Under His Protection

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Markham House

"Baron and Baroness Wynter have arrived, Your Grace, Ainsworth informed him. "They are presently in the drawing room and I have sent for the others as you requested upon their arrival."

"Good, Ainsworth," the duke replied. "Let them stew for a few minutes until the others join me, then show the Baron and Baroness in."

"Yes, Your Grace," Ainsworth replied and left the room.

Myles and Cat were the first to join him, followed by Trey and Qiao with his daughter Beatrice close behind them.

"I want you all to sit over by the fireplace and keep quiet. Catherine," he pointedly looked at her, "let me be the one who deals Valentine's parents, no matter how much you want to tell the baron what you think of him, just bite your tongue for now, Granddaughter."

The others chuckled or snickered.

"Yes, Your Grace," Cat replied with a regal nod of her head and sat on the sofa as requested, Myles joined her taking her hand in his just as the Baron and Baroness entered the duke's study.

"I've here Markham for my grandchildren," Baron Wynter told the duke before they were more then a few feet inside the study.

"No questions of whether we have located your daughter or not?"

                                                                                            * * *

Ainsworth, the Duke of Markham's butler greeted them at the door.

"We would like to see His Grace," Alex told the man and handed him his card. "Tell him it is extremely urgent business."

"The family is in His Grace's study," Ainsworth replied. "Baron and Baroness Wynter are with them at the present. If you will wait in the drawing room I will inform His Grace you are here."

"Isn't Baron Wynter Val's father?" Oliver questioned Alex once Ainsworth was gone and they were alone in the drawing room.

"Yes, I wonder why he and his wife have paid Markham a visit. I understood Mrs. Bishop hasn't seen her parents since her wedding to Colonel Bishop."

Ainsworth returned to the drawing room. "His Grace would like you both to join them in his study," he informed them then led the way.

They stopped just inside the doorway to take in the scene inside the duke's study.

"I've been informed the chit is still missing," Oliver heard the heavy set gray haired man tell the duke. "I've come for my grandchildren."

Not we, Oliver noted, as he scrutinized the couple standing before the duke.

His wife was almost as tall as he was with graying red-gold hair. He knew from whom Val had gotten her red hair streaked with gold. He took an instant dislike to Val's father as he listened to the man's words.

"I'm afraid, Wynter, you have made a needless trip, Valentine's children are staying here with me. They are under my protection until we locate her and safely return her home," the duke replied.

"They are my flesh and blood, Markham, not yours," Wynter responded. "You have no right to keep them here."

"I'm afraid once again, Wynter, you have over stepped."

"If need be I will take this matter to the courts."

Oliver watched as the Duke of Markham calmly open a drawer of his desk and extracted a document then slowly closed the drawer.