Page 54 of Black and Silver

“That’s not…that’s not Lady Jessica Wimpole, is it?” Dunstan asked, trying not to snort with laughter.

“She’s Lady Jessica Bellinger, wife of Lord Otho Bellinger now,” Lawrence said, his face heating to ridiculous degrees.

“You stupid man,” Waldorf said, shaking his head.

“I beg your pardon, brother,” Lawrence snapped, suddenly feeling the urge to stand up for himself against his unthinking brother. “I am not stupid. I am an artist. This work came from the heart a long, long time ago. And it is currently wanted for an exhibition of my work to take place in Hamburg. I have brought it inside so that it might be packed into a crate and shipped to my art broker, Mr. Loesser, in London.”

Waldorf and Dunstan both turned surprised looks to him. Even Waldorf looked impressed.

“If it’s supposed to be in the German Confederation, why is it here in Godwin Castle?” Lord Gerald asked.

“It needed rescuing,” Lawrence said. “Just as Lady Minerva needed, or should I say needs rescuing.”

The abrupt change in conversation did precisely what Lawrence intended for it to do. The lurid statue was forgotten, and his male kinsmen turned to him in surprise once again.

“From whom or what does Lady Minerva need rescuing?” Dunstan asked.

“Probably from this one,” Waldorf said with a sly smirk.

Lawrence sent his brother a withering look, then cleared his throat and said, “Lady Minerva recently escaped an unwanted marriage. Her parents attempted to force her into what would essentially have been a cold business alliance with a friend of her father’s son. Minerva fled Wales for London to avoidit, but it seems as though her intended, Lord Owen Scurloch, is determined to track her down and force the marriage to continue.”

“Ah. So Dunstan here still stands a chance of marrying before you after all,” Lord Gerald said with a lopsided grin, slapping Dunstan’s back.

“No, Father,” Lawrence said, losing patience. “Minerva does not wish to marry Lord Owen. But the blackguard has been chasing her, and he almost caught up with her. Despite my best efforts, there is a fair chance that he may appear at Godwin Castle, demanding that Minerva continue with the marriage.”

“Then you’d best wed and bed her as soon as possible,” Lord Gerald said.

As much as he loved the man and was amused by his wily ways, in that moment, Lawrence could only roll his eyes.

“I have every intention of marrying Minerva,” he said. “But we have not discussed the matter yet. We had a…a small falling out in the last few days. The subject has not been broached yet. And I should like to give Minerva the sort of wedding she deserves rather than snatching her from another man and marrying her too quickly for anyone to do anything about it.”

“And what’s wrong with grabbing the prize and running with it?” Lord Gerald asked.

“Minerva is not a prize,” Lawrence said. “She is a woman. A bright, clever, self-possessed woman. I’ve no wish to insult her by treating her as an object I’ve outsmarted another man to claim.”

“Good for you,” Dunstan said with a smile. “I’m certain she would be happy to have you that way.”

“Yes, well, there is one small problem with your noble intentions,” Waldorf said, looking suddenly grave.

“What is that?” Lawrence asked.

“After receiving your letter, Father here wrote immediately to Lord Dilwyn Llewellyn, apprising him of the situation and inviting him and his wife to Godwin Castle so that we all might discover more together,” Waldorf said.

“He did what?”

The gasped question came from Minerva herself as she walked into the great hall, flanked by Lady Katherine and Mrs. Weatherby.

“Oh. Good afternoon, my dear,” Lord Gerald said, breaking away from the others with a smile to greet the woman he believed would be his newest daughter-in-law. “I invited your parents to join us here at Godwin Castle.”

“Please say you did not, my lord,” Minerva said, sending Lord Gerald a dire look, then appealing to Lawrence.

“There is no need to worry,” Lawrence reassured her, crossing the room to her so he could take her hand. “The Kingdom of Wales is miles away. Surely, in this weather, it will take weeks for them to arrive.”

“It would,” Waldorf said, looking guilty, “except that I had received news the Llewellyns were staying with friends in Salisbury. And the letter was sent days ago. It is very likely that they could arrive here at any moment.”

Chapter Eighteen

Minnie could hardly believe her ears.

---