“I did not know he could fight like that,” said Lilybet. “And it was three against one.”
Frederick huffed. “Three men who think they are big and bad because they have a knife. I have faced worse. Ten years in the infantry.”
“You did not even see them until we arrived.”
“So they may have been able to wound me but I would have managed.”
Simeon saw Lilybet’s eyes narrow and said quickly, “I am sure you would have, Frederick.”
“While bleeding and fighting the other two while weakened by that and risking another wound,” said Lilybet, and then she nodded her head toward the tutor’s house, where they saw two terrified children standing in the doorway. “Right in front of your children.”
“Da?” said the little girl, and Frederick hurried up the steps to soothe the children while talking in a low voice to the tutor.
“I think we offended his manliness,” said Simeon.
“Men are idiots,” said Lilybet. “Do not give me that look. You can be. One against three. Three armed men against one unarmed man. That makes it perfectly reasonable for me to see what I saw as a warning that he might need help.”
Frederick sent the children back inside with the tutor and walked back down to stand in front of Lilybet. “You are right. Seeing three men against one with killing in the mind of the three is a warning. I do thank you for rushing here to help me. You were also right to say I would have gotten bloody and poor little Idelle was terrified enough without having had to see that. The tutor sent someone off to fetch the magistrate’s men.” He looked up the street and smiled. “And here they come. We will soon be able to go home.”
When they finally arrived back at the house, George looked up from the book he was reading at the table and Primrose cast them a worried look as George asked, “Everything all right?”
“That woman sent three thugs after me. We dealt with it.”
Bened moved to the sideboard and filled a plate with food even as a yawning Morris and a sleepy-eyed Bevan entered the room. He moved to sit next to Primrose, trying to forget how much he missed her lithe body curled up in his arms all night long. It was odd to see George smiling faintly when he had just been told that Frederick had been attacked.
“Do not get your feathers ruffled, Frederick,” George said. “They have never seen you fight.”
“True and she”—he nodded at Lilybet who was back in her seat enjoying some fruit—“was right to see it as a dangerous threat. She was also right to point out that I would have ended up wounded in some way even if I took all three down, as I would have, and the children seeing me hurt like that would have been very upset. They came at me from behind so I would have had to endure at least one pinprick.”
Bened noticed how George went a little pale at the news that three men had come at Frederick from behind but the man said nothing, just stared down at his book for a moment until his coloring returned to normal. “Do you think this was part of her temper tantrum?” he asked Lilybet.
“Oh, yes.” She looked at George. “Mind if I ask who you are leaving all your worldly goods to?”
“The children will get most of it such as the land and house, but we have set aside a large fund for Simeon and Primrose as they were my sister’s children and she and her husband helped us get this place.”
“Oh, Uncle, you should set that aside for the children as well,” said Primrose.
“No, it is the exact amount your father lent us and he would not take payment. So we told him what we would do and he accepted that. It sits quietly in a safe funds account and there it will stay.”
She recognized his do-not-argue tone of voice so let it go but asked Lilybet, “Do you think this was just a lashing out then?”
“It was but I suspect she knows where every ha’penny of your money is and thought this would gain her two things. Hurt you in a personal way and add more money to the pile she thinks she will soon get her hands on.” Lilybet looked at Simeon. “Do you know if there is anyone else who would be leaving you something she might covet?”
“Only Cousin Geoffrey. He has land near Willow Hill that used to be my father’s but refused to be gifted with it so he leases. She would not bother with that arrangement, I think, as it produces money enough just as it is. Well, unless she felt she could lease it for more or sell it for a nice sum of money. Hell, I guess I better send a warning to Cousin Geoffrey.”
“That might be best since the woman is headed that way now.”
“Then I guess we had better plan to go back to Willow Hill and be ready for her.”
“We could start out today or leave on the morrow,” said Bened.
“The morrow will do. It has been nice to just be off the back of a horse for hours on end,” said Simeon. “At least this time we will be following her.”