Chapter 381: Fighting Back
After they reached Rosandale, they were given a day of rest. Talia’s aides informed her that Louis has started to leak news about the government take-over of the wool business. Just like Talia proposed, groundwork for the cooperative department for trading wool is being set up in the Trenton Duchy.
Louis is doubling down on the Duke of Trenton? Good! We cannot be pushovers for long, can we?
Talia was all smiles.
As she as lounging in the garden in the evening, she received her weekly call from Rebecca.
"Did you know Tallie? That club you visited with Joe that is owned by one of your Dukes... Joe heard the higher-ups are planning to investigate the group of clubs as there are reports of illegal activities." Rebecca spoke in a hushed tone.
"Take it with a grain of salt as it came from my mother-in-law. She knows I’ll speak to you about it and as always your monarchy will try to save their reputation by interfering. Maybe her husband purposefully sent her to me so that he would get paid to hush up the investigations by Louis. I think he might preside over the probe against the club, if launched. Do you know anything about it?" Rebecca asked.
After Talia’s visit to Rebecca, Joe’s mother started visiting her often. Joe had forbidden his parents to visit his home. But his mother would come secretly when Joe is not around claiming she wants to take care of Rebecca. Talia expressed her concerns towards the sudden change in attitude of that haughty woman. Rebecca the ever kind ’angel’ doesn’t trust her and couldn’t forget how she humiliated her in the past either. Still she accepts her in her home and Talia could only ask her to be careful.
"What kind of illegal activities?"
This was the first time Talia heard of it. It made her wonder if Louis is actually going offence on the Duke by attacking him on all fronts.
"I’m not sure, but it is said that someone who caters to nonces has set his base in one of the clubs." Rebecca whispered.
"Nonce? Cryptographic nonce? Number only used once?" Talia truly didn’t understand how this is connected to the clubs.