The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set

by Sharon Ricklin Jones

  He whispered, “Let it go, Elizabeth. I believe the elder Ravens only defer to my father out of years and years of loyalty. It is likely that they feel obligated to bestow honor toward him, if for no other reason, out of respect and love.”

  I nodded, but had to pinch my lips together to keep myself silent. Glancing at Amrita, our eyes met with mutual understanding. I wondered how much longer she’d be able to stifle herself. She was equally furious with Latimer and Constance, and now Priscilla’s unnecessary reactions to this ridiculous situation only made it worse.

  I glared at Ambrose as she served him, and he said, “Why thank you, Priscilla. I do hope you remember your manners after the surprise of my return wears off. You are well aware that our esteemed Regent should be served first, are you not?”

  “Oh, but of course, Master…er…I mean Mister Ambrose. I just thought…” Priscilla was visibly flustered; her eyes darted from Latimer to Ambrose and then back to Emrys. “I am sorry, Master Emrys. I wasn’t thinking. And I was so excited to have your father back home; I even made his favorite scones.” She backed up a few steps and started toward our end of the long table.

  Emrys held up a hand to stop her, saying, “By all means. You may serve my father. I do recall how much he loved your scones. I will have some of that fruit, though.” He waved Veronica over to us and she started to dish out spoonful after slow-motion spoonful onto his plate. At first I kept an eye on her position – standing far too close to my husband, but when Ambrose spoke up, I glanced back at him.

  “And who have we here?” he asked eyeing Veronica.

  A part of me actually hoped she would notice how similar these men looked, and perhaps become enamored with Ambrose instead of Emrys. I was tired of obsessing about her and her annoying antics. But then I noticed the way Ambrose eyed her, studying her. Frowning, he looked as though he was trying to place where he’d seen her before. Veronica was oblivious, still busy serving Emrys.

  “This is our new kitchen girl, Veronica,” I announced with a smirk.

  Veronica swirled around with a distressed frown, but then caught herself and gave me a condescending smile and a quick nod, and asked coyly, “Fruit, ma’am?”

  I ignored her question and directed my attention to Ambrose. “Veronica is fairly new to Ravenswynd. We really do not know that much about her yet, but apparently she helped Emrys and Gavin escape from the Venators back in Arizona.”

  Ambrose’s eyes shot open at the mention of Venators. He took a quick gulp of Ambrosia and his gaze grew more intense. “Venators? Why the bloody hell would you be in the States?” Still staring at Veronica, his question was directed at Emrys.

  As Emrys began to explain the details about our trip to Arizona, Veronica plopped a spoonful of fruit onto my plate. I peered up at her, ready to give her a piece of my mind, but she whispered a flustered and red-faced apology and scurried out of the room after setting the bowl down on the side table. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was just an act, but the look on Priscilla’s face told me she thought the poor girl was miserable enough. I refused to acknowledge her scornful look and took a bite of melon. In the meantime, Emrys finished his story, and all the while Ambrose divided his attention between his son’s face and the kitchen door - as if Veronica was about to reappear.

  Now and then Gavin interjected his comments on our trip to the States, adding how grateful he and Melinda were for our help. At one point, while Emrys explained about how close they had come to being killed by the Hunters, Latimer cleared his throat. Emrys hesitated, and when everyone looked at Latimer expectantly, he shook his head, closed his eyes, and remained silent.

  A few moments later Emrys said, “Fortunately, we managed to escape without harm.”

  Latimer cleared his throat once again.

  “Out with it, Latimer!” Ambrose said with a disapproving snort. His agitation surprised me.

  “Well, sir, I was just thinking that perhaps if you had been here sooner, none of this would have happened in the first place. I am not quite sure, but it seems to me, no one has made mention that we’ve all been put in harm’s way since their fateful trip to the States.”

  Now it was my turn to put a gentle hand on Emrys’ arm. His muscles were as hard as lead, and his jaw tightened as he fixed his glassy stare at Latimer. A few random gasps could be heard when the other members realized what Latimer insinuated.

  So… he’s the one.

  Ambrose narrowed his eyes and said, “Latimer, my friend. What exactly are you suggesting?”

  Taking a deep, nervous breath as his eyes flashed to Emrys and then back to Ambrose, Latimer said, “I just presumed you would have forbidden the trip if you had been here. As the rightful Regent, that is.”

  “Perhaps someone would care to explain what Latimer means when he says all have been put in harm’s way?” Ambrose didn’t appear to be affected by the Regent inference, but was apparently still incited by the Venators situation.

  Surprisingly, it was Kelsey who spoke up now. “Mister Ambrose, sir. It was nothing, really. We had a couple of flower deliveries, is all. It’s not like any Hunters showed up or anything.”

  I smiled at my friend. She was showing her true loyalty to Emrys by calling Ambrose Mister. It was obvious that only the elder Ravens clung to the idea that he should be their Regent again. I turned my attention to Emrys when I heard him take in a gulp of air, and then Amrita as she fidgeted in her seat.

  “I am not even sure why this is any of your concern, Ambrose.”

  Everyone turned, completely surprised at Larkin’s statement. Apparently he didn’t feel the need to address him with any titles at all, and he had no intention of mincing words either.

  “With all due respect, you have not been in the position to make any decisions for this family for a long, long time. And if I may say so,” Larkin said, turning toward Latimer, “the sudden return of Ambrose has caused enough undue stress without you bringing up the subject of rightful Regent into the mix.”

  With an uneasy voice, Latimer’s said, “I am sorry if this situation has caused tension for your wife, Larkin, but I mean no harm to anyone when I simply suggest that perhaps there needs to be a vote.”

  Ambrose looked heartsick. His head hung as the rest of the family entered into the conversation, giving their various opinions. Of course, Melinda, Fiona, and I kept our thoughts to ourselves, along with Royal and Stephen. Being so new to the family, the only Regent we knew was Emrys. Finally, after a few more minutes of heated discussion, Ambrose cleared his throat.

  “May I speak, please?”

  Everyone stopped talking at once.

  “Thank you,” he began. “First of all…”

  Before he could go on, Amrita stood up abruptly, sending her chair flying back with a crash. “I really don’t understand why you’re just sitting there, Emrys! Why aren’t you defending your position? It is your rightful place and no one else’s!” Gripping the edge of the table, she turned her head from her brother and glared at Latimer. “And you! Who do you think you are? Why would you bring up all this nonsense? Surely you must remember how this son of a … how he banished my mother! And surely you and your dear wife remember the frightened little motherless girl that he completely ignored and scared the shit out of, don’t you?”

  An uneasy hush fell over the dining room. Larkin righted Amrita’s chair, scraping the floor with a loud squeak. Amrita folded her arms across her chest, waiting for someone to speak.

  “I cannot believe how much you look like your mother when you’re distressed, Amrita. It is truly incredible.” Ambrose gazed mildly at her, not reacting to her words at all.

  Amrita ignored Ambrose, shaking her head and letting out a loud shaky sigh.

  Constance reached over and touched Amrita’s arm - the one with the slithering snake.

  Amrita cringed, glancing down at her, apparently so unaccustomed to any real motherly contact. My heart ached for her. I knew she wanted to be happy for her brother, and yet Ambrose’s r
eturn only reminded her more of her lonely childhood and what he’d done to her mother.

  Looking straight at Latimer again, she added, “Don’t you remember, Latimer? Are you willing to forgive that easily, and at the same time destroy my brother’s life?”

  Latimer shook his head. “I have simply suggested a fair vote on the matter. I wish no harm to anyone.” He gave Emrys an embarrassed smile. “I will subscribe to whatever comes of it.”

  Emrys seemed to be in a tight-lipped state of shocked silence, as he just shook his head watching his family fall apart in discord.

  Ambrose pounded a fist on the table, which toppled over a few glasses. “Enough of this nonsense,” he shouted. I did not return to take my son’s title away. Many of you will recall that I trained him for this job so that he could take over for me. I have no desire to be the leader of the Ravens. And furthermore,” he turned to Amrita, and said, “I am sorry. More sorry than you will ever know, Amrita. I have no excuse for the way I treated you, and for that, I will understand if you never forgive me.”

  Amrita sat down – hard. She looked surprised and speechless. The room grew silent again and the only noise came from the steady sound of the rain pelting the windows. The candle flames flickered, throwing strange shadows on the walls and on all the faces around the table. And then the lights popped back on. Everyone appeared white faced, agitated, and stunned by all the commotion, yet maintaining a quiet reserve. I glanced at Emrys. He turned his eyes from face to face, pausing on each member of his family one by one, finally resting on me. He smiled when his eyes met mine. I managed a small grin, but felt like I was about to burst into tears at all this heartache and sorrow. I was amazed at how this long awaited reunion could turn so quickly and easily into such a huge fiasco.

  Emrys never took his eyes off me, and suddenly I knew. He was waiting for me to give him my advice! It was so clear; it nearly bit me in the face.

  I leaned close and whispered in his ear. “Tell them to take a vote.”

  At first he looked puzzled. I was sure that a small part of him felt somewhat betrayed by Latimer, and maybe even upset with Constance and Priscilla, but he was basically a man of peace. He had told me it didn’t really matter if he was the Regent or not, and this was one sure way to see what the rest of the family truly wanted. I had to admit, I was surprised by the way Ambrose handled the whole thing, and I even felt a bit hopeful for Amrita. Perhaps she could let go of her anger and hate and enjoy her life for once.

  Emrys stared at me while he thought about my suggestion, and then he finally nodded.

  “I have a suggestion. My father and I shall leave the room, and Latimer will conduct a vote. Gavin, perhaps you could oversee the vote, and between the two of you, it will be a fair assessment of who should be the Regent.”

  A few around the table let out quiet gasps and groans of protest.

  “But be warned,” he went on, ignoring everyone. “Once the vote is finished, regardless of the outcome, this is the end of the discussion. No one will ever bring up this subject again, unless there is someone who wishes to challenge the reigning Regent. Understood?”

  Gavin and Latimer nodded, but no one else made a sound. Emrys stood and motioned to Ambrose. “Father?”

  Ambrose got up but shook his head and mumbled under his breath, “This is not right. This is not why I came home.”

  After they left the room, Latimer stood and said, “I am sorry, my friends. I did not intend for this to divide us.”

  Priscilla cleared her throat and asked, “Am I to assume you intend everyone to vote? Even the women?”

  It was usually the men who made any major decisions, but I supposed this was different. And perhaps this had never even happened in the history of our family before now. I glanced at Kelsey and Fiona; their heads were close together - whispering to one another. I wondered if they felt as dumbfounded as I did right now.

  Gavin shrugged, saying, “I don’t know. The whole thing is preposterous, so why not. Everyone can vote.”

  Suddenly Melinda popped out of her chair and said, “I have to get up to the triplets. I’m sure they’re awake and driving Gertie crazy by now. Is this supposed to be a secret vote, or what?” She glanced at our record keeper, and then let her eyes rest on Gavin. I had a feeling she was angry with Latimer too.

  Latimer hesitated and then spoke slowly, “This is an unusual situation but, under normal circumstances, we have secret ballots. Perhaps if you care to give us a moment, we can get some slips of paper ready.”

  Melinda was far too impatient and pushed her chair in, shaking her head. Once she made up her mind to do something, she usually wasn’t one to dally. “No, I’m sorry, Latimer. I don’t have time to wait. I’ll tell you what. I abstain. I’m not so sure I have enough understanding of who should be the leader here anyway, so count me out of the vote.” She gave Gavin a quick kiss and dashed out of the room.

  Fiona said, “I’m with Lindy. What do I know about leadership? I’ll have to abstain too.”

  Latimer frowned and adjusted his glasses. “I suppose, under the circumstances, we could just go around the table and give our vote. Gavin gave him a nod, and then pointed to Matthew.

  Matthew sighed, and with his head down, whispered, “I shall abstain as well.”

  Latimer appeared stunned, but pointed to Barbara Lee. She took a quick glance around the table and finally repeated, “I also abstain.”

  Stephen let out a nervous laugh, and then sided with the majority. “Yeah, me too.”

  Gavin was next but announced, “I will pass for now; I think Latimer and I should be last.”

  With Lindy gone, it was my turn. “Gee, I wonder,” I mused, oozing sarcasm. “I think I’ll vote for… Emrys!” I shook my head at the stupidity of the whole thing and added through my teeth, “This is a ridiculous attempt to overthrow our Regent, if you ask me.” I had to force myself to not glare at Latimer.

  Rufus sat across from me, and our eyes met briefly. “I agree with Elizabeth. But I refuse to vote.”

  Skipping over Fiona who had already given her opinion, Kelsey and Royal were next, and I held my breath. I knew Kelsey loved Emrys, but she had a soft spot towards Ambrose from decades past when he was kind to her. She gave a quick glance at her mother and, holding up both hands, said, “I can’t do this.”

  Royal put a hand on her arm and shook his head. “No vote here either.”

  Priscilla was next, and with a heavy sigh, just as torn as most of the family, she hung her head. “I love them both so much, how can I possibly make a choice between them?”

  Amrita scoffed when Latimer pointed to her. “Are you serious? Just because that demented jackal said he was sorry, doesn’t mean I’m on his side. I will never be on his side!” Her voice broke for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and said, “I vote for my brother, Emrys – the only true and rightful Regent.”

  Larkin smiled at his wife, and before anyone even asked for his vote, he said, “My vote goes to Emrys.”

  Latimer’s face turned three shades of ash. It was apparent how hopeless he’d grown - not even one vote had gone for Ambrose. He wearily searched his wife’s eyes. Constance gave a heavy sigh and put a hand on his, saying, “I’m sorry, Dear. I do not like this divisiveness one bit.” By this point, Latimer no longer looked stunned, just defeated.

  Latimer and Gavin were the only ones left who had not given their opinions. So far, and not surprising to me at all, the actual count was three to zero in Emrys’ favor.

  “Gavin?” Latimer said quietly.

  “Latimer?” Gavin mocked him. “Let’s face it. Even if you vote for Ambrose, there is no way he can win. Why don’t you just quit while you’re ahead, and let bygones be bygones. That way Emrys shall never know your actual preference.”

  Under my breath, I said, “As if we don’t all know anyway.”

  Gavin raised an eyebrow and added, “I choose Emrys, of course.” I realized that he’d saved his vote for last, in case he nee
ded to break a tie. Smart guy.

  “Very well,” Latimer said, looking humiliated. He adjusted his little round glasses on his nose, took a long, deep breath, and nearly voiceless, said, “I shall abstain.”

  “Would someone please go and collect our Regent?” Gavin smiled as he sat down, looking relieved and satisfied.

  Royal bounded out of the room, in search of Emrys. I took a drink of my coffee, now cold and bitter from sitting so long, and made a disgruntled sound. Priscilla jumped up and took the carafe off the table, filling it back up with hot coffee from the sideboard. She handed it to me with a smile.

  “I’m glad Master Emrys has kept his proper place, Miss Elizabeth. Truly I am. I don’t know if ye believe me or not, but whether or not ye do, I just wanted to tell you. I believe happy days are ahead for us Ravens. Happy days, indeed.” A deeply satisfied look crossed over her face.

  I nodded, although bewildered by her statement, I was glad she at least had the common decency to refrain rather than vote for the wrong Raven. After her little speech, she gathered up some of the plates and made her way back to the kitchen. A moment later, Veronica came through the swinging doors and finished clearing the table. On her second trip back to the dining room, she spied Ambrose and Emrys as they returned, and she appeared to move even quicker than she had been. I wondered what was going through her mind.

  Was she trying to look busy, or was she in a hurry so she didn’t have to face Ambrose?

  My mind whirled in circles by the time Emrys sat down, and I attempted to clear it to welcome him back.

  Gavin stood up and announced, “My friends and fellow Ravens; join me as I welcome our rightful Regent, Emrys Bertrand.”

  Nodding, Ambrose said, “As it should be.”

  Latimer raised his glass of Ambrosia and said, “To you, Master Emrys. May you reign long - and unchallenged!” By the look on his face, I could see he was quite serious.