When it came to a halt, James quickly stepped forward and opened the door. His father’s partly bald head appeared, followed by his red and gold woolen cape of office. James frowned. His father only wore his bishop’s garb when conducting affairs on behalf of the church.
“Your Grace,” he said, and dipped into a bow.
His father gave him a barely perceptible nod. James righted himself, but kept his gaze fixed toward the ground. Hugh Radley’s role as a father was secondary to his role as Bishop of London when he was on official business.
“Ah, Sir Geoffrey, how are you?” said Hugh.
James lifted his head to see Leah’s grandfather striding toward them.
Sir Geoffrey stopped and bowed before Hugh. “Your Grace. I never expected to see you darkening my doorstep. It appears Mopus Manor has become quite the meeting place for you and your family,” he said.
“Yes, so it would seem,” replied Hugh, holding out his hand. His father finally turned to James and gave him a tight smile. “Come. You, Sir Geoffrey, and I have much to discuss.”
James followed his father and Sir Geoffrey through the front door. He poked his head back in the breakfast room, but it was empty. By the look of it, Leah had made the smart decision to remain out of sight until she was summoned. From the frosty greeting he had received from own his father, James could not blame her.
They were ushered into Sir Geoffrey’s private study, and after the butler was instructed to bring tea and toast, the door was closed behind them.
“Should I go and find Leah?” asked James.
Sir Geoffrey shook his head. “You can talk to her after we have discussed and settled matters.”
The stern looks on both Sir Geoffrey and Hugh’s faces gave him all the clues he needed; they did not intend to discuss anything with Leah until they had made their position clear with James. After that, he was going to be the one left to convince her of what needed to happen.
“Your Grace, where would you like to sit?” asked Sir Geoffrey.
“I have been sitting for days. I am more than happy to walk the floor for the time being and give my legs a good stretch,” replied Hugh, unbuttoning his bishop’s cloak.
James wasn’t certain as to what he himself should be doing. He went to sit on one of the long battered green couches, but the disapproving frown on his father’s face stopped him. Hugh began to pace back and forth in front of the fireplace, his hands clasped behind his back, fingers constantly wriggling.
James stepped to one side, keeping out of his father’s way. He let his arms hang at his side as he stood to attention and watched Hugh pace. The sight of his father’s feet marching up and down the room had him chewing nervously on his bottom lip. Memories of receiving a scolding from his father as a child surfaced in James’s mind. Hugh was a loving and affectionate father, but when one or more of his golden rules had been broken, punishment was sure to follow.
James might well be a fully grown adult, but in his father’s mind he was not above being made to pay for his sins. In running away with Leah, he had stolen another man’s bride, which James was sure had broken more than one of the Ten Commandments.
The door opened and the butler entered the room carrying a tray with cups and a pot of tea on it. He was followed by the housekeeper carrying a smaller tray with toast and cakes. They set the food down on the tall oak sideboard which sat against the wall, then left the room.
James made a step toward the spread, intent on pouring them all a cup of tea, but a second unhappy glare from his father had him beating a hasty retreat back to his spot out of the way. There he stood once more, hands by his side like a naughty schoolboy. Parents always seemed to have the perfect way of make their offspring feel small.
“We shall talk first, then food,” announced Hugh.
“Would you please let me explain?” said James, hoping to get the first word in.
His father shook his head. “I think it best that you understand how things are in London before you offer up any explanations to me.”
James fell silent. From Hugh’s unusually curt manner since his arrival, James didn’t expect that the news he was about to hear would be good.
“What you and Leah have done is to create one of the biggest scandals of the year. I was made to stand in front of the Archbishop of Canterbury and answer some very uncomfortable questions regarding my judgement as a parent. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was for me?” said Hugh.
“I am sorry your grace,” replied James, feeling the heat rise up on his cheeks.
“Oh, and don’t get me started on theveryugly conversation I had with Tobias Shepherd. Suffice to say he was livid. He was making ready to come to Cornwall and retrieve Leah, but Guy Dannon asked him not to bother,” said Hugh.
“How is Guy?” asked James. Leah’s father was not someone James honestly gave a damn about. His former friend was more of a loose cannon than Tobias Shepherd.
His father huffed. “Do you really care? I mean, you stole the man’s fiancée away from him on his wedding day. You can hardly expect me, Guy, or, for that matter, the rest of all of London to think you give a tinker’s cuss about him.”
James had hoped the letter Sir Geoffrey had sent Hugh had made the situation clear, but that did not appear to be the case. Everyone thought James had stolen Leah.
“I didn’t steal Leah from her wedding. I followed her from the church and only intercepted her when we finally reached Basingstoke,” replied James.
