Chapter 3 ~ Trouble Already ~

• ~ Trouble Already ~
• The Earl of Lancashire sat behind his office desk. The afternoon sun filtered through the windows. Abruptly, the chime of his phone broke the silence, pulling him from his reflections. The date of his product release is creeping closer, and the hunt is nearing the beginning hours. The last thing William wanted was another distraction.
• "What is it now?" William groaned as he prepared to see who was trying to get a hold of him.
• Picking up the device, his brow slightly furrowing as he unveiled the message. It was from The Game Master, the one who orchestrated the events of the hunt. As William read the text, a heaviness settled in his temples. With his nose flaring, a headache was working its way into the right side of his head. The name of that headache was Travis. With each passing year, the stakes rose. The Game Master's inability not to fumble things up increased their chances of exposure.
• 'We might have an issue!' William pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing in and out several times before continuing to read. 'One of the contestants, Rosa Erickson, is making things difficult for me!' The Earl of Lancashire read the first sentence that was sent over again.
• The Viscount of Lancashire paused what he was doing. "What is the issue?" Charles asked, looking up from the documents in his hand.
• William was about to respond when there was a knock on the door. "Sir!" Aiden poked his head into the office. "Bridget wanted me to let you know that the chambers are ready for the guests."
• Earl of Lancashire nodded at Aiden to acknowledge what he had said. "Aiden, Travis is having issues with one of the contestants," he said, glancing at his phone again. "A ... Rosa Erickson! What information did you find out about her?" William placed his phone on the desk.
• Aiden stepped into the office and closed the door behind him. "I’m sorry, sir, but offhand, I can’t remember. All I know is that the contestants had low profiles. During my search, I didn’t find anything that suggested any issues that could arise. Most of the contestants had meaningless jobs or little to no contacts. Is there something wrong?" He was beginning to fear that he had overlooked something.
• Earl of Lancashire looked at his phone as it chimed again. 'Rosa claims that she isn’t going to participate in the contest!' The message had read from what The Game Master had sent him. William turned his attention back to Aiden. "I want everything you have on Rosa Erickson. We need to neutralize this problem before she arrives."
• "William," Charles glared at his brother, "what issue are we talking about?"
• Without saying a word, William handed his brother the phone. He watched as Charles read over the text messages from The Game Master. "Travis is sending a picture of all the contestants with their names," he added, filling his lungs before continuing. "And this would be our trouble..." Charles stopped speaking as he studied Rosa, tapping his finger on the desk as he thought.
• Taking his phone back, William asked, "What is the problem?" He paused for a moment. Not able to believe his eyes. "Why does Miss Erickson seem to have the same features as Isabella?" He looked over at Aiden for an answer.
• Aiden walked over to the desk and examined the picture of Rosa. 'She seems familiar!' he thought to himself. "Hmm!" he tapped the back of the phone. Rosa had her eyes closed with earbuds in her ears. Completely unaware that her photo was being taken. Speaking his thoughts, "I can see the similarities!" he pointed out. "However, we know all of the Lancashire bloodlines. Even those who have married into other families." He paused, searching for a correct answer. "To my knowledge, no one has left Ireland."
• Given the glare from the Earl of Lancashire, Aiden knew he had to act quickly to gather the necessary information. He certainly didn’t want to be on the receiving end of his master's wrath.
• Turning on his heel, he said, "I’ll get the information I have on Rosa Erickson!" Aiden rushed for the door before Lord Lancashire could begin yelling.
• Charles picked up the phone that Aiden had placed on the desk. "I can't place it, but I swear I have seen this girl before,"
• Charles studied his brother's body language. William seemed relaxed for someone who had been told there was trouble even before the hunt began. "Aiden is right about one thing. We know everyone connected to us. How is it possible that this oversight had gone unnoticed?" He didn't wait for his brother to respond. "Rosa is from Canada, right?"
• Charles watched his brother nod as he stared off into the distance. He didn’t need his brother to speak; Charles could tell he was communicating with their mother.
• Moments later, the door was roughly pushed open. "Where is the phone?" their mother demanded as she walked over to the desk. One look at the photo of Rosa made her curse. "She is wearing a witch's mark! That bloody idiot!"
• William and Charles glared at each other, completely overlooking one key piece of information. Enlarging the picture, their mother pointed out what she had seen.
• "Mam!" Charles hissed in frustration. "Bloody Travis ... what the hell was he thinking!" He was fuming.
• Handing the phone back to her son, she paused for a moment. "William," she began, "Travis has made many mistakes in the past!" She bit the inside of her mouth, trying to control her anger. "But this ..."
• William raised his hand to stop her from continuing. "Mam, call Dalphine and see if Rosa Erickson is in their registry."
• Their mother smoothed out the blouse she was wearing. "You're right; if she’s part of some coven, Dalphine would have that information." She puffed out her chest, "Travis was to place their names through the registry. What is wrong with him?" Lady Mother pinched the bridge of her nose. "How many times do we have to go over the protocol with that maggot!?"
• Pushing the air roughly out of his mouth and tapping the desk, he said, "I think we need more information on this Rosa Erickson before we react," Charles suggested. "I still can't place where I have seen her before." The thought nagged at him from the back of his mind.