Lords of Retribution (Lords of Avalon series) (34 page)

Jack nodded
. “I will provide a letter to her father.”

“
I will vouch for your solid character.” Trevan winked at him.

Jac
k smiled. “Then it is settled.”

“Is it necessary for me to ask Lord
Stanbridge to hurry with his response?” Trevan queried.

Jack hesitated
. He looked about. All eyes were on him. He shifted uneasily. He had not pulled out any of the three times he made love to Tuesday, he may well have gotten her with child. “Yes. I would prefer to marry quickly.” He heard a snicker or two from his comrades.

Trevan nodded.
“I will ask for an immediate response. When can you have your letter written?” Trevan asked.

Jack removed a letter from his coat pocket
. He handed it to Trevan. “It is done. I was going to have you see it mailed for me.”

“Oh,
Jack,
you are already leg-shackled.” Wyldhurst clucked his tongue and rolled his eyes.

“Well
then, this matter is settled. Excuse me for a moment, gentlemen, while I retire to my study and write my letters and get these out to Lord and Lady Stanbridge to ease their worry as soon as can be.” Trevan rose from his chair.

“
Thank God you took the time to put the scrolls in leather tubes, Jack. It saved them from being ruined by the rain,” Harry spoke up.

Jack nodded
. “Being on horseback, I suspected I might encounter rain somewhere along the journey from Wiltshire to Cornwall. I stopped at Lyon’s home, Shevington Chase, and raided his library. I found the tubes there,” Jack lifted an amused eyebrow in Lyon’s direction.

“I just purchased those two months ago,” Lyon said. He added
with a sigh, “It’s good that you thought of them. The scrolls were saved.”

“You told me after you purchased them.” Jack
grinned at his friend.

“Tomorrow we will separate into groups and begin the translation of the scrolls in earnest
. Marrek can I count on you to help me with the translation of the Aramaic scrolls?” Trevan asked before he left the room.

“Abso
lutely. Creed can help as well,” Marrek offered.

“Wonderful,
” Trevan responded. “Marrek, would you give everyone the information you have about our
Reverend
friend while I am gone?”

“Of course.
” Marrek turned back to the others. “I knew him as Isaac Slaughter. He worked for the Department for two years before we discovered he was working against the Crown.”

“Was he in your line of work?” Harry asked.

Marrek nodded. “Yes. He’s also a skilled assassin. He fled the country when I found him out. If he has been in Cornwall for two months, there is a reason. He is being paid to do something, of this, I am certain. The question is, what is or was he doing and for whom? To become engaged to Wenna is not likely the reason for it.”

“
Perhaps he wanted to get close to Trevan or Gabriel, for Gabriel does live in St. Mabyn,” Micah posed. “Yet, he was engaged to Wenna, so perhaps he intended to call Trevan out.”

“
Either option could be possible,” Marrek added. “It seems it would be Gabriel or Trevan he was after.”

“It was Senny he took. He hit Wenna upon the
head and left her in the garden,” Owen offered.

“
It appears he could have been after Gabriel,” Lyon said.

“
But why? Why Trevan, or why Gabriel?” Marrek posed the question as much for himself as for as the others.

“He showed up four weeks before
we found the treasures in Glastonbury. If he is involved with the Knights of the Brown Order, why would he come to Cornwall if they were concerned with finding the treasure in Glastonbury?” Micah posed.

“Good question, Micah,
” Harry said. “It could be something completely unrelated. Does Gabriel have any enemies?”

“None
that I know of.” Marrek shrugged. “But we can’t rule out the possibility that Isaac could have even been after Senny or Wenna. It appears someone shot at Lady Tuesday. Why the ladies would be singled out, I do not know.”

“The Grand Knight
s of the Brown Order did threaten all of our families, our women and children. That was well after the Reverend arrived in St. Mabyn. They hurt Lady Wincanton and Lady Amesbury.” Jack thought for a moment then offered, “Perhaps the Reverend was set in place in Cornwall for another reason before Davitt reached Glastonbury, and found it conveniently fit into his plans to court Wenna,” he concluded with a shrug.

“We can’t
rule anything out at this point,” Micah said with a sigh. “We don’t truly know what these brown-coated fiends will do to obtain the scrolls. If what happened to Libby, Sophia, and now possibly Miss Senny and Lady Tuesday is any indication, they have no scruples about harming our ladies.”

“It would be helpful if we could rule out Gabriel and Trevan have no known enemies first,” Jack began, “then we would know if the women are being targeted
. We still don’t know if the incident with Senny and the shot fired at Tuesday are related.”

“
True. Marrek, can you ask Gabriel if he is aware of having any enemies?” Harry suggested.

“Gentlemen, we cannot ask anything of Gabriel right now
. Senny’s condition is grave. We try to give Gabriel hope. My sister, Aunt Morva and myself are beginning to doubt that Senny will make it through this. She grows weaker by the hour,” Marrek offered solemnly.

The library grew silent
. The gentlemen discussed the details of Senny’s abduction, her condition, and their worry for Gabriel until Trevan returned.

“I saw my mother in the h
all while making my way back. Zenny’s condition grows worse still,” Trevan informed them somberly. He shook his head. “Her fever has risen again.”

Trevan
looked to Marrek and asked solemnly, “You and Elowen are gifted in healing. You have both been with her most of the day. Should I prepare Wenna and Robert for the worst, Marrek?”

“Let’s wait un
til morning, Trevan. Either Senny will be improved or she will have declined. We will know which direction she is headed by morning. If she weakens, further you must prepare Wenna and Robert. I shall have to prepare Gabriel. When will Lanyon arrive?”

Trevan sighed
. “I do not expect Lanyon to arrive for several days more. After dinner, we will spend time with the ladies then retire early. We’ll meet in the library after breakfast and begin on translating the scrolls providing Zenny’s condition does not worsen.”

“Let’s collect the ladies
, shall we.” Harry rose. The others followed him from the library.

Jack nearly tripped over his own feet when he saw Tuesday across the parlor. He heard Lady St. Erth offer Tuesday the use of some of her gowns earlier. At her home, and no doubt under the dictates of her mother, Lady Tuesday had always worn modest, plain gowns befitting her station as an unmarried woman.

Tonight she wore a dark
bronze silk evening gown with a far lower décolleté than Jack had ever seen her wear. The gown hugged those breasts he already knew to be beautiful and emphasized her slenderness. Her skirts flared over the curve of her hips. Her hair was arranged in a top knot. Wispy, golden tendrils framed her fine-boned, oval face. Her French blue eyes were large and luminous as they found him. She gave him a brilliant smile.

Jack made his way toward her
. When he reached her side he whispered, “You look lovely, Tuesday.”

“Thank you, Jack.” Tuesday studied her handsome husband-to-be
. His wavy brown hair, the color of rich coffee, was neatly combed. He was clean-shaven. His golden brown eyes darkened to the color of deep amber as they swept across her bosom. Other than when they were alone in the tiny cottage, this was the first time Jack had ever looked at her
that way
. She liked knowing that Jack thought of her as a woman now and not Charlie’s little sister.

He was dressed in
formal black evening attire. An emerald pin winked from his pristine white cravat. He looked ever so handsome. When he offered his arm to lead her to dinner, Tuesday beamed up at him.

Jack hoped
that his lady would welcome him into her bed tonight. If not, he hoped they could be married
very
soon.

The ladies were busy preparing Senny for another cold bath. They had descended upon Gabriel after dinner. He refused to leave the room while they undressed her. He instructed them to leave her chemise on her while he and Marrek lowered her into the tub. He stood to the side waiting for them to undress her when he noticed a flash of glittering silver winking in the light of the lamp on the table beside the bed. It was a chain. He picked it up. A brilliant star sapphire pendant hung from the chain. “What is this?”

“It is Senny’s
. I removed it from her when Marrek first brought her home,” Elowen mentioned.

“Z
enny does not own something like this. I’ve never seen it.” Gabriel studied the fine star sapphire.

Trevan was helping Wenna into the room
at the same moment.

“That is not Senny’s,
” Wenna agreed with Gabriel.

“
I saw Michael sending energy into something that sparkled around her neck,” Marrek mentioned.

“He did
, cousin. I remember that as well.” Gabriel nodded. He felt hope stir in his chest. Had Archangel Michael given the star sapphire to Senny?

Rowena lifted
her chain and sword of St. Michael gifted to her by the Archangel on Glastonbury Tor to compare it to the chain Gabriel held. “The chains are the same, see how fine they are. Give it to me. It does indeed appear to be from Michael. I will put it back on her. She needs to wear it!” Rowena instructed in a hopeful tone.

Gabriel gave Rowena the chain
and watched her slip it over Senny’s head.

He and Marrek
lifted Senny from the bed and lowered her into the tub. She was so still and pale. Her chest rattled with every breath she took. His heart ached as he looked upon his love, so pale and lifeless. They held her in the cold water for some time. Gabriel made certain her wound did not get wet. As they removed her from the tub, Marrek turned his back. Gabriel held her in his arms while the ladies removed her wet chemise. Four ladies hurriedly dried her with soft towels before easing her into a clean nightrail. Gabriel slipped her into the bed. He stoked up the fire. They covered her in warm blankets.

Gabriel removed to his room to
bathe and change into clean clothing while the ladies fussed over Senny. He would stay with his Senny during the night. No one would dare stop him. He had to be there to make certain she survived the night.

His heart sank as he realized he felt
the need to be there with her if she succumbed to the infection as well. He could not bear for her to be alone if – well, he refused to think about such a thing.

He sighed heavily and wil
led the negative thoughts away. She was going to live through this – she had to! She would live through the night. He would will her to live.

He took se
veral moments to pray that she lived. He could not imagine his life without her. He called on Archangel Michael to send Zenny the strength and will she needed to come through this.

The ladies were gone
when he returned. Marrek sat in the chair beside the bed. He rose when Gabriel entered through the connecting door.

Marrek cleared his throat then spoke,
“Gabriel, if Senny has not improved by tomorrow morning, I think you should prepare yourself for-”

“No!” Gabriel’s voice boomed
. He held up his hand. He shook his head. “I can never prepare myself for Zenny to leave me. I will not give up on her as everyone else seems to have done.”

Marrek laid a hand on his arm
. “We have not given up on her, cousin. We all want her to live and we are all praying fervently that she does. We all are worried for you too.”

Gabriel nodded
. “Thank you, Marrek. I am sorry I snapped at you.”

“No apology
needed, Gabriel. Were you able to connect with her?”

“Partially
. I saw her walking uphill through a heavy mist this time. She could not hear me. She disappeared over the top of the hill and was nowhere to be seen when I reached the top.”

Marrek rubbed his jaw as he
pondered on what Gabriel said for a few moments. He looked to Gabriel and spoke, “Perhaps I can use my gift.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed
. “You speak to the dead.”

“True
, but Senny seems to be in between death and life at the moment. Perhaps if we try together, we can reach her.”

Gabriel
thought for a moment then nodded slowly. “Yes, I see the wisdom in what you propose. Let’s try.”