Cold All the Way Through, But Warming

A Court Martial

Mother and I were bent over a register, tracing over the performance of her investments. A third party was also looking over them, although he was more focused on playing with Mother's necklace. Adam seemed to find it fascinating, and Mother had to reach down and tug it out of his mouth every now and then.

It at least kept him from drooling on the papers.

I hadn't expected Sophie to bring him to the house when I had told her that I had arranged for her to have an afternoon with Morris, but apparently Rebecca was ill and she didn't trust anyone to watch him. I had called Mother after the two of them had headed upstairs, begging for her to meet me at the offices. The Reichster driver had been sent off by Sophie earlier, so there was only Lewis and Rigel to watch me struggle out of the house with Adam in my arms.

I had pretended I didn't hear Lewis snicking the whole drive over.

Mother had been far too glad to see him again, and I watched her handle him with a grim smile on my lips. She should have been caring for her own grandson, my son, but the most I could manage for her was letting her have the occasional moment with a friend's child, when I could arrange for his mother to meet her lover.

So, she bounced Adam while we discussed her investments. They were all performing well, and she had reinvested her profits in order to take a controlling stake in several new businesses. A rail line, an iron mine, a steel mill, and shortly she'd be the owner of three new munitions factories that had sprung up quickly to supply the Entente.

I peered closely at the profit report for them, "Well, they're a good thing to have now but what about when the war finishes? This boom isn't going to last forever."

"Once munitions and ammunition aren't profitable, we simply change the production." Mother shrugged, lifting Adam up and smiling. "There are plenty of things we could turn the machinery and workers to, tinned food maybe. And the steel mills will still be in use after. As will the rail line. Between all of those we're expecting to increase our assets by more than half in a few years."

"You've been talking to Mr. Keller." I muttered, sliding the report away. "What else have you sunk our money into?"

"A shipyard!" Mother chuckled, twirling around with Adam. "We can build our own ships, with our own steel, and even take on contracts! Whenever Lieutenant Greenwood leaves the Navy, I'll snap him up and set him in charge of a naval architecture office for us so we can design our own ships. Then Sophie won't have to displace you out of your house whenever she wants him."

"And I have a feeling he'll receive an adequate salary to cover the expenses for Sophie divorcing Zachary." I chuckled, "Mother, you need to stop planning things so far ahead."

"You can say that once you've seen the nursery plans I've made for you." She set Adam down in her chair. "Oh, look, Ezekiel!"

I looked over, and indeed, Ezekiel was standing outside the office door. His eyes were wide as he peered through the glass, and his movements were stiff when I waved him in. "Annie, who's baby is that?"

I looked to Adam, "Zachary and Sophie's."

"Christ Annie, kidnapping?" He ran a hand though his hair, the wild red locks finally tamed a bit from being stuck under his cap. "I mean, I know I want to kill his father but I never expected you to kidnap his child."

"We're watching him for his mother," Mother picked Adam up, "She's meeting with her lover."

Ezekiel sighed, "I don't even want to ask about that. But can you hand him off to someone? I need things to be intimidating, and I cannot see anything being intimidating with him around."