Chapter 8
Weighing the Options
In the Present on Earth
Duke carried the basket of food to the bench Mallory had told him about. It was mid-afternoon, and there were plenty of humans walking around. Duke considered that he might have done better to wait until night to bring the basket. But he set it on the bench and covered it with a blanket.
After hesitating a moment, he forced himself to walk away, but his memories followed him. Turning his head, he glanced back over his shoulder at the bench until he was too far away to see it.
9 Years Ago on Puckworld
Back inside the Brotherhood, Duke was reminded of the difficulties awaiting him. Alone in the old hockey arena with Gwendolyn, everything seemed possible. But here…
Falcone met him as he turned a corner, and Duke stopped short, his thoughts halting at the sight of his old friend.
"Ah, Duke, there you are. Jarrow's looking for you."
"Thanks," Duke said grimly as he started to walk by, but Falcone moved into his path.
"Just a minute, old chum. Did your lovely companion have a good evening?"
"Look, Falcone, I'm not tryin' to be rude. But it's none of your business."
Falcone's gaze narrowed, but he stepped aside.
"Nothing's private in the Brotherhood, Duke. We don't keep secrets from each other, you know."
Duke kept his beak shut and continued down the steps to Quinn Jarrow's chambers. There were fewer lights here, and the shadows grew heavy and dark. When Duke reached the outermost chamber, he found Quinn enjoying a drink as he stood beside a table.
He beckoned Duke forward and held up a diamond necklace from the table.
"Quite a prize, isn't it?"
"Who got it?" Duke asked.
"Falcone has finally proved his usefulness. I believe you two came up through training together?"
"Yes, we're about the same age, and we've known each other for a while."
Quinn put the necklace down.
"His methods lack finesse, but Falcone is ambitious. And he knows how to serve the Brotherhood."
Duke didn't answer. The necklace was beautiful, but it hardly held his attention. Quinn appeared to notice his lack of interest.
"Of course, I don't think Falcone could pull off this job that you're attempting. It requires more subtlety and tact. But in the end, what matters is the result. So, …how many of the houses on our list have you searched so far?"
Duke wasn't looking at Quinn when the question was asked, and he didn't make any effort to change that.
"I'm working my way down it."
"How far down it?" Quinn persisted.
Duke glanced up at his leader.
"I've seen both the Roswell and the Webnolle house so far. Not to mention the Fairfeather house with all the times I've been there."
"There are ten houses on the list, and you've wasted weeks on just a few of them?" Quinn said as his tone darkened.
"Not wasted," Duke insisted meeting his gaze. "I've been establishing my cover and avoiding suspicion."
"You told me that girl could get you into any of these houses. Or is she not proving as useful as you made her out to be?"
Duke's expression hardened.
"There's no problem with this job, boss."
"Isn't there?" Quinn said doubtfully. "When you proposed this venture, I thought I saw promise of your growth as a thief, Duke. It came to me that you might move beyond the common heists that most of our Brotherhood routinely pulls. We're almost getting predictable. I hoped you were ready to take on a new challenge."
Quinn paused and let the young thief feel the weight of the silence that passed between them.
"But I should have seen that you would lose sight of your purpose."
Duke looked at him questioningly and started to protest, but Quinn raised his hand.
"The girl, Duke. She's a means to an end. Use her, and be prepared to toss her aside when this is over."
The words were spoken with a commanding tone, but Duke stood a little taller and shot a stern gaze back at the leader of the Brotherhood of the Blade.
"What if I don't want to?"
Quinn observed him with some surprise.
"You're not even going to try to deny your interest in her? It is worse than I feared."
"Someone else has been spying on me and told you this, …and I can guess who, so why should I bother denying it when you have proof?" Duke asked. "I've got nothin' to be ashamed of. I can still do this job. But I've been thinking that when it's over… maybe I want Gwen too."
"You call that thinking?" Quinn said cynically. "If you had been using your head, you'd see that it's impossible. What was your plan exactly? Steal her away and the jewels?"
Duke didn't waver in his tone or his expression.
"She doesn't want the life she has. I can give her a new one."
"That's what all females say, the young and the old. Something new and exciting comes along, and they skate after it for a little awhile, but it never lasts for long. Even if you could somehow manage to keep her safely hidden in the Brotherhood, do you really suppose she'd be content to stay here?"
Duke fell silent at that question.
"Stealing priceless jewels is one thing, but kidnapping an heiress… the authorities will not let that go. We'd have a lot of trouble on our hands if you took the girl. Or maybe you thought you'd leave us out of it? Maybe your loyalty to the Brotherhood is waning… and you're considering a life somewhere else."
"No, that's not it, boss," Duke said firmly.
"Make sure it isn't," Quinn said coldly. "You know our rules. Once you're in the Brotherhood, this is the only future you have. Examples are always made of those who think they can choose something else."
Duke did not speak, and Quinn examined him with a scrutinizing gaze.
"You're still young, Duke. I can forgive a little distraction. You're not the first to have your head turned by a beautiful duck from the social elite of Puckworld. I understand the intoxicating sensation of having one of them fall in love with you. It certainly offers a unique kind of power."
Duke listened as he watched Quinn with some doubt.
"Remember the heiress I supplied to distract Royce Downing?"
"Miss Cole," Duke answered.
"She's my daughter."
Duke looked at Quinn in surprise.
"Yes, I led her mother through a short romance. Mariah was not unlike your Miss Fairfeather, beautiful and from a well-to-do family. But when the time came, I left her, even when she was pregnant with my daughter. She quickly married Nelson Cole and called the child's birth premature to trick Cole into thinking the daughter was his. But when Arabella was old enough, I told her who she really was."
"And she wasn't angry with you?"
"She inherited a sense of ambition from me. And I promised I could help her get what she wanted from the family she despised. You see, Nelson's older brother, Norbert Cole, inherited the family fortune. Arabella would get nothing unless she became the heir. I arranged accidents for both Norbert Cole and the drake who called himself Arabella's father. And now everything the Cole family owned belongs to my daughter."
Duke didn't answer. He had heard dark rumors about Quinn's dealings with assassinations and murder.
"What happened to Arabella's mother?" Duke asked.
"She died a few years after the girl was born. Our time together was a tempting retreat, but it could never have lasted. And that is what you must see with regards to Miss Fairfeather. After we have what we need, do whatever you want to the girl, especially if helps you to quench your desire."
Duke felt anger stir within him again, but he forced himself to drop his gaze, so Quinn wouldn't see it.
"But you can't keep her. Is that understood?" his leader demanded.
"Yeah, boss, I hear ya."
Quinn raised his saber with impressive speed and placed it under Duke's beak, forcing him to look him in the eyes.
"Say it again. More convincingly this time, L'Orange."
"When this is over, I come back to where I belong, and she stays where she belongs," Duke said without flinching.
The tip of Quinn's blade was pressed closer to Duke's neck.
"You'd better start crossing more houses off that list. Or you have my word that this job will be your last. Now, go. You're dismissed."
A few days later, Duke returned to Lady Augusta Fairfeather's home for an afternoon with Gwendolyn.
"Ah, Drake. It's always a pleasure," the aunt said as she welcomed him inside after the butler opened the door for him. "You don't know how many compliments I've heard on your dancing with Gwendolyn at the Webnolles' party."
"Thank you, your ladyship," Duke said, forcing a smile. "I'm sure it was your niece who was really the one everyone was in awe of."
"Well, Gwendolyn is quite a catch. But I thought we could talk in the parlor. I've arranged for some tea and biscuits to be set out for all of us."
Gwendolyn walked down the stairs at that moment. She smiled happily when she saw Duke, but something in his face caught her attention.
"Uh, I'm sorry, your ladyship, but I can only spare a little time. Then I need to ask if I can take Gwen out for a drive," Duke said.
"Oh, if you wish. I do hope that this is a sign you're getting everything settled between you."
Lady Augusta turned her gaze to her niece, who nodded with a smile. But once her aunt turned away, Gwendolyn noted Duke's strange tone and expression again.
While they sat with her aunt in the parlor, Duke continued to seem distracted. After about twenty minutes, he said that he needed to go if he and Gwendolyn were not going to be late, and finally, Lady Augusta relented.
Duke bowed, and Gwendolyn took his arm as he led her outside. But she waited until they were inside the vehicle, and they were alone to speak to him.
"Duke, is everything all right? You seem different today."
"Everything's fine. Hey, I have a surprise for you."
"A surprise? How intriguing."
She watched him for a few more moments.
"But you're sure you are all right?"
"Yeah, course, sweetheart."
For his all of his assurances, they didn't talk much during the drive though, and Gwendolyn felt unconvinced. At last, they reached their destination, and Duke parked before stepping out to help her. He opened the door of the vehicle for Gwendolyn as she looked up at a small building with a sign that read, Noxe Legal Offices.
"All right, enough mystery," Gwendolyn said as she started to remove the hat from her head. "Why are we here, Duke?"
But Duke clasped her hand and stopped her from removing the hat.
"Wait 'til we're inside. You might have noticed that I used a different ride today, because I didn't want to attract attention."
He shut the vehicle door and quickly led her inside. Gwendolyn removed her hat in the dim hallway with a concerned expression.
"What's going on, Duke?"
Duke started to open his beak, but suddenly a middle-aged drake with red hair, glasses, and yellow feathers walked out to greet them.
"Ah good, you're here. As you can see, it's just as you asked Duke. I gave my secretary the day off, and we're alone."
Gwendolyn looked at the stranger to Duke in confusion.
"He knows who you are?"
"Alfred Noxe, at your service, Miss Fairfeather," the stranger persisted with a smile. "I don't think you and I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, but I knew your father."
"Fred's a friend of mine," Duke explained. "One of the few I have who's unconnected to the Brotherhood. When I found out he knew your father, I told him about us. And he might be able to help with those concerns you have about your father's businesses."
"Well, I won't keep you waiting out in this dingy hallway," Mr. Noxe said. "Would you come to my office, Miss Fairfeather? It's not much, but at least I can offer you a chair and something to drink."
Gwendolyn nodded and smiled a bit, though she still seemed to be taking it all in. Alfred Noxe's office was indeed a small room with a cluttered desk and a few chairs. Duke and Gwendolyn had a seat while he poured some tea and chattered on about the weather and other trivial things.
"How do you and Duke know each other, if you don't mind my asking?" Gwendolyn interjected.
The lawyer turned his gaze to Duke, who nodded.
"Well, for the last several years I've been working in reduced circumstances, but I used to have some wealthy clients, like your father. But it wasn't too many years after your parents died that my fortunes also changed. I've always tried to managed my business honestly. Your father understood that. But some of my other clients like the Downings did not. When my choices didn't please them, they made sure none of the other ducks in their circle would hire me either. One night after meeting with one of my last well-financed clients, I was stopped and threatened after I left their house by a duck on the street. He wanted my money and my case with my files. I let him have the money, but I wouldn't give up my case. It would have destroyed my client to give up those files. Duke happened to be nearby. He stopped my attacker."
"I was casing the area for a job. Even thinking about stealing from Fred's clients, but after I ran off the duck trying to mug him, he thanked me and asked me not to trouble the family he worked for."
"I could tell you weren't hanging around the house because you'd been invited," Mr. Noxe said with a laugh.
"Fred agreed not to report me," Duke said. "And I left his clients alone, even though they used him badly. They let the Downings persuade them to fire him, even after he risked his life to protect their privacy."
"Duke has visited me a few times since that night. He says that he might need a good lawyer one day. But I try to persuade him to stay out of trouble."
Gwendolyn smiled.
"So you know what he is currently up to and would advise against it, I suppose?"
"I have already advised him against it," Mr. Noxe sighed. "He's in danger from the law on one side and from the Brotherhood on the other. But as usual, he won't listen to me."
Duke shifted impatiently in his chair.
"Can we get back to the reason why we're here?"
Gwendolyn turned a curious gaze to Mr. Noxe.
"Duke has told me that you want to get out of a marriage of necessity with Royce Downing, which is very understandable," he added with a disgusted tone. "I took the liberty of looking up the legal details about your family's companies. All of that has to be public, so it's not hard to find. But your aunt probably hasn't shared it with you."
"No, just summed it up in her own wonderful way," Gwendolyn sighed. "She says that I must marry another wealthy drake to protect the jobs of the ducks who work in the businesses my father managed."
"Well, I expect that just seemed the best solution she could come up with," Mr. Noxe said. "But it's a bit more complicated than that. Many old families like the Fairfeathers have stipulations in their wills that if the heir is a daughter, then she must marry a suitable drake to inherit not only her fortune – but also the right to manage the properties of her family, like your father's businesses. In many ways, it's old-fashioned rule, but it's supposed to help maintain the security of the family line and the money. But your father was a sensible drake, and he left you another option."
Gwendolyn watched him intently.
"You mean there's a way for me to inherit things without marriage?"
"Not everything, no, but it does give you more control that most family wills. Unfortunately, your father couldn't pass his businesses solely to you by law, even if he wanted to. It's not fair, but there are older laws in place that he couldn't change. And he knew others like the Downings would constantly challenge you in court if he tried."
"So what can I do for the businesses then?" Gwendolyn asked. "My aunt tried to persuade me that I would have to trust them to Downings after I married Royce."
"While the Downings have the money to help support such businesses, I don't think you could trust Royce or his family to help your father's employees keep their jobs – not by my experience at any rate. He could fire any he wished, and you would be powerless to stop him if you married him according to the terms in the will."
"What about my family's money? Would Royce have power over that too?"
"He would. So if you intend to marry someone, you had better have a good reason to trust that drake."
Gwendolyn grew quiet for a moment.
"Everything my aunt told me was a lie. I would have been giving up my freedom for nothing."
Duke put his hand on her arm, and she clasped it tightly. Mr. Noxe watched her sympathetically.
"Your aunt probably doesn't care as much for the ducks employed in your father's businesses as you do. She must think the old traditions are the best way, but as I was saying, your father did give you another option."
"But you said I couldn't take ownership of the businesses."
"No, but he left you room to appoint a successor."
Mr. Noxe held out something for her to read.
"Do you see that section that begins, If the heir does not wish to secure the inheritance by marriage…"
Gwendolyn read it silently before looking up at Mr. Noxe.
"So it must be a drake who takes control of the businesses according to the law, but I can choose any drake?"
"Yes, and then you will still receive your family's money, you see. So the key thing is to find a respected individual who can manage things properly and respect your father's wishes. And then you won't have to give anything to the Downings."
Gwendolyn let him take back the document as she sat in quiet consideration.
"It's not everything you wanted, but it is good news, isn't it, sweetheart?" Duke asked.
"Yes, but I'm not sure whom I would trust with that kind of responsibility. The rich drakes my aunt has introduced me all seem like bad choices. But if I choose someone who isn't rich, will they have the money to help the businesses? How have these businesses survived since my parents' death? On a trust, I suppose?"
"Well, some of them are successful, and thus are pretty self-sustaining. They can survive without a fortune behind them. But your father was also a supporter of many charities. Once the trust runs out, as it will within the next year or so, I fear, then they will fail."
"And the ducks who work in them and those helped by them will suffer for it if there isn't money to help them," Gwendolyn said. "I remember some of the causes my father and mother were passionate about. They were so excited about making a difference."
"The Downings would have been quick to cut those charities once they got a hold of things," Duke said. "But I'm sorry that you can't save them, Gwen."
"That's one reason why my father left the first option in the will. He thought it would be best to keep the family's money with the businesses. But there's nothing that says that I can't give my inheritance to the drake that I leave to manage the businesses, is there?"
Mr. Noxe's eyes widened with surprise.
"No, but what would you do without the money to live on, Miss Fairfeather?"
Gwendolyn turned her gaze to Duke.
"I would be free."
Duke could feel her searching his face to see if he had any objection, and he smiled.
"The money doesn't me anything to me, sweetheart. But make sure it's what you want before you sign it all away. You can't be an heiress anymore if you give your family's money to someone else."
"It was never my choice to be an heiress," Gwendolyn said decidedly. "I don't want the attention, the money, or the traditions. I would trade all of it for freedom."
Duke nodded and took her hand in his. Then he turned back to Alfred Noxe.
"So how soon can this happen?"
The lawyer sighed at their impatience.
"May I verify your age, Miss Fairfeather?"
"Nineteen, which I believe makes me of age," Gwendolyn said.
"It does. So all you have to do is appoint a successor and have them fill out the required paperwork."
"Could you have that paperwork prepared and ready to sign? Including the paperwork needed for me to give my family's money to the successor?"
"If you're sure, but if you change your mind, I suppose you don't have to sign it when the time comes."
"Just have it ready," Gwendolyn assured him.
After concluding their discussion with Mr. Noxe, they said farewell, and Duke led Gwendolyn back out to their ride. He opened the door for her, and then he climbed in on the driver's side.
"Gwen, I have to finish this job for the Brotherhood," he said grimly once they were on the road again.
"Yes, I understand. I never thought it was something they would let you leave unfinished."
"The thing is I'm not sure how this is going to play out after I'm done," Duke said wearily. "Drake Malone will have to disappear, that's for sure."
"And so will I," she added. "I would rather avoid questions about Drake Malone once things have been stolen. But if I have appointed a successor and left my aunt a letter, I think I can leave it all behind."
"And where will you go?" Duke asked.
"I don't know. Another city would be best – at least until things quiet down."
Duke didn't answer at first. He hated the thought of sending her out into the world on her own … and away from him. But he could see that she was right. She couldn't come with him to the Brotherhood. No, that wouldn't be safe. And of course, she would be found if she stayed in Bladeston.
"I could set up an apartment for you. Someplace peaceful out of Bladeston. And when I'm free, I'll come see you."
"Will you be free?" Gwendolyn asked. "I want a life with you, Duke. But will the Brotherhood let you have that?"
"I'll find a way," Duke assured her. "When I pull off this job, they'll gain more respect for me. And I can start callin' the shots about how I do things."
"What about Royce and Miss Cole?" Gwendolyn asked. "Is the new heiress going to disappear and leave Royce to look for me?"
Duke smiled.
"Actually, I've got some good news there. It seems she's takin' an interest in Royce for some reason. I don't think she's gonna want to let him go. And she's a real heiress, not an imposter like Drake Malone. So the Downings can keep her."
Gwendolyn breathed a sigh as she leaned back in her seat.
"That's a relief. To never see Royce again would be the best gift anyone could give me."
Duke laughed.
"Then I'll make sure that happens. And you and I will be together once things cool down. You have my word, sweetheart."
Gwendolyn smiled and leaned over to lay her beak against his neck.
"Thank you for this, Duke. You gave me a key for my chains. I only wish I could do the same for you."
The thrill of having her so near set Duke's heart beating fast. He had to resist the urge to pull over, but he kept driving and let her lean against him.
"Just being with you, Gwen, is what I want," he said. "I guess you won't forget me when you've got your freedom?"
"No, I won't forget," she promised.
Back in the Present on Earth
Before dawn the next morning, Duke returned to the bench, but the blanket appeared to be just how he had left it. Walking closer, Duke uncovered the basket and checked its contents. Everything was still in place.
Duke gripped the back of the bench, leaning forward with with a heavy sigh as he lowered his head.
