Chapter 13: The Sea II

October, 1712,

The Grand Estate of the Grand Duke of Bridgbrock.

    The weather had suddenly changed drastically now thunder and rain has started to battled out their difference that evening.

No one dares to come outside because the weather was not one to reckon with.

Yet the heavy splashy sound of wet horse could be heard matching into the duke's estate.

Lord Bryan had just arrived from his trip to Ravengate in search of Jaylyn.

No news concerning the girl yet, he sent out his men for weeks but no one has any information about her whereabouts.

This time he had fully accepted what her uncle had told him.

    He stepped down from his whining horse and made his way inside the main house as his stable boy struggles to assembly his horse back to the stable.

"Bryan...., "

his worried mother cried out as he entered, welcoming her son inside. She was looking very worried.

"Mom!, "

He said startled at first before she hugged him tightly despite the fact that his body was drenched with rain water.

"Sorry, I ruined your dress, "

he apologized.

His mother smile as she wiped the small tears from her eyes before her son noticed how worried she was for his safety.

She ordered the maids to get his hot bath ready and complained he might suffer from the cold since he travelled all day under such terrible weather.

   "Where is father?,"

he asked curiously.

To answer his questions his father arrived from his chamber, his mother walked over to be by his side as she placed her head on his shoulders with her hands locked in his arm.

"Our son has returned, "

she said softly.

"Father!, "

Bryan greets his father.

     The duke of Bridgebrock nodded in response to his greetings but Bryan noticed he look distressed.

He know his father was worried about his goddaughter.

  "Bryan..... Welcome home son, " he said smiling down at his wife who leaned her body close to his side, her soft pastel coloured Mantua gown was now wet.

 "Ah!, look what you've done to your mother's fine evening dress,"

His father said with a fake frown.     

   "Hurry up now... go freshen up, we'll have dinner in a few hours, right darling! , "

 he asked his wife briefly.

When Bryan left , he turned to his wife, the woman who stole his heart many year ago and still has it wrapped around her palms, kissed her on the forehead while patting her slowly on the shoulder.

  "I know you worried but now you are wet, let go change before we've dinner", 

he said primly as he lead her back to their chambers.

"Why won't I be worried the two men in my life tend to favor trouble and dangerous adventure, "

she complained bitterly.

    During the dinner, they all ate peacefully with the duchess now in a new attire for the evening.

The footmen arrived with some sticky toffee pudding, Bryan's favorite.

When he saw it, he smile cheerfully and silently thanked his mom.

Lord Conway let out a loud sigh

"The house has grown empty since you left.

You nearly give your mother an heart attack making her worried sick about your whereabouts even I became her source of entertainment.

I did my best to keep her heart from racing anytime a message arrived, "

his father began a tale of everything that happened since he left.

Lady Morgan twitched her husband arm lightly for teasing her sheepishly in front of their son while Bryan couldn't help but laugh at his parents display of affection.

It was starting to make him feel overly wishful for the kind of love they both shared.

He had miss them so much.

   "I know .... I was quite worried this past few days, "

His mother said

"If Bryan had a wife or child, it would have at least eased my worries, "she stated.

    Both men shared a knowing look as they knew where her dialogue was heading to.

Bryan give his father a pleading glance to distract his mother before it gets too late but this time his father didn't save instead joined in on the marriage torment.

"That's true ", his father joined in, nodding blithely at his wife who was delighted to have her husband support.

   "You need a wife,"

He said encourage her further on the matter.

"Do you have any suggestions my darling, "

He asked his wife giving her, his full attention.

"Seriously, father… , you both are on this together, " Bryan said amused by what they put in play.

  "Oh yes.... I received a match from Lady Phobia, you know she has two daughter and also Lady Marguerite, " she bubbled on.

           ***

     After the dinner, the Lamberts gathered at the Duke chamber.

Bryan explained in detail everything that took place during his search for Jaylyn but didn't tell them about the other part of his investigation because he didn't want to trouble them especially his mother.

"At first, I was not sure the information, Lord Bennett put out about her marriage was true, I went to the town register, I wasn't able to find any information regarding her or her marriage but according to her uncle, he claimed to have lawfully married her off to a wealthy sailor from Spain, he even showed me authentic documents of the marriage," he explained.

   With a light shake on the head, Lord Lambert said indignantly, 

  "I knew that Wright would  never change, after all this years, he has become more deceitful than ever,

a wolf in sheep's clothing,

The defender of the poor, my foot!, "

he spat bitterly at the titled bestowed on him by the King.

He turned towards his son.

   "I received a letter some days ago from Dutchmall, here read it,"

he handed it over to his son with his eye still focused on him as he read it.

     Bryan stared blankly at his father for confirmation if what he just read was indeed true or a ploy to mess up with them.

When his mother nodded, it became clear she too was aware of the letter.

  "That clarifies my suspension, Lord Bennett was in a hurry to make me leave even  his wife put on an act of matchmaking knowing fully well, I have a reputation of escaping Matchmaking mothers, "

he said sounding peeved by this new discovery.

 "I had a feeling he was hiding something, this means the girl must be in great danger, " he let out

"Father, I'm sorry, I failed you, I should have checked properly before making conclusion rather then accepting lies from a man like the Baron, "

He apologized for his misconception.

"Its not your fault son.., "

his father said mildly, then waved his hand impatiently at the letter for him to continue reading.

"Be patient son, read thoroughly to the end, "

     According to the letter, the girl suffered a great deal in the hands of her uncle but the writer has devised a plan to help the girl escape her uncle devious marriage plans, so they have to wait patiently for another letter to confirm if they had succeeded.

    Bryan hissed at himself, he should have known his arrival had clearly endangered her life.

" I need to make arrangements for their safety,  this message arrived a weeks ago.

If they traveled through Dutchmall, they need to have arrived before now,"

 he said huffing out a breath of frustration.

  "I need to send my man after them...... , " he continued

"You don't need to do that, I have a strong feeling they didn't follow an easier path besides you will create more suspicion if you seek her out again, her uncle would create more problems making it difficult for you to rescue her, "

 his father stopped him from making any more move.

"Your father suggest we wait patiently for another letter to arrive before taking any action, " his mother join in

"Let's give it another week, " his father said.

"If nothing happens, the letter would be given as evidence to the king, ".  his father said sounded doubtful and paranoid at the same time

          ********

  No news was bad new.

     Lord Bennett had sent out his men for days even tripled their money but none had brought forth any reasonable location concerning her whereabouts even Miss Camila's home town has been search, the old hag was smarter than anyone had anticipated.

   Lady Alfreda was busy handling the replacement of newly employed staffs and servants while the older ones remind in punishment zone await judgment.

They plan ahead to avoid anymore mayhem.

The old drunk has started to talk around town causing problems for the Baron so he had him locked up.