A Fateful Wind (6 page)

Chapter Seven

Jenna avoided the main driveway of Penrose house the next morning, instead deviating her normal pathway and entering up through the rear of the manor house and in through the small kitchen door. As she approached the entrance, a feeling of nervousness swept over her. She wanted to avoid Sir Jack nearly as much as she wished to avoid his cousin. Hopefully she would see neither and planned to suggest she polish Lady Emmeline’s collection of horse brasses instead.
That way I will be ensconced in Lady Emmeline’s drawing room for a good part of the day
. Fortunately, Lady Emmeline had been most agreeable to her suggestion.

Jenna set to work kneeling beside the fireplace. The day started off bright and sunny, but storm clouds began to move in from the Atlantic and cast a chilly air over the house. She lit the fire for her mistress, enjoying the golden embers as they warmed her small hands. Casually, she let her mind begin to wander over the previous day. She went to visit her mother’s grave and finished off with a small prayer in the chapel. Only this time she stayed longer than usual, pouring out all her worries in her prayer, barely able to hold back the tears of anxiety she felt. Her wedding was only three weeks away and the depressive cloak of worry which shrouded her for so long now felt more and more claustrophobic. To make matters worse, she thought she was alone in her prayer only to come face to face with Sir Jack.

"He must think me absolutely mad." She sighed. "I’m either fainting, or crying. No wonder he thinks he can seduce me. He must think me a timid fool."

The memory of Jack’s lips nearing hers caused her to stop polishing. She closed her eyes, imagining what it would have been like if she had let him continue, how it would have felt to have let his warm lips touch hers. Gently, he would have kissed her at first, his lips then parting to taste her fully. Eventually, their kiss would become more passionate until she would unbutton his crisp white shirt, running her hands over his chest, feeling the comfort and warmth of his masculinity. He would lift her once again in his strong arms, his mouth still pressing urgently against hers. Placing her on the ground, he would gently make love to her, moving slowly on top of her naked body kissing her neck and her breasts. She imagined how it would feel to be taken by him, the smoothness of his face against hers, the feeling of his manhood inside of her until he brought her to such a shuddering climax she felt as though she would die.

“My, my, my, whatever would Lady Emmeline think of this, skiving off your work and spending the hours daydreaming?”

A sly voice interrupted Jenna’s thoughts. She jumped as she turned and saw Lord Edwin hovering in the doorway, his thin lips turned into a mocking smile. He moved slowly toward her. Hastily, she got to her feet and moved toward the door.

“Where do you think you’re going girl?” He laughed, blocking her escape. “I believe we didn’t finish what we started last week, did we?”

Jenna retreated backwards. He moved closer toward her, backing her into the corner. She glanced around the room, looking for another way out, but there was none. Perhaps she could skirt around him quickly. He was closer to her now. She could smell his pungent breath upon her face. His eyes glazed over as he pulled her toward him, forcing his hand around the back of her neck and bringing her face closer to his. She looked him squarely in the eye, noting the coldness that permeated through them.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please don’t do this.”

Lord Edwin let out a quiet chuckle. “Do what? Do what you’ve wanted me to do? I know you want it, girl, playing all these coy games of seduction with me. Don’t waste your time toying with me. I’m your master, Jenna, and you will do as I say.” He took his hand away from her neck and brought it down to her breasts.

Hastily she ran around him, over toward the doorway. He moved fast and grabbed her by her waist so her back faced him. He skimmed his hands over her body as he pressed himself against her, groaning as his fingers glided up toward her breasts. Once again, she moved toward the door, begging him to stop, pleading with him to spare her. He merely laughed, holding her firmly against him, groping her through her thin cotton blouse.

* * * *

Emmeline stood hovering in the hallway. Her breath caught in her throat. Listening, she tried to quiet her breathing. Rage cursed through her veins. He was at it again. Damn him! And with her own servant as well, the one she specifically forbade him from fornicating with. She heard the fervent pleas from his victim and the cruel laugh they were met with. Angrily, she flung open the door, her icy glare penetrating the now frosty room. Lord Edwin pried his hands from the young servant, shoving her dismissively away from him.

“Jenna.” Emmeline’s voice was stern. “Please leave us alone. I will see you in my study.”

“Yes, my Lady.” Jenna’s voice broke as tears sprang forth.

Emmeline waited until the sounds of Jenna’s footsteps disappeared down the stone corridor. She turned and looked at her husband, his face covered with a petulant grin. She slapped him hard across his fat, ruddy cheek, wiping away his foolish smirk.

“’How dare you,” she spluttered, her calm façade now trembling with rage. “How dare you! I turn a blind eye to your unruly philandering every day. Do you think I really care who you decide get your pleasure from? Good God, it could even be the stable hand for all it means to me. But now my own personal servant, Edwin? You know I have forbidden it and yet you choose to set your cap on her. Why?”

Edwin rubbed his cheek. “Why not? She’s the prettiest of the bunch. Since I have had my turn with all the others, she is the only one left. After all, what is it they say my dearest, variety is the spice of life?”

“You fool!” Her voice filled with venom. “You sad, pathetic, foolish bully of a man! Do you really think a young girl such as Jenna could possibly be interested in you? Wake up! Do you really think any of these poor girls you force yourself upon find you attractive? Not at all. They do it because you bully them into doing it. I have told you over and over again, my personal servant is off limits to you and your wandering hands. If you refuse to abide by my wishes then there will be consequences.”

“Consequences?” Edwin laughed.

Emmeline surveyed her husband, her hot rage now replaced by iciness. For all his bluster, she knew being caught embarrassed him. But she held the ace card in their relationship. She always had. After all, the vast fortunes she brought into the marriage financed much of Penrose Mines success. Her regal foot on the social ladder of England’s aristocrats gave Edwin the prestige he craved. But lately she felt tired. It would be no hardship to her if she gave it all away and retreated from the fake adulation of England’s society circle.

“Yes, consequences. If you do not do as I ask, I will make life very difficult for you in your daily business and in our social circle. I will end our marriage, if you can call this farce of a union a marriage, withdraw my family equities from Penrose Mines and revert this house back to the Carlyon family. After all, the name didn't change to Penrose Manor until after my brother's death, but the deed is still in my name. Your memory is short, Edwin, very short. You are foolish to think I would make light of such an incident as this.”

Emmeline noticed his face fall, his petulance dissipating in front of her eyes.

“What’s an old man like me to do with a wife who doesn’t desire him? I am left to find comfort in the arms of servants. I didn’t think you minded. In fact, I thought you preferred it that way, but if you are feeling envious of this, my dear, I will stop.”

Emmeline snorted sarcastically. “Edwin, darling, you know I much prefer it that way. Good God, the thought of you huffing and puffing on top of me is one that fills me with dread! I don’t care where you satisfy your primal instincts, but as I have always maintained my personal servant is not to be one of them. That would be too close for comfort wouldn’t it?”

“Yes, my dear. I know you like to think of your personal servant as your own little Lady in Waiting, so I will keep well away in the future.” Edwin sighed.

“Well then, I hope we will not have to have this discussion again. Now, I suppose I will have to try and pretend to Jenna that I did not see anything and I was angry at you for something else.” She cast her gaze over him once more and shook her head. Why on earth she ever married Edwin in the first place seemed a mystery to her, but then she never had any desire to marry, finding most men she met to be either boorish, or ignorant. She admired Edwin’s brains though, which once sparkled more brightly than his sex drive. She feared this was no longer the case and felt herself rapidly losing any respect she once held for him.

Opening the door to her study, she found Jenna standing in the corner gazing out over the windy moorland. Emmeline sighed. She hoped by employing Jenna as her personal servant she could at least provide some protection for the girl, especially from Edwin's roaming hands. They always had an agreement he was forbidden from engaging her personal servants. It seemed to her that Jenna’s beauty proved too alluring for him to resist. If only he knew… She dare not tell him for then the girl’s life would surely be ruined. She gazed over Jenna’s profile, the proud high cheekbones still burning with anger at Edwin’s proposition. Emmeline wasn’t quite sure how she would handle this situation. Maybe she would wait and see the girl’s reaction to her first.

She walked over and opened the French doors leading to her rose garden. She gazed up at the sky. The storm clouds were beginning to cluster above Sharptor, the low rumblings of thunder a noisy prelude of what was to come.

“I think we may be in for a summer storm. I hope it will dry off for this evening. I am looking forward to being alone tonight. I should hate the men to miss their trip to Plymouth.”

* * * *

“I think it should pass over quickly, my lady,” Jenna answered nervously, wishing her mistress would broach the subject of Lord Edwin and get it over with.

Lady Emmeline turned to face her. “Will you take a walk with me, Jenna? There is something I think we need to discuss.”

Jenna nodded apprehensively, picking up the umbrella that lay by the door. She followed her mistress out to the rose garden. The wind began to whip up. A few rose petals already scattered across the graveled pathway winding around the various flower beds. They walked in silence until they reached the wrought iron bench at the edge of the flower bed.

Lady Emmeline sat, patting the seat next to her. “Please, sit.”

Jenna perched unsurely on the edge.

“Marriage is a strange thing, Jenna. You will find out that over time, how shall I say it, things change. Men have different needs then women. As we grow older we are quite happy occupying our time with more genteel hobbies, but men, well, they are different from us. Their desires are stronger than ours and they do not think of themselves as old men. Do you understand?”

Jenna nodded, uncertain of what Lady Emmeline was trying to say. Was she trying to make allowances for Lord Edwin, trying to excuse his behavior?

“Lord Edwin felt a little tired this morning, Jenna. You must pay no heed to him.”

Jenna stiffened. Pay no heed to him? The man was a beast, determined to have his way with her. Could Lady Emmeline really have no idea as to how lecherous her husband was? She fiddled nervously with her apron, unsure of how to answer.

“I can give you my word Edwin will not approach you in such a manner again.”

“Thank you, my lady.” Jenna gazed into Lady Emmeline’s eyes and noted the firm expression they held. It felt as though a great weight were lifted off her shoulders. She would, at least, be safe from Lord Edwin for the time being. Hopefully, before she knew it, she would be married with a baby to care for and not have to worry again.

A loud clap of thunder broke overhead and drops of rain began to fall, enlivening the scent of the rose petals. Jenna opened the umbrella and held it over Lady Emmeline’s head as they walked back toward the house.

Lady Emmeline turned her head up to the sky “I think we are in for a heavy downpour. Why don’t you take the afternoon off, get home before the rain sets in. I am sure you have much to prepare for the wedding.”

“Thank you, my lady”

“And borrow the umbrella. It may get heavier on your way.” Lady Emmeline called after her.

Jenna made her way along the moorland path, pleased she should be given the afternoon off, and pleased Lord Edwin’s promiscuous advances toward her had been discovered. She desperately needed to think about these strange feelings she woke with every morning, the pent up desire in her to break free from the confines she saw herself entering into. The scent of rain freshened up the stagnant moorland, tingeing the sun dried ferns with sparkles of green. The claps of thunder began to break louder over Jenna’s head as she hastened her step. They were surely in for a big thunderstorm. The sky turned an ominous grey with angry black clouds swirling overhead.

Jenna kept her head down as she made her way past the grazing sheep huddling together in preparation for the storm. A loud rumble crossed the sky. She heard the whinnying of a horse nearby. Looking up, she saw a grey stallion whose coat gleamed silver with rain drops, the wind whipping through his silky mane, the noise of the thunder seeming to fill him with anxiety.

“Jenna!”

She turned to see Sir Jack dismounting the stallion. She stood rooted to the ground, unable to move, as he strode over to her, a cross look on his face.