The Rambling Spy

by Mackenzie Morgan

  Morris’s jaw dropped. “Did you say brothel?”

  Lisal nodded. “As much as I hate to say it, yes. Sister Hayley was entertaining a man who is not her husband in her room. What else can we call it?”

  “Well, I’m sure it’s not that,” Morris sputtered. “And besides, Hayley’s suite has a sitting room and a guest bedroom as well as her room. She’s an adult and is certainly entitled to receive guests, same as you are.”

  “Maybe if she were receiving them in the front parlors, but not in the back, out of sight, behind closed doors.”

  “I’m sure it was not like that.”

  “And I’m sure it was.”

  Morris bit his tongue and took a deep breath. “You know everyone in town. I’m sure you must have recognized him. Tell me who it was and I’ll find out what was going on.”

  “Like I said, she was entertaining him behind closed doors in her chambers. I didn’t see him, but I heard his voice, and it was definitely a man. And that’s totally inappropriate behavior for a sister in a chapel provided by the town. I demand you let Sister Brena know about this and request a sister who will conduct herself properly. It’s your duty as Town Director.”

  “I’ll look into it, Lisal, but that’s all I’m promising at this point. Anything else would be as reckless as making unwarranted accusations.” Morris stood up, walked around his desk, and opened his door. “I know I don’t need to remind you that you requested this conversation be kept confidential. I expect you to do the same. I don’t want to hear any talk about this around town.”

  Lisal stood up and tossed her hair back. “I can’t help what other people say. I feel sure Saturday night wasn’t the first time something like this has happened, and if you don’t do something about it, it won’t be the last. I respected you enough to bring the problem to your attention. Others probably won’t bother since you’re the one who requested her, but just because they don’t tell you doesn’t mean they won’t tell others.”

  ~~~~

  As soon as Gloria escorted Lisal to the front door, she went back to Morris’s office to find out what was going on.

  He motioned her to a seat. “We have a problem.”

  “What now?”

  “She said she got sick Saturday night and went to the chapel. According to her, Sister Hayley made her wait because she was entertaining a male visitor.”

  “That’s nonsense. I saw that girl Saturday and she was healthy as a horse. If she went to the chapel, it was because she knew Marcus was there.”

  “I know that, but it doesn’t change the fact that she had to wait because Hayley was with Marcus.”

  Gloria shook her head. “If I know Sister Hayley, and after sharing a house with her for a couple of months I do, that’s just not true. She may have let Sherri answer the door and waited to see if she was needed, but she would not put off someone who was sick so she could chat with Marcus. And Marcus wouldn’t have let her anyway.”

  “No he wouldn’t, but that doesn’t matter. Lisal claims Sister Hayley was delayed in performing her duty because she was with him. And there’s no way we can prove she’s lying.”

  “Sherri was there. She can say what happened.”

  “Sherri’s a child. No one’s going to listen to her, and besides, how long Lisal had to wait depends on who’s telling it. It may have taken ten minutes for Sherri to let Hayley know what was going on and for Hayley to get to Lisal. Perfectly reasonable, unless you’re Lisal. Then it’s an unacceptable delay caused by her being with a male visitor. And believe me when I say Lisal’s implying a lot more than that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The word she used was ‘brothel’.”

  Gloria’s jaw dropped.

  “My reaction exactly.”

  “Marcus’s will be worse, a lot worse.”

  “Which is why I have no intention of telling him. I want you to talk to him.”

  “Me?!” Gloria asked, eyes wide. “Why me?”

  “Because you can say you’re afraid his visiting Hayley at the chapel may cause problems for her and suggest he see her here, or at Thom’s, or at Marcie’s. Even his house would be better. But not at the chapel.”

  “I guess I could turn one of the bedrooms into a sitting room where they could have a little privacy,” Gloria said, more to herself than to her husband.

  “Great, do that,” Morris said in relief. “Next time I see Lisal, I’ll tell her I’ve checked into it and the situation has been handled.”

  ~~~~

  About the same time Lisal was complaining to Morris, Shel dropped by Marcie’s house for a cup of tea. “Where’s Rayne?” she asked as she sipped her tea.

  “I sent her and Caleb to town to pick up a few things,” Marcie said with a smile. “When they were toddlers I dreamed of the day they could pay me back by running errands for me. That day has finally arrived.”

  Shel laughed. “Afraid I’ve got a ways to go. I still have to run my own errands. And speaking of errands, while I was in town today, I stopped by Thom’s to see Marissa.”

  “How are they doing?”

  “Fine. Turns out she found your brother sleeping on her couch when she got up Sunday morning.”

  “Marcus?”

  Shel laughed. “How many brothers do you have?”

  “I thought he stayed at the chapel Saturday night.”

  “That was the plan, until Lisal crashed in on it.” Shel told Marcie about Lisal’s visit to the chapel and insistence on staying the night.

  “She knew he was there.”

  Shel nodded. “She must have. Too much of a coincidence otherwise.”

  “Oh, she knew,” Marcie snapped. “That woman! You have no idea how much I want to tell her what I think of her.”

  “It wouldn’t do any good.”

  “I know or I’d have already done it.” Marcie sighed. “You know what’s going to happen. She’ll make life so miserable for Hayley that she’ll request a transfer, and when that happens, my brother will follow her.”

  “I don’t know. Marcus has no intention of leaving Milhaven any time soon, and when he does, he’ll come back here. He has a house here.”

  Marcie shook her head. “Shel, he’s a carpenter as well as a sorcerer. How long do you think it would take him to build a new house? Besides, can you see him living here knowing the people in this town stood by and let that woman run Hayley off? No. He’ll go wherever she is and be welcomed with open arms. How many towns would turn down a Sister of Healing, Resident Sorcerer combination?”

  Shel frowned. “You have a point.”

  “If we’re not careful, if we let that woman run Hayley off, some other town will get lucky and I’ll lose my brother.”

  ~~~~

  When Marcus got back to the castle Thursday afternoon, one of the guards stopped him. “Ariel asked me to tell you there’s a letter for you in the office.”

  “Thank you.”

  As soon as Marcus walked in the office, Ariel picked up a letter and handed it to him. When he got to his room, he sat down and opened it.

  Marcus,

  Morris and I are concerned about the impression others may have of you visiting Sister Hayley at the chapel. Sisters are held to a high standard in the communities they serve and are expected to conduct themselves accordingly. We know you don’t want your visits to be misconstrued as inappropriate behavior on her part.

  We’d like to propose an alternative, one that would be above reproach. As you know, we have three spare bedrooms, so we’re going to turn one of those rooms into a small parlor which will be at your disposal whenever you’re in town.

  As our son, it’s only natural that you would visit here, with us, and as Morris is the Town Director, it’s to be expected that we’d entertain the resident sister on a regular basis. No one would have any reason to question it if the two of you are visiting us at the same time.

  We look forward to seeing you the next time you’re in town.

  Gloria

>   Marcus read the letter twice, wondering what his foster mother wasn’t telling him. He knew Lisal had done something, and whatever it was must have been pretty bad if Gloria was trying to shield him.

  As he fingered the note, he tried to figure out some way to put an end to Lisal’s infatuation with him, but he couldn’t come up with a single thing he hadn’t already tried. And even worse, he couldn’t think of a soul who could help him.

  None of the women he’d met around Milhaven acted anything like she did. And he’d never heard any of the men talk about having a problem that came close to the one he had.

  He needed help. He just didn’t know where he was going to get it.

  Chapter 29

  The House of Nordin's Newest Member

  A couple of weeks later, Kevin and Nikki had just joined Chris upstairs when there was a knock on Kevin’s door. When Kevin opened it, Rupert said, “I hate to disturb you, but Steve came by to say Laryn’s in labor.”

  “Where is he?”

  “Their house. He said if you need him, that’s where he’ll be. Oh, and he said to let you know Mia’s with her.”

  “I’ll take Nikki to Marshall while you start rounding up the family.” Chris picked up his mug and finished his scog.

  Kevin handed his key to Terah to Chris. “Thanks. And then go get Kyle. I’ll start with Shadron.” Kevin turned to Rupert. “Has anyone gone for Sister Agnes?”

  Rupert nodded. “Brandon took a buggy down to pick her up.”

  “Where do you want me to take Kyle?” Chris asked. “The office? Or Laryn’s?”

  Kevin thought for a minute. “Let’s take them to the dining room.” Kevin looked back at Rupert. “Would you see that someone lets Miranda know? And Cryslyn? We’ll have a house full of people in a few minutes.”

  “Already done. I sent word to them before I headed up here. Can’t have the family arrive before the coffee’s ready.”

  Kevin laughed. “Good thinking. Thanks for letting us know, Rupert.” And with that, Kevin turned his key and was gone.

  ~~~~

  As soon as Rupert got back downstairs, he sent for Ariel and notified Darrell, who sent a guard to the Governor’s House to let Joan and Karl know. While Kevin and Chris rounded up the family, Ariel helped Miranda get set up. Meanwhile Cryslyn and Serra started preparing rooms for everyone.

  By midnight Kevin and Chris had rounded up the family. Kayla, Danyelle, and Allisandra were with Laryn. Darrell and Karl were with Steve, Joan was in the kitchen, and everyone else was in the dining room.

  After everyone was settled, Kevin stepped into the kitchen to thank Miranda and urge her to go back to bed. “You’ve already got everything set out. Joan and I can handle refilling the coffee and scog. If you don’t go back to bed, I’ll shut the dining room down and move everyone to my office, and you know how much they’ll love that.”

  “All right.” Miranda took off her apron. “But someone better let me know as soon as the baby’s born. I’ve know that woman longer than you’ve been alive.”

  Joan laughed. “I’ll make sure someone lets you know.”

  “And find out if it’s a boy or a girl.”

  “I will,” Joan said with a smile. “Now go get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day in here.”

  Miranda nodded. “I’m holding you responsible for my kitchen. Don’t let anyone make a mess in here.”

  After Miranda left, Joan asked, “Are you going to go get Theresa?”

  Kevin frowned. “Isn’t Sister Agnes with Laryn?”

  “Yes, but Theresa will want to be here for Steve.”

  Kevin’s eyes widened. “I wasn’t thinking. I’ll go now.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Theresa joined Joan in the kitchen while Kevin returned to the dining room to wait with everyone else. The men drank coffee, the children slept on various couches, and Dara moaned about being up all night.

  Shortly after Kevin got back, Cryslyn sat down beside Dara. “I have a room ready for you if you’d like to go upstairs. I know you must be tired.”

  “Have you prepared a room for Jasyn? And is there someone to stay with him tonight? When he wakes up, he won’t know where he is.”

  Cryslyn hesitated a moment. “I’ll have someone up there by the time you have him ready for bed.”

  “Very well. And I’d like a hot bath when I get to my room.”

  “Certainly,” Cryslyn said as she stood up. “If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you to your rooms.”

  Chris walked out of the kitchen while Cryslyn was waiting for Dara to rouse Jasyn. She stepped over to Chris and whispered, “Go down to my office and tell Serra to send one of the girls upstairs to stay in Jasyn’s room. And tell Kevin I’m going to need to set up a hot bath and we don’t have time to heat it the regular way.”

  “Dara?”

  Cryslyn nodded as Dara asked, “Are you going to show me to my room or not?”

  “Coming,” Cryslyn said as she hurried to open the door.

  Chris told Kevin about the bath and left to go find Serra.

  When Kevin got back from heating the water for Dara’s bath, the dining room was quieter and more relaxed. The intermittent conversation was light and mainly dealt with how good the refreshments were rather than what was going on at Laryn’s house.

  Around two, Kyle stood up and headed towards the patio door. “I can’t stand this. I’m going to go see how things are going.”

  When he walked back in half an hour later, everyone turned hopeful eyes towards him but he shook his head. “Not yet. But Sister Agnes says it won’t be too much longer.”

  Deep sighs echoed around the room as Kyle sat down and stretched out his legs.

  “How’s Steve doing?” Shadron asked as he handed his younger brother a brownie.

  “Darrell and Karl are trying to distract him, but it’s not working. He’s pale as a ghost and can’t sit still for more than five minutes at a time, but other than that, he’s all right.”

  Dayed laughed. “Same as all fathers. All you can do is wait.” After the others agreed, conversation died and they waited in silence as the night wore on.

  A little after four, a smiling Mia walked into the dining room. As everyone turned expectant eyes towards her, she nodded. “Laryn and Steve asked me to let you know Donovan has arrived. Mother and son are both doing well.”

  As the men smiled and slapped each other on the back, Kevin caught Mia’s eye and said, “Thank you. Is there anything we can do?”

  “Get some rest. I’m sure you’ve had a long night. I know we have.” Then, a few minutes later, as the noise level in the room started to fall, Mia turned towards the rest of the family and cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. “I know you want to see your nephew and check on Laryn, but it’s been a long night and they both need some sleep. Your wives will be out in a few minutes and Cryslyn has rooms ready for you. Why don’t you get some sleep and we’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

  Cryslyn had been in the kitchen with Joan and Theresa but when the door opened, they’d stepped into the dining room to hear Mia’s announcement. After Mia’s last comment, Cryslyn herded everyone upstairs while Joan and Theresa cleared up the refreshments. Fifteen minutes later the dining room was empty and ready to be set up for breakfast.

  While the others headed upstairs, Kyle flagged Chris down. “Could you get Myron’s key and take me home before you turn in?”

  Chris took the key to Terah out of his pocket. “Ready to go?”

  Kyle nodded as he put his hand on Chris’s arm. Chris turned the key and they were off.

  Meanwhile, Theresa cornered Kevin. “I’d like to check on Laryn and speak to Steve, but then I need to get back.”

  Kevin nodded. “I need to shut the dining room down. Meet me in my office.”

  Ten minutes later, Chris stepped out of the energy flow in Kevin’s office. “Here’s your key.”

  “Kyle’s coming back tomorrow morning, right?”

  Chris nodded.
“He said to pick him up after breakfast.”

  “Then keep it. You can give it back to me after we take everyone home.”

  “Are you ready to go up?”

  Kevin shook his head. “Theresa wants to go back after she sees Steve for a minute.”

  Chris nodded. “Anything you need me to do before I head up?”

  “Send Ariel to bed, and tell him I don’t want to see him before lunchtime. The others can handle the office tomorrow morning. Oh, and I told Rupert to have someone wake me at eight, which means someone will wake you and ask you to get me.”

  Chris yawned as he opened the door to leave. “Okay. See you then.”

  ~~~~

  Saturday morning’s wake-up call came too early to suit Kevin. He felt like he’d just gone to bed, which was pretty close to the truth. Once he realized Chris was serious about getting up, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Is everyone else up?”

  “I have no idea.” Chris yawned. “Are you up enough for me to go get dressed?”

  “I’m up.” Kevin stood up and stretched.

  “Are you going to run through your routine before breakfast?”

  Kevin nodded.

  “Okay. I’ll check by the office and then go get Kyle. Meet you in the dining room.”

  Forty-five minutes later, Kevin picked up a muffin and a cup of coffee and joined Chris at one of the tables in the dining room. As he sipped his coffee, he glanced around the room. “Where are the others?”

  “Who?”

  “The family. Where are they?”

  “Miranda said they came in first thing this morning, ate, and went out to Laryn’s. As far as I know, they’re still there.”

  “All of them?”