Bring Forth a Fire (Book 1)

Twenty-Three - The Disappearing Act

Numerous pairs of eyes followed us when we entered the board room. I caught Arthur's gaze from the end of the table, but aside from him every other man was old and grey-haired. I began to feel foolish, insisting I attend. These men were regarding me suspiciously, almost as though they expected me to explode.

"Milord, you cannot–" A red-faced cherubic man struggled out of his chair. "I must protest–"

"You take issue with my wife, Mr Gregory?" Christopher said, his voice quiet.

Mr Gregory said nothing, only scowled at me. I smiled in return. Let him be uncomfortable around me. It didn't matter, not when it came to Huntley.

"We do not usually allow ladies to sit in on these meetings, milord," said a second man, skinnier with a large moustache. "It is hardly a woman's place."

"Would you be telling me it is not my place if I told you it is me Huntley wants?" I said, continuing even when I heard Christopher say my name warningly behind me. "You gentlemen had the chance to show you could lead when Mr Wellington, my father-in-law, was killed by Huntley's Naturals, and you squandered it. Now you are being given another, and this time opinions of all parties involved will be heard. I intend to stay during this meeting, and hear what it is you decide."

Silence greeted me when I finished. The men exchanged looks, but after a moment, Arthur began to clap slowly, standing up and smiling at me as he did. His father, sitting next to him, caught his elbow but Arther jerked it away.

"No, Father. I insist you let me do this," he hissed before straightening. "Gentlemen, I believe the Countess has presented a very valid case. I myself am quite aware of this threat, having seen with my own eyes what brutality Huntley is capable of. I think, that because this concerns her safety and her life, that we allow the Countess to stay."

The men muttered amongst themselves, and I caught Mr Gregory shooting ugly looks at me. I shot them right back, because if it was one thing I would not do, it was let these men bully me into leaving my life in their hands.

"All in favour of the Countess staying?" Arthur's father finally stood, grudgingly, to look down at us.

To my surprise, most of the hands went up, Mr Gregory not among them. Maybe there was hope for them after all, as old and stuck in their ways as they were.

"All right, Countess." Lord Radford caught my eyes and held them. "You may stay. A seat next to your husband should suffice."

I would have liked to speak for myself on the matter, but I would have to take what I could get at the moment. They had allowed me a seat at their table. That was enough for one evening.

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As the meeting dispersed, Christopher caught me again in the hallway at the top of the stairs. There were rooms, less lavishly appointed but quite comfortable at any rate. Besides, risking a trip back home now would spell catastrophe.

"Emma," he said, making me turn around at the top of the stairs. "What you did at the meeting–"

"I'm not about to apologise for it, if that's what you were going to tell me." I crossed my arms and scowled at him.

"You must understand something," he said, coming up the steps towards me. "This process is not a woman's process."

I shook my head. "What do you mean, not a woman's process?"

"Sitting on the board...voting...making wide-ranging decisions...it does not suit women. Many would find the procedure quite dull." He shrugged, as if trying to reason with himself.