*
“Things have become much worse than I feared, if such treachery is now possible,” Lord Lodge observed as he looked back at the two guards tied to the back of the wagon. After many hours folded into the whiskey barrel, Lodge had insisted on walking beside the wagon as they continued their progress.
True to his word, Tiberius had tied up the two guards when they had dropped their weapons. Also true to his word he left the other body in the woods.
“I’m afraid we didn’t learn very much from those two,” allowed Tiberius, following Lodges gaze backwards as he walked beside him. “Only that they were under orders from Malicio to kill you on sight. That means the order came from Cleaver, nothing we didn’t already know or assume.”
“True, but we didn’t know how far Cleaver’s influence had reached. These two men are not part of Cleaver’s inner circle, unlike their recently departed leader. We now have to wonder how many others have switched sides.”
“I don’t mean to interrupt my Lord,” interrupted Kat from her saddle above them. “But if you’re the Master of the Manor, how did you end up imprisoned and on the run?”
“Call me Victor my dear, we’re now compatriots in arms and need not stand on formality,” he replied graciously. “The answer to your questions delves into the realm of power and politics. Dr. Cleaver and I have been playing a clever game of cat and mouse for years, and now it seems the rules have changed.”
Kat squinted at his enigmatic reply, not really sure what he meant. At first she had been unimpressed by the lanky older man presented to her at the farmhouse as the Master of the Manor. She had expected the most revered, powerful, and formidable person on the island to be more imposing. However in the short time they’d travelled together she quickly realized how Lodge was all of these things without forcing it.
Within an hour their long march through the vale came to an abrupt end as the thick woods ended at a high stone wall. The path continued under a wide columned arch, its white stone glowing in the dusk. Equally spaced torches lit a direct route to the Manor, itself ablaze in light and perched high above them.
“We might be home, but everyone stay on guard,” ordered Tiberius cautiously. He then walked over to his men to elaborate. “We’ll stay with the wagon, since there’s not much cover ahead. Weapons loaded and at the ready.”
The group slowly made their way through the immaculately kept grounds of the Manor, the wagon’s creaking wheels breaking the silence of the night. Despite the welcome they had received in the woods, the grounds of the Manor were clear of any roving patrols or guards. As they reached the Manor itself, the path split in two; one route going to the main entrance and the other to the service entrance in the rear.
Lord Lodge raised his hand to interrupt Tiberius as he ordered Jane to drive the wagon to the rear entrance. “I am the Master of the Manor and I will not creep in through the back door like some sullen vagabond. I will go in the front.”
“Very well,” accepted Tiberius, knowing any argument would fall on deaf ears. “Morgan, lead the wagon and the prisoners to the service entrance. Lock them up and then find us.”
“What about us?” asked Kat eagerly, thrilled by the rich and imposing surroundings of the Manor.
“We’ll go in the back way as well,” suggested Jane to Kat’s obvious disappointment. “I’ll find a room for the girls and we’ll wait for word from you there.”
“Good thinking,” agreed Tiberius, increasing the frown on Kat’s face. “Kat, follow Jane’s lead. She knows the Manor well and will keep you and your sister safe.”
As they descended from their horses and tied them to the wagon, Tiberius noticed that Kat’s mood had not lightened by the prospect of safety. She was still frowning and her brow was furrowed like a child angry at being scolded. He stifled a laugh as he moved toward her and she stubbornly avoided eye contact
“Don’t scrunch up like that,” he said softly. “Your beautiful face might get stuck like that.” He was rewarded with an icy glare as she suddenly turned her face towards him. Without missing a beat he grabbed her and kissed her pursed lips forcefully. She reacted immediately, accepting his embrace completely. When he pulled away her eyes were still burning with intensity, but the rest of her face had relaxed into contentment. “Now that’s a much better look.”
“If you’re not too preoccupied,” sighed Lodge a few steps away. “I’d like to retake my castle.”
“Apologies, lead the way sir,” smiled Tiberius as he walked over to where Lodge and Dufresne were waiting. Once there, all three began their cautious approach to the main entrance.
“I can’t help but notice that there’s a sister,” whispered Dufresne to his leader.
“Don’t even think about it.”
“But sir, if you can…”
“Sorry,” shrugged Tiberius, “privileges of rank.”
They quickly reached the massive iron and wood doors of the Manor’s main entrance without seeing anyone. With their weapons at the ready, Lord Lodge pushed the doors open and stepped through without hesitation. Tiberius and Dufresne entered immediately after, with their weapons raised and ready to fire.
However the reality they stepped into was anticlimactic, as the Main Hall was devoid of anyone’s presence. They waited a few minutes but the eerie silence hung in the vast space. They remained motionless for some minutes, however the ordinarily busy hall remained still.
“The hunt must still be on,” Tiberius observed, noting the absence of activity. As the center of the Manor, the Main Hall was never empty for long. “What now sir?”
“I’m tired of playing games,” Lord Lodge proclaimed as he stared up at the impossibly high ceiling. “We go straight to Cleaver and end this.”
Lodge did not wait for concurrence from his men as he stepped towards the left hand staircase that led to the member’s quarters. Tiberius and Dufresne followed him immediately, taking position on either side of him with their weapons at the ready.
They had ascended the staircase and were turning towards the hallway that would lead them towards Cleaver’s tower at the rear of the manor, when a lone bang echoed from the far side of the main hall.
“Gunshot,” reported Tiberius and Dufresne instantaneously as they raised their weapons, looking for targets.
“It came from the North Wing!” Lodge declared as he turned and started descending the staircase.
“Drummond’s office, let’s go!” agreed Tiberius as all three quickly retraced their steps down and then crossed the large mosaic floor towards the other staircase.
It took all of their control to refrain from running flat out towards the office outside of the North Tower. This proved even more difficult when they could hear increased shouting as they approached the office.
“You stay back sir,” ordered Tiberius when they reached the door. The shouting had died down, but they could hear the low murmuring of voices from inside. “Dufresne will open the door; I go in first, him second, and you follow us.”
Lord Lodge nodded, knowing that it was the smart move. He removed a pistol from his jacket pocket, checked it and then nodded to show he was ready.
Tiberius counted to three from beside the door, cringing slightly when Dufresne kicked the door open. Within a second he had passed Dufresne, rifle raised, and entered into the office belonging to the Secretary of the Hunt. He stopped suddenly upon entering, taking in the scene before him. Dufresne had to jump to the side to avoid running into his back.
“What the hell?!” was all Tiberius could muster.
Drummond sat tied to a chair leaning against the wall; his feet flailing and Patrick Pierce standing over him pointing a pistol to his head. A bullet hole was still smoking in the wall, inches from the bound man’s head. Liam stood beside Pierce with a giant knife inches from Drummond’s eye, the blade glinting menacingly. Sean had pulled the drawers out of the large desk that stood in the middle of the room and was rummaging through their contents. All four men were frozen
by the sudden disturbance and looked as if they were posing for a macabre painting. Only MacDuff had actually reacted and was pointing his weapon back at Tiberius.
“Thank God you’re here Tiberius!” Drummond cried out, his eyes still locked on the blade inches from him. “You have to save me from these maniacs!”
“Oh shut up,” growled McDuff over his shoulder.
“What are you doing back?” asked Pierce turning from Drummond and lowering his pistol. “You’re supposed to be getting Lord Lodge.”
“And indeed he did,” confirmed Lord Lodge, gracefully entering the office as if a man weren’t being violently interrogated a dozen feet from him.. Everyone, including Drummond, became quiet as he entered and sat down on an empty seat in the middle of the room.
“What are you doing back?!” Tiberius echoed back at Pierce. “You were supposed to be trailing Colonel Bufford.”
Chapter 24
A Malevolent Manner (Patrick Pierce #1) Page 81
