Libby stopped humming. She rose slowly, shook out her skirts. “What is wrong, Meggie?”
“It’s William.”
“Oh my God—my precious boy is hurt? Someone has harmed him? Oh no. Don’t keep me waiting, Meggie, spit it out.”
“No, your precious boy is just fine. However, he has done a very bad thing.”
“Not just a simple bad thing? A very bad thing? That’s impossible. He is delightful. He is perfect, or nearly so. Now, what is this all about?”
“Come downstairs with me and I will let Thomas tell you.”
“Thomas is a man. Thus he will be rough and not at all conciliatory. You will tell me.”
“William has evidently gotten a local girl pregnant. Her father was here and quite enraged. He wanted to kill William. Thomas told the father that he would see to things, and so he will.”
“Oh, is that all?” Libby heaved a huge sigh of relief and sat herself down again. “Thomas can give the father a bit of money, tell him boys will be boys, and all will be well. You frightened me, Meggie. It wasn’t well done of you. Do tell Mrs. Black to bring me a bit of tea. Thank you.”
“But, ma’am—”
“Go away, Meggie.”
Meggie went. Pendragon Castle—it sounded so very wonderfully gothic, so very mysterious, filled with romantic legend. It sounded as if ancient memories and perhaps a sprinkling of magic could make their way into your bones if you lived here.
Surely Pendragon Castle hadn’t expected to have such a strange concatenation of people living in it, giving it not a whit of mystery, romance, or magic. What would future generations believe permeated the castle walls after this crew departed?
Thomas was pacing the estate room. He looked harassed. He looked to be talking to himself.
Meggie said from the doorway, “Aunt Libby doesn’t care. She doesn’t think it’s anything at all. She says you’ll just give the father a bit of money and that will be that.”
Thomas looked heavenward in utter weariness and said, “Why am I not surprised?” He sighed, plowed his fingers through his hair, which made her smile even through the dark cloud of misery William had brought into the castle.
Meggie said thoughtfully, “I suppose you could have him gelded, like a horse.”
“Now, there’s a good thought. Who would we get to do it?”
“The girl’s father,” Meggie said without any hesitation at all.
Thomas walked over to her and pulled her against him. “This is a damnable situation,” he said against her hair. Her hair—it smelled of some sort of flower, he didn’t know which. He found himself rubbing his nose in her hair, realized what he was doing, and pulled back.
“I am going to tell William that he will marry the girl, if, that is, she and her father will have him. I will also give her a dowry. And I will tell William if he doesn’t change his colors and become a decent husband, I will have him join the King’s navy. What do you think? I will also cut him off without a cent. That will doubtless provide his biggest incentive to keep his male parts at home with his wife.”
“William doesn’t have any money? From his mother?”
“Oh no, my father kicked her out not long after William was born, didn’t give her a sou. I have paid for Oxford, for tutors.”
“That’s a wonderful idea, Thomas. It should keep him in line.” She went up on her tiptoes and kissed his mouth, running her fingertips over his black, black eyebrows. “If I were the girl’s father, I’m not so sure I’d want William as a son-in-law.”
“I think Teddy MacGraff will be quite pleased. He’ll see William as being completely in his power, which he will be.”
She thought about that a moment. “Is Teddy MacGraff big and tough?”
“Very.”
“Let’s do it. We can announce it this evening.”
“Perhaps we can even tell Aunt Libby that she will shortly be a grandmother. It will rile her no end to have a grandchild before Madeleine.” He laughed.
“Good heavens, why?”