Everyone in the room seemed to freeze for a moment -- other than Mathew and the man who had come in with him.
Laurie's mind flashed back to her father's illness from the year before, and she shot a quick startled look at her sister, and her aunt, to see if their thoughts mirrored hers. Her Aunt Trudy gave her a quick warning shake of her head, almost imperceptible it was so slight and so quick.
She also quickly touched Iris's arm, but Mathew stood up suddenly and strode across to her.
"What?" He demanded as he towered over Trudy.
Trudy flinched at his abrasive tone, but then she glared up at him, and squared her shoulders -- although she remained seated, almost as if in defiance of him, and his overpowering height and build.
"What -- What?" She demanded back in a scathing tone.
Mathew hissed between his teeth. "You already know something about this," he accused her. "What do you know and why do you try to keep it to yourself?"
"What makes you think I know anything -- about anything?" Trudy shot back. "Isn't that why you travelled all the way down here -- to inform everyone here of these things?"
"Will -- you -- stop -- being -- so -- bloody well evasive!" He bit out like bullets. He leaned down towards her, and Laurie felt herself cowering into Michael, indeed several of the men seemed to want to whimper or run. "You will talk!" he growled into Trudy's face.
Trudy folded her arms and sat back, and her jaws clamped together in blatant defiance.
"I can tell you what they know," Bill interrupted almost eagerly. "I was there too, I know all about my neighbour's illness, and how he was cured."
"He was cured?" Mathew spun on his heel and moved towards Bill. "He was sick with the blood, but he was cured and he lives still? When? When did he fall sick?"
Bill cowered under the intense gaze of Mathew, and his shoulders hunched as he eyes fell away from his guest's eyes.
"It was last year, before the older daughter married him over there!" He pointed towards James and Iris and sure enough Mathew's gaze followed.
Laurie watched as Bill gave a low sigh of relief that he was no longer the object of that disturbing look, and it was only then that Laurie realised just how powerful Mathew was -- and how hard it must have been for Trudy to withstand him.
Laurie wondered why her aunt was trying to be so evasive, why was she defying this Mathew?
Mathew's gaze returned to Bill, and he hunkered down again.
"Talk!" Mathew ordered him, and then he stepped back, and Bill began to breathe again.
"As I said it was last year, we had sought alliance with our neighbour -- through his daughters, but it had come to nothing..."
"Yes, I had heard something about that," Mathew cut in impatiently.
"Well anyway a short time later, my neighbour -- their father, was rushed to a London hospital. I didn't hear about it immediately, but of course as soon as I heard, I travelled to London..." He hesitated for a moment, before muttering under his breath.
"And what a waste of time and effort that turned out to be!"
"Go on," Mathew snapped when Bill paused for a breath.
"Well, I did not actually speak to a doctor," he began defensively. "I mean as no relation to Greg Beaumont, none of them would talk to me!"
"So, you do not actually know anything for sure," Trudy cut in scornfully.
"I know that your brother was rushed to that hospital -- for sure," Bill glared back at her. "I know that the family -- the blood family were all called there -- for sure!"
"We are his family and we were called there -- that is true, but as I understand things; that is the normal course of events for someone whom they fear -- might not make it." Trudy snapped back. "And you were there for that very same reason -- as I recall."
"What do you mean?" Mathew demanded impatiently. "Explain yourself woman!"
She glanced at him, and her eyes were flinty with hatred. "My name is Ms Rowena Beaumont," she said flatly. "You will not ever refer to me in that derogatory way again -- not if you expect a reply."
He stared at her for several minutes and Aunt Trudy glared right back, and everyone else in the room held their breath.
Finally, it was Mathew who blinked first, and everyone began to breathe again.
He shrugged his shoulders suddenly. "Fine... Ms Beaumont, please will you explain, what you believe Mr Frawning's motive might have been in going to that hospital."
"Why to try to coerce Iris into bonding with one of his sons of course!"
"That is not the first time I have heard that today." Mathew glanced at Iris, and then at Laurie, and he gave Trudy a slightly speculative look. "What is it about you females that heats the blood of our males so?"
"There was no hot blood involved," Trudy snapped back. "They seek power, and for some reason they believe that my brother Greg has it."
"Are you saying then that he does not?"
"Does not -- what?"
"Have this power you speak of... this power these men are so hungry for?"
Trudy shrugged and her arms folded over her chest again. "My brother has some wealth -- as does Bill Frawnings. He has a large home and a large estate -- as does Bill Frawnings... I believe they wish to add his wealth to theirs; I believe that they wished to use my brother's daughters to set up their own... kennels."
"They
wished
... does that mean then that you believe they no longer wish it?"
Trudy shrugged again. "Iris married and bonded with James, and so she became untouchable... but young Laurie... well we are none of us here on an invite."
"No, I gathered that much from earlier discussions."
"They sought out my niece, and they never gave her the chance to say no!" Trudy glared at Bill and his sons. "They abducted Laurie, and we came here to rescue her... as did your own nephew."
"Yes, yes I get it!" Mathew nodded and Laurie could see that he was growing irritated by her aunt.
She saw the slight narrowing of Trudy's eyes and she realised that her aunt also saw his slow burn to anger.
Aunt Trudy stood up suddenly. "Well since justice is not on the cards, I can see that we will just have to leave, and be satisfied that Laurie was unharmed and is free to come with us."
She glanced at Laurie and then she turned to Iris. "Girls... James -- Michael; it is time for us to go now."
There was a low power in Trudy's tone, which had them all blinking almost sleepily even as they automatically stood.
"It was... useful, meeting you Mr Richards, we shall say our goodbyes now."
She was actually at the door, and the others were hot on her heels, when Mathew let out a low roar.
"You will not leave!"
The raw energy of
