Under His Protection

Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"What are your plans for the day?" Oliver asked his future wife the next morning over breakfast.

Margie and Richie had joined them this morning. They'd discussed last night in bed how he would like the children to join them for meals when it was only the four of them. Breakfast seemed to be the best meal of the day for them to all gather around a table. How it would help to bond her and the children once again and wouldn't hurt his bonding with them either.

"Rhiain and I are planning on looking through the children's clothes, see if we need to have more made before we leave for Wainwright Hall as well as the clothes from my house since I remember none of them."

"Whatever you or the children need have the bills sent to me, I already sent a note around to Madame Benoit to summit her bills to me."

She nodded. Though they were not married and she should be paying her own debts she wasn't going to argue with him over just a few days of expenses.

Foster entered the breakfast room. "Mrs. Bishop, there is a gentleman to see you. A Mr. Haslet Berwick, a solicitor." He handed the man's card to Oliver.

"Do I know him?"

"I have no idea who he is, Val," Oliver answered wondering why the man was here to see her and why so early in the morning.

"I've never heard his name before," Richie told them trying to be as helpful to her as he could be since learning of her memory loss.

Val and Oliver both smile at the boy.

"Have him wait in green drawing room until we've finished breakfast. Inform him of that fact, Foster," Oliver told him butler. "Once we've finished Mrs. Bishop and I will see him in my study. Inquire if he needs any coffee or tea while he awaits us."

"Yes, my lord," Foster said then retreated from the room.

"I wonder what he wants and why he's here so early in the morning," Val said. "I...I have a bad feeling about this, Oliver, and I don't know why."

"There is no need to worry until we speak with him," Oliver told her. "I have no intention of disrupting my breakfast with the children on our first morning together, Val. Finish your breakfast then we shall see what he has to say."

"Yes, my lord," she replied then smiled, a smile she didn't feel like giving. She'd lost her appetite and only pushed the food around on her plate and as she kept a smile on her face for the children as they finished eating.

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Oliver sat behind his desk while Val stood beside him, her hand resting on the back of his chair, she felt to nervous to sitting, when Mr. Berwick was shown into the room.

"Your lordship," the man said and nodded. "Mrs. Bishop?"

"Mr. Berwick," Oliver acknowledged the man once he was seated in front of Oliver's desk. "Mrs. Bishop and I were wondering what was so important for you to pay us a visit this early in the morning, sir."

"We only learned about Colonel Bishop's death a few months ago then we saw the notice a few days ago about Mrs. Bishop's disappearance. We contacted Sir Alex Crofton about Mrs. Bishop's whereabouts and he directed us here. I...we thought that Mrs. Bishop would have been in contact with us upon her return from India before now."

"Why would you think that, Mr. Berwick," Oliver asked.

"Well...surely in her husband's papers she found his will?" Berwick said. "Did you Mrs. Bishop?"