Chapter 17 - A Heart to Heart With Momma 

With a groan, Justin rolled over, his head pounding, his body aching, and no idea where he was exactly. He cracked open an eyelid and immediately noticed a few things. He was in a very soft, very large bed, with pillows stacked at his back, the room was quite familiar, with its darkly masculine décor, and the woman sitting at his bedside side was, without a doubt, his mother.

“What happened?” he groggily got out as he tried to sit up.

His mother immediately sat forward when she heard him speak and realized that he was now awake. She fussed over him, adjusting his pillows and checking a bandage on the back of his head, which must have been the source of his pounding headache. Gently, he placed a hand on her arm and stopped her flutter of movement.

“How did I get here mother?” he said this time, his voice coming out clearer and more in command. With a sigh, the older woman stopped moving and sat back in the chair she had just vacated moments before.

“Your man, Jackson, brought you here, when he found you unconscious in the streets of the docks,” Christina Timberlake began in a soft voice, the worry still etched in her expressive blue eyes, “You have been sleeping for four days now, and the doctor said that it was a combination of the blow to your head and exhaustion.”

Justin groaned again, but this time from frustration instead of pain. There was no telling what was going on in the investigation, now that he had missed four perfectly good days. And he knew without a doubt that Fulton’s men had most likely found and retrieved the chest and all it contained right after they had kidnapped Kalinna…

Kalinna!!

With a jolt, Justin quickly threw off the covers and donned his nearby dressing gown over his loose-fitting bedclothes before he began to pace. His mother apprehensively looked on, silent as she tried to understand what was worrying her son. And it was worry, there was no doubt about that, as his blue eyes were clouded over it, his stride frantic, his thoughts distant.

Good lord! Kalinna must be halfway to France at this point in time, as he had been powerless to thwart Fulton Knox’s latest kidnapping attempt. His heart beat painfully in his chest as he realized how much danger she was in, and that, at the present time, he was unable to do anything about it. Bloody hell.

“Justin, dear, do sit down before you injure yourself further. You have just woken up and the doctor prescribed bed rest and lots of fluids once you came to,” Christina stated into the pensive silence that hung about the room.

“Not now mother, there is too much that has to be done. I need to speak with Anthony and Benton immediately, and then Jackson, for I’m sure he will be able to come up with a plan,” Justin began to mumble to himself as half-formed thoughts presented themselves in his mind.

“But Justin, the doctor said…”

“I don’t care what the doctor said,” Justin practically yelled, then hung his head sheepishly, embarrassed by the rude display of emotion he had treated his mother to. She was only trying to help.

With a sigh, Christina walked to her son’s side and gently but firmly led him back to the bed where she forced him to lie back down and she tucked him in, just like she had done when he was a child. All words of protest on his tongue were held in check as he let her fuss over him like the caring mother he knew she was. Wordlessly, she accepted this as his way of apologizing for his outburst.

Once all the fluffing of the pillows and tucking of the sheets was accomplished, Christina rang the bell for one of the servants to alert Justin’s friends that he was awake. She was very aware that the three had been pacing the floor of the front parlor for the better part of the morning, quite worried over Justin’s health. It was best to lay their apprehensions to rest before she had four exhausted men on her hands rather than just one.

“Justin, dear, I know you have many things to discuss with your friends,” Christina began as a knock sounded on the door of the large master bedroom where they were ensconced, “However, there is much I wish to discuss with you once you are done with business, so please seek me out before the evening is through.”

“I will mother,” Justin assured her as Benton, Anthony and Jackson came into the room, practically treading on the heels of the servant that had brought them there.

With a last kiss to his forehead and a regal nod of her head to the three newcomers, Christina followed the servant out of the room, thus leaving the four men to their business.

Once his mother was gone, Justin turned expectant eyes to his three friends as they began to comfortably settle themselves on furniture located near the bed where he lay. The silence was awkward at first. This was the first time any of them had been hurt, physically, so none of them were quite sure exactly how to react.

When the silence continued on for a few moments longer, Justin finally rolled his eyes in exasperation. It wasn’t like he was dead, not even close to that in fact. He just had a bump – albeit rather large – on the back of his head and a bruised pride to go along with it.

“In case you three haven’t noticed, I’m not dead, just merely indisposed for the time being,” Justin dryly got out, adjusting the comforter as he spoke.

“You’ve been unconscious…” Benton began, biting his lip in agitation.

“Sleeping. I’ve been sleeping for the past four days. There’s a world of difference between sleeping and being unconscious,” Justin teased in an attempt to lighten the situation.

“Your mother…” Anthony stated, not at all at ease, Justin noticed, when he recognized worry residing in the blonde man’s gaze.

“My mother enjoys over-dramatizing everything, and you Anthony, of all people, should know that by now,” Justin interrupted, grinning in an attempt to get the three to relax, “You have anything you want to add Jackson?” The burly man grunted.

“You’re such a stubborn ass,” Justin’s right-hand man finally grumbled.

“Okay then, so now that we’ve established the fact that I’m fine, I’m not dead, and if it weren’t for my mother, I’d be out of bed by now, Anthony, what the bloody hell are you doing here?” Justin demanded as he cocked a questioning eyebrow in his friend’s direction.

“Parliament has recalled me from Port Chamblay due to the sudden change of events that have occurred in the last couple days,” Anthony explained, shifting uncomfortably under the piercing blue stare of the Duke of Schellden, “They believe that these plans against the English government have finally come to a head.”

“What events, if I may ask, are you talking about?” Justin bit out, his nerves on edge, “And what has caused the government to conclude that this conspiracy against them has been figured out to the fullest extent?”

“That’s what I said. We don’t even know where Richard Davenport be hiding himself right now,” Jackson piped up as he crossed his arms over his chest, “Seems ta me that them wigs sitting in Parliament are just out ta get anybody and everybody which may be involved.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Anthony agreed, “Parliament has been under heavy fire from the king and his advisors because of its inability to solve this dilemma so now they are trying to make up for lost time by assuming what they don’t know.”

“Many of the spies have been unable to turn up anything, but Parliament nevertheless has been itching to take some firm action, even if they must rely on rumors rather than facts,” Benton added, frowning.

“What has convinced them that every aspect of this case has been figured out and that we are ready to take action against those responsible?” Justin demanded, quite confused by this most recent turn of events.

“Well the attack on you for one thing,” Jackson stated.

“And Kalinna disappeared the same night,” Benton added, worry lighting his brown eyes, “Nobody has any idea what has happened to her, but she went to her room early after my grandmother’s ball, and the next morning we found her gone. Her bed was still made, which means that she was gone sometime in the evening.”

“That, as well as the attack on me, I can explain perfectly well,” Justin quietly stated. Benton almost fell out of his chair at that statement.

“You know where Kalinna is?” the younger man demanded, concern for his cousin showing through.

“And you didn’t tell us?” Anthony added.

“Bloody hell, I just woke up. When was I supposed to get that information to you? While I was conked out on the streets of the London docks?” Justin demanded, rolling his eyes at his friends’ reactions, “You think I don’t regret what happened to Kalinna? Do you think I don’t wish I had been able to protect her instead of get knocked out?” Benton and Anthony fell speechless at the young duke’s outburst.

“Spit it out kid, what exactly is goin’ on?” Jackson finally demanded after a few moments of stilted silence, “You ain’t makin’ no sense right now.”

“Benton, you remember that French pirate you and Kalinna had a run-in with the morning of your grandmother’s ball?” Justin tiredly questioned, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration.

“Fulton Knox?” Benton asked, surprised by the question.

“Yes, the very same,” Justin confirmed with a sigh, “Well that evening, during the ball, he tried to kidnap your cousin as well as steal the chest she had taken from her family’s home when the two of you went out riding that morning.”

“He what!?!” Benton practically yelled, glowering at this new information.

“I was going to meet with Kalinna. She wanted to discuss some things with me pertaining to our investigation before I left for the evening,” Justin continued, ignoring the glare Benton was throwing in his direction, “I walked in on Fulton and another man trying to abduct her and the chest she had rescued.”

“When I get my hands on that dirty sonova…”

“Calm down Benton and let Justin say his piece,” Anthony interrupted as he laid a soothing hand on his friend’s arm and turned to Justin to continue, “Why was Fulton after Kalinna, as well as that chest?”

As quickly as he could, and with all the detail he could remember, Justin quickly recounted the tale of the chest, the jewelry contained within, Elizabeth Davenport’s letter to Kalinna as well as all the possible theories the two of them had discussed. He refrained from telling of how he had made love to Kalinna, knowing very well that Benton would probably throttle him. When he finished with his tale, he looked at his friends, who were all silent.

Anthony was pacing the bedroom floor, Benton had his head in his hands, and Jackson sat, his arms still crossed over his chest. Justin waited patiently for one of them to speak.

“What happened next?” Benton finally questioned, his voice soft as he turned agonized eyes on Justin.

“We took a break from figuring everything out and took a walk to clear our heads. Next thing I know, we were attacked by Fulton and two other men. I left my weapons in the room, because I figured we wouldn’t be gone long, and we were quite inconspicuous,” Justin stated, his hands balled into fists, “If only I had thought to bring my pistol or my sword. I was powerless to stop them. They took Kalinna and knocked me out cold.”

“Bloody hell Justin, you were lucky they didn’t kill you,” Anthony responded as he continued pacing the floor at the foot of his friend’s bed.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Justin dryly responded, in an attempt to take control of the emotions that were slowly slipping through his iron grip.

“They’ve taken her to France,” Benton suddenly stated, quickly grabbing the attention of the other three occupants of the room.

“What’s this?” Jackson questioned, “How would ye know where they’ve taken Miss Kalinna?”

“Well when Kalinna and I first got mixed up with Fulton that morning, he mentioned returning Kalinna to her father in France. I hadn’t thought he was being serious, but now I’m getting the feeling that he was,” Benton explained as he slouched in his chair.

“That is precisely what I was thinking as well. Fulton mentioned France when I was fighting in Kalinna’s chambers the night of the ball,” Justin added, running a hand through his hair in thought.

“Well then we must head to France at once and rescue her,” Anthony said, “We cannot leave her to the mercies of her father and Fulton Knox, especially since she plays a key role in this investigation.”

“We can’t jus go marching into France uninvited,” Jackson immediately pointed out, “With no idea where the lass be trapped at, and France not on friendly terms wit England, we have ta wait until we get more information.”

“Jackson is right,” Justin agreed, much to Benton and Anthony’s surprise.

“Well what the bloody hell are we supposed to do until then? Sit around and twiddle our thumbs?” Anthony demanded as he once again resumed his pacing.

“We wait,” Justin concluded, “It’s all we can do at this moment.”

A few hours later, after donning some comfortable britches and a tunic, Justin lazily ambled his way to his mother’s personal parlor, where he had been told that she was currently ensconced with a book and a cup of tea. Benton, Anthony and Jackson had left over an hour ago, all three of them with their own plans and orders to carry out, leaving Justin alone with his thoughts, feelings, and a nagging sense to talk to his mother about Kalinna. So that’s precisely what he planned on doing.

“Come in,” Christina called a few moments later, smiling when she saw her eldest son standing there, “Justin dear, it’s so good to see you up. Please do come in and sit with me. There is much I have to talk to you about.”

“There is much I wish to discuss with you as well,” Justin stated as he gently closed the door and took a seat in a wing-backed chair near his mother.

“As you wish my dear, would you like some tea?” the Christina questioned, and when Justin nodded in agreement, she quickly rang a bell for one of the servants.

As soon as the two of them were comfortably situated and sipping contentedly on their tea, Christina turned questioning eyes to her son, intent on listening to what he had to say. Her news would have to wait as it would take her quite some time to explain it to the fullest. And she knew that Justin would, more likely than not, become upset at her words.

“I don’t quite know how to explain everything that has happened in the past few months, but I shall try,” Justin began with a sigh as he set his tea aside, “I just would like your opinion on it all.”

“Is anything wrong dear?” Christina worriedly questioned as he began to pace finished wood of the parlor floor.

“Yes and no. I mean, it is all so complicated,” Justin replied.

“Well start from the beginning,” Christina urged as she set her tea cup aside and turned her full attention to her eldest son.

“Well as you may know, I have been busy with my latest investigation with Parliament and the Bow Street detectives. My ship has been in and out of port, posing as a pirate vessel as we try to gather what information we are able to. Well, one of the times we stopped into the London port to make a report my contact in Parliament, we happened to take aboard a cabin boy with the most amazing sword arm I have ever seen…”

As Justin told the tale, he was quickly taken back to the day he had first met Kalinna, when he knew her as a boy, with a dirty face, quick wit, and a wicked sword arm. His heart began to clench in his chest, an unknown feeling beginning to surface as he recounted tale after tale of the days he spent with Kalinna as his cabin boy, when he had known her merely as Kit.

Christina watched her son pace as the words poured from him, a confused look residing on her face. What did Justin’s cabin boy, a lad of fourteen summers, have to do with Justin being so upset? But instead of speaking up, like so wanted to do, she kept silent and let him continue on with his tale.

“It was a couple months ago, when the crew and I were out on another mission to try and gather more information, that we were attacked by French pirates,” Justin stated, touching a gentle hand to the bandage that was still wrapped around his injured head as he stopped his pacing, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

“Justin?” his mother gently prodded. He quickly shook himself out of the daze he had fallen into and continued on with his story.

“We were quickly overcome, and I thought for sure we were going to be captured and our cover would be blown. However, at the last minute, the tide of battle began to turn in our favor until almost all the French pirates had been driven back to their ship. Kip was a great asset in the battle, as usual,” Justin stated, quickly resuming his pacing, “I ended up battling the French captain, which is when Kip was attacked and fell overboard.”

“Oh dear,” Christina stated, her eyes widening with alarm.

“That is precisely what I thought, just not quite so elegant,” Justin dryly stated, “Especially after I learned that Kip could not swim.”

“Please do not tell me the lad drowned,” Christina practically pleaded.

“No, not at all. I rescued Kip in the water, only to discover that Kip was not a boy like we all had thought, but a young woman. Kalinna Davenport to be more specific,” Justin explained with a sigh.

“Not the same Kalinna Davenport that I know,” Christina protested, her eyes wide at this bit of information.

“The very same,” Justin confirmed as he finally took a seat back in the chair he had vacated some minutes before.

“But what was she doing aboard your ship? And dressed as a boy no less?!?” Christina cried, wringing her hands in agitation.

“It is quite a long story…”

With that, Justin quickly went into a full explanation of all that he had learned of Kalinna’s past and the situation with her father, as well as her reasons for running away. He did not leave anything out, not even all that had occurred at port Chamblay before Kalinna had been sent back to London. Christina sat there in shock.

“The Chesterfield Ball on Christmas Eve was the first time Kalinna and I came face to face since she had left for England over a year before,” Justin softly explained, “And it was the first she knew of my true heritage and position in society.”

“I can understand now, why she was so upset with you at Lady Chesterfield’s ball. It was wrong of you to deceive her, especially when she has had to put up with her father for so many years,” Christina gently stated as she placed a comforting hand on her son’s arm. He quickly jerked away at her words.

“It’s not like I wanted to do it on purpose. You know very well that I think quite highly of honesty,” Justin muttered as he began to pace yet again, “And it was not as if she was entirely truthful to me either.”

“That is true,” Christina agreed, “But from what I understand, the two of you have discussed your past misdeeds and have come to a ceasefire of sorts.”

“In a way, yes. The two of us have become partners in this investigation,” Justin revealed, frowning.

“Justin Randall! It is bad enough that the lady was subjected to the vulgarities of the sailors of your crew and that she was bounced around on a vessel for a number of months. But how can you possibly think of allowing her to be exposed to the dangers of your government investigation? It is unheard of!” Christina practically yelled, her eyes flashing icy fury. Justin winced at her words, knowing that she was, unfortunately, correct in her thinking.

“It has already been done mother, and I am paying for those sins as we speak. Kalinna has been kidnapped to unknown parts of France all because of me. I could not say no to her when she pleaded with me to allow her to help,” Justin angrily retorted, his hands balled into fists, “And you know why I couldn’t say no? Because I am weak. Because I have fallen so helplessly and completely in love with woman that I can’t seem to control anything anymore!”

Christina sat there, speechless as she stared at her son. He continued to pace, his eyes flashing, his mouth set in a grim line, unaware of the interested stare his mother sent in his direction. He was too busy trying to calm down his racing heart.

“Justin, please sit down, there is something I must tell you,” Christina began as she indicated the empty space next to her on the comfortable couch. Reluctantly, and with a defeated sigh, he took a seat and turned his undivided attention.

“I hope that what you are about to tell me is not something along the lines of Kalinna is already married, engaged, my cousin, or something of that nature,” Justin quietly stated as he stared at his hands. Christina had to refrain from grinning.

“She has been betrothed since she was a child…” Christina began, but got no farther.

“She what? Why did she not tell me this?” Justin demanded as he clenched his hands into fists to keep himself somewhat calm.

“Perhaps she did not tell you because she is still quite unaware of the fact,” Christina continued on; Justin glared at her, “Her mother passed on before she was able to tell Kalinna that she has been promised to a duke.”

“Wonderful. It just had to be another duke,” Justin grumbled; Christina felt a grin beginning to form on her face as she listened to him grouch, “It couldn’t be a viscount or a marquis, no, it had to be a duke.”

“Justin…” Christina warned.

“Who is the bastard?” Justin finally spat as he frowned, quite unhappy at the turn of events that had just taken place.

“You,” his mother stated.

“Why when I get my hands on that…wait, what did you say?” Justin demanded, his eyes wide as he wondered if he had heard her correctly. She hadn’t just said that he was Kalinna’s betrothed…had she?

“You and Kalinna Davenport have been betrothed since the two of you were children,” Christina confirmed as she finally allowed the smile that had been lurking at the corner of her mouths.

“Why did you not tell me this?” Justin quietly asked as his eyes intently searched his mothers face. He was, if truth be told, still somewhat in a state of shock at this new information he had been given.

“The betrothal itself was a secret that was between Elizabeth Davenport, your father and I,” Christina began as she picked up her tea and took a calming sip, “The three of us were very close friends up until the point where Elizabeth married Richard and your father and I saw very little of her. But we continued to stay friends despite this new distance and the difference in our lifestyles.”

“But I had thought that once Elizabeth had married Richard Davenport, she had lost all contact with her family and friends from her younger days,” Justin stated, finally beginning to relax as the news that Kalinna was his betrothed fully sunk in.

“That is what everybody has been led to believe. But your father and I never lost touch with Elizabeth, especially not when things began to get rough between her and Richard. I was even the one who delivered all the letters from Elizabeth to her mother, Violet Wickham,” Christina continued, “But anyway, once Kalinna was born, Elizabeth, your father, and I all agreed that it would be best if she were betrothed to you, our eldest son. Elizabeth feared that Richard would try to manipulate her daughter in some way in order to line his own pockets with money or better his station in society.”

“But why keep the betrothal such a secret?” Justin asked, confused, “Surely if you expected to keep Kalinna safe from Richard, Richard would have to know about the betrothal. And as far as I know, the man hasn’t a clue that his daughter is already promised to someone.”

“That, my dear, was a mistake on the part of your father and I. There are two copies of the betrothal, one which rests in my personal safe, and one that is stored with some of Elizabeth’s belongings. When Elizabeth died, her copy of the betrothal was lost amidst her things,” Christina stated, setting her empty tea cup aside as she spoke, “Your father and I had no idea what should be done about all the plans that had been made, especially when Richard took Kalinna away to the country for a few months after Elizabeth’s death. So we did nothing.”

“But I still do not understand why you did not mention such a betrothal at an earlier date,” the young duke said.

“You would understand if you met Richard Davenport. The man is an insufferable boor, callous and uncaring about anything besides himself. I have never met a more selfish man in all my life,” Christina practically spat, “Once he had control of Kalinna, we knew there was no way he was going to let her go. Especially if one copy of the betrothal was missing.” Justin sighed.

“Well I guess if we look on the bright side of it all, at least Kalinna has been able to provide us some insight to how her father works. And she has discovered very many useful bits of information that have helped aid in our investigation,” Justin concluded with a half smile.

“That may be so, but that does not mean I haven’t failed my best friend. I promised that I would look after her child if anything happened to her, and I have failed miserable in that aspect,” Christina quietly stated.

“Mother, what has happened, has happened. The past cannot be changed, nor done over again, so we must accept it at face value,” Justin began, his tone encouraging, “We will set to right what has been wronged, I promise you that.”

“Justin?” Christina questioned, turning confused eyes to her son.

“I am going to find Kalinna and bring her back home,” Justin confidently stated, “And once this entire ordeal is over with and England is safe again, I intend to marry her. Whether she’ll have me or not.”