Lords of Retribution (Lords of Avalon series) (15 page)

“Is it because of what others say about her
? You know her better than anyone, Gabriel. Although she is different, she has the full capacity of her mind. It is merely her gifts that people take notice of and condemn her for.”

“I am fully aware of that, Aunt Morva. I have never considered Zenny to be any less than I am.”

Morva nodded. She shook her head. “You can’t tell whether you’re in love with her or not?” Morva gave him a mysterious little smile. She certainly had her suspicions. Gabriel loved her. He just didn’t know it yet.

“I don’t know.
I care for her very much but I am unsure of the depth of my feelings.”

Morva laid her hand on his arm
. “You’ll realize soon, most likely while you are in Templecombe. Being separated from her may give you the answer you need.”

“You mean, if I miss her, I’ll know?
”

Morva nodded
. “Well, there’s missing someone and there is
missing
someone with every fiber of your being. You’ll know soon, Gabriel, you’re an intelligent young man. It will come to you soon.” Morva patted his arm.

“I hope so.
” Gabriel didn’t tell his aunt he would marry Senny anyway to keep her and Robert in St. Mabyn with him. If there was one thing he knew his life would be bleak and empty without Senny in it. “And you know, Aunt, I’m not that young anymore. I’m Trevan’s age.”

“You will all always be young to me!” Morva
smiled. “The bags are ready. There’s not a lot of food for there isn’t much room. There is enough to get all of you to Templecombe without starving. Mostly cook’s pasties.”

“Thank you, Aunt!
” Gabriel kissed his aunt’s cheek again. “You know I love cook’s pasties!”

Senny joined Trevan, his brothers, Wenna and Aunt Morva on the drive to watch Gabriel and his party leave.

Gabriel’s
deep brown hair, streaked with gold was longer than most men kept their hair, but Senny liked it that way. His light blue gaze warmed as it met hers. He gave her a wide grin.

“I’ll return soon, Z
enny.” He reached out and gave her upper arm a gentle squeeze. He wanted to kiss those full lips but he couldn’t in company.

“I’ll see you soon
.” Senny looked into his eyes and returned his smile.

“Yes, you will.”
He winked at her then turned to mount his black gelding.

Gabriel
looked to Senny one last time, waved to his family and turned his mount toward the medieval entry gates.

As he and his men began their journey to Templecombe, he savored the words his aunt spoke to
him earlier. She was certain Senny was in love with him. Knowing that Senny might be in love with him made him very happy.

Senny did miss Gabriel, yet she managed to keep busy as the days passed. She and Wenna helped Aunt Morva whenever they could. Menadue was bursting at the seams with guests. She spent her free time with her sister and Grandfather, or her new friend, Elowen. There were several times she joined Trevan’s sisters Tamsin and Tressa, or Great Aunt Demelza.

She was making her way to the tiny little parlour where she sought solace from the crowds and noise
. Upon nearing one of the larger morning parlours, she distinctly heard her name mentioned along with Gabriel’s. She recognized the voice of the speaker. It was Rosamund Ivey, the young, new wife of one of Trevan and Gabriel’s cousins. Curious, she stopped to listen.

“I daresay, the ton would laugh Senny
Penrose right out of London if Gabriel chose her for a wife. Surely he is not seriously considering her.”

“I’m quite certain
Gabriel doesn’t care what the ton thinks, cousin Rosamund.” Senny recognized Tamsin Chynoweth’s voice. Tamsin continued, “I think Gabriel is considering taking Senny to wife, and why should he not. She’s a dear, sweet girl and she’s so lovely.”

“She is backward and odd and
he
is touted as the most handsome, eligible bachelor in all of England. Your brother, the Duke, is considered the most eligible catch of the upcoming Season, but your cousin is next in line behind him. A man like St. Mabyn is expected to take a diamond of the first water to wife, not some freakish thing like Senny Penrose. Why my sister Gwynne would do him much better as a wife, she is far more polished.”

“I’ve had enough of this conversation, Rosamund
. The Penroses are soon to be our family and we all adore Senny here at Menadue. We will welcome Senny into our family with open arms!” Tamsin said heatedly.

Tressa two years Tamsin’s junior spoke up, “Dear Senny
shall not be abused so within the walls of our home. You should remember Wenna and Senny’s mother, Ailla, was my own mother’s dearest friend. Enough of this horrible subject, I say! We will not discuss it any further. We will not allow it, will we Tamsin?”

“No
! I daresay we shall not,” Tamsin agreed. She then added, “Besides, all can see Gabriel adores our Senny. He would have no other.”

Senny heard the rustle of skirts
from within the room. She took a step forward, intending to walk on by the door to get to the other room before her presence was discovered. Then she stopped. The old Senny would run and hide. Yet now, because she realized her gifts were not a curse but a means to help people, she squared her shoulders and walked right into the morning parlor. Rosamund and her sister Gwynne gasped. Tamsin and Tressa offered her wide smiles.

“Good morning, Tamsin,
Tressa, Mrs. Ivey and Miss Poole. Mrs. Ivey, I couldn’t help but overhear your words as I was walking by. I shall be happy to tell you that Gabriel has proposed to me. I have accepted. We have not yet fixed a date for we are waiting for my sister and the Duke to set their wedding date. I assure you that Gabriel does not think me backward or freakish. He understands my gifts. He possesses gifts of his own.”

Her cousin Tamsin grinned at her. Tressa giggled.

Rosamund Ivey choked on her tea. Her sister Gwynne’s cheeks turned as red as a beet.

Someone approached Senny from behind.

“As a matter of fact, my cousin Gabriel asked me to take care of his dear Senny for him in his absence. He told me he shall miss her terribly and he wanted to make certain she had company while he was away,” Elowen said as she came up beside Senny.

Rosamund was still coughing and sputtering on her tea.

Elowen continued, “Cousin Rosamund, you’re positively green in color. You poor dear, you’ve nearly choked to death. Your color is absolutely horrid. You’ve gone from green to white in mere seconds. The loss of air while you choked may have affected your health. I suggest you go to your chamber at once and lie down. You must rest.”

“Oh, I don’t feel
at all well, now that you mention it.” Rosamund placed a hand on her chest as she rose from her chair. “I do feel rather light-headed. If you’ll excuse me.”

Her sister followed her
from the room without saying a word.

Tamsin laughed
in amusement. Her sister joined her.

Elowen rubbed Senny’s arm, “Don’t listen to a word Rosamund says, Senny, I assure you
, none of us do.”

“We
don’t’ listen to her, Senny. Not at all. As Elowen said, neither should you. Besides, it is quite clear that Gabriel is positively mad about you. He can’t keep his eyes from you. You have nothing at all to worry about,” Tamsin agreed.

Senny mu
lled over what Rosamund had said. Rosamund was from Truro, and not well liked by most of the Chynoweths or their other cousins. She kept her new husband in London most of the year, and looked down her nose at her Cornish kin.

“It is true, Senny, mama says Gabriel is in love with you
. She can tell, you know,” Tressa offered with a wide smile.

Senny smiled
. Gabriel had never said he loved her. Oh, she knew he cared for her, and that they were dear friends. She savored the words Tressa had just spoken, that he might truly love her. She fervently hoped it was true.

“Senny and I were going to walk to the conservatory, would you like to join us?” Elowen looked to her cousins.

“Yes, of course,” Tamsin said. She and her sister joined the pair and together the four of them made their way toward the conservatory.

“There you are, my love!” Trevan whispered as he bent close to Wenna, managing to kiss the edge of her ear in the process.

“There are people everywhere, Trevan!” Although Wenna’s tone was scolding, there was a mischievous twinkle in her blue-gray eyes.

“That may be true, however, Great Aunt Demelza can’t see this far. Mother’s back is to us, and Aunt Beryn is far too busy concentrating on her cream tea. In fact, she’s positively drooling over cook’s jam. As for Zenny and Elowen, neither one would say a word.” Trevan’s eyes twinkled.

“Surely you are not finished with all of your work
. Last I saw of you Trevan, you were buried beneath piles of paper.”

“No, Wen Pen, I have not
yet finished my work. The estate manager just left. I came to see my betrothed, to let her know how much I love her and to make certain she knows that I am thinking of her, even though I cannot spend time with her.”

Wenna smiled happily
. “Thank you, Trevan.” She gave him a sultry smile.

“You can thank me tonight,
” Trevan whispered as he winked at her. “I know too well what kind of look that is.”

“Oh?” Wenna feigned ignorance
. “And what kind of look would that be?”

“The kind that tells me we shall be up most of the night…again.”
He raised a brow at her.

Wenna socked his arm with her fist
. “You are incorrigible!”

Trevan grinned
broadly, as he whispered, “And you are insatiable!”

Once
again, Wenna’s fist pounded against the hard muscle in his arm. Trevan’s laughter followed her futile attempt.

“Oh!” She stomped her foot in frustration.

“I will see you at dinner, Miss Penrose.” Trevan managed to place a quick peck to her cheek before he quickly turned and walked off, leaving her smiling after him.

Wenna sighed ha
ppily. She so loved that man.

Wenna was making her way to the stairs to go up and change for dinner when Diggory, the butler, found her.

“You’ve a visitor Miss Penrose
. I put him in the small parlour across from the drawing room.”

“Who could be calling
for me here?”

“A Reverend John Madingly from St. Mabyn, Miss.”

Wenna frowned. “Very well. I can’t imagine what he wants. I’ll take care of it. Thank you Diggory.”

“You’re welcome, Miss.”

“Mr. Madingly.
” Wenna greeted him with cool politeness as she entered the small parlour.

John Madingly turned from the window
. “Ah, Miss Penrose. You look well. I came to see how you are faring here. And I have some, ah, news to share with you.”

“I am very well
. We all are.” Wenna motioned for him to sit. She made a point to sit far away from him.

“I heard you are to be congratulated on your upcoming marriage to the Duke.”

“Yes, thank you,” Wenna said curtly.

“I must be frank, Miss Penrose, for I am concerned by news I
recently heard. Knowing that you are to marry the Duke, I decided that I simply must tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“It’s somewhat of an indelicate subject. I am reluctant to speak of it.”

“You wouldn’t be here Mr. Madingly if you didn’t come to tell me
something. Please get on with it.” Wenna rolled her eyes.

“Perhaps we could take a stroll in the garden,” he suggested.

“That is out of the question, sir. You may tell me your news here, in the parlour,” Wenna narrowed her gaze upon him.

“Very well
.” The Reverend said crisply. His eyes flashed as he continued, “It has come to my attention that the Duke has a mistress in Truro. Their arrangement began after he returned from Glastonbury and continues to this day. She has not been paid off, and the, ah, woman says he has made no mention of such even in light of his upcoming nuptials.”

Wenna gave a nervous laugh
. “I am not going to end my engagement with the Duke based on gossip repeated in the parlour, Mr. Madingly. Good day to you, sir.” Wenna rose from her seat.

“I assure you, it is not gossip
. The woman herself was in St. Mabyn to visit her ill mother who is a shopkeeper. As a Reverend, I can tell you that sometimes parishioners bare their souls when they are troubled. I heard it straight from her lips as it were. She does not wish to give up the Duke, for he pays her well for her services. Her conscience was troubling her, you see, since she knew he was taking you as a wife.”

“What is her name?”

“I – I should not tell you. She confided in me and-”

Wenna interrupted him,
“
What is her name?
” Wenna tried to sound nonchalant, though she realized she was gritting her teeth.

“Her name is Janet Dinham.
As you know, she is the daughter of Mrs. Dinham at the Bakery. I told you only because I still have some feelings for you, Miss Penrose. Unlike you, I have not completely recovered from our broken engagement.” Madingly swallowed hard and cast his eyes downward.

“Thank you for telling me, Mr. Madingly
. Now I must ask that you leave.”

“What
are you doing here, Madingly?” Trevan’s voice boomed as he entered the parlour. He glared at the Reverend.

“I – I came to check on Miss Penrose
, Your Grace.”

“She is in excellent health
, as you see, sir, and she is soon to be my wife. There is no need for you to concern yourself with her well-being. My fiancée is no longer any concern of yours,” Trevan informed the unwanted visitor in a warning tone.

“Mr. Madingly!
That was not the reason you came. You came to spread vicious gossip about the Duke, and I insist you tell him what you just told me.” Wenna crossed her arms and glowered at Madingly. There was no reason to believe what Madingly said was true. Trevan had spent most of his time at Callywith after returning from Glastonbury. After she broke her engagement to the Vicar, Trevan had spent most of his time with her. There hadn’t been time for him to have a mistress in Truro.

“Tell me, Madingly,
” Trevan’s voice remained calm, but there was no mistaking that the Duke had issued a command.

Madingly’s
thin lips turned upward in a sardonic grin. “If you insist, Your Grace.” He gave a stiff bow. “I was told by a Miss Janet Dinham of Truro that you hired her to be your mistress and as of yet, not even with the news of your forthcoming wedding, have you paid her off.”

“Get out!”
Trevan said in a low menacing tone. He pointed to the parlour door.

“I was
merely concerned over Miss Pen-”

Trevan’s booming voice interrupted him, “
Miss Penrose,
my
fiancée, is no concern of yours. Leave now!”

His brother
, Tremayne, entered the room at that moment. His gray-green eyes moved from his brother to the obviously unwanted guest.

Trevan looked to him
. “Tremayne, escort the Vicar out, please. Make certain he leaves the premises,” his voice was low and menacing.

Tremayne nodded to his brother
. He reached over, took the vicar by the arm and ushered him toward the door. “This way, sir.”

Wenna smiled at Trevan after Tremayne escorted Madingly from the room
. “I knew he was lying. He must think me incredibly ignorant. You don’t have time for a mistress.”