Solomon threw open his door and strode out to join them as if he had been keeping a look out in case they stopped by.
“Gunn told me what’s going on,” he said without preamble. “He showed me the court order too.”
“He did?” Athos slowed his steps to walk at Solomon’s stately pace. He hadn’t been aware that he’d left the parchment with Gunn the day before. He hadn’t been aware of a lot of things. Like Elspeth panting at his side. “Oh! I’m sorry. Solomon, I’d like you to meet my new wife, Elspeth. Elspeth, this is Solomon Templesmith.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Miraculously, Elspeth managed to complete a ladylike curtsy for Solomon as they walked on.
Solomon greeted her curtsy with a noble nod and a tip of his hat. “Ma’am. I’m only sorry that we had to meet under such trying circumstances.”
The fleeting thought that Elspeth and Solomon might just be the two most dignified people Athos knew passed through is mind before it latched on to other things. “Do you think Bonneville and that woman could really take my children from me?”
“No,” Solomon answered, but he wasn’t as confident as Athos wanted him to be. “At least, I don’t think the appeals judge—or any other judge who actually met you and the children and saw the way things are with you—would uphold this bogus order.”
“Good,” Elspeth exclaimed. When Solomon glanced at her, she went on. “It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. I’ve been a governess in one household after another for the past several years, and I can assure you that the Strong children are happier and healthier than a good deal of other children.”
Solomon grinned and nodded. “I may call on you to give that testimony at the hearing.”
They reached the hotel and entered together, as a unified group ready to fight for what was right. Athos let go of Elspeth’s hand and surged forward the second he caught a glimpse of the back of Heather’s head in the hotel’s dining room. He marched straight on, heedless of the hotel staff members who jumped into high alert or the patrons who raised curious eyebrows to see what was happening.
“I’ve come to take my children back,” Athos announced as soon as he burst into the dining room.
What had been a normal breakfast for hotel patrons and townspeople alike screeched to a halt. All eight of the Strong children sat at a long table at the far end of the room. Mrs. Lyon presided at the head of the table. She had a full plate of eggs, sausage, ham, and fruit in front of her, while each of the children had nothing but bowls of plain oatmeal. The four thugs stood at the four corners of the table. The rest of the restaurant contained a handful of tables of diners…including the Bonnevilles. Bonnie Horner sat by Rex Bonneville’s side. She rose from her place with a triumphant smile as soon as Athos made his declaration.
“Papa! Papa!” The table with the Strong children burst into chaos. The older ones were able to leap out of their seats and run to him while the younger ones squirmed and struggled to get down.
“Sweethearts.” Athos managed to catch Ivy and Heather in a tight hug, kissing the tops of their heads, before the thugs separated them. The younger children hadn’t even made it away from the table before they were nabbed and forced back into their places.
“What is the meaning of this?” Mrs. Lyon snarled, throwing down her napkin and standing.
“I could ask the same thing,” Athos said. “How dare you rip my children away from me?”
The kids all continued to shout.
“Papa!”
“Take us home, Papa!”
“I don’t like it here.”
“I want to go home.”
Athos started toward Vernon—who stood closest now that Ivy and Heather had been wrestled back to the table—but Bonneville jumped up from his seat to stop him.
“Obstruction of justice as well as dereliction of parental duty? Eh, Strong?” Bonneville seethed with a sly smile.
“This is your
“Gunn told me what’s going on,” he said without preamble. “He showed me the court order too.”
“He did?” Athos slowed his steps to walk at Solomon’s stately pace. He hadn’t been aware that he’d left the parchment with Gunn the day before. He hadn’t been aware of a lot of things. Like Elspeth panting at his side. “Oh! I’m sorry. Solomon, I’d like you to meet my new wife, Elspeth. Elspeth, this is Solomon Templesmith.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Miraculously, Elspeth managed to complete a ladylike curtsy for Solomon as they walked on.
Solomon greeted her curtsy with a noble nod and a tip of his hat. “Ma’am. I’m only sorry that we had to meet under such trying circumstances.”
The fleeting thought that Elspeth and Solomon might just be the two most dignified people Athos knew passed through is mind before it latched on to other things. “Do you think Bonneville and that woman could really take my children from me?”
“No,” Solomon answered, but he wasn’t as confident as Athos wanted him to be. “At least, I don’t think the appeals judge—or any other judge who actually met you and the children and saw the way things are with you—would uphold this bogus order.”
“Good,” Elspeth exclaimed. When Solomon glanced at her, she went on. “It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. I’ve been a governess in one household after another for the past several years, and I can assure you that the Strong children are happier and healthier than a good deal of other children.”
Solomon grinned and nodded. “I may call on you to give that testimony at the hearing.”
They reached the hotel and entered together, as a unified group ready to fight for what was right. Athos let go of Elspeth’s hand and surged forward the second he caught a glimpse of the back of Heather’s head in the hotel’s dining room. He marched straight on, heedless of the hotel staff members who jumped into high alert or the patrons who raised curious eyebrows to see what was happening.
“I’ve come to take my children back,” Athos announced as soon as he burst into the dining room.
What had been a normal breakfast for hotel patrons and townspeople alike screeched to a halt. All eight of the Strong children sat at a long table at the far end of the room. Mrs. Lyon presided at the head of the table. She had a full plate of eggs, sausage, ham, and fruit in front of her, while each of the children had nothing but bowls of plain oatmeal. The four thugs stood at the four corners of the table. The rest of the restaurant contained a handful of tables of diners…including the Bonnevilles. Bonnie Horner sat by Rex Bonneville’s side. She rose from her place with a triumphant smile as soon as Athos made his declaration.
“Papa! Papa!” The table with the Strong children burst into chaos. The older ones were able to leap out of their seats and run to him while the younger ones squirmed and struggled to get down.
“Sweethearts.” Athos managed to catch Ivy and Heather in a tight hug, kissing the tops of their heads, before the thugs separated them. The younger children hadn’t even made it away from the table before they were nabbed and forced back into their places.
“What is the meaning of this?” Mrs. Lyon snarled, throwing down her napkin and standing.
“I could ask the same thing,” Athos said. “How dare you rip my children away from me?”
The kids all continued to shout.
“Papa!”
“Take us home, Papa!”
“I don’t like it here.”
“I want to go home.”
Athos started toward Vernon—who stood closest now that Ivy and Heather had been wrestled back to the table—but Bonneville jumped up from his seat to stop him.
“Obstruction of justice as well as dereliction of parental duty? Eh, Strong?” Bonneville seethed with a sly smile.
“This is your
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