Beyond Revenge

Maya Witherspoon Scott practically whistled from pure happiness as she prepared to start her day. She and Peter Scott had been married for just under five years. It was only a few months until their fifth wedding anniversary. They were still very much in love with each other and Peter treated her like a royal princess. She nearly grinned again but managed to restrain herself with difficulty. "Mama," called a little voice from the hallway.

"Hi sweetie," said Maya.

Her son came running forward and Maya swung him up into her arms giving him a kiss on his soft cheek. "My, my; you're up early. Aren't you Rylie?"

"I 'anted to 'ee y'u b'fore you ent to wo'k."

Before Maya could respond another gruffer voice was saying good morning from the hallway outside the door. Peter came in rubbing his eyes and yawning sleepily.

"Morning," said Maya kissing him on the lips.

"Good morning to you to," said Peter returning the kiss enthusiastically. "So what are your plans for today?" Peter asked while finishing buttoning his shirt.

"Daddy, daddy," said little Rylie holding out his arms to be picked up. Peter obliged him kissing his soft cheek and tickling his tummy till he was convulsed with laughter. "Stop daddy," Rylie begged breathless. Peter stopped and put him down on his feet then shooed him out of the room.

"Well as for my plans for today it's my day to work at Fleet."

"Will you be able to get away for lunch; do you think?"

Maya considered for a moment. "I can try it depends on how busy we are. If not I'll send you a message by magic if I can't make it. Where do you want to meet if I can get away?"

"I'll pick you up," said Peter with a mysterious grin.

"You have something planned," said Maya looking at him in mock suspicion.

"Of course I do, don't I; always?" asked Peter with a grin refusing to elaborate.

Suddenly there was a polite cough and both turned to see Gupta standing in the doorway, "Breakfast sahib, memsahib."

"I didn't hear the gong Gupta," said Maya.

Gupta raised an eyebrow as if to say "we rang it but you were too distracted to hear it," but didn't actually say anything. "We'll be there in a minute Gupta," Peter assured him. Gupta nodded and turned to leave. "There was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"What's that?" asked Maya.

"Just that what would; you think about moving to a bigger place?"

"I don't know..." said Maya uncertainly.

"Don't get me wrong I love this house, but if we have any more children we are either going to have to build onto this house or move to a bigger one. We're a bit crowded now as it is."

"I know and I agree with you at least in principal, but I spent most of my mother's jewels buying this place..."

"My business is doing extremely well thanks to Almsley's cousin I think we can afford it. Well anyway think about it and we'll discuss it more over lunch," said Peter taking her arm and together they walked arm in arm to the dining room.

~~~Beyond Revenge~~~

Later

Peter picked up his wife at Fleet hospital as promised and they left together hand in hand. The cabby was waiting outside and Peter very gallantly helped Maya climb inside.

"So where are we going?" asked Maya.

"It's a surprise," Peter persisted.

Maya sighed and looked out the window of one of the newer motorized hansoms. "Hey, hey, sweetheart what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Maya persisted.

"I don't believe that for a moment. I know you rather well and I know when something is bothering you."

Maya sighed and seemed to consider for a moment. "There's this doctor who has been bothering me for the last couple of months at Fleet hospital. He's a relatively new acquisition to the staff that we have been able to hire because of Lord Almsley's charitable donations. He's a bit of a lecher if you know what I mean."

"I know exactly what you mean," said Peter trying to control his voice. He thought he managed rather well even while inside his temper was boiling. "What has he done to you? If he's so much as laid a finger on you..."

"He hasn't—yet," Maya clarified when Peter looked disbelieving. "But I fear it will not be long before he does. I have told him at least a hundred times that I am not interested, that I am very happily married and also that I have a little boy I wouldn't hurt for anything in the world..." her voice trailed off as she became lost in her thoughts. Peter didn't want to upset her but he was dying to know more about this guy finally Maya spoke again this time softly. "I don't know what to do. I hate to be a tattletale and report him after all he could make it look like I led him on. Whether it was true or not wouldn't matter if they ruled against me. My reputation would be ruined either way in any case."

"So we just need to figure out a way to get him to leave you alone without doing your reputation any harm," said Peter.

"I've tried avoiding him and that works most of the time, but there's been a time or two that he's nearly had me cornered. If someone hadn't come along right then I would have had to use "other means" in order to get rid of him." Peter didn't have to ask what she meant by those "other means" for he knew exactly what she meant. She meant she would have had to use her magic to get him to leave her alone and he knew she was reluctant to do so unless it was absolutely unavoidable. "He just figures that because he is so handsome it makes him irresistible. I've told him quite a bit that I find such an attitude quite irritating in the extreme and he's either very stupid or very sure of himself, because my hints have been about as subtle as a thousand pound weight falling on his head."

"He can't be that stupid if he actually got his degree," said Peter.

"True," Maya agreed. "But there are really different kinds of stupidity. He could be perfectly smart when it comes to his profession and stupid—in other words not knowing when to back off where woman or people in general are concerned."

"Or maybe he just doesn't care?" Peter suggested.

"That's certainly possible," said Maya not having a chance to reply further for they had arrived at their destination.

~~~Beyond Revenge~~~

Later

Peter picked Maya up at Fleet after her shift was done for the night. They had had a great lunch despite the problem Maya had given him. Half of him wanted to punch the guy in the nose, but the other half—the older, smarter part of him knew that giving into these feeling no matter how much he wanted to would cause nothing but problems. So if he persisted they would have to find a sneaky way to get rid of him. Peter had seen this man when he had gone to pick up Maya. Maya had pointed the good doctor out to him. It had taken every ounce of willpower he had not to break the guy's nose. The guy was handsome in an immature sort of way, Peter admitted to himself as he studied him unobtrusively. The doctor had looked at Maya and had looked as if he was going to say something until he had spotted Peter. Maya had made it quite clear without actually doing anything inappropriate that Peter and her; were married and very much in love. How she had pulled it off Peter didn't have a clue, but the guy had gotten the point rather quickly. His handsome face had gone through a myriad of different expressions in just a few seconds. He had gone from shock—probably shocked to find out she really was actually married and that he "Mr. Handsome" had been turned down for someone with Peter's rough face and features to disappointment that she was taken—not that that would stop someone really determined to anger and finally a kind of acceptance although Peter didn't trust that that would last, but for now it was enough.

Now it was nighttime and they were on their way home from their separate jobs—together.

They arrived home to find Gupta waiting in the hall. "You have a visitor sahib, memsahib." Maya raised an eyebrow at the word visitor and not patient.

It could mean only one thing and that it was a messenger from the White Lodge. Peter had apparently; came to the same conclusion for he walked into the waiting room where visitors or patients awaited.

"You had a message for us?" Peter asked as he entered the hallway to see the messenger sitting on the bench waiting patiently.

"Yes Captain Scott, Dr. Scott I did," said the messenger standing and handing over the sealed envelope.

Peter opened the envelope and broke the seal which was the symbol of the white lodge then looked up and said, "Gupta we'll be going back out. Don't hold dinner for us."

Peter then handed the message to Maya and she read it over quickly then nodded. "We'll have dinner there."

They headed back out the door Maya saying to Gupta before they left, "We might not be home until late don't wait up for us." She knew of course that Gupta would almost certainly be waiting up, but she also knew that he would put Rylie to bed whether he wanted to go or not.

~~~Beyond Revenge~~~

They arrived at the Exeter Club within half an hour of getting the urgent missive. The meetings were always at the same place and there were even a couple of old codgers sitting around to give the impression that it was nothing more than a place for men to go—a kind of retirement home. But mostly it was former retired members or former retired servants. It was even more secret then the foreign office had to be, for the foreign office didn't have to be afraid of a salamander coming down the chimney to listen in.

"Good evening Clive," said Scott as he and Maya came up the steps.

"Good evening Captain Scott, ma'am. They're waiting for you in the red room."

"Thank you Clive," said Peter entering the building without another word. At least if it was the red room and not the war room it wasn't anything of national importance, but it was probably something only Peter or Maya could handle.

~~~Beyond Revenge~~~

They entered the red room and neither; Maya or Peter particularly liked this room. For one thing one was an Earth Master the other a Water Master and this room; was done all in red—everything from the walls to the curtains was done in red. It had to have been decorated by a Fire Master and it always made Peter want to throw blue and green paint over everything and Maya to throw brown, yellow and cream paint over the walls, floor and ceiling.

"Scott," said Dumbarten. "We need you and your wife to do us a favor."

Peter didn't reply just waited for Dumbarten to continue. "There is a Water Master and Earth Master who live a few hours outside of London. We have tried to get her and her husband to join the White Lodge—mostly by telegram. They have sent a polite reply back that basically says no."

"Then why not leave this Water Master and her husband alone?" asked Maya.

"For one thing Mrs. Marina Rosewood Pike is a very strong Water Master and we need; someone of her skill in our lodge. And for another she has refused to even come to London to talk with us. Has even refused to be one of the auxiliaries. Says she and her husband just want to be left alone."

"Why not send someone other than us?" asked Peter. "I mean from what you've told us she's not exactly in our 'class.'"

And to everybody in the room it was perfectly clear what he meant by class.

"Well, Scott from what we know which isn't much she grew, up in the county just outside of Cornwall with some middle class artists. Why we do not know at least not specifically."

"It's mostly rumors," added Owlswick speaking for the first time. "And there's probably a least some truth to the rumors, but who are any of us to tell what is the truth and what is nothing more than exaggeration?"

"We need you to go and see if you can convince them to at least give it a try. We wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important Scott," added Dumbarten.

Peter sighed inaudibly. Of course he knew. For one thing he knew it caused most of the higher class lodge members something akin to pain to ask anything of a middle class working man such as himself or working woman as the case might be.

He looked at Maya and a message seemed to pass silently between them for moment. Peter knew that his wife had been listening and observing closely all that had been said even if she hadn't said much. Peter then turned back to the waiting gentlemen who had observed the silent exchange. It was as if some kind of silent signal had passed between the two, but nothing the other members could decipher.

"All right," he replied. "We'll do it, but it might be a couple of days before we can leave town for any length of time."

"That's fine Scott. We know you have to get your affairs in order before you can leave." Not mentioned was; Maya's affairs for they assumed they fell within her husband's purview. What they didn't need to know was that Maya handled her own affairs with her husband's blessings.

Peter stood up and offered Maya his hand and together they walked out after getting the name of the town and the address of the Water and Earth Master. They sat down in the ladies dining room and ordered dinner. Maya's preference for a whiskey and soda instead of ratafia which was usually considered a ladies drink was well known by now.

"What will it be tonight Captain Scott? Mrs. Scott?" They absolutely refused to call Maya Doctor Scott inside the club.

"Any good curries tonight?" Maya asked hopefully.

"It's; beef curry tonight ma'am," said the waiter.

"That's fine," said Maya for the waiter. "With steamed vegetables and rice."

"Steak for me," said Peter.

The waiter left. In the nearly five years that Maya had been part of the Exeter club she and Peter ate here at least once a month. Sometimes more often, but she never came unless Peter was with her.

They ate in silence for awhile. "So what do you think of the council's request?" asked Peter.

"Personally, I don't know why they can't just leave the poor girl and her husband alone."

"Then why did you agree to take on this job?"

"Why do you think?" asked Maya with the lift of an eyebrow. "We haven't had a real vacation since our honeymoon. Besides it's never a good idea to have Alderscroft mad at you"

"True," said Peter. Maya could tell he was thinking of things they could do when they were alone. Finally, Peter smiled his face alight with mischief. "Of course we'll do what they want us to first . . . but after that . . ."

"Precisely," said Maya with a smile of her own. "My patient's can do without me for a few days . . . there's more than enough doctors at fleet thanks to your friends generous donations."

They finished their meal in silence and then headed home to start making plans for being away from the city for a few days.

~~~Beyond Revenge~~~

A few days later they took the train to their destination. They had told Gupta, Gopal and Sumi that they were going to be gone for a few days on "business". Gupta and Gopal had of course guessed at least partly what that business was about. Rylie had of course pitched a temper tantrum when he was told he was staying home with the Gupta and Gopal. They had tried to tell him it was business and not pleasure, but it had made no difference. Only after they had promised to bring him a treat had he stopped. Gupta had, said they were spoiling him and Maya had pointed out that they were leaving on very short notice and also that kids deserved to be spoiled every once in awhile. Gupta had nodded and agreed for he was known to have a notoriously soft heart, especially where children were concerned and so now they were on their way. Peter had that reformed thief and burglar Gannet looking after his warehouse and goods thanks to Lord Peter's generosity in loaning Gannet to him for the duration of their "vacation". Doctor O'Reilly was looking in on Maya's patients at Royal Free and Fleet hospitals as a favor to her.

So here they were on their way without a bit of notice that they were coming.

"So what's our plan of attack?" asked Maya as they settled themselves side by side in one of the cars. At the moment they were alone which was fine with both of them.

"Well we should probably go see the local priest first and see if he'll help us. If not we'll have to think of something else."

Maya nodded and fell silent for awhile looking out the window at the passing countryside.

"Do you know anything at all about Marina Pike? Outside of course what the council told you?"

"Mostly rumors," Peter admitted. "I'm not sure this is true or not but I heard that she used to live with some middle class friends of the Rosewoods because of something that happened when she was a baby. After that, the details are sketchy at best. I heard some kind of rumor of a curse that was supposed to kill her before her 18th birthday. Again I'm not sure how true it is. It sounds like some kind; of fairytale even though magic can do almost anything if you know what you're doing. The weird thing is I also heard the lady who placed it was supposed to have no magic of her own. The middle class friends raised her from a baby and then after that the rumors become even more garbled then even normal rumors. They make no sense."

"Maybe if we gain her trust she'll tell us what really happened."

"It's possible certainly, but the hard part is actually gaining their trust."

~~~Beyond Revenge~~~