Warren Destruction (aka Bike) Part 623 by Angharad

After lunch, Henry took us down to the games room. A billiard table, computer games, table tennis–that table fitted on top of the billiard one, or was it the other way round? They also had a toy box and Meems found some toys she liked and Trish was content to do some colouring with some pencils they had in the toy box.

I wasn’t sure about the pictures she was drawing, they seemed full of blood and bodies–but given her recent experiences, I wondered if she was trying to integrate them and move on. I know I’d like to.

“Where is Simon?” I asked Henry, when the girls were settled.

“Not sure, why?”

“Why? I am his fiancée, or had you forgotten that, this is, of course, when I’m not playing the role of target practice or cannon fodder.”

“I don’t actually know.”

“He’s your son, and he works for you as well, so I should have thought you should know where he is.”

“He’s on leave.”

“What you decided to protect him and risk me and my two girls, how wonderful.”

“No, that isn’t it, at all.”

“I suppose it’s pure coincidence that he’s away when we might at anytime become wearers of body bags. Interesting that both your offspring are absent, while the proverbial hits the fan.”

“Stella is still in hospital, so is the baby.”

“Ah, so your line is assured, another Viscount Stanebury is possible.”

“There are three titles bestowed upon this family for past achievements. Mine is the senior, the Viscountcy of Stanebury, bestowed upon my ancestor during the Napoleonic wars. The second the Barony of Cameron, goes to the eldest child, and the third, another Barony goes to any second child.”

“So Stella and Simon have peerages in their own right?”

“Yes, seems greedy I know, but each of them was for some act of derring do for the monarch of the day, the latter two were for personal services to the young Victoria.”

“So what titles do Si and Stella hold then?”

“Simon is Baron Cameron of Pitlochry, and Stella is Baroness Cameron of Perthshire.”

“So what happens to his title when you pop off?”

“Or resign it, I don’t necessarily have to die, you know. Simon succeeds to the senior title as the eldest child, his title then moves to his eldest child. If he’s without issue and hasn’t adopted any, it moves to his sister’s children or nearest relative. The same with Stella. As she now has a baby, she has an heir for her title.”

“But Simon doesn’t.”

“Not yet.”

“Well he has no chance with me, does he?”

“You have two fine children with you.”

“They’re only on loan.”

“They could become adopted, they act like yours, and I know they love Simon and he them.”

“I’m not sure it’s that simple. Besides, aren’t you perpetuating the problem? If the elder child assumes the title, then we know she won’t have children any more than I can.”

“Yes, but you got around it. I’m sure a keen mind like hers will too. Contrary to the publicity that surrounded the April Ashley case, what, thirty or forty years ago, the Scottish aristocracy don’t necessarily have a downer on ladies like yourself–well, not unless they’ve asked for it. Your case, because of the publicity has been discussed, and as far as I’m aware no one has batted an eyelid.”

“Oh I see, I’ve been discussed and seen as suitable, have I?”

“No, it wasn’t like that at all. We fell in love with you as soon as we met you, and had no idea of your past. Simon was obviously potty about you and Stella liked you too. Monica thinks you are simply lovely and me–well I fancy you something rotten–but you know that anyway. So we’d already decided that if Simon went ahead as he said he was going to, and marry you, we were quite happy about it.

“When the excrement met the air conditioning, and it all became rather too public courtesy of the BBC, although both you and Simon did a splendid job of turning it into a positive event, we had some feedback from other peers and they all approved of you.”

“I’m so glad,” I pouted.

“Cathy, it wasn’t like that. They said things like: how brave you were; what a lovely girl; if Simon gets the heave ho, give me her phone number–no that might have been me said that. You get my drift. They think you are elegant and beautiful, and crazy enough to fit in perfectly. Once all this clears up, we’ll have a ball here and you can meet some of them, plus the locals, of course, many of whom work here normally. We’re on a skeleton staff because of the danger.”

“What happens if we’re all terminated?”

“It’s unlikely.”

“How can you say that?”

“I have plans made to defend this house and it’s occupants.”

“I don’t think bringing the children here was a very responsible thing to do.”

“On the contrary, if we hadn’t, we couldn’t guarantee their safety. If anything starts, you take them to the little room in the bedroom. The door is actually sheet steel and should stop a nine millimetre bullet or grenade. Inside, in a metal box, is a handgun with a full clip. You take them in there and you have some means of defence should anyone get that far, assuming they can breach the locks. It buys you time.”

“What about fire?”

“There is an up to date sprinkler system, fire shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I thought handguns were banned in this country?”

“Um,” he coughed, “so they are, is that the time? We should get ready for dinner, which will be a rather quiet affair. I apologise in advance, but the cook is one of those on leave.”

“How many of us, are there?”

“About eight, plus the girls.”

“Who’s cooking?”

“John.”

“I’ll go and give him a hand. you look after the girls.”

“But I …”

“No buts, Henry. Girls, look after Grampa Henry, I’m helping cook the dinner.”