“That’s impossible. She’ll kill me if she knows I had anything to do with your arrival.”
“And I will kill you if you don’t,” I replied, never blinking an eye.
“How do you expect me to get you through her guard? They check everyone and have since before your rage began.”
“I suggest you think of something or Alex will come home looking like Martin, or worse. I keep my word to the very end, Inara,” I responded by leaning up on the desk with my elbows and smiling down at her.
“You’re as crazy as she is,” she said, turning her head to the side. “She doesn’t pay heed to all who pass under the threshold, not if they are peasant to her. I suppose a name could be given as a guest of long past, if you keep yourselves covered.” Then she straightened, proud of her attempt, and looked back at me with her chin snobbishly in the air.
“See, now that wasn’t too hard, and it didn’t take too long. Jacob is the main leader of our ranks and the one who knows this land best. He and Cates will accompany you home, followed by my other men, of course. You are to give them the count of Angelica’s guard, as well as Lord Cheree’s. Send back the information that we will need the night of the gala, and please do not provide anything that will hinder us. I would hate to see your son pay for your stupidity.” I stood, offering her my hand. She got to her feet and daintily placed her hand in mine. “A woman’s word is her bond, Inara. Don't make me regret taking yours.”
“I will do my best not to fail you, Lady…”
“My name is Renee, Renee Lebrun. Martin is not only my maker, he is my husband,” I replied, squeezing her hand just enough to show her that I noticed the widening of her eyes.
“A pleasure, Lady Lebrun. I hope that all will end on a pleasant note and you will see that I am not my sister and can run London with a firmer hand, as you see fit.” She did a small curtsy and turned with Cates taking her arm. “I believe I know the way to the door.”
“My boys are gentlemen, Inara. Like I said, they’ll be escorting you home.”
She didn’t turn around, just lifted her cloak over her head and nodded once before leaving the house with Jacob and Cates on each side of her, and Garvin, Derek, and Sydney right behind them. Both Sydney and Derek in their old clothes, having changed sometime in between her being upstairs and in the study with me. Fala closed the door and slid the lock in place, then stood by the door. I told him he didn’t have to stay there, but he said that Master Jacob told him to guard the entrance on the chance that the woman was followed and they saw them leave. It wasn’t planned that they go, the idea was to have her let those she had waiting the hour for her return to be told she would be staying longer, but my temperament was just too unstable around her. Taking a chance of her setting up a plan with her sister to trap us once we entered the castle was too big to take because of my big mouth. So we told her what we wanted and kept our key plan to ourselves.
Inara had agreed to help us get through the front door, believing she would inherit her sister’s seat of power, doing what we asked of her in keeping order. It meant nothing to me because there would be no order in their slave-trading world. All breeders would know after the gala, that London would not be a place that one could stop to change their goods of the two legged kind. That is, if we succeeded in our plans. My country was already on the run and all breeders that had an established slave-trading ring were closing down shop, thinking they would be next. As for the ones west of the east coast, they were either moving across the ocean or going further northeast to out run us, due to the fact that the word was spreading in the direction we were moving toward, if the word hadn’t already reached every trader out there. ***
No words were said as Inara was taken back to her castle-like home. Jacob would glance back to make sure the three younger boys, who all refused to ride inside, were still holding on to the back of the coach. Inara’s men were made to ride on the front seat of the coach with the driver so that they could be watched at all times. Cates made sure to keep his eyes on the surrounding landscape so that he would know the direction they were being taken, in the event that they were given false information and we needed to come back the same way.
“We are to the gates, Mistress,” the driver announced.
“Stop here. I will be walking and you will be taking our guests back home.”
“Have your men leave the coach and wait for you inside the gate. I do not care for them to hear what you have to tell us. No need to have one of them run to your sister, now is there?”
“I can assure you that none of my people would turn their backs on me,” Inara replied. “But I will do as you have asked.”
Cates cleared his throat, and chuckled. “I do not wish to sound so harsh, My Lady…but me thinks you might look at the boots under your own bed before you jump to making such claims.”
“Speak your mind and leave the riddles, big one.”
“How do you think we found out so much about your sister?” Jacob asked.
“He is correct. You can see by the marks, that it was not your son who gave up the information at the order of our lady’s punishment. Nor did he tell us that you wished your sister dead. If Bernard could speak to us so freely over a simple slap here and there…” Cates paused.
“What more would he tell a woman who allowed him to help in that same torture,” Jacob continued. “And then allow him to have his way with her? Something I gather he is not privy to with you, my sweet lady?”
“He is most certainly not. I have no use for a man. No offence.” Inara dusted off her skirt as if it was dirty.
Jacob looked over at Cates with one brow lifted. “All we are saying, Lady Inara, is that you may want to test the water before you lay your complete trust in your son’s whipping boy. As the head of many strategic battles, I personally would never want to place the words of my plans onto the ears of those who would make haste to share it with my enemy.”
“I thank you for your concern, but I can tend to my own. See to it that you send my driver back safely. I am more than sure that you have plenty of coaches that belong to the one you follow,” Inara spoke as she stepped out of the closed in, black, leather covered coach. “You shall hear from one of my men before this night ends. You will have what you need.” She then turned and walked off into the darkness of the opening of the gate to her property.
“Even in the face of adversity, she still believes she is in control,” Cates shook his head.
Derek and Sydney got in with Jacob and Cates, but Garvin chose to ride on the back of the coach to keep a watch just in case they were followed back to Martin’s estate. Cates continued watching the opposite side of the landscape as the driver brought them back and Jacob filled the boys in on what they had talked to Inara about.
Chapter Twenty Three
It was getting close to dawn and we needed to find a few nights worth of food to fill our barn, and Tanda was back to working on our outfits. The only thing she had left to do was make sure we all had tights that fit. Our wigs fit perfectly. The boy’s shirts and pants looked as if they were made for each of them and the shoes were no more than one size off and could be worn without too much discomfort. Derek had already torn one pair of leggings, as the boys liked to call them, and Sydney two. But, Tanda found a few more and made sure to show them how to put them on properly.
“Now put your pants on and whatever you do, do not pull up on those tights!” Tanda scolded as she handed Sydney his pants.
“Okay mom,” he snickered.
“You too Derek, and for Renee’s Pete’s Sake…turn around if you are going to fiddle with your man bits.”