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Laura sat back, watching the clouds
outside the airplane, as Remington read the report on his mother's
family that Mildred had pressed into his hands at the airport.
She had dug even deeper than she had six months ago, finding out
more details about the family of the woman that Daniel had loved
and lost - Remington's mother, Megan Harrison Chalmers.
The fact that both birth certificates read that Megan and Daniel
had been married, a surprise to Remington, was born out by the
report. The marriage had taken place almost a year before his
birth, without the blessing of Megan's father, Lord Liam Harrison.
The details of their meeting were vague, but apparently his lordship
had refused to have anything to do with his daughter once she
married someone that he disapproved of, and had broken off all
contact with his only child.
Remington shook his head, drawing Laura's attention. "What?"
she asked, moving closer to him.
"Most of my grandfather's cousins were his relations from
his mother's side-."
"They're your cousins too, you know."
"Yes," he admitted grimly. "I know."
"You don't sound too enthusiastic about meeting them,"
Laura noted.
"I just hope none of them are the same 'cousins' that I was
placed with as a child," he told her. "I've little reason
to want to see any of those people again."
"It's quite possible that none of them were really your cousins."
"Mmmm," he said, his attention on the report once again.
"My grandfather didn't change his will to leave everything
to me until twenty years ago."
"Around the time Daniel found you," Laura said. "You'd
think he would have kept up on Daniel, if he knew that Daniel
was looking for you as well."
"Daniel was a very difficult man to keep tabs on, Laura.
You never knew when he might turn up."
"What about this cousin who wants to buy the estate?"
Laura asked. "The developer."
"Quinn O'Riley," Remington nodded, moving to the section
about the relatives. "Around my age, owns several businesses,
quite ruthless. Doesn't let anything stand in the way of so called
progress."
"Is he married?" Laura asked.
"Married five years, wife's name- Sheila - former model,
I believe - yes. No children."
"Who's been handling the estate since your grandfather's
death?"
"The solicitors, for the most part."
"Okay, now for the big question: what's the house like?"
"Worried it's another white elephant, Mrs. Steele?"
Remington teased.
"Well, can you blame me? As much as I approved of your idea
to give Ashford to the servants and let them turn it into a hotel,
I don't think it would work a second time."
"No problem on this one. It's a manor house, built two hundred
years ago, with formal gardens, stables, and six home farms around
it. Most of the tenants have been there for five generations -"
Deep roots, Laura found herself thinking. Stealing a glance at
her husband, she realized that his own roots were just a deep
in that soil. Even if he didn't want to admit it at times. It
explained his hesitation about declaring himself for American
citizenship when Estelle Becker had asked him about it. She reached
out and took his hand in hers. "Why don't we get some sleep?"
she suggested, indicating that the sky outside was dark as they
flew further east - toward Ireland.
Remington nodded, folding the report and returning it to his pocket.
"Good idea. It's going to be too late to drive out to the
Manor when we arrive."
"You sound disappointed." They had gotten the ealiest
flight out that they could, but it would still them them in Dublin
at midnight Ireland time. Laura patted his hand. "Don't worry.
I'm sure it will still be there tomorrow morning," she said,
resting her head on his shoulder as he put an arm around her.
**********
The hotel that Mildred had booked them into in Dublin was one
of the better establishments, Remington decided, following the
bellboy down the ornate corridor to the VIP suite. "Here
y'are, Mr. Steele," he said, unlocking the room and carrying
the cases inside before turning to hand Remington the key. They
were standing in a tastefully decorated sitting room, and Remington
moved to the ice bucket filled with a bottle of champagne. "The
bedroom is through those doors, the bath beyond. Shall I carry
the cases in, your lordship?" he asked eagerly. Seeing Laura's
surprise he grinned widely. "Everyone in Dublin knows that
Lord Liam Harrison's grandson is here t'claim his place, Mrs.
Steele. Not something y'can keep quiet." He picked up the
cases and asked again if he should put them into the bedroom.
"Yes, thank you."
The young man returned a moment later, still smiling. "Will
y'be needin' anything else?"
"No, I don't think so," Remington said, slipping him
a tip. "Thank you."
"Good evenin' t'you, then. Mrs. Steele," he said, tipping
his cap before leaving the room.
Remington picked up the bottle of champagne and removed the foil.
"Not too shabby," he commented, looking around the room.
"It's fantastic!" Laura enthused, removing her
hat and jacket to move toward the windows. Opening the drape,
she looked out over Dublin. "I'm going to have to thank Mildred."
"She would appear to have-" the cork came free with
a POP! - "outdone herself this time," he agreed,
pouring two glasses of the bubbly wine. Carrying them across to
the window. "You promised to call her when we arrived,"
he reminded her.
Laura nodded, taking a glass from him. "To Mildred,"
she proposed, clinking the glass to his.
"To Mildred," he agreed. After taking a sip, Laura moved
toward the telephone, leaving Remington by the window. "I
didn't mean for you to call her now, love," he teased, turning
toward her as the window pane shattered, sending shards of glass
into the room. The lamp on the table fell, also shattering, leaving
the room in darkness.
Both Laura and Remington dropped to the floor out of instinct
born of having been shot at before in their line of work. "Laura?"
Remington called. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she assured him, crawling to join him on
the floor near the broken window. "What happened?"
"Someone took a shot at me," he told her, rising to
his knees to peer over the window ledge. He couldn't see anything,
of course, and he drew the curtain before standing up and pulling
Laura up as well.
"I know that. The question is: Why?"
"It would appear that someone doesn't want me here,"
Remington told her.
To Be Continued . . .