I Am A Lady #Wattys2015

Chapter Twenty One

'That man hit you,' Lord Markham slammed his fist on his desk. 'he dared raise his fist against you?' he turned to face Ashton who was looking over the books on his shelf., 'why did you let him?'

'Markham,' he said looking through a book, 'your want for revenge has blinded you completely has it not. Annabelle will not leave the man. Be it because of love or integrity I know not, but she will not leave the man. He is a beast but she chooses to live in his home. Her mother has suffered enough under your hand. Leave them be. Knowing her daughter is trapped in a marriage she did not want and is undergoing abuse, isn't that enough Markham?'

'Enough?' Lord Markham was blind with rage. 'Her mother is the reason my father has not seen the light of day. A worthless colored woman with no sense between her ears. That foolish man who claimed her as his wife and protected her. I wouldn't be surprised if dear Annabelle is not the fools daughter.'

'Markham, watch your tongue. The walls have ears and Anna is no fool.' He knew this for a fact. The reason he had dared to call upon her and meet her in her chambers as he letter specifically stated was to talk about Angelo. She knew. She always knew. He wondered how she had not seen through Markham's lies and deceit.

'Of course she is not. Calling her fool is an insult to the fools.'

Ashton only smiled to himself.A time was coming soon when he would be free of him. He had stood with Lord Markham because he believed Annabelle owed him something. After his brother died he stood with him because he had no one else to depend on. Lord Markham was losing control and his rage and anger would cost him dearly.

He had heard of plans to have George killed and was ready to relay them to Annabelle. He knew he couldn't warn him so he decided to stop it from happening. He had walked into Lord Markham's study many times to find him putting away books he never read. Whenever he would approach the bookshelf Lord Markham would get uncomfortable. Today he was far to occupied with thoughts of revenge he would not notice Ashton was going through his books, and what a wealth of knowledge he found. 

Payments to bandits and highway men. Spies and thieves. Records of property theft which he had safely tucked into his coat. Lord Markham was nearing insanity.

'Excuse me My Lord, came a voice from the door. 'The gentlemen from last night are here.' Lord Markham's face went pale. He ordered Ashton out of the room in haste. Ashton assumed the men who had come in either worked for his "friend" or he worked for them.

He passed them on his way out. Two of them had strange markings on their arms. The third wore an eye patch and seemed to have a gold tooth. He remembered seeing them somewhere before, on a poster in an office he had visited. They were road bandits. They stole and killed. Ashton was sure George was soon to travel. He needed to get word to Annabelle and he needed to do it in haste.

'What's this?' Claire smiled at George. 'Look what the rains brought in. My George you look terrible. Have you not been eating?' she took in the dark circles under his eyes and his dreary appearance. 'Conrad! Get this man some food. Come George sit.' She led him to her husband's study. She never quite understood why the men could not have a conversation unless it was in a study. She smiled to herself knowing she could never talk unless she was walking by flowers and leaves.

'My George, what is the matter?'

Lord Conrad walked through the doors and stopped in surprise. His friend looked terrible. He looked like he had not eaten or slept or cleaned himself for days. He had a cloth around his hand with red spots on it. He assumed George had gone back to his old ways. Drinking and fighting. 'George?'

'Yes dear, the very same. Where is his food? I can never rely on you for anything can I Conrad?' Claire was talking as she left the study. The rest of her words faded the farther from the study she walked.