Masterful Trickery

XXI. Competition

Three years ago...

"You always ask the question, my lord," Lady in Blue said before Ralph could put into words his next question. "Does this game of yours give room for your opponent to strike?"

Ralph chuckled and pivoted on the bench to face her fully. "Of course." His eyes met hers. "If you can."

"I have heard of many great stories about the Everards, Lady Alice included." Tilting her head to the right, her eyes filled with curiosity, she added, "But very little of your late father."

Ralph's smile slowly died down. For a moment he saw the hesitation cross her features and he brought back the warmest smile he could muster. "You have not heard any from my sisters? Your so-called friends?"

"Of course, but merely in passing." She cleared her throat. "You very well know how they often veer to one topic from another, yes?"

"Yes, very much so." Ralph leaned his weight on his arms behind him. "Lord Harold Everard was the most fascinating man one could ever know."

She did not say anything, merely waited for more words.

Suddenly, memories flooded Ralph and his smile turned to a bitter one.

"He died in a mining accident thirteen years ago. I was merely fifteen, Ysabella and Emma eight, when he passed."

"You must have fond memories of him," she commented.

He nodded. "But not enough."

"Yet surely enough to have influenced the person you have become."

He grinned at her. "Of course. He taught me many things."

"Such as wooing ladies in a dark garden?"

His chuckle rang around the quiet night. "No," he said, shaking his head. "Such as appreciating women and recognizing the precious ones."

She scoffed. "Lady Alice must have been very lucky indeed. She found him."

It was Ralph's turn to scoff. "According to my father, wooing my mother was the worst idea of the lifetime."

She frowned. "How so? Your mother sounds wonderful."

"She is wonderful after Father succeeded," he corrected and then frowned. "Are you certain the twins never told you of the story? They love recounting the events of our parents' courtship to their friends."

"Every time we meet, we always have other matters to talk about."

Ralph let his curiosity slide for a while. "As I have said, my father had always claimed that wooing our mother was the worst idea."

"Surely he was merely jesting."

"Perhaps, but since Mother does not openly disagree, we are all in agreement that he had been telling the truth." Seeing the confusion on her face, Ralph further added, "Our mother was a 'cold-hearted brat' as what Father always claimed."

She appeared thoughtful for a while. "You mean he tamed her?"

Ralph's smile widened. "Exactly the word he used to say."

"But they did love each other."

Ralph shrugged. "All they did was to love each other before our eyes."

"If your mother was a 'cold-hearted brat', then your father must have been a magician."

"A wizard," Ralph elaborated with a grin.