The Pirate's Lady (Spies of London #1)

Chapter 28

Hi everyone…. It seems like it’s been years since I’ve updated! :( Sorry for that. I just hope I haven’t lost my touch!

The awesome new cover is by shyswaggg ! :) Thank you so much!

This one is for KennedyGold and dntwrrybehappy for the amazing comments ;)

So here goes nothing…..

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“James,” said the tiny woman, lowering the table-lamp she was clutching in her hands shakily. Her eyes had a sheen of tears, and her fragile lips seemed to tremble with the effort of keeping her tears in. Her clothes were simple, a grey day dress with black trim and no flounces and a bonnet sat slightly askew on her head, so different from what James remembered her wearing when she- was alive? Was his mother? It seemed laughable now. What was he supposed to think? To feel? How had she survived? His father had known all along? Or hadn’t he? James head spun sickeningly as he thought of all his life centered around this very moment.

Olivia watched every move of the woman suspiciously. This was James mother? The one who recited poetry to him and selfishly told him of her paramour? How could his mother be alive? After the entire story that James had told her….. She looked at her husband, noticing the ashen pallor of his skin and his shallow breathing. Oh dear.

“James! James!” Olivia said loudly while walking to him, hoping to get him out of the stupor he seemed to be in by startling him. Like a switch had been turned on inside him, his eyes cleared and focused on her, and she smiled slightly.

“I-Uh, we need to tie him up. And , um send word to the W.O. and Connie. Could you-“ James stuttered.

“I’ll go send the footmen, and ask for some strong rope,” Olivia said smoothly, giving a disgusted look to the sprawled form of the Duke, before turning to James again and touching his cheek, saying softly, ”Have courage, my lord. Everything has an explanation. I will be back soon.”

James wanted to tell her to stop, to stay with him, to help him face something he never thought he would have to face. But that would be cowardly. And what had she said? Have courage. So he would be courageous.

And speak to his mother.

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Olivia first called the butler and asked for three footmen. Two she sent to fetch rope from the cellar, and she wrote a quick message to Connie, asking him to come over as they had caught the traitor and also to send word to the W.O., as she had no idea how to contact them, something both she and James had understandably overlooked before. Shaking her head, she asked the butler to tell the gentleman, or rather the gentlemen who came to wait in the Rose parlor.

When the two footmen came back with the rope, however, she decided the traitor would stay down for some more time. James shouldn’t be disturbed unless there arose unavoidable circumstances.  Ringing for a maid, she asked for a tea setting for three to be sent to the study posthaste. She needed to be beside her husband soon.

Work done, she sat down near the study door to wait for the tea tray.

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 “Mother, please have a seat, “ he said, gesturing towards the diwan. He watched as she slowly stepped towards it, almost as if she was afraid he would do something to her. No, James thought, I am not my father. But you still deserve to suffer a bit for leaving me alone to deal with him. So he said nothing to her till she sat down, clutching her bonnet which she had taken off, in a death grip.