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“Please stop pacing the deck, you’re making me uneasy,” Mia scolded only to have both Lady Alice and Mrs. Booker lean in to hugher.
“You’re making everyone uneasy, Captain. Go sit by your wife,” Admiral Booker told him and held out his hand for his own wife to come stand beside thedesk.
“What time were they told to come?” Lord Lovelace asked as he checked hiswatch.
“Two, but what do lubbers know of keeping to a schedule?” Mr. Smithe complained. “Present company excluded,” he amended recalling not a single person in the room now wastardy.
Devin pulled his watch. “It’s only a quarter past. Perhaps another fifteen minutes and we will say they abandoned ship on the matter.” He was torn. Mia could be gaining the chance to learn more about her mother’s history, but she could also be risking learning her mother wasn’t the fine woman the commodore held her up to be. A child had a far easier time finding parents perfect, but Mia was no longer a child and what she learned in those letters already had her questioning what she believed. Devin reminded her countless times she was only getting half of the story. She had no idea what her mother wrote in response to any of them. Half the story left a great deal of truth to behad.
“I hope I haven’t wasted everyone’s time. I told you I’d handle this myself,” Mia said with asigh.
“It wasn’t solely your issue my dear,” Mrs. Booker said. “The navy has a stake in this because it was the reputation of a fine captain of the Royal Navy who was alsothreatened.”
“And it’s hardly a waste if it sets right a record,” Lady Alice said, although it might be more not a waste because she was going to get to see her cousin Kendirk Mallory sink. There was no love lost in thatfamily.
“Thank you all again, I—” The sharp rap on the door brought the men in the room to theirfeet.
“Come,” the Admiral called, and the door opened only a little as Captain Fallbrook peeked inside. “Yes, come we’re ready.” He waved the manforward.
Fallbrook opened the door, snapped to attention and announced, “Lady and Lord Briskbee and the honorable Mr. Milton.” He stepped aside and as the lady entered and the magistrate, distinguished by his robes followed, he saw Mia tense and slowly come to her feet as the last man entered theroom.
He was nothing like Devin expected, though anything less than a red-skinned, fanged, horned man with a tail was unexpected. For a man perhaps in his fifties, he was rather stiff looking, though there was something weak about him showing through the polish. He might have had boyish looks at one time, but now he looked like a child that never grewup.
“Admiral?” Fallbrook again snapped toattention.
“You’ll send for the captain now.” Admiral Booker waved the manout.
“Why have we been brought here?” Lady Briskbee asked and Devin knew instantly who was in charge of thegroup.
“Perhaps we might start with introductions,” Mrs. Booker said. Devin smiled, the woman was ever the consummate hostess. Even in abattle.
“There’s no reason for any of this,” Lady Briskbee snapped. “The chit need only return what is mine or I’ll have the magistrate arrest her for theft.” The woman seemed not to realize she was hardly anyone at all in this room with her minor title. Her son, though, took note of the Duke of Marshal sitting now on the corner of the admiral’sdesk.
Lord James Briskbee started as his eyes swept over the room then settled on Mia. Devin knew the minute recognition set in. The man knew who Mia was to him. And he was clearly shocked to seeher.
“Yes, yes,” the magistrate agreed. Devin didn’t doubt by the way Lady Briskbee glared at him, she thought this matter already settled. “I’ll do the introductions. I’m Walter Milton, Magistrate for South Portsmouth. I’ll be presiding over this matter. This is Baroness Gerta Briskbee, she’s the complainant. Her son, Baron James Briskbee,witness.”
The admiral cleared his throat, pulled back his shoulders and began introductions for their side. “I’m Admiral Jonathan Booker. This is my wife, Mrs. Annabel Booker. Then here we have his grace, the Duke of Marshall, Phillip Lovelace and his sister Lady Alice. This distinguished gentleman is Bartholomew Smithe, First Mate on the…Molly.” Everyone saw James Briskbee start. “And of course Captain and Mrs. Robert D. Winthrop, whom I believe your complaint isagainst.”
“Ah very good,” the magistrate said, and held out a sheet of paper which Devin took as Mia stared at the man who fathered her. “Do you have the item inquestion?”
“There is no question about the item,” Mia said, finally breaking eye contact and turning to glare at Lady Briskbee. “It’s mine. It belonged to my mother and my papa handed it down tome.”
“It never belonged to your mother,” Lady Briskbee snarled. “She stoleit.”
“Mother,” James hissed, showing just a bit of spine. “It may have been more a misunderstanding. There’s no reason to malign anyone’s character. I’m sure that… Mia, is it?” he asked tilting his head to the side as if to see her in some different way, “doesn’t care to hear ill of hermother.”
Devin did wonder then if the man wanted to add that neither did he,but…
“I prefer the distance of formality, sir,” Mia said, her voice cold andcalm.
“Beg pardon, Mrs. Winthrop,” James said, and his disappointment was clear. If he thought he might charm Mia into giving them back the piece, he knew now it wouldn’t happen. This man and the commodore couldn’t be any more different than night and day. It wasn’t anything from his loins that made Mia the perfect woman she was. That was every bit the commodore and crews. It was they who taught Mia what a real man was, how a real man treated a woman, regardless of her place insociety.
“You’ll not beg pardon of that little—” Lady Briskbee started, only to have all four men step threateningly towardsher.
“You’ll remain civil in this proceeding, madam,” Philip told her flatly. She flushed and huffed but she nodded herunderstanding.
“Yes well,” the magistrate started clapping his hands together. “If you have the piece, please produce it that it should be known if it is indeed the one inquestion.”
