Chapter Two
Integra watched as her uncle below slammed the receiver of the phone down.
"Damn it, where is she," he bellowed as his men looked on nervously. "How can you lose a girl that big? She couldn't have left this mansion yet. Have you covered every floor?"
One man, slightly smaller than the others, nodded weakly. "Boss, we've searched everywhere but ..."
Richard interrupted angrily. "Every where is not good enough! Find that child!"
Almost jumping in response, the man gulped. "Boss, how long do we have to find her?"
Richard did not respond immediately but paced the room in agitation. He appeared to have other things on his mind as well. Finally looking up at his men, Richard snarled angrily as he stomped away from the desk he had been at, towards the windows.
"Even Her Majesty has agreed to my brother's ridiculous appointment. This is pure madness. What are they all thinking? How can a thirteen year old be the head of the family."
The other men in the room stared silently at the floor as he continued his tirade.
He stomped angrily back to the middle of the room. "Ten years, that is how long I have waited. Will I be thwarted by that child now that I almost have this family in my hands?"
Integra barely resisted the impulse to push dirt down, through the vents, onto her uncle below. While it would give her some pleasure to cover him with soot, it would achieve nothing and instead would give away her position.
"It has been barely days after father's death and already uncle Richard is ..." she muttered sadly to herself.
"We have to get rid of that brat by Thursday. Her appointment by the Queen will be finalized this Friday." Richard's voice was growing more hysterical by the moment.
"Not to mention it will be more difficult to do anything when Walter returns. According to the men with him at Scotland, he will be returning to London on Friday morning to attend the ceremony," said the man who had first spoken – the other men stood at attention to his words, he appeared to be their leader, second in command to Richard.
It was clear from their demeanor that the idea of facing Walter in a fight was not exactly pleasant.
"That is right, Alfred," barked Richard. Integra watched with bated breath as he suddenly turned to stare up at the vent.
She held her breath. Had she been discovered?
Fortunately, Richard appeared to remember that he was running late for his next appointment . Impatiently, her uncle turned towards the door as if in a hurry to leave the room.
Integra sighed briefly before forcing herself to breathe lightly.
"Find her by tonight. Check all the vents and piping in this house. No, take this damn mansion apart but find her!"
She felt her heart grow weary. She had figured that the vents would be the last place they would be looking for her but it seemed that it would only be a matter of hours before she would meet her maker.
She cursed her uncle silently as she continued watching the room below her.
"And when we do," prompted Alfred uncertainly.
"You make sure she doesn't attend that ceremony on Friday or ever," yelled Richard as he slammed the door shut.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -He glanced around warily as he made his way to the nearest park bench – there was one before him. Sitting down, with an expression as nonchalantly as he could manage, he lit a cigarette and began smoking.
"So," he spoke nervously in between puffs. "Have you decided?"
The petite woman smiled sadly. "I spoke to him last night. He refused me my request for a divorce."
Richard spat irritably on the ground, still not looking at the woman beside him. "I don't really care what he thinks. Lorna, I need you. Come away with me."
Lorna said nothing but bit her lower lip as she caressed her stomach gently. He turned up to look at her and noticed that she was flushing quite a bit.
"Lorna?" he pressed, concerned.
"The child needs his father," she said, pausing before continuing again, "and I need his father even more."
Richard all but swallowed his cigarette as he turned to face his lover. The lit butt hit the ground, nearly landing on his shoe but he did not care.
"What? What child?"
"I've just been to the doctor's today. I suspected it since the last time and he confirmed that I was indeed pregnant."
The father to be said nothing but cradled his head in his hands in silence. The awkward minutes passed painfully between them.
The initial look of embarrassment on her face was rapidly being replaced by one of distress. Had she chosen the wrong man? Lorna stood up quickly, desperately wishing the earth below to swallow her.
"I," she stammered as she turned to leave, "have to go ..."
He did not look up from the ground but the urgent grip on her wrist said more than any words ever could. Coaxing her to sit beside him once more, he cradled her hands in his, studying them carefully.
She swallowed the tears that were threatening to spill. "If this is your answer, then I don't care what he thinks. Even if I have to be nothing more than a kept woman by you, I am not staying with him anymore."
How long the two of them sat in the park that night, holding hands like young lovers, he did not know. Her hands in his, nothing did not seem to matter anymore. The mansion, the family fortune and the pesky niece that stood between him and control of the family were quickly forgotten. He could have sat that for eternity with her by his side.
Lorna, on the other hand, seemed now to be in a hurry to leave.
"He won't be back until tomorrow but I need to get my things before he suspects anything," she said. She spoke quickly like a giddy school girl, tripping over herself in nervousness. "He said he had something at the station and it would take him the whole of tonight but the sooner I have my things the better. I just need to grab some things and I can spend the night with a friend," she said before he silenced her trembling lips with his.
"My love, I'll meet you at Oxford station at two tomorrow," she panted.
He nodded before adding. "And bring your little girl with you."
A relieved smile broke across her face. She bent to kiss his forehead. "Thank you," she said before leaving. Her expression was one of excitement - the guilt that had clouded her prettiness earlier had long vanished.
He watched intently until he was sure that she had left the park grounds. A man stepped out of the shadows from the foliage behind them, chuckling.
"Congratulations," he said as he offered his hand to his friend.
Richard nodded tiredly. The news from Lorna was not unwanted and in away, he was delighted but certain courses of action could no longer be delayed.
His companion smiled wickedly as he patted Richard on the shoulder. "Don't worry. Victoria won't get home, not tomorrow, not ever," he said before stepping ominously back into the shadows.
A smile not unlike his crossed Richard's lips as he pressed another cigarette to them. Johnson could be trusted to fulfill his mission and there was no reason to think Alfred and his men would have too much trouble with Integra.
He sighed as he inhaled the minty taste of the tobacco. Perhaps things would turn out to be perfect after all.
TO BE CONTINUED