Never Land the First Fish

Chapter Sixteen: Part 1

Lord Piero d'Alvieri selected a young drudge from his ship to carry a message, sending him with one American coin and promise of another. He must have been terrified at being singled out by the shipmaster, or concerned his coin would be taken away, for the boy scurried off in a second. Now, Piero had only to wait. He settled into his cabin with his apportioned Delphinus Shipping work, for his duties at the ledgers were never at an end, even if he were off playing nanny to a woman who should know better than to defy a duke.

***

Emily's family made a point of coming together for breakfast each morning between eight and nine in the morning, a long-standing habit since they had first moved to Brazil, when it was only Rook and Kali and her niece, Emily, before they began to have their own children. Of all things, this time before the day really began made Emily feel safe and centered in her life. No matter how far afield she roamed in her travels, she was home if she was at breakfast with any combination of Maussi and Maussa and her sisters and brothers.

Which made today's announcement that much more difficult.

"Maussa, Sharada, Ben, I have something I'd like to say," Emily began, taking a small sip of her tea to allow them to settle themselves and listen. "Two things, actually."

"Yes, Emily?" Rook asked, laying aside his newspaper. Ben finished buttering his toast and set it down.

"First, while I am pleased you have settled us all into this spectacular home, Maussa, I have decided it is time for me to have my own establishment in New York. I will move next week."

"Oh, please. You needn't do that, Emily. There is room for four other families in this house, without ever coming upon one another."

Sharada teased, "It is because she wants to kiss Lord Maddox in private."

Emily felt herself flush but held her ground.

"I simply find, after so many years living alone, I am too old to confine myself to my family's expectations. It is perfectly right and proper I should live self-sufficiently at my age and level of influence."

Ben's eyes narrowed. "This is because of Maddox."

Emily threw up her hands. "It is not because of Lord Maddox! It is because I am almost forty years old, and I do not wish to live shoulder-to-shoulder with my little brothers and sisters, nor do I need to follow the dictates of my father or mother. I love you all, and I do not wish to be too far away, but yes, I believe some distance between us all will not go amiss."

"Do not tease your sister, Sharada. Do you know where you will live, Emily?"

"I've found an apartment. It is six rooms, nearly as fancy as your mansion. With a doorman, Maussa, so you needn't worry."

"I will always worry, but at least you will not be on another continent."

"Yes, well, that is the second thing of which I need to speak. At the end of the month, I will be taking a trip to England. I do not expect to be gone for more than a few months, but I have business to attend there and in Ireland, not least, I must finalize things with Giancarlo and our promoter. Thanks to Mr. Vandenberg and Lord Maddox, I can call that chapter closed."

With that, Rook grinned slyly, "Shall I expect to be summoned to England in several months for a wedding to Lord Maddox, Emily?"

"Maussa, you know better than to ask questions when you do not want to hear the answers. It is likely I will travel with Lord Maddox, Lord Joseph, and Lady Julia on Lord Maddox's ship, but certainly not to an incipient wedding. Do not be absurd. Sharada, will you please pass the salt cellar?"

"I believe I should come with you," Ben said.

What was it about Emily that left her with a surplus of young, earnest gentlemen who wished to take care of her?

"That is supremely unnecessary. Sharada is much more in need of a chaperone than I."

"Oh, I don't know, Emily," Rook said, "You are too independent for your own good, traipsing off all over the world at the drop of a hat. I, for one, would like to think your brother was with you, keeping an eye on you. And I will be here to watch over Sharada."

And so would his wife, if Emily had anything to say about it. She had written Maussi, not about Didi VanHuesen specifically, but about the danger of such a woman, in the hopes it would bring the baroness to New York without delay. She had to admit to some guilt that she hadn't exposed Maussa's plan for them to take their place among the American new money.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Really, Maussa. Ben is ten years younger than I. It is far more likely I will have to save him from trouble then the other way around."

"That may be so, but I cannot think it a bad idea. Ben can see the barony he will one day inherit, small though it is, and you will have someone you can rely upon, should you need him. Yes, I am quite convinced." Rook punctuated his thought by opening his newspaper, physically blocking any argument.

Sharada and Ben took that as free license to tease her about Maddox until she was ready to scream, but before she could throw down her napkin and storm out, Rook peered around he edges of the paper. "Good heavens, Emily, Lady Julia is in the newspaper. Lords Maddox and Joseph, too. And I am afraid it is quite damning."

"What? Let me see." Emily rounded the table to read over her father's shoulder. "Has she been identified as my dresser?"

"Oh, yes. That charade is over for Lady Julia—rather, Lady Athol Soddenfeld, on the run from the law with her accomplices, Lord Joseph Gildeforte and the Earl of Maddox, after her husband's murder. It is rather too bad the gentlemen didn't try harder to keep a low profile, like Lady Julia did. The newspapers will be hard on them."

"You cannot bring them here any longer, Emily," Sharada exclaimed. "You'll ruin me!"

Lowering the newspaper, Rook said, "That is true, my dear. You may wish to set out for England sooner rather than later. One cannot know what Vandenberg will do with his stars gracing the newssheets."

"Mr. Vandenberg will do what any promoter does: hope the scandal sells tickets and nothing happens to stop the show. I am more concerned with whether they will be arrested and extradited, and yes, Sharada, I agree, with the newspapers involved, I must remove myself from this house immediately, not next week. I will have to speak to Julia and Gills and Maddox to see if they will accelerate their plans to return to England."