The Spells of Paradise

Chapter 41: Lyke Wake

"You and I are not the same," the Magistrate reminded her, his voice low and threatening. "If I want the world to know this, then I will do anything in my power to make that happen."

Bertha gently stroked his back. "You were desperate enough to get into bed with me, Magistrate. I think you are far more capable of doing this the right way than you realize. School yourself to patience," she picked up a blank sheet and placed it in front of him, "think of the person you hate the most and destroy them. Watch their world burn."

"And if I cannot decide?"

"List them, then one by one watch them drop like flies."

Even Bertha did not know whom the Magistrate would choose so, when he started writing, she felt her heart sing. His enemies were her enemies, and they were going to destroy them together.

The first name on the list needed no explanation, and Bertha finally saw the plan she had started will finally coming to light.

John Quincy

XXX

"Firstly," Robert tried to school away his anger and remain calm, but it proved a difficult task, "how do you any of this?"

Sebastian looked petrified, but he held himself impressively. "James told me. The rest I found out for myself."

"And how did James know?"

"Bertha Denning told him."

"And how did she know?"

"She's Arthur Denning's sister, she knows everything, weren't you listening?!"

Robert shook his head. "I find it difficult to trust you, Mr. Lucas. After all, you are trying so hard to turn me against the Magistrate, and yet here you sit, to be engaged to his daughter."

Sebastian groaned and closed his eyes. "That was meant to be my consolidation for helping James in the first place. I was in need of a wife and saw the opportunity. There is no alliance with me and the Magistrate whatsoever!"

"And yet you feel the need to tell me that not only was Abigail unfaithful and sired my beloved niece illegitimately, but that my own brother did so as well with a maid?" Robert was baffled. "The first I can try to understand, but still I would be wary to believe that the niece I have loved all these years is not even my own blood. The latter, I am not so inclined to believe as well; my brother was an honorable man, he never stepped a foot out of line. He was the example I followed."

Sebastian sat forward, looking at Robert intently. "Then how do you explain the maid falling pregnant after she left your home?"

"Perhaps a servant here impregnated her, or did you forget that handsome footmen do, in fact, exist?"

"But then why did your brother go out of his way to bring her here?" Sebastian pressed on. "Why not have her protected in her own home? Dawn-Bridge would have been safer, no? He insisted that she come here, from what Mrs. Boatwright told me. There must have been a reason for that."

Robert knew that Sebastian was making sense, but still he couldn't believe it. His niece a bastard? His brother an adulterer? More than one illegitimate Quincy child running around in the world? And all these years, he thought he would be the one to accomplish such a feat! Robert wasn't sure if he should believe such a fantastic story, but if Sebastian had endeavored to lie, he would have chosen something less extravagant. It was something John always told him; those who wanted to lie the smart way always chose the story that was not so easy to disprove. This one was.

So what was Robert to think?

"I do not mean to spread word of this to anyone," Sebastian pressed on. "But the Magistrate will if you don't do something."