Chapter Four

Beth and Maurice

Maurice awoke to rain accompanied by soft sobs and immediately turned over, pulling Beth to him. It hadn't been the first time during the trip that it had happened. Often, just holding her and letting her cry it out was enough of a comfort that she was lulled back to sleep without even saying a word. They were just finishing up their last day in Baltimore, having only a few more days left on their honeymoon for their last stop. He listened to the rain for a moment, gazing at the drips racing each other down the windowsill.

"I'm sorry," Beth murmured softly. "I'm sure I haven't been making this trip easy for you."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about," Maurice said quietly back. "If I was in your position and had lost three of my family members, I'd be a total wreck right now," he admitted.

"Not to mention my mother's goblin coach driver, Greenknuckle, as well as Mr. Lind and Miss Truss," Beth reminded him, referencing her grandfather's butler and housemaid. "They were good friends too, they've looked after grandfather for years now."

"Yes, I know," Maurice said.

"I wonder how Mike is doing?" Beth asked with a sigh. "I can't help but feel worried, even with your father looking after him."

"Do you want to go home early? We could skip D.C. and do it some other time," Maurice suggested.

Beth sighed again.

"I really want to do the Smithsonian, Maurice, it's just that I'd feel more comfortable knowing things are alright at home," she admitted. Maurice reached over and grabbed his watch.

"It's almost 5:30... probably close enough to lunch time that I can pester Father, and I think breakfast starts at six here," he added. "Why don't you get ready for the day and I'll see if he's busy?"

"All right. You will tell me straight away if anything is wrong, won't you?" Beth asked anxiously.

"Yes, but I'm sure if there was anything that urgent, we'd have already been contacted by now," Maurice reassured her.

"Yes, I suppose," Beth said with a frown as she got up. She pulled out an outfit and going to the bathroom while Maurice set up his portal flaming device.

He took out his wand and covered the fire alarm, shutting the blinds and activating the burner. It was a simple flicker for a few minutes, but finally it began rolling into a tiny fireball, slowly forming a face in the flames.

"Oh hello, Maurice. You're up early, aren't you?" Thomas asked.

"Yes, for here," Maurice said. "I was just checking in before we get ready for the day. Beth was wondering how Mike is doing."

"Good, all things considering, although I'd rather not get into too much detail about that. I'm sure he'd rather tell you about it himself when you get back," Thomas said. "Harry has him out helping with training. We decided it was safer than having him inside with the flagboard since we don't know who the mole is yet and we don't know whether or not Garvan's protection declaration is going to stick, especially since he's just Beth's brother and not a direct relative. We've been playing it safe."

"Thanks, she'll be glad to hear it," Maurice said.

"How's she doing?" Thomas asked.

"Shaky at times," Maurice sighed. "But putting a brave face on it most of the time. Anyway, we're heading for Washington, D.C. today and we should be back at the house on Saturday."

"Your rooms are already ready for you," Thomas said. "See you when you get back."

"See you," Maurice said, snuffing it out and then packing it back in his suitcase.

Maurice somehow managed to keep Beth preoccupied during the last three days of their honeymoon; the fact that she was genuinely interested to see the different branches of the Smithsonian museums to cap off their research tour had helped create the necessary diversion to keep her going until their last evening.

By then, both of them were quite exhausted and very ready to be home, not to mention to get back inside a Wizard house where they didn't have to disguise every spell or refrain from using them at all in most of the public places they visited.

"I can't wait to tell Ambrose about everything we saw on the trip, not to mention show off all of the pictures we took," Beth said excitedly as they packed. "And I definitely can't wait to see how my brother is doing, and I want to see Natalie too. Do you suppose they're back yet?"

"We'll find out soon enough. Have you seen my poetry journal?" Maurice asked, looking under his pillow. Beth leaned down and pulled it out from under the bed.

"Is there actually anything publishable in that batch?" Beth teased him flirtatiously, handing it to him.

"One or two," Maurice replied, sticking the journal in a hidden pocket in his suitcase. "Is that it?"

Beth took out her wand and did a sweep of the room to make certain there were no magic items in the room except for their suitcases.

"Looks like it," she agreed. As he picked up the suitcases, she attacked, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a passionate kiss while he was defenseless.

"Hey, no fair," he chuckled when she finally pulled back.

"This is the last time I'll ever probably have you all to myself, so don't blame me for taking advantage of it," Beth teased him with a smile.

"No regrets?" Maurice asked quietly.

"Are you kidding me?" Beth said, giving him another quick kiss. "I'm so lucky to be your wife. Let's face it, Maurice, if we hadn't been together, Mike and I probably wouldn't be alive right now. I love you just as you are, never doubt that, and I'm very happy with the part I play in your life. Thomas and Fleur have been so good to me, they really are like my parents, and Ambrose is like having another brother. And I'm so happy and proud to be a Craw."

"You really are the one and only girl for me," Maurice murmured.

"Yes, I know," Beth teased mischievously, opening the door for him so that the two of them could check out. Then they found the nearest Portkey station so that they could safely key home without having to worry about who was watching.

The moment they landed in front of the Craw Mansion, they both breathed a deep sigh of relief. Giving each other an amused grin for the other's reaction, they walked up to the kitchen door and let themselves in, Maurice dropping their suitcases off at the door.

"What time is it here?" Beth wondered.

"About three in the afternoon, I should think," Maurice said. "Colette?"

"Welcome back, Maurice! Welcome back, Elizabeth!" Colette said, materializing with a happy smile.

"Thanks. Where is everyone?" Maurice asked.

"Mike is escorting your mother to do some shopping because she wanted a special meal for your return," Colette explained. "And your father is in the ballroom with Delia teaching her defense."

"Delia? Really?" Maurice asked with surprise.

"Minister Craw is of the opinion that her defense level is not up to Craw standards, Maurice," Colette explained. "Do you want to see your new rooms?"

"Yes, but not until I know what's going on," Maurice decided.

"I'm with you, Maurice. I'm curious too," Beth said, and the two of them walked towards the ballroom. "Do you suppose your father picked her up as another stray?"

"It sure does sound like he did, doesn't it?" Maurice agreed.

Cautiously the two of them peered in the door, attempting not to be noticed as Thomas, wand in hand, repeatedly drilled Delia again and again on a fairly basic attack posture, criticizing everything from her speed to how she was holding her arm. After about the eighth repeat, he held up his hand in apparent exasperation.

"What in blazes are you doing with your other arm, Cheeky?" Thomas barked at her.

"My other arm? What does that matter?" Delia asked, using the break to knead her right shoulder.

"Balance! Block defense! What if the opponent came after you with a Breaking charm and you had to protect your wand arm? Here let me... Maurice! Beth! Good, you're back. Come here and show her how it's done," Thomas ordered them. Grimacing at each other for getting caught, Maurice and Beth walked in. "Delia's got superb strength in casting, especially when it comes to charms, but her stances and reflexes are atrocious. I'm going to need all the help I can get to try and get her up to family standards."

"Family?" Maurice repeated, and then his eyes flicked up to the wedding band on her left hand. Delia smiled sheepishly.

"Well, technically Beth's family, but as far as I'm concerned that makes her our family!" Thomas declared.

"Um... hi, Sis," Delia greeted Beth with an almost apologetic smile.

"Did you just marry my brother without telling me?" Beth exclaimed, stunned.

"Yeah, just don't ask which one, she's sensitive about that..."

"Thanks, Thomas," Delia said dryly.

"Line back up, all of you! Maurice, please stand on the other side of her so she knows where to put her offhand," Thomas ordered.

It wasn't long after Thomas had at least gotten Delia to put her arm in the right spot that Fleur and Mike walked in.

"Maurice! Why, Thomas, they haven't even changed yet!" Fleur scolded him, the two of them still in Muggle clothes.

"They are helping me. Besides, you don't always get to pick what you wear when faced with a wand fight. Mike, why don't you line up too?" Thomas ordered.

"Why don't you get Fleur to line up too while you're at it?" Delia quipped.

"Hush, Cheeky! Besides, she doesn't need the practice as badly as you do," Thomas said. "Back on your tape!"

"You got married while we were gone on honeymoon? I should challenge you to a duel," Beth scolded her brother when he walked by her.

"If you're going to go that route, Beth, you'd have to let Maurice spar Mike for it to be fair. You can spar Delia if you want," Thomas suggested.

"Gladly," Beth said primly.

"Wait, what?" Delia said, not liking the sound of that at all.

"Then pay attention! Or I'll let Beth have her way, and trust me, I wouldn't risk it at your current level, Cheeky," Thomas warned her.

"Thomas!" Fleur scolded him with her hands on her hips.

"Didn't you say something about a special dinner or something?" Thomas reminded Fleur, then turned back to the others.

"All right, let's start over!" Thomas told them. Fleur sighed in resignation, walking off to help Colette in the kitchen.

When Thomas finally released them to get ready for dinner, all four of them were worn out and exhausted. Thomas simply walked out of the ballroom as if it had been just another typical workout.

"For once I'm glad we have to dress for dinner. I need a hot shower," Delia moaned.

"Just how did you get him so worked up in the hour I was gone?" Mike asked her.

"I don't know, I seem to have a talent for it," Delia admitted. "Sorry all of you got pulled in too."

"That's all right," Maurice said with a tired smile. "Welcome to the family."

"Welcome," Beth added, hugging her. "But I'm still mad at you, Mike."

"You can be mad at me if you like," Mike said with a shrug. "You had to do what was best for you two when you got married, and I had to do what was best for us. I'm sorry, but it wasn't safe for us to wait, and it wasn't safe for us to have an announced wedding," he explained.

Beth slowly nodded, realizing he was right.

"I understand," she said with a smile. Mike nodded to her, and she hugged him as well.

"Hey!" Thomas said from the other end of the hall, seeing them all still lingering near the ballroom entrance. "Anyone late for dinner is going to be doing forms again!" he warned.

The four of them immediately dashed up the stairs.

"Where is our room, anyway?" Beth panted as they got to the top.

"Far end, near the nursery," Mike told her, grabbing Delia's hand and running the other way.

"I should have known," Beth said, following Maurice in the opposite direction.

Maurice opened up the room and the two of them went in, admiring the large room and the french lace curtains on the windows and the canopy bed. But Maurice was immediately distracted by the wooden Owl sitting in the transom window.

"There's Archimedes. Why don't you go ahead and use the shower first?" Maurice suggested.

"All right," Beth said, opening up a door to find a dressing room and grabbed something out of it to take with her.

"What is that pouch you have with you, Archimedes?" Maurice asked, and the wooden owl flew down on his shoulder. Maurice carefully removed the pouch, a bit surprised to find Archimedes' wax polish and cleaning brushes in it, feeling around until he found a rolled note and pulled it out.

"'Gone on holiday, please take care of Archimedes for me. Yours, Ambrose.' Not much information in there, is there?" Maurice said, Archimedes hooting in agreement. "Well, I have to get ready for dinner, so find a perch until I'm cleaned up, then I'll polish you after dinner, alright?" Hooting again in understanding, Archimedes hopped on one of the bedposts, and Maurice picked out his own robe. By the time he got into the bathroom, she was already out of the shower and trying to quickly put on makeup.

"What did Ambrose want?" Beth asked as Maurice went by her.

"He wants us to Owl-sit, apparently. He went on holiday," Maurice explained.

"Where?" Beth asked curiously.

"You know as much as I do," Maurice said, jumping in the shower while Beth finished getting ready and stepped into the bedroom.

"Hello, Archimedes," Beth said, frowning at the time. Deciding she would rather be safe than sorry, she went on ahead without Maurice, very much wondering if he was going to make it. Delia was next to her seat waiting; apparently Mike had opted to go second too. Thomas was watching his clock carefully, ignoring the sound of feet thundering down as his watch chimed.

Thomas sat down just as Mike and Maurice slid into view.

"Beth, would you check the Secret Lab when we're done and make sure my programs are recording? It seems I'll be in the ballroom again." Maurice and Mike both grimaced, then took their places at the table.

"Alright, Father," Beth said. "Might I ask about something of a security nature?"

"Yes?" Thomas prompted.

"Now that I'm back, I really need a safe way to conduct business," Beth explained. "Ambrose has gone on holiday, so I need to chat with the museum architect and go down to the site. I also need to touch base with the board members of the hotel industry branch of my holdings. I typically meet them in the board room of the main hotel downtown til now, but all things considered..."

"You're right. That can no longer be considered safe," Thomas agreed. "You should have brought these issues up before you two left, Elizabeth. I could have sent some teams to secure those sites before you got back."

"I had my mind on other things then," Beth replied. Thomas sneered, but then grew thoughtful as he thought about the problem.

"How many of the wizards on the current board have ties to the Society or Equinox?" Thomas asked.

"All of them, more than likely; they were all voted in by my Father. I did hire the museum team, of course," Beth said.

"Did you do any background checks on them?" Thomas asked.

"Um, well, no, I went with an architect that Mr. Jeffers recommended," Beth said. Thomas rolled his eyes.

"How much of the company do you own?" Thomas asked.

"Well over a half," Beth said.

"I own a third, Father," Maurice put in. "Wisecraft gave me all of his remaining shares."

"Good, then prepare for what is politely referred to as a 'company restructuring', or as I put it, a good razing. The first thing you need to do is do a tender offer to get a hold of whatever shares aren't family owned. Do you have enough liquid assets for that?" Thomas asked. Mike raised his hand.

"I do," Mike volunteered.

"Good, see to that. Beth, you and Maurice should come to work with us on Monday. I'll escort you to Alex's office to check out that museum team and to set you up with background checks on everyone coming in after you clear the company out of your father's old cronies. I have a feeling that they've all been expecting this for a while now, so you may want someone to scour all the paperwork in case some of them have been skimming off the top or trying to find ways to dig their heels in. Do you have some idea on how to do all of that?"

"No," Beth said with a smile. "But I have a niece who probably does."

"That's a girl, thinking like a Craw already," Thomas said approvingly.

"What about me?" Delia asked with feigned indignation at being left out of the conversation.

"You think more like a Snape," Thomas said bluntly.

"Works for me," Delia agreed with a grin, finally turning her attention to dinner.