Exile's Return by Alison Stuart

her – when it suited him.
    â€˜What do you mean?’
    Tobias’s gaze slid past her. ‘My cousin was directly responsible for the theft of some valuable property of the Commonwealth and the death of a good man. He went to his death without revealing the location of the property. Did he confide its location in you?’
    Oh yes, she had held the shuttered lantern as James hurried the men and their heavy leather satchels into the house. But she had not asked, and he had not told her, what the satchels contained or indeed where he had secreted them.
    â€˜No,’ she answered, truthfully. ‘My concern was, and always will be, the children and the children alone. James’s politics were of no interest to me.’
    Tobias’s eyes narrowed and she wondered if he disbelieved her. She had always been a bad liar.
    â€˜You are a gem among women, Agnes Fletcher, if your sole concern was with hearth and home and not the business of men.’
    The gall gathered in Agnes’s stomach at the sarcasm that dripped from his words.
    â€˜The business of men saw the death of the children’s father. You alone … ’ she jabbed a finger in his direction ‘… have James’s blood on your hands. Those children are orphans because of you and now you would take them from me. If you hurt one hair on their heads, Tobias … ’
    â€˜My dear, Agnes, you quite terrify me.’
    He looked down at her, his mouth curling in a sneer. Small and slight, she hardly presented a physical threat to a man who stood nearly a foot taller than her.
    He held up a placating hand. ‘Enough of these games. Please believe me, Agnes. I will take care of the children as if they were my own. They are my closest blood kin.’
    She searched his face, looking for evidence of his veracity. It remained implacable. She had no choice in the matter but to trust him. She had to believe that he would act in the best interests of the children.
    She sighed. ‘I know what the commissioners said, but surely it’s within your power to let me come with the children?’
    Tobias’s eyes hardened. ‘Even I cannot go against an order of the Committee, Agnes.’ He raised a hand as if to lay it on her shoulder in reassurance but thought better of it, making a pretence of straightening his collar. ‘You have my word. The children will be safe in my care.’
    A knock on the door made them both start. Ashby opened it to admit Septimus Turner. “Tobias’s faithful hound”, James had called him. Turner was a slight man with ginger hair, moustache and beard, probably well into his forties. Not much above middle height, his figure was trim and he carried himself well. He had served at Tobias’s side since the first engagement of the war.
    He had with him a woman so pale as to be translucent – green-blue veins could be seen beneath the skin of her forehead and hands. Even her tightly compressed lips seemed bloodless.
    â€˜Captain Turner,’ Agnes said with barely concealed distaste. ‘I might have thought you would not be far away.’
    Tobias gestured toward the woman. ‘I do not believe you have met Septimus’s sister, Leah?’
    Agnes turned to face Leah Turner. She was dressed austerely in a dark grey gown with plain collar and cuffs, with her hair tucked beneath a matronly white cap. Only the ginger colouring of her eyebrows indicated that it might be a similar hue to her brother’s.
    By rights, the woman should have curtsied to another of superior rank, but she remained as still as a sentinel, her grey eyes fixed on Agnes’s face. Agnes shivered and looked away from the unnerving stare.
    â€˜The coach awaits, sir,’ Turner addressed his commander.
    â€˜Very good.’’
    â€˜They are only young,’ Agnes made one last attempt to secure her position. ‘Two men such as yourselves are not suitable to the care of such young