Never Land the First Fish

Chapter Six

It pleased Toad Wellbridge no end that the sounds of normal house party activity at Toadstone Hall had taken on a feeling of urgency, immediately upon Toad's directive summoning his mother and his aunt and uncle to gather forthwith in the library to discuss the matter of the constables searching for Lady Athol Soddenfeld, Toad's cousin Jewel.

Jewel's father, Lord Firthley, arrived first, followed quickly by Sally and the Dowager Duchess of Wellbridge. Toad must have been wearing his most serious ducal mien, for everyone who entered the room, even his mother, bowed as though to a king. And that could hardly be a surprise, given the context of the discussion to come. Toad wasn't sure who else knew it, but today he would step fully unto his father's shoes. For the first time, he would act as the senior peer in his extended family.

"Your Grace, I am sorry to bring you trouble once more in the form of my daughter," Firthley began. "You and I both know she is not deserving of your forbearance."

Toad held up a hand. "Lady Athol's desserts are not under discussion at this moment, Your Lordship, though you may be sure we will address them shortly. The question under discussion right now is only where we believe we might find Lady Athol and the best means to accomplish that end before the constables."

"She won't be alone. The constable said the kitchen door had been broken down. Jewel never broke down a kitchen door herself," her father argued.

"Might Athol have broken it down if she barred it against him?" Toad asked quietly. The whole room went silent. Finally, he said, "I am not best pleased my cousin has been subject to the whims of Athol Soddenfeld for so long. To my mind, my father should have put an end to it if hers wouldn't."

"Have you forgotten," Bella asked, "what trouble she caused for you and Sally? Her gossip and spite? She was at least half responsible for Sally's flight to the Pacific and all that entailed."

"All that entailed?" Sally herself asked. "A grand adventure to equal my husband's travels? I could not regret the need to see more of the world, now that all has come right in the end. And I am not unaware of the dangers Lord Athol presents to any woman. Now that you've banished them, he has only one person on whom to unleash his sadistic proclivities. I cannot like to think of any woman, of any character, being subject to that, least of all in my own family."

"Nonetheless," Firthley added, "I do not think Athol has the strength to knock down a door, even in a rage. And he didn't beat himself to death, either, nor did Jewel, unless she suddenly overcame a lifetime of fear. Someone was there with them; I'm certain of it. And the constables think so, too, but they have no suspects."

A sharp rap on the door and the butler entered. "Your Grace, a message has come from Lord Joseph Gildeforte. He says it is urgent." The man handed over a folded letter to the duke.

"Where has Gills been, come to think?" Toad said rhetorically, unfolding the note to read it.

With a nod to Firthley, the duke offered, "Your daughter is safe, relatively speaking. She is with Gills at an inn in Bristol. His note says he came upon Athol on the verge of killing his wife, and he saved everyone from that sad fate. He wants assurances Lady Julia will not be forced to return to her husband."

With a bark of pained laughter, Firthley groaned, "No chance of that. No, now she will return to a gibbet. That explains the broken door."

"And the broken man," Bella added.

"It sounds as though Gills has no idea Athol is dead," Toad said. "He must have been alive when Lady Athol left. He asks that we gather the troops and come to his aid in Bristol. Maddox has left, but Etcetera, Piero, Longford, and Stocke are still here."