Skull and Dagger

“Now, I'd known Lord Williams' eldest son for a while before that,” Frank commented, his fingers tracing over the hem of Annabelle's voluminous pale-blue skirt as he spoke. “Both heirs to noble houses and all that rubbish – had to run in similar crowds…”

“You know Parker?” Annabelle asked in disbelief.

Frank winced. “Wished I didn’t, though,” he sighed. “The younger Williams' is scum. Has his fun with the skirts, then leaves them to pursue his latest conquest.”

Annabelle gulped slightly. “I had heard as much,” she nodded slowly.

“We had a fancy for the same lady once,” he admitted. “Francesca Addams – high-society, well-born, and such. of course little Frankie didn’t stand a chance while Parker was there seducing her. So Williams has his fun and then tosses her aside – with his child, no less. Completely broke her.” Angry tears stained his face. “Couldn’t stand it if he did that to you, too…”

Softly, Annabelle wiped his tears away with her thumb, placing a gentle kiss upon his brow. “It won’t,” she whispered softly. “I’m yours, never Parker’s…”

He gave her a soft smile at that, but then his face darkened again as he returned to his tale. “So even back then I knew that the son was scum. What I didn’t know was that the father was as well…”

*******

“You have no idea how sorry I was to hear about your father.” Lord Williams sat back in the leather armchair and sipped slowly at his brandy.

As a young Frank sat in the spacious sitting room watching Lord Williams' cool demeanor, he quickly realized that he was completely outclassed. “Th-Thank you, sir,” he said nervously, looking into his glass as if something were about to jump out of it and bite him. “I-I just had some questions…”

“Of course,” Lord Williams agreed magnanimously, the dark points of his eyes glittering like a serpent’s in the light from the fireplace. “Your father and I worked together for many years…many profitable years,” he amended. “Our combined investments in colonial shipping made our chosen companies a force to be reckoned with.”

“Y-Yet my father withdrew most of his holdings just prior to his…” Frank gulped, still unable to express the sentiment, “…trip,” he finished lamely. “Have you any idea why?”

“Merely for convenience’s sake,” Lord Williams waved one hand in the air dismissively. “The transfer of bonds requires frequent withdrawals.”

“My father’s auditor seemed to think that my father was moving his business elsewhere,” Frank commented, thumbing desperately through the notes he’d taken.

“I would’ve known about that,” Lord Williams insisted with a tight smile. “I’m very intimately acquainted with my fellow investors’ business activities.”

“Then, perhaps you could tell me what my father intended,” Frank requested innocently.

“A new…trade route we found,” Lord Williams said evasively. “Safer, more favorable winds – that sort of thing. Your father was to inspect it after he returned from his trip to India.”

“And you were his partner in this?” Frank asked.

“Your partner now,” Lord Williams agreed with a sly smile…