from Mézières wished to work here, they would have to come here to live. They might not wish to unless they were offered fine wages as incentive. But Ram dare not speculate aloud.
“Too many in Mézières are free thinkers,” Georges added with a shake of his head. “A garrison with more than five hundred soldiers is stationed there. The townsfolk don’t like it, and they certainly would not want to come here to work in an armory that makes weapons for the consulate. Moreau will have to import men from other villages or increase every current worker’s hours to make the new quota of muskets Bonaparte wants.”
Ram shook his head, saying nothing so he could appear uninterested.
But the subject died a normal death. Soon they were on to the weather for the fair and the ball. Minutes later, everyone in the Boyer family left the room.
Bursting with the first clues about production at the armory, Ram bided his time until he no longer heard their footsteps in the hall.
Amber met his gaze with excitement in her own. “Shall we go upstairs to talk?”
When Ram closed their bedroom door behind him, he strode to her.
She stood in the center of the room with a grin on her face and reached for his hands. “We finally have useful news.”
“God loves Suzanne Moreau.” He opened his arms wide.
Laughing, she went into his embrace to kiss his cheek. Her gesture was all too quick. Her lips too inviting. Her body too lush. He squelched a groan.
