Chapter 9

Quinn

Standing there at the door, I scanned my battlefield, noting Lord Bedford, the pig, sitting on his throne of a comfy chair near the glowing hearth. His wife Lady Bedford was on the sofa, and opposite her were their daughters Calla and Iris. All three women, I believe, were chortling happily about something because I had heard the gleeful noise before I had opened the door.

Austin seemed bored out of his tree while Charles looked as though he had been in a conversation with Lord Bedford. There were the butler Mr. Gray and a few footmen standing by the wall while three maids were serving the family tea and dessert. There was a trolley containing a tea set and a silver tray of very luxurious-looking medieval-type sweet pie along with, yes, a knife. It looked damn sharp, and I eyed it with love.

Flicking my gaze back to my audience, I heard Liam's hesitant voice whisper, "Quinn, let's leave."

"Mrs. Ross, what is it!" Lady Bedford snapped out sharply. "You better have a good reason to have the nerve to make such a ruckus of an entrance and disturb my family's evening."

"My lady… I…" Mrs. Ross mumbled. "I apologize, my lady." I felt her hand around my wrist, and I knew the gesture well. She was begging me to leave.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Ross, but I'm not about to run away like a coward upon seeing my enemy.

I gently drew my wrist free and strolled forward until I stood in front of the family, my gaze hard on Lord Bedford.

All eyes were on me, and I knew there was disgust as well as shock from the Bedford members. As for Lord Bedford, well, he was rather perplexed as he stared at me with bloodshot eyes, and I knew he was drunk.

"Oh, my, can you smell that, Iris?" Calla said as she made a disgusted face and put her hand to her nose as if to cover an awful stink.

"Smell what?" Iris asked, confused.

"That awful stench," Calla said, nodding in my direction.

Understanding what her sister was implying, Iris snickered and nodded. "Why, indeed, Calla, but the room rather reeks." She stared at me, her eyes glinting with amusement. To her father, she said, "Papa, there's a boy who reeks of excrement in our house. He's contaminating the very air we're breathing in. Please do something before we faint."

Lord Bedford squinted his eyes at me as if he couldn't see clearly. He burst out, his face red, "You, the boy who smells of excrement, who might you be? Never seen you before and you have the nerve to contaminate my house with your filth and interrupt my family's evening. Out with you, rat! Get out of my sight!"

I could sense the servants, as well as Mr. Gray, Mrs. Ross, and Liam, tensing up, frightened because of the man's explosive temper.

With nerves made of steel, I smiled at him and said, "Oh, but I will be out of your sight in due course, my lord, just as you desire." I bent one leg behind the other and bowed very elegantly as to a queen. "Quinn at your service, Papa Pig."

When I raised my head, I saw stunned looks all around, and Calla said, "Papa… Papa Pig?"

Lady Bedford snapped, "Who are you referring to as Papa Pig?"

I tilted my head to one side as if that was obvious. I said, pointing at Lord Bedford, "Why, who else but the fat pig over there?"

Lord Bedford widened his eyes and then began to seethe. "You!" He pointed his chubby finger at me. "You…"

Clearly, he didn't know what else to say, and I doubt anyone else in the room did either, so I took the opportunity and made my move.

I stepped closer so I could stare down at them from my midget height. I said, "So, Papa Pig, I hear I'm to be offered as a bride to Lord Norsewood in lieu of my two lovely half sisters. Wow! How fortunate of me, to be married to an earl. Even more so, such a wealthy one at that. I heard he received a number of chests filled with gold coins from the king. I, no doubt, will be living a luxurious life from now on, and I have you to thank for that." Of course, I emphasized all that with a sarcastic tone.

"You insolent bastard!" Lady Bedford said, outraged. "How dare you barge in and spout such nonsense."

Lord Bedford snapped, "Again, who are you?"

I widened my eyes. "Why, I'm your son, Papa Pig, Quinn Fairchild. Or is it Quinn Bedford?" I made a face and shivered. "Ugh! Quinn Bedford just sounds so wrong. What an awful name, Bedford. Leaves a bitter taste in my mouth after saying it."

There was sucking in of breaths all around, along with flabbergasted expressions. Lord Bedford opened his mouth as if to speak but could only manage to gasp like a starved fish while Lady Bedford said, "Why, I never…"

Before this took any longer, because I wanted to be done with it and take Elizabeth back home to heal her, I said, "I'm here to negotiate."

It was Charles who recovered from his shock first and he said, "Negotiate?" He snorted as he rose from his chair. "You want to negotiate? What about?"

My eyes on him, I said, "What else? Me. Bride. Mother. Debt."

Austin laughed as if he found it amusing. "Negotiate! This brat. We should have beat you up more for your insolence. Clearly, you didn't learn your lesson. Want me to smash your ribs in again?"

I glared at him. That murderer. It was because of him and Charles that Quinn died.

Lord Bedford finally got his wits about him and said, "So, you're that Quinn boy. And what do you mean you're here to negotiate?" He snorted. "The likes of you negotiating. Do you even know what the word means, boy? You should be glad I haven't whipped you into shape for barging in—"

"Whipping me into shape? So, you plan to beat me up like you did Mother?" I asked as I walked over to the tea trolley I had eyed earlier.

"You little brat! You dare talk back," Lord Bedford snapped. He turned to Mrs. Ross and Liam. "What the hell are you two standing there for? Take him away and lock him up," he ordered.

I turned to stare at Liam and Mrs. Ross, hard. I meant for them to stay put, and I wasn't sure what it was, but they didn't move an inch.

I drew my attention back to the trolley and touched the sweet pie on the silver tray. It appeared my gentle action was quite mesmerizing to the crowd in the room because there was silence.

I picked up a piece and popped it into my mouth and chewed. It tasted… revolting. I spitted it out, the unmentionable lump landing on the rug close to Calla's feet—feet that were adorned in luxurious silk slippers—and she jumped.

"That's disgusting," I said. "And you call this dessert?" I drifted my eyes to Lord Bedford, and as I did so, I gracefully, as if I was in a stage play, picked up the knife and brought it to my neck.

I smiled and said, "Let's negotiate properly, Lord Pig. You do know I'm precious, right? With a slice of this knife on my throat, why, there'd be no more Quinn and there'd be no more bride for Lord Norsewood. I heard he's a ruthless, cold-blooded monster. What if he's here and there's no bride for him? Wouldn't he tear this place down and murder everyone? Wouldn't he report back to the king and…" I shrugged. "Well, you get my meaning, don't you?" I turned to Lady Bedford and continued. "Unless you'd rather have either dear Calla or Iris as his bride, which by all means, is fine with me."

Lady Bedford snorted. "Stop spouting such nonsense, boy. If you so wanted to commit suicide, do so, but not here in front of us. It'll dirty our carpet."

"Mother!" Austin said sharply. "Don't push him."

"Why?" Lady Bedford said. "Or are you afraid he'd really kill himself?"

"If he does, then like he said… It's either me or Iris…" Calla said.

Lady Bedford said, "Then we'll find a girl and pass her off as your father's bastard child. I don't understand why we didn't come up with that plan earlier."

Charles said, "Such a plan is easy to come up with, but the process is impossible, Mother. Don't you remember there's a court priest amongst the knights that came with the missive?"

Lady Bedford frowned. "Yes, I remember. They are currently residing in our guesthouse, which is honestly rather troublesome."

Austin said, "The court priest is not only here to perform the marriage ceremony but to ensure the bride is of our bloodline. He's blessed and he'll use magic to check the lineage. A fake Bedford's bride is impossible, Mother."

Lady Bedford widened her eyes at that realization and turned rather pale.

Well, that shut her up quick, I thought. Of course, I myself knew something of this from Quinn's memory, which had been why I had been quite confident in my performance here.

My smile broadened. "Now that you understand the situation, Lady Bedford, please be good and think this through thoroughly." Turning to Lord Bedford, I said, "Now, are you sound of mind enough to negotiate, Lord Pig?"

Lord Bedford looked so livid I swore his face might explode, so bright red and round it was. As for the other members of the family, well, they were just as irate, and I didn't blame them. I mean, how dare a commoner girl like me speak to them in such a manner, indeed, blackmailing and threatening the lord of the land?

But, of course, there wasn't just the enraged emotions running through them. In their eyes, there was the realization that my little speech hit the nail on the head. I believe they were smart enough to understand where I was going.

"Papa…" Iris said softly, begging almost.

"He won't," Charles said. He turned to me and chuckled, though a bit nervously. "As if you'd kill yourself."

I raised a brow to contradict him. "Oh? Would you like to test me?" I brought the edge of the knife closer to my throat, enough to cause a slight graze and blood to seep out.

I was not afraid of a little injury to my skin. After all, I could heal myself with a flick of my hand.

"Papa!" Calla snapped out sharply. "What if he really kills himself? You want Lord Norsewood to tear down our manor and kill all of us? Listen to what he has to say."

Nice one, Calla, for seeing the light of the situation, though it's to save your own hide.

Lord Bedford snapped back, "I know! You just shut your mouth while I think."

"There's nothing to think about, Father," Austin said. "Listen to him. I personally don't want that monster tearing our manor apart and torturing all of us. If he reports back to the king, it'll be off with our heads. King Henry won't overlook this insult to him, especially when you've already ruined our relationship with him by not paying his tax. Unless you're willing to give away either Calla or Iris."

"No!" Calla and Iris wailed in unison.

"Well, I will say Austin is correct there," Charles said.

Lord Bedford raised his hand in the air as a sign to shut his family up. Then he turned to me and said, "What is it that you want?"

I smirked. "Obviously, not much. Since I'm agreeing to sacrifice myself in place of your daughters, Lord Pig, please release Mother at once. Secondly, terminate the Fairchilds of all and any debts owed to you. Third, though I am loath to say it, as I am also your child, you must settle a dowry for me. I won't be going to Norsewood empty-handed. And fourth, release Liam and Maria from their duties."

The whole room was silent at hearing my demands, and Lord Bedford looked thoughtful for a moment. Lady Bedford said, "Dear, you can't possibly! Why, a dowry?"

"Mama, it's only a dowry," Calla said. "It's but a small thing."

Iris nodded furiously in agreement.

Austin said, "I think you should agree, Father."

"All right!" Lord Bedford snapped. "But listen here, you brat, no funny business. When Lord Norsewood is here, you are to be here presenting yourself to him as his bride and I'll make sure you marry him on the spot. Understood?"

I pulled the knife away from my throat and then bowed. "Thank you, Papa Pig. How very kind of you. Please do not go back on your word, for if you do, why then, I simply don't know what I'll do with myself. And please, be generous with my dowry. After all, Norsewood is a godforsaken land, as you know, and I'll need as much as I could have to survive plus get myself ready and make myself presentable before my future husband's eyes. You don't want me to look a disgrace, do you?"

Turning on my heel, I strolled toward the door, where Liam and Mrs. Ross still stood there, staring at me as if I had grown horns on my head. Chuckling in amusement at their shocked expressions, I threw the knife in the air and heard it land with a clink on the wooden floor, along with loud gasps from the Bedford family.

"Good night, Papa Pig and family." With that, I left the room.