Lords of Retribution (Lords of Avalon series) (48 page)

Micah frowned
. It was clear to all he was itching to find this stone.

“You will just have to wait, Micah,” Libby smiled up at her husband.

“Yes, sweetheart, I know,” Micah sighed heavily. Yet he offered his wife a loving smile and a wink.

He
then looked to Jack, “I was told the ladies took very good care of Lady Tuesday in your absence. Lady St. Erth provided a suitable gown for her to wear for your wedding tomorrow, and they supervised the alterations so she will make a lovely bride. They kept her very busy. Libby told me all about it. You worried for nothing Jack.”

Tuesday smiled up at Jack.
“You were worried about me?”

He returned her smile.
“A little.”

“I was fine,” Tuesday was happy to know Jack had thought of her
while he was away. It gave her hope.

Jack saw something in those French blue eyes. Happiness
? Joy? He guessed that perhaps the thought that he worried about her had pleased her.

A year
ago, something like that would have scared him back into bachelorhood. At the first sign any of his former female acquaintances became possessive or comfortable, he bolted, immediately ending the liaison.

Not
this time. Everything with Tuesday was so different. He reasoned he was looking forward to a lifetime of pleasing his soon to be wife. Why everything was so different with Tuesday, he couldn’t say. He just knew that it was. More surprisingly, he liked what was between them. He relished their intimacy, their comfortableness with each other. He enjoyed every second he spent with her.

“Tuesday has been so excited about the
wedding. Look at her. She’s positively glowing,” Rowena smiled.

Jack saw Tuesday’s cheeks
redden. The glow they both sported walking into the library was from their recent bout of lovemaking, of that he was certain. “Yes, my lady is glowing.” He grinned as Tuesday lifted a warning brow at him.

Clearing his throat he continued,
“The wedding is tomorrow. Tuesday’s parents should be arriving sometime this afternoon,” Jack gave Tuesday another devilish grin. He was eager for the ceremony to be behind them. Then Tuesday would be his, in every way. She’d have his name, be his Countess, be his lifetime companion, and they would begin to fill the nursery at Dartleigh Castle.

“
We felt confident you gentlemen would return before the wedding, but we worried about both of you as well,” Libby looked to Micah as she spoke, “Especially after last evening.”

“We did
worry,” Tuesday agreed. She smiled when Jack winked at her.

Trevan and Wenna stood with Gabriel and Senny. Marrek and Catherine joined them.

“Marrek, we were just explaining to the ladies that we shall have to increase security for the wedding tomorrow,” Trevan acknowledged his cousin
’s approach.

“Unfortunately ladies, it is necessary,” Marrek drew
his wife up close beside him.

“It’s good that the Chapel is just a few steps out the side door
of Menadue,” Gabriel commented.

“And the ladies shall be well guarded on their way to the chapel where their grooms will await them,” Marrek
said. “I shall see to it.” He looked to Senny. “How are you feeling, Miss Senny?”

“Much better, thank you,
my Lord.” Senny smiled.

“I would have liked her to stay abed another day, but Senny insisted she be able to come downstairs today,” Gabriel smiled down at her.

“And I am doing perfectly well, as I told you I would,” Senny countered.

Gabriel grinned
. He winked at her. “You seem to be feeling well enough.”

Trevan rubbed his hands together
. “Well, let’s get started.” He called out in his deep, loud voice, “Please be seated, we have much to talk about.

As everyone took their seats,
Diggory, the tall, muscular butler of Menadue, wrestled a squirming young man into the room. He held him tightly by his neck.

“What
is this, Diggory?” Trevan asked with a serious expression.

“I found one of your
spies. I am sorry to inform you that Samuel Potts, the prisoner, is dead. He was poisoned. One of the kitchen girls saw Fenton lift the lid of the stew he carried down on the tray to give to the guards for Mr. Potts. She said he poured something from a small vial into it. She told Cook. Cook told me, and by the time I got there Mr. Potts had expired.”

“Did young
Fenton admit to poisoning Mr. Potts?” Trevan asked.

“Ayce.
After I persuaded him to,” Diggory said.

Marrek shook his head in di
sbelief. He actually liked Samuel Potts. He leaned close to Catherine, “Excuse me. I must go see about Samuel.”

He was about to rise from his chair. Catherine’s hand on his arm stopped him
. He looked into her mesmerizing gray-green eyes.

“I’m sorry, Marrek,” she whispered
in concern.

He covered her hand with his own and gave it a squeeze
. “Thank you, Kitty. I’ll be back in a few minutes, my dearest.” He grazed her temple with his lips as he moved to rise from his chair.

“What of his sisters?” Wyldhurst
asked.

“I sent a missive to Deveril Pendarves in London
after we returned from Liskeard to gather his sisters along with his cousin and bring them here. I was sending them to Australia. His siblings still need protection from these men, and they will need their older cousin now. I will bring them to Cornwall. I shall set them up in one of the cottages at Penhallow now that Samuel is gone. I can’t leave them to fend for themselves, nor can I send three young ladies to Australia alone.”

Marrek sighed and continued, “
At least we have the letter written by the leader from Samuel’s lodgings. The penmanship is poor and not from the hand of a gentleman. I seriously doubt the leader wrote it himself. I do believe they were his instructions,” Marrek offered.

Kitty smiled up at him
. “Of course, we shall see to his sisters. I believe you said the girls are still quite young. They will need us. We will take care of them. We can hire a governess to stay with the younger ones at the cottage.”

Had he not been in such large company he would have kissed his wife right at that moment
. Full on the mouth, and kiss her deeply, lingeringly and thoroughly. As long as he had known Catherine, even when her own life was in danger by the hands of her own husband, she had been generous and kind to all those around her. He realized Kitty’s selflessness was one of many traits that attracted him to her. She was strong. She had never played the victim. She was always positive and looking forward. Never did she look back at what had been. She was filled with an innate goodness. She was compassionate and kind to others.

“I’ll be back, my love,
” he said softly near her ear.

My love!
Catherine looked up into his dark brown eyes. She smiled brightly up at him. He had never said such a thing to her. She nodded.

He looked to Diggory and said,
“Bring Fenton, the murderer, and follow me,” Marrek said to the tall, large, Butler.

Diggory nodded and pushed the young lad forward
.

Marrek stopped and turned his attention toward Gabriel and Senny.

“Miss Senny, didn’t Madingly tell you he had
men
, plural, here at Menadue?” Marrek asked.

Senny nodde
d. “Yes, Lord St. Erth. He did,” Senny said. She felt Gabriel take her hand in his. He squeezed it. She looked into Gabriel’s crystalline eyes and gave her soon-to-be husband a smile.

“Do you need help, cousin?” Trevan asked
Marrek.

“Just Creed
will do.” Marrek said.

Creed and Marrek
were about the same height, both were well built and muscled, though Creed was a bit leaner. Where Marrek’s hair and eyes were as dark as the night, Creed was fair-haired with warm brown eyes.

“Go up and get my favorite cane, Creed, and meet me in the cellar,” Marrek instructed.

“I will be there in five minutes.” Creed
offered.

The only sound to be heard in the large room was of
the men’s boot heels against the floor as they exited the room.

“What is your name, lad? It is doubtful it is Fenton.” Marrek posed.

“
Richard Jones, sir. They call me Jonesy.”

The lad was frightened
. That much was evident. “Tell me the name of your accomplice or accomplices in this house,” Marrek said in a level tone.

The young man panicked
. His hazel eyes grew wider. “If I do that, I’ll end up like Potts. These men can accomplish anything. I’d be sure as dead. They knew Potts talked.”

“I will
kill you if you do not talk. I advise you to tell me what I want to know. If you do, I shall have you moved to a place they cannot reach you. However, you are a murderer.” Marrek pointed to the body of poor Samuel Potts who apparently suffered greatly and died in agony by the anguished expression frozen upon his pale face.

“He ratted
. ‘Tis pain of death, everyone who works for the Knights knows it.” Jonesy gained a smidgen of confidence.

“It is
also pain of death for killing someone I liked,” Marrek said lowly. “And I am right here in front of you. So, you will tell me the name of the others who assist you in this house, who you report to and anything else you know; or you shall end like Potts, by my hand.”

Jonesy laughed nervously
. “I can survive a good pummeling with yer fists, big though they are.”

Marrek humphed
. “I don’t use my hands.”

Creed entered the room and handed Marrek his eagle headed cane
.

“Thank you.
” He gave Creed a nod.

Seconds later he held a blade to the throat of the bound young man whose eyes were now as round as saucers
. Marrek watched his Adam’s apple bob in his throat. “Nor will I cut your throat, at least not in the beginning. My friend died a painful death. I believe in an
eye for an eye
. Since he was poisoned, I shall carve out your entrails. You will live for a time, as you bleed to death. The pain will actually be worse than poison. I’ll give you one more chance,
Jonesy
. Who are your accomplices?”

The young man shook his head.
His lips trembled as he spoke, “They’ll kill me.”

With lightning
speed, Marrek bent and produced a long knife from his boot. The tip soon rested against Jonesy’s abdomen. He handed his cane to Creed. Marrek removed his watch and opened it. “You have three minutes until your entrails litter the floor. I’m very good at what I do,” St. Erth said in a confident tone.

The lad looked about to cry
. “Ain’t nowhere safe in all of England, sir. Everyone who talks dies. Some of them got arrested in Somerset a couple months ago and they got to them in the gaol. There ain’t no safe place to hide, I can tell you! The leader he knows everything and everyone, so they say. He can make anything happen he wants to.”

“What about Australia?” Marrek posed, “I can see you have work and lodging
. You are a murderer, so you would be sent to a friend of mine. If you prove your worth, and keep your nose clean, you can gain your freedom in say, five years. Your name will be changed, and Richard ‘Jonesy’ Jones will be reported as dying by my hand this day. You will be taken out in a casket so all think you are dead, and you will be well protected until your ship sails.”

He looked to his watch
. “Ah, you have only one and three-quarters minutes remaining. I apologize, I got a little wordy.” Marrek shrugged. “That is the time you have left, regardless.”

“It’s Mary, the upstairs maid
. And then there’s her beau, Gillie in the stable. Gillie weren’t in on it from the beginning, but Mary took a liking to him. He was interested in our operation. The Reverend, he had a word with Gillie and put him on with us.”

“Thirty seconds
remain, Jonesy. Who do you report to?”

“The Reverend until he
fled. There’s a new man now, with one eye. His name is Garlock. ‘Tis all he goes by.”

“I have heard
of Garlock. Where is he hiding?” Marrek asked.

“I can’t say for sure.
He mentioned he’d come from Truro when I met him.”

“Fifteen seconds
remaining, where do you meet him?”

“
Garlock, I’ve met only once. It was this morning. I met him up the road, closer to St. Cleer. I met the Reverend in different places. St Cleer’s well once. King Doniart’s stone once. We met at the trees beyond edge of the garden here, several times.”

“Time is up,
” Marrek said. He still held his knife against the young man’s belly.