Page 4 of The Gift of Patience
“I suppose as much as raking and gambling is,” Fielding drawled.
It was common knowledge that Cholmely’s father and brother won and lost their fortunes at Watier’s and Madame Fortescue’s on a regular basis.
Baines whistled. “He has you there, Chum.”
“Touché.” Cholmely raised his glass to Fielding. Those words would have caused a dual with lesser friends, but neither took offence.
Manners, who had remained quiet, took another sip of brandy and merely raised one brow.
They heard O’Malley open the door for someone, and they paused their conversation to see if Renforth had returned. They heard him greet O’Malley before he entered the room.
“Good evening, gentlemen.” He stopped and poured himself a drink before sinking into one of the red leather armchairs that surrounded the hearth. “I’ve come from dinner with the Duke and Duchess.”
Each of them raised their glasses in empathetic silence. They all knew how familial dinners felt. It was much the same with all of them. What would they do with their lives now that the war was over? Why didn’t they settle down and begin a family?
Whatever happened to no expectations for second sons? None of them were fit to be husbands or fathers. Not after what they’d seen and done.
“I received a letter from Westwood asking for our help,” Ashley said, breaking the silence.
Renforth raised his brows in question, so Ashley repeated what he had read to the others earlier.
The colonel sat quietly drinking his brandy for a few minutes. It was always thus with him. Ashley knew he would speak when he’d made his decision.
“A large shipment of munitions went missing from an East India ship, whose docks are not far from Greenwich. This might be the connection we have been searching for.”
Ashley exchanged looks of interest with Fielding and Manners.
“Why do you not go on ahead in the morning? Go and speak with the viscount and make an initial inspection. I will have Fielding and Chum search out the expected activity for the Greenwich docks from here while we await your report. I’d rather not send the whole troop down there and potentially alert anyone that we are on to them. No one will suspect you visiting your family.”
“So long as you find something for us to do. I’m like to die of boredom else,” Manners uttered what the rest of them had been feeling.
CHAPTER 2
The next day promised to be as bad as the previous. The lawns now looked like lakes, and the river was overflowing its banks.
Patience, Grace, and Joy had been breaking their fast in their shared sitting room, watching Freddy pounce on a little ball Joy had made for him, tied onto the end of a stick. It was a rather genius invention which allowed them to play without moving from her seat.
After just a few minutes, Freddy laid down and began to bat the ball from his back.
“He seemed to tire more quickly than usual,” Joy observed with a frown.
“You need to tell Cook to stop feeding him so many scraps. He’s positively obese,” Patience scolded.
“Perhaps he needs a playmate,” Joy remarked thoughtfully.
“As if all of the animals here and the other barn cats are not enough. Besides, Mr. Cunningham will be here any day now with your pup.”
“I hope he likes him. He may not.” Joy dangled the ball in front of the cat.
“Maybe not at first, but they will grow used to each other,” Grace added.
“I wonder if Freddy can even get here in this weather. I wonder if he would think to come by boat,” Joy pondered.
Patience and Grace exchanged glances, indicating they thought that very unlikely. “One is always open to pleasant surprises,” Patience said dryly, then sighed heavily. “Surely this rain cannot go on forever. A puppy would be a very welcome diversion right now.”
“God did promise never to flood the earth again,” Grace pointed out.
“He did not promise England, though.”
