Lord Greyton's Fall From Grace (Lords of Avalon Novella Series) (16 page)

Grace was happy to meet them all, yet at the same time it made her quite sad to realize Owen
would leave
in just
three days
and be gone for three long months
.

Owen happily introduced Grace to his friends
.
Libby,
Charlie and his sisters along with Matthias also joined their party.

It was a large group who sat in the drawing room
.

“So you are not going to Italy, Lord Sharpham?” Owen’s sister, Libby, asked Harry Bellingham, Viscount Sharpham.

“I am afraid not, Lady Elizabeth, for I have much business in London to tend to after a brief sojourn with my family in Glastonbury
.
I merely came to Roseland to see my colleagues off and bring
some of the necessary
paperwork they
will
require
upon their arrival in Italy
,
” Harry supplied
.

“You’re actually going to make it to Glastonbury this
summer
, Harry?” Micah Wychcombe, Lord Wincanton
,
asked.

“Oh, yes
.
It would seem last summer a local Glastonbury woman had the notion that she’d like to dig up
the Abbey looking for
treasure
she
believes
was
hidden before
the Dissolution
.
I was in London
at the time, but
father was quite perturbed by her asking
.
He cannot leave London
until next week
, so he wishes me to
be there until he can arrive
.
He fears she will return to petition again for permission to dig on the grounds
.
My mother knows the woman and I think father fears mother may give in to her
requests
.
”
Harry
shrugged
.

“
Treasure
!
From the Dissolution
?
”
It is entirely possible, Harry
.
Glastonbury was the last Abbey standing in Somerset and if memory serves, the last Abbot Richard Whiting
may have
had time to hide away some of the treasures
.
Glastonbury, if not the wealthiest Abbey in England at that time was-“

“Mic
ah!
” Harry interrupted him.

“
Yes, Harry?” Micah questioned,
look
ing
at
Harry
in irritation
.

“I’m sure the ladies do not wish to hear a dissertation on the dissolution of Glastonbury Abbey.”

“My apologies, ladies.” Micah gave a nod.
He leaned back in his chair and resumed a glum expression.
He rolled his eyes.

“I think it
’s very interesting information,
” Libby said. “I should like to dig on the Abbey grounds
as well
.
It does sound plausible
that there could be treasure from the Dissolution still hidden in the Abbey ruins.
I agree with Lord Wincanton.”

Micah smiled at her.
He raised an eyebrow toward Harry
.
“I
too
would like to dig on the Abbey grounds, Lady Elizabeth, but that will never happen
.
Harry’s father, Lord Glaston, forbids it, as Harry has told me many times.”

Harry glowered at Micah
.

“What?” Micah shrugged.

“I don’t think the ladies are interested in the history of the Abbey
at Glastonbury
.
” Harry provided.

Micah
gave
Harry
a sharp look
.
“Lady Elizabeth, since
you
do
have an interest in the topic, perhaps you will join me for a walk in the garden and we can discuss the possibilities of treasure buried at Glastonbury
.”

“I would love to, Lord Wincanton
.”
Libby rose
, smiled
and took Wincanton’s
offered
arm
.

Harry’s gaze rested on the lovely Miss Brackenridge
who sat on the settee
across
from where he stood
.
When Owen came to stand beside him, Harry said
in a low tone
, “Your neighbor, Miss Brackenridge is quite lovely.”

“She is and she’s mine.” Owen grinned at Harry.

“Oh,
” Harry sighed in disappointment
.
“I
was thinking of
tak
ing
her for a stroll.”

“I’m going to marry her when I return from Italy, so you are not allowed to take her for a stroll, Harry
.
Because I know you, and I know you cannot keep your hands to yourself.”

“Married?” Harry grimaced
.
“Y
ou’ve been moonstruck, man
!
I c
ouldn’t
possibly
think of marriage yet
.”
Harry shuddered
.
“I need a brandy
just at the mention of marriage
.
I think I’ll hie off to the study
and pour myself one
.
”

When Owen saw Lyon sit amongst the l
adies, he made his way over
.
Lyon
boldly sat
in the chair
next to
the settee where
Grace
sat
.

“So you are a neighbor to Greyton
and Lady Elizabeth?” Lyon
Ravenscroft, the Earl of Amesbury
,
flashed
his legendary grin while he gazed upon
Grace
.

“Y
es,
I am,
my Lord,
” Grace answered Lord Amesbury’s question
.
As Owen sat beside her she
turned her attention to him and gave her man
a bright smile
.

Lyon saw the smile exchanged between the two
.
He detected Owen’s possessiveness
in the glare sent his way
.

“We were taking
our
morning ride before you arrived
.
‘Tis why I was not here to greet you
upon your arrival
,
Lyon
,
” Owen said pointedly.

“Ah! Well, I think I shall joi
n Harry in the study.”
Frowning,
Lyon stood
and sauntered out
of the drawing room
.

Jonathan “Jack” Drayton, Lord Elveston, sat talking with Matthias and Charlie.

After a time Owen and the ladies rose
from the sitting area
and
ventured out onto
on the veranda
.

Charlie
’s sister Tuesday
approached
the group of gentlemen
.

“Perhaps you gentlemen would care to join us for a walk in the garden?”
Tuesday, dressed in a demure confection of pale blue, her golden hair perfectly coiffed, her blue eyes bright, asked them sweetly.

Jack did not miss that her eyes rested on him at the last.
Nor did he miss the slight pink blush that tinged her cheeks
.
Lady
Tuesday had grown into a beauty, of that there was no question
.
She was young still, probably one and twenty
.
And though his eyes were always drawn to her,
for she was blessed with quite a nice figure;
and he conversed
briefly
with her often when in her company, he was not interested in marriage
.
He supposed he might seek her attentions if he was so inclined, but he was not
.

At present he kept
an entrancing mistress in London who kept him wel
l-sated
.
And there were a half
–
dozen or so amorous and attractive
matrons whom he entertained in
out of the way
darkened
rooms
during the balls and parties of the Season
.
The thought of marriage definitely dampened his spirits
.

“I must decline your inv
itation, Lady Tuesday
.
I’
m
to
join Harry and Lyon in
Greyton’s study
.
We have a great deal of business to discuss before our departure
.”

Jack did not miss the disappointment in Lady Tuesday’s eyes
.
He felt a small pang of regret at being the cause
of the
light in her
French
blue eyes dimm
ing
so
.

“I shall join you, Lady Tuesday.” Matthias
offered his arm
.
“Come let’s join Owen
and the ladies, shall we?
”

“I’ll be along in a
moment
, brat.” Charlie winked at his sister.

Tuesday smiled at her brother
.

When Charlie and Jack were alone, Charlie
spoke, “I must caution you once again, Jack
.
Tuesday still has a tendre for you.”

Jack shrugged, “I am always kind to her, Charlie
.
I would never dally with your sister, this you know
.
And I am certainly not heading to the altar
.
She is safe from me.”

“I saw how you were looking at her just now, Jack, and I didn’t like it.” Charlie shook a warning finger at him.

“I could not help but look at her, Charlie
!
She
stood
right in front of me
!”
Tuesday, obviously an
innocent
,
possessed the body of a woman
.
It was a contrast, yet
a
heady mixture
if ever there was one
.
“I always treat your sister with the utmost politeness, as you
are
well
aware.
”

“I shall join m’sisters
in the garden
.
You
are free to
join the others in the study.” Charlie
stood
.
“It was just a reminder, J
ack
.
I know you’d never dally with or hurt one of my sisters
.
I do apprec
iate the fact that you treat Tuesday
with kindness.
”

Jack nodded and took himself
in the direction of
the study.
Lady Tuesday was nothing but trouble
for him
.
No longer a girl, now a woman he
apparently found attractive for he
caught
himself watching her often upon his
recent
arrival to Roseland
; she was still and always would be Charlie’s sister
.
A dalliance would end badly for them both; and marriage would be the end of him. Lady Tuesday was
most
definitely trouble
.

Later that evening
, after dinner, Wednesday
played the pianoforte
so the party could partake in dancing
.

Owen had been attentive to
Grace
the entire day
.
Now, as Grace whirled in his arms, she allowed herself to think about the night ahead
.
Owen would come to her.

“Are you feeling well Grace, after…
this morning?
” Owen searched her eyes and face for any signs of distress.

“I am fine, Owen, as I told you not an hour ago
!”
Grace grinned up at him.