A Malevolent Manner (Patrick Pierce #1)

by William Scott

A fire was made by the edge of the woods over the minor protestations of Tiberius, fearing the attention the light would attract. However he was once again overruled by Lord Lodge, deciding the need for warmth took precedence over any dangers the flames might attract.

  Everyone in the party pitched in to set up camp for the night. Jane helped Morgan remove a tarp from the wagon and lashed it to some fallen tree branches to create a makeshift shelter. Kat and her sister collected broken twigs and branches from the nearby area and with the help of Dufresne’s lighter; they quickly had a fire lit.

  Despite the small amount of work that was done, everyone fell down beside the fire in an attempt to relax when they finished. However between the excitement from the previous night and the anxiety of what lay ahead, most of them could not fully unwind.

  Jane found herself straining to hear every sound that emanated from beyond the small circle of light the fire produced. She kept imagining a horde of dirty brigands approaching their small camp site, surrounding them in the darkness. But it wasn’t fear that kept driving these thoughts. As she looked around their site and observed the men with rifles and black jackets, she knew they’d all be safe. Their captors at the farmhouse had been easily dispatched by these three men and she had no doubt they could have handled many more. No it wasn’t fear she felt, it was more a sense of annoyance. She was tired of being kidnapped and held against her will, tired of the jolting transition from safety to danger. But more than anything else she was tired and annoyed at no longer being in control.

  For the last few years at the Manor she had always felt in control of her life. True she was a servant and thus did not necessarily have an unlimited amount of freedom. However the secret work she had done there had always been done on her terms and her fate had been in her own hands. But this was no longer the case.

  In her thirst for advancement, Jane had waded out into a more dangerous game with much greater stakes. No longer a nameless face in a maid’s uniform willing to pass notes; she was now a real player known to the others. Advancing from a pawn into a rook had been her goal, but now she realized the consequences of this. She was now also a real threat and a potential target to someone.

  Jane knew that most people in her situation would choose a side in order to gain protection. And looking around at her companions by the fire, she could tell that they were good, honest, and loyal people. Lord Lodge had become a like a second father to her during their current ordeal and she truly liked the man.

  But she also knew from experience that the most ruthless usually win over the kind, and there was no one more ruthless than Dr. Cleaver. She was scared of him, knew he couldn’t be trusted, and dreaded having him as an enemy.

  It was a difficult situation, one that Jane hadn’t been prepared for. But after taking a few calming breaths she decided that she would try and support Lord Lodge. The Manor and the Island would be a much better place with him fully in charge and Cleaver dealt with. She didn’t want to walk on eggshells around that bastard any longer. But she admitted to herself that she wasn’t completely comfortable with burning her bridges. So if Cleaver were to continue winning and he came looking for her help…

  Jane hoped it wouldn’t come to that and smiled at the prospect of a new life at the Manor with her new friends.

  “What are you smiling at my dear?” Lodge asked kindly in between puffs from his pipe.

  “I think I just had a revelation,” Jane replied quietly, staring into the fire. When she eventually looked up at him, he simply shot a quick and clever smile.

  A normal man would have begun firing questions after hearing a statement such as that. They would have been too curious to resist. However Jane knew by now that Lord Lodge was not a normal man. Observing the shrewd gaze of his sharp eyes, she was slightly worried that he’d perceived her entire thought process. But if he did, he wasn’t about to bring it up.

  “What are we going to do when we get back to the Manor?” she asked trying to change the subject.

  “Tiberius says there is a hunt currently ongoing. Hopefully this will still be the case when we return tomorrow. The fewer people around the better.”

  “I doubt Dr. Cleaver is on the hunt,” she observed thoughtfully, “which means we’d still have to deal with most of the Black Pack. Not all of them will support you like Tiberius and his men.”

  “It’s true that the Black Pack have superiority in numbers,” Lodge allowed without a sign of discouragement. “However we have superiority in quality. Don’t let their current demeanour fool you.

  “Look at Tiberius,” he pointed with his pipe across the fire. Despite the warmth of the fire he sat quietly with his arm around Kat. Both were quiet but had lazy smiles pasted to their faces. “He’s a genius tactician who’s seen more battles than anyone I know.”

  “And the other’s?” Jane asked nodding towards Dufresne who was rotating some sumptuous looking pheasants on a spit over the fire. Beyond him Morgan’s profile could barely be seen in the darkness as he stood watch.

  “Both are master marksmen and accomplished fighters. They are honourable men who will fight deviously if required. All three are thoroughly violent men if the need arises, as you saw at the farmhouse. They understood that those hooligans could not be reasoned with and acted with machine like precision. No, with surprise on our side those three men could take on half of the Manor’s hunt staff alone.”

  “But what if the hunt is over tomorrow and the Manor is full?”

  “Then we will have to hope my boasting is justified,” he grimaced in response.