“She fears you,” said Brant as he rested his head back against the squabs and closed his eyes. “That is what this is all about.”
“Do you think she believes what is whispered about the Wherlockes and their cousins the Vaughns?” Olympia asked, fearing that her son’s gifts were why the woman wanted him.
“I would not have thought so. She does not have any imagination so why would she believe in something that even those who do possess imagination question and fear?”
“True. That is relief. If she ever discovered that what is whispered about us is true,” Olympia said, shuddering faintly as a wave of cold fear went through her, “I do not think any of our children would be safe. Your mother knows how to get people in and out of places, or she hires ones who do.”
“Well, except for one of the ones who went into your library.”
Olympia grinned. “Very true.”
“I think we should rest. It is not a long journey to your home but it will give us a nice rest so that we can face the trouble at Myrtledowns with a clear head.”
“Agreed,” she said and bit back the urge to tell him that he was now using the word we.
She closed her eyes but doubted sleep would come. After hearing that someone had tried to take her son, Olympia suspected there would be a lot of nights ahead where she would find going to sleep difficult. There had never been a threat to him before and she had no knowledge of how well she could arrange things so that he need never fear a threat again.
Ilar was also going to be quite full of himself, she mused, and found she could smile about it. Since the use of his gift had saved him, she would not be able to scold him for using it before strangers. She also suspected that her aunt was spoiling the boy right now. Even Tessa might be there doing the same by the time Olympia arrived.
She wanted to hold her boy right now. Wanted to hear his heartbeat and watch him breathe. The thought of anyone taking her child, of hurting him in any way, terrified her to her very soul. He was her treasure. She had always doubted that she would ever have another child. And now, with the man she loved snoring softly beside her, she was even more certain that her future was a barren one.
For a moment Olympia just stared at the coat her cheek was resting against. The thoughts continued to swirl through her mind until she actually realized what she had just admitted, silently, to herself. She loved Brant.
“Oh hell.”
Chapter 14
Brant stared at the house the carriage rolled to a stop in front of. It was built of a soft gray stone, elegant, and massive. He was a little surprised there was no moat as there were turrets on each corner of the square building. What could have been a rather stark home had been softened with trees and flowers. It welcomed despite the austerity that one first saw.
Olympia leapt out of the carriage and he quickly collected her bag. Telling the driver to wait for a moment and he would find out where the man could bed down and get some food if he preferred, he followed Olympia into the house.
The inside of the house revealed that one of the barons had once had a lot of money or had blithely sunk his whole family deep into debt. The floors were black-veined marble, polished to a shine except for where Olympia’s shoes had left a mark. The walls were all wood, a dark wood, but he was no expert on how to guess what wood it was. It just looked warm and rich to him, expensive. All the doors he could see were heavy oak with carvings. Whoever had had this house built had buried a fortune into it.
A tall, lean man hurried toward them from the back of the hall. “M’lady! We had not expected you to come so quickly. Hugh must have flown to London.”
“I suspect he did, Jones Two. He certainly looked exhausted. I told him to rest before attempting to return. The fact that he did tells me that not only was he tired but he believed the horse needed a rest as well. Hugh babies his horses,” she told Brant with a glance over her shoulder and then she turned back to her butler. “This is the Earl of Fieldgate, Lord Brant Mallam.”
“My lord, I will see that a room is readied for you.”
“Thank you, Jones Two.” Brant handed the man their bags when he reached for them. “The driver of our carriage will need a place to sleep and some food.”
“That will be seen to as well. M’lady, the young master is in the library with your aunt and cousin, attempting to clean up in there.”
“Thank you, Jones Two.”