Lords of Retribution (Lords of Avalon series) (13 page)

He kissed the
pink spot on her forehead where Morva’s palm had connected with her skin. “Aunt Morva said the visions come from your forehead as well. How are you feeling now?”

She nodded slowly.
“I suppose my gift did save lives tonight. It is a good thing, you are correct, Gabriel. I certainly feel better than I did earlier. Thank you.” She yawned, “I suppose I am a bit sleepy.”

“Lie down
, Zenny try to sleep.” Gabriel instructed softly as he helped her ease back against her pillows. “I’ll be right next door.”

“
Could you stay for just a little while? I don’t want the visions to come back,” Senny pleaded.

Gabriel knew he could not sleep with her, but he also knew she was frightened
. He had never seen anyone so affected by anything. It had scared him, to see Senny so. Her heart had been beating so rapidly as he carried her up the stairs, he actually feared she would expire as he held her.

He poured another glass of brandy for e
ach of them. “Have some more, Zenny. I will stay with you for a bit.” He intended to stay with her until she fell asleep. Then he would go to his room and leave the connecting door open so he could hear her if she cried out. He wanted to check on his family, but he knew if they needed him, Trevan would send for him. Everyone was worried about Senny. They all knew he could calm her better than anyone could.

Senny drank the brandy
, offering only a small grimace this time. Gabriel drained his glass.

He sat o
n the bed with his back against the headboard. After a time, Senny slept. Her sleep was fitful. She whimpered and trembled occasionally. Once, a sob racked her chest.

Gabriel finally decided to lie down beside her when she
cried out in her sleep. He pulled her against him and tucked her head beneath his chin. She calmed after a time. He decided there would be no harm in his dozing beside her until she rested peacefully.

Hours later, Trevan sat with his brothers, Tremayne and Tristan, in his study.

It was nearly four o’clock in the morning.

“Our raiding party took out seven of the guards they left behind after the attack. The rest fled,” Tremayne, three years Trevan’s junior, and three years Tristan’s senior, spoke.

“The broken drawing room and library windows were boarded up, so was the side door that was kicked
in. The drawing room doors are closed. No one will be allowed in there until the room is cleaned and repaired. Mother will make arrangements tomorrow for the room to be painted in the coming weeks,” Tristan provided.

“There’s a good chance they
attacked Horethorne Hall as well. I hope our colleagues in Somerset fared as well as we did. No deaths for us, five injuries, all will recover.” Trevan sat behind his desk.

“Thanks to Zenny,
” Tristan added.

“We owe many
thanks to Zenny. It could have been much worse had they surprised us. As it was, we were able to alert the outside guard before the Brown Coats arrived. That saved us, I think,” Trevan agreed.

“The constable will come for the bodies in t
he morning,” Tremayne provided.

“What of the prisoners?” Trevan asked.

“They were thoroughly questioned and are now locked up. One did not survive,” Tremayne rose from his chair.

“Why?” Trevan raised his brow and looked at Tremayne.

“Ask our cousin, August. He was questioning him at the time,” Tremayne shrugged.

“I will
. Let’s get a few hours of sleep. There is much to take care of here tomorrow.” Trevan sighed heavily.

“Wenna! What are you still doing up?” Trevan asked as he came up the stairs. He found his lady walking down the corridor.

“Your mother and I just finished tending your wounded cousins
. All are sleeping soundly. The Surgeon feels everyone will recover nicely.”

“Good.” Trevan smiled at her. “Oh, damn!” Trevan turned to Tremayne who
still followed behind him. “Tremayne, can you take some men tomorrow morning and bring cousin Elowen from Penhallow. I’d forgotten Daveth is presently in London. Marrek would skin us alive if harm came to her. We promised him we’d look out for her while he is out of the country.”

Tremayne nodded, “I will.” He and Tristan turned down the corridor leading to their rooms.

“How is Zenny?” Trevan asked as he and Wenna continued on to the end of the corridor where the ducal apartments were located.

Wenna shook her head, “Oh dear, I forgot all about Gabriel and Senny
. I suppose we should look in on them.”

Trevan nodded
.

He opened the door to Senny’s room
.

A candle still burned on the table beside the bed
. Gabriel slept upon the bed in his trousers and shirt. Senny was beneath the covers yet she was nestled against him.

“I hate that Senny suffers so with her abilities. Sometimes I think t
hey harm her more than help her,” Wenna whispered sadly.

“She saved us tonight, Wenna
. That is for certain.”

“Should I wake Gabriel?” Wenna looked to Trevan.

“No. I have never seen anyone as frightened as Zenny was tonight. I am certain that is why Gabriel is with her. He does not want her to wake and be afraid.” Trevan blew out the candle after Wenna pulled the coverlet over Gabriel. “We’ll leave them as they are. None will know save us.”

“Let’s go to bed
.” Wenna took his hand and pulled him toward the door.

“We will be sleeping tonight woman, I’ll no doubt wake you
in several hours, though,” Trevan whispered as they stepped into the hall. “What of Robert?”

“Your mother and I checked on him hours ago
. He was sleeping,” Wenna informed him.

Wenna leaned against Trevan as they entered
her bedchamber together.

They undressed, shared a long, sweet kiss, and fell asleep in one another’s arms.

Gabriel stirred when he heard Senny whimper
. Her hands were flailing beneath the covers. Gabriel couldn’t get to her hands because he lay on top of the bedding.

He stood from
the bed, and slid beneath the covers. He put his arms around Senny and pulled her back against his chest then captured her hands in his to keep her still. “Shh, Zenny, love. You’re safe. I’m here,” Gabriel whispered into her ear. She settled almost immediately. Gabriel placed a kiss against her hair and snuggled against her soft warmth. Just before sleep overtook him, he decided it felt very good to sleep with Senny in his arms. He rather liked it.

When Senny woke, Gabriel was gone. She was alone in her bed. She knew he had slept with her, for she woke once to find him curled against her and his arms snugly around her. She savored the feeling of sleeping in his arms.

She had washed, dressed and sat brushing her hair
in her dressing room when a knock sounded on her chamber door.

“Z
enny?”

It was Gabriel
.

“Yes?”

“Are you decent?”

“Yes, I am dressed
,” she called out.

Gabriel opened her bedchamber door
. He spotted her through the open door leading the Lady’s dressing room. He was happy to see her looking well. In fact, she looked very well. She wore a deep blue-green gown that nearly matched the color of her eyes. Her loose golden hair gleamed in the sunlight coming through the window and hung like silk about her. Gabriel realized he had been silent far too long.

“How are you feeling
this morning?”

“A little tired, Gabriel, but otherwise I am fine.
Have I missed breakfast?” she asked him. “It is late.”

Her brilliant smile warmed him
. Memories of holding her in his arms did as well. “No, I came to see if you would join me or if you wanted a tray sent to you. I did not know how you would feel this morning. The household slept late. Breakfast will be served in a quarter of an hour.”

“I assume with what happened last evening
, Wenna has our maid busy downstairs. I must put my hair up. I’ll be a few minutes.”

“I’ll wait.
” Gabriel realized he should leave her rooms, but instead he sat in a chair and watched Senny at the vanity through the open door to the dressing room. He watched as she quickly arranged her hair into her usual coiffure. He knew her golden hair to feel like silk, it was every bit as soft as it looked. He longed to run his hands through it at that moment. Though the style she fashioned was simple, it looked lovely on her. He thought she always looked beautiful.

The only accurate word Gabriel could think of to describe her
was sylphlike. She was tall, and slender. Though she had curves in the right places, she was fine-boned and pale-skinned. She moved so gracefully, she appeared to float as she walked.

Whenever Gabriel was near her, he felt at peace
. Unless of course, he was kissing her, then he grew mad with uncontrollable lust for her.

He was so absorbed
in his thoughts he realized Senny had finished and was walking toward him.

“Shall we go down?” Gabriel realized his voice sounded rather husky
as he rose.

“Yes.
I’m famished.” Senny smiled as she took the arm he offered.

..

The lower floor was noisy as everyone made their way to the long gallery where the massive sideboards would be filled with breakfast foods. There were now about sixty Chynoweth family members and their families in residence.

M
any greeted him and Senny as they made their way to breakfast. Gabriel felt Senny stiffen beside him. He looked to her. “What’s wrong?”

“Everyon
e is staring at me this morning,” she whispered.

“I did not notice.” Gabriel looked about
. Many of his and Trevan’s relatives were looking at them as they walked across the massive entrance hall into the corridor leading into the dining room. “They don’t mean anything by it if they are staring, Zenny. All know it was your vision that saved us during the night.”

“Oh,
” Senny exhaled heavily. “Do you suppose they think me odd?”

“No!” Gabriel smiled down at her
. “You are not odd. If they stare, it is because they know you were the one who saved us during the wee hours of the morning. Menadue is the seat of the Chynoweths, and you are like family. You will always be welcomed here. Besides, I think I just realized why we are being stared at, Zenny.” He grinned down at her.

“Why?” Curious
, she looked up at him.

He caressed her
fingers, still enfolded in the warmth of his hand. “I neglected to let go of your hand and put it upon my arm before we came downstairs.”

“Oh,” Senny tried to slip her fingers from his hand
. She looked to Gabriel with a curious expression when he tightened his grip on her fingers, keeping them exactly where they were.

“We are
among friends and family. Let them say what they will. If I want to hold your hand while we are here at Menadue, I shall. We are soon to be wed, in any case.” He grinned at her and gave her a wink. She gave him a brilliant smile in return. Gabriel was certain his heart skipped a beat when she did.

Ensconced in the library that afternoon, the gentlemen spoke about the attack on Menadue the night before.

“There’s not a brown coat for miles around
,” Jonas Lanphear announced. “Some of our folk down Bodmin saw them leaving late this morning. More than twenty riders in brown coats and hats went north. Before leaving they asked for the most direct route to Yeovil, in Somerset.”

“Templecombe is just beyond Yeovil. So, it appears with the arrival of more men at Menadue yesterday and this morning, they have decided to leave us alone. Chances are they’ll be to Templecombe before I can get a letter to Micah and Harry. Their numbers are small at Horethorne Hall,” Trevan sighed heavily. “We need to send at least a dozen men to Templecombe now. We can send more when the rest of the Michelmores and Iveys arrive tomorrow or the next day.”

Gabriel suddenly had a strong feeling he should go to Templecombe.
He did not know why, but he felt he should. “I will go, Trevan. I’ll take my brother, Thomas, and ten men.”

Thomas Chynoweth,
who closely resembled his elder brother save his hair was lighter and his eyes were darker, nodded. “I will join you.”

“Very good
, Gabriel. I will send a messenger ahead this instant in hopes he can beat the Brown Coats to Horethorne Hall. I’ll set Diggory to gathering the supplies you will need. You’ll travel light for a wagon shall slow you down. I’ll be gone but a few minutes. When I get back, we’ll come up with our plan. In the meantime, Gabriel, send your man to pack for you and study the map to see if there is a short-cut that might get you to Templecombe faster than the route taken by our brown-coated friends.”