Venture Unleashed (The Venture Books) (23 page)

“Well, I guess we’ll see about that, won’t we?” Venture was glad to find himself smiling at the challenge.

His smile was soon gone, though. Despite the reprimands and pleas of Mrs. Bright,
 
Marina wasted no time informing all the other servants of the latest gossip. Though no one dared to speak to Venture about it, their whispers floated about him, their stares stuck to his back; anytime he came near a couple of them talking, the conversation evaporated.

And then there was Mrs. Bright. He had to talk to her. He considered for a moment that he should pray for courage, but he felt even less like praying than he felt like talking to Mrs. Bright. He managed to force himself to go in to see her, early, before lunch time.

“Hey,” Venture said. Then he lost his nerve. “I’ll get the water for you.”

“Vent?” She watched him from the kitchen doorway as he stood, hand on the washroom pump.

“Yes?”

“It’s my fault, isn’t it? What I said before . . .” She twisted the front of her apron in her hands.

“No, it’s not your fault. But it’s going to be okay.”

“How? The wrong people are sure to find out and—”

“Not if I tell them first.”

“What?”

“I’m going to tell Justice tonight.”

“What do you think he’ll do?”

He shrugged and stepped past her to place the water jug on the table. “Probably beat up on me a little. Maybe disown me. Who knows?”

Perceiving his mindset, she said, ashen-faced, “And Master?”

“Tomorrow, I’ll tell him, too.”

She gave a little cry and plopped down onto a bench. He pushed a cup of water to her, but she didn’t take it, and not another word was uttered in the kitchen until the other servants came in.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Venture had the usual chaotic supper with Chance, Justice, Grace, Tory, and a wailing little Holly, but this time he was half in a panic about what he was going to have to do, and over what he should do about Chance having to witness it. What had he been thinking, taking on the responsibility of a kid?

After supper, he tried to forget about what had happened at the Big House for awhile and he chased Tory around the house, tickling her and swinging her in the air. Since he’d wound her up into a frenzy, he offered to put her to bed. He snatched her up under his arm and dove under the blankets with her. He held the squirming, giggling little girl securely beside him, and shushed her. He helped her say her prayers and then he lay there until the sweet, deep whispers of sleep overcame her—breath in, breath out, steady, innocent, content.
Good night, Uncle, love you, Uncle
, her heart seemed to beat out.

He drew the curtain shut, then stood next to the hearth. Though empty of flames on warm summer nights like this, in every season, this was the place around which the family gathered. Grace sat mending one of Venture’s shirts while Justice slouched with his arms on the table, dozing. Soon Grace would tell Justice to get in bed before he fell out of his seat. Chance was still dressed, but he’d already plumped up his straw mattress and he was lounging on it beside them, propped up on his elbow. He blinked at Venture from under droopy eyelids.

Venture rubbed his forehead nervously. He took a deep breath. He had to do this now.

“I need to talk to both of you.”
 

“What is it?” Grace tucked her mending back in its willow basket. Justice’s eyes fluttered open and he raised his head.

“It’s important.” He waited for Justice to sit all the way up. “It’s about the promise I made—about Jade.” Justice stiffened. The silence hung there, until the thought of enduring anymore of it seemed even worse to Venture than what he had to say. “I broke it.”

Justice sucked in his breath. It came back out in a low, stony whisper. “When?”

“I kept it for years. We weren’t involved for a long time, until today.”

“Well, whatever you did today, I hope it was worth it, Vent, because you’re done.”

“Done?”

“You know what our agreement was. You’re done fighting.”

“What about the Championship? Dasher retired just for me. You know how much this means to me, and to him and Earnest. And what if it’s the last Championship? You know about the rumors.”

“I guess you’ll just have to explain to them why you’ve let them both down.”

“I was fourteen years old when I made that promise! You know it’s not fair to hold me to it now.”
 

Chance sat up on his mattress. He didn’t say anything, but his big eyes widened with worry.

“Go in the other room and shut the door,” Justice told Chance.
 

Chance rose at once to obey, but Venture caught his arm. “He stays with me. He’s going to hear everything anyway.”

“Fine. You want him to hear how you’ve been fooling around with Jade Fieldstone? It’s wrong, Vent, and you know it. How could you do this, especially after I got you that exemption? I wanted to do something to show you I appreciated how hard you’ve been working, how you’ve conducted yourself. Earnest had me convinced you were mature enough, that you could make a responsible decision—and now, this?”

“What if I asked you to leave Grace right now, to have nothing more to do with her?”

“That’s different. We’re married. We have a family.”

“And that’s all I want.”

“You’re eighteen years old! What do you know about what you want?”

“I’ve always wanted this!”

“Will you listen to what you’re saying? That’s not going to happen. You are never going to be married to Jade Fieldstone!”

Venture got up without a word and began removing his folded clothes from the shelf on the wall and stuffing them into his bag. Chance followed suit, silently gathering up his own things.

“What are you doing?” Grace’s dark eyes filled with tears.

Justice just stood with his arms crossed, steaming.

“I’m packing my things.” Venture’s hands were shaking, though he managed to keep his voice even. He couldn’t let things get out of hand with Justice this time, not with Chance here. Not with Tory asleep just on the other side of the curtain. “We’ll be in town with Earnest and Dasher. I’ll stop by tomorrow to say good-bye to the girls.”

When Venture was done, he gave Justice a sideways glance, and said to Grace, “I love both of you, and I love the girls, but this is what I need to do now.” He buckled the flap of his bag shut, put on his coat, and lit a lantern. “I’ll bring this back when I come by tomorrow.”

Earnest and Dasher sometimes boarded at Beamer’s when they were in town, and sometimes stayed awhile with Earnest’s parents or one of his brothers, who lived near the banks of the Swift River, where they made their living as boatmen. This time, Dasher had found a small house on the north side of town to rent. Venture stood on the stoop. He threw down his bag and pounded on the door with both his fists, ignoring the knocker.

“Earnest, open up!” The houses were packed close enough together that neighbors suffered the occasional foul splashes of each other’s emptied chamber pots, but Venture shouted anyway. He’d held back all he could at Justice’s house. “It’s Vent! Dasher!”

Earnest threw open the door. “Who taught you how to knock?”

“Wasn’t I loud enough for you?”

“What’s going on?”

“We’re moving in.” Venture half-shoved his way past, and Chance followed, giving Earnest a fearful, apologetic look.

“You’re what?”

“You heard me, Earnest. Move out of the way.”

He proceeded through the entryway, not bothering to remove his coat and hang it on the wall. But he stopped short in the small, simply furnished sitting room. A pretty girl lounged on the most comfortable padded chair, the one Earnest usually claimed for himself. She eyed Venture curiously and chewed on a lock of silky, straight black hair.

Chance kept his distance and hugged his bag to his chest. Venture gave Earnest a look that said
She needs to go
.

Earnest hesitated for a moment, then, knowing this must be a big deal, that his fighter needed his attention, he sighed. “Amber, I’m going to have to take you home now.”

Venture nodded. “Where’s Dash?”

“He’s occupied.” Earnest nodded toward the upstairs.

“Stay downstairs,” Venture told Chance. “Go in the kitchen and see if you can find a snack.”

Venture was up the stairs in no time, leaving a whispered argument between Earnest and Amber behind.

“Dasher.” He rapped on the bedroom door. “I need to talk to you.”

“What are you doing here?” Dasher demanded through the closed door, but instead of waiting for Venture to answer, he yelled, “Go away!”

“No. Come out, or I’m coming in.”

“I’m going to kill you, Vent! You hear me?”

Not
Champ
tonight. “Fine. You want me to come in there right now so you can do it, or what?”

The door opened a crack. “What? What could you possibly need that can’t wait five minutes?”

“Five minutes, Dash?” an incredulous female voice called from the bedroom.

Venture forced himself not to smile. Dasher really would kill him if he did.

“It’s just an expression,” Dasher said to her. Then he hissed, “By the gods, Vent, I really hate you right now. You have no idea.”

“I’m sorry.” Venture made a halfhearted attempt to make his face appropriately apologetic.

“No, you’re not!”

“I need you and Earnest to take your friends home.”

“No way.” Dasher stepped back and snapped the door shut after him.

“Dash, I have Chance here.” Venture yelled at the door. “And we’re staying.”

“What?” The door opened again, and this time Dasher stepped all the way out. “What’s going on?”

“Jade and I are together. Justice knows. I can’t stay there anymore.”

“All right,” Dasher groaned. “Give us a minute to get dressed.”

Venture stood right behind Jade, outside Grant’s office. Her hair smelled sweet and fresh, felt as soft against his cheek as his whisper was in her ear. “It’s going to be all right. I’ll—we’ll—handle it.”

Her shoulders straightened under his palms. She nodded and glanced back to give him a smile.
 

Jade had arranged for this meeting, so that her father couldn’t pry its purpose out of Venture without her. She’d insisted on it. They entered the office and sat down opposite Grant, who was seated behind his desk with Rose beside him.

Both of the elder Fieldstones looked expectantly from Venture to Jade. Venture looked at Rose and recalled the long hours she’d spent teaching him not just to write and work numbers, but trying to shape an impulsive little boy into a young man who could reason and focus. He looked at Grant and remembered the nights he’d spent using the skills Rose had taught him to help Grant go over his accounts. And the hunting trips Grant had taken him on, sometimes just the two of them, as a reward for that hard work and as a sign of his respect.

He’d never forget the night that Grant first voiced his opinion that Venture would make a great fighter. His promise to support him in the pursuit of the Championship, if that was what Venture wanted. Just hours later, Venture had met Jade secretly, slipped into the darkness with her hand in his. In the shadows, he’d kissed her for the first time.

Venture forced himself to break the silence. “Sir,” he said, with his heart pounding and his stomach lurching, “Mistress. There’s something I need to tell you.”
 

“There’s something
we
need to tell you,” Jade interjected. Her hands were shaking in her lap, and Venture had to fight the urge to place his hands over them and steady them. “Venture wanted to talk to you himself, as one man to another, but you’re my father, and I felt I should handle talking to my own family—”

“What is going on here? One of you get to the point right now.” Grant’s brow creased, his arms crossed.

“Sir,” Venture said quickly, forcing himself to look his master in the face. His master, who trusted him, who had always trusted him, even when he’d done nothing to earn it. “I’m in love with your daughter.”

“Jade?” Rose’s eyes widened and her thin hands trembled as she clutched the arms of her chair.

Grant, normally slow to anger and even slower to show it, sprang up, his eyes alight with realization and rage. He looked every bit prepared to tear Venture, long his favorite, limb from limb.

“Father!” Jade stepped up directly in front of Venture. “I love him, too. He’s the one I want. I won’t have anyone else. If you hurt him, you hurt me.”

Grant turned his glare on Jade. “How many young men are you fooling around with? What sort of girl have I raised?”

“Grant!” Rose’s hand fluttered to her chest.

“Jade, go to your room!” Grant shifted back a bit, shaking with the confused tide of emotions that rippled over him.

“I’m not a little girl. I’m old enough you might have had me married off by now, remember? Isn’t that old enough to be taken seriously?”

“Grant.” Rose put her hand on his arm, clearly struggling to keep her wits about her and prevent this boiling disaster from erupting into something even worse. “We ought to hear about this from both of them.”

“Mother,” Grant said, steadying his voice and his bearing. “I need you to leave as well.”

“Why, so you can beat him, right here? Would that make you feel better, to beat a man you know could have you at his mercy any time he wanted, just because he’s your servant and he has to let you?”

“Jade!” Venture protested. For God’s sake, now wasn’t the time to insult him. The man had his pride.

“Is that what you expect from me after all these years, Venture?”

“Of course not, sir. You’re a good and fair man, a forgiving man. But I’ve met your daughter without your knowledge, and held her hand, and kissed her.” He swallowed over the lump his confession had put in his throat. “And I’m prepared to face the consequences.”

Grant blinked once, hard, then steeled himself.

“Ladies, please leave us. Venture and I are going to have a talk, man to man.” Then, to appease the outraged women, he added, “After that we can all talk together.”

“Do as he asks, please,” Venture said to Jade.

She hesitated, struggling to bite back words of protest. Finally she gave him a nod and followed her grandmother out.