Lords of Retribution (Lords of Avalon series)

by Richards, K. R.

  He stood, straightened his coat and with a deep sigh, he left the study and headed toward the stairs.

  “Wenna?” Senny breathed a sigh of relief when she found her sister sitting in the window seat of the conservatory. When she realized that her sister was crying, she went to her at once. “Oh, what is wrong?”

  “Oh, Senny, I think I have ruined everything between Trevan and me!” Wenna began to sob.

  “He still hasn’t spoken to you?” Senny asked.

  Wenna shook her head. “It’s been four days. I don’t think he will. I think he is finished. He was so angry with me when he left.”

  “I’m sorry, Wenna. I believe Trevan will speak to you. He would never treat you so badly. He has been so busy since he returned. He scarcely speaks to Grandfather or me right now. There is always someone about needing his immediate attention.”

  “I know, he is busy,” Wenna shook her head. She wiped at the tears on her cheeks and rose from her seat. She paced. She had been doing a lot of that lately. “I am so tired of being indoors. I would love to walk in the garden.” Wenna stared wistfully out the large conservatory windows.

  “No, we cannot go out of doors yet, Wenna. It is not safe. I will go find someone and have tea brought to us here. I already prepared Grandfather’s breakfast plate in the dining room. He is happily chatting with the Trevelyans.”

  Wenna sighed heavily and nodded. “Yes, that would be nice, for I do not wish to go into the dining room. People have noticed Trevan and I are not speaking to one another. They stare and I feel so…uncomfortable.”

  Senny rubbed her sister’s arm in a soothing gesture. “Things will be better soon, Wenna. You’ll see. Trevan loves you. He will speak to you.” She left to find a maid.

  Wenna returned her gaze to the garden. What would it hurt to go out the conservatory door? She could just walk the paths near the house. Five minutes of fresh air would do her some good. She needed to smell the earth, the green grass and the scent of the blooms. Nothing uplifted her spirits like a garden. She missed her garden terribly.

  Her mind made up, she turned the key in the lock and opened the conservatory door and stepped outside. She smiled as the brisk breeze whipped her hair. Everything smelled so clean and fresh. See, she smiled to herself, she felt better already.

  Marrek left the dining room. He was crossing the entry hall to go upstairs, to check on his wife. He smiled. Kitty had still been asleep in her chamber when he rose. He purposely did not wake her. She still sported dark circles beneath her eyes. He guessed she was still not sleeping well. He could not say for certain, for they did not share a bed.

  Kitty needed more time to recover from the loss of Charlie. She was his wife in name. His hopes were that someday she would be his wife in every way. For now he was just content that she was with him, that she was safe and out of Lord Burrow’s clutches.

  The knocker sounded. It was far too early for callers. Marrek watched Diggory open the large door wide, curious to see who could be calling so early. He was alarmed to see a familiar person standing on the stoop. The man had not seen or recognized him, but Marrek knew him. And he was dangerous!

  No one knew the man’s real name. The name Marrek had known him by was Isaac Slaughter. He was an assassin who had once worked for the Crown, in Marrek’s own department. A few years ago, Marrek himself had discovered evidence that Slaughter was working against the Crown. Slaughter had fled when Marrek confronted him. He disappeared. Marrek believed he sailed for Greece or Italy, he never knew which. He knew only that he left England and disappeared.

  “John Madingly. Is Miss Penrose in?”

  Diggory stood glaring at the man. He sniffed disdainfully before he said, “She is indisposed. I shall tell her you called, Reverend, if you care to leave a card.”

  Marrek saw the dangerous look Slaughter gave the butler after Diggory’s clear dismissal.

  Marrek felt his coat pocket to make certain his pistol was there. It was. “Diggory, I will handle this.” Marrek strode purposefully toward the door.

  “Yes, my Lord.” Diggory turned from the door and nodded as he passed Marrek.

  “Well, well, what brings you to Menadue, Slaughter?” Marrek asked casually.

  The man’s head snapped up. “You must be mistaking me for someone else, sir. I am John Madingly, the new Vicar in St. Mabyn. I came to call on Miss Penrose.”

  Marrek saw the man expertly cover his surprise with his mask of calm. He noticed the flaring of his nostrils, and the quickening of his pulse at his neck. He knew the man well. He had worked with him for two years before finding out he was a spy. More importantly, a traitor.

  “A vicar?” Marrek asked with a great deal of sarcasm. “And have you found peace and salvation, Reverend?”

  “Marrek! Have you seen Wenna or Zenny?” Trevan rushed across the entry hall, concern and worry evident in his tone.

  Marrek didn’t turn to regard Trevan, he saw Slaugter’s hand move toward his inside coat pocket.

  “Madingly, you take yourself off my property! You are not welcome here!” Trevan’s voice boomed.

  Marrek heard Trevan move up behind him.

  Madingly removed his hand from inside his coat. He produced no weapon. Marrek knew it was there.

  “I was just leaving, Your Grace. Your man told me Miss Penrose is indisposed.”

  “Then, be gone.” Trevan came to stand beside Marrek.

  Trevan chuckled as Madingly turned and nearly ran from them. They watched as he snatched the reins of his horse from the footman, mounted and galloped off.

  “The new Vicar of St. Mabyn,” Trevan supplied with a satisfied chuckle.

  “He is not a vicar, Trevan,” Marrek said as he turned to face his cousin.

  The amusement left Trevan’s face. He noted his cousin’s serious expression. “What exactly is he?” he asked.

  “He is an assassin. He worked in the Department for two years until I discovered he was working against the Crown. He was going for his pistol until you came upon us. I guess he decided the two of us were too much for him to take on.”

  Trevan went white. “That’s who Wenna was engaged to! I must find her at once. No one can find her or Zenny. I’ve a bad feeling, Marrek. I will send some of my men to St. Mabyn to fetch him as soon as I find her.”

  “His identity has been discovered, Trevan. He won’t be going back to St. Mabyn, unless of course he has grown careless. He is an enemy of the Crown. We need to find Wenna and Senny this instant!” Marrek had a bad feeling as well. It was never a good sign when he experienced such portents. Though he could not say why, his concern was more for Senny, than Wenna.

  Senny called for Wenna as she looked about the large conservatory. Then she saw her sister outside in the garden through the large windows. Senny hurried to the door. She opened it and called out to her. It was windy and cloudy today. She guessed a storm was blowing in. She doubted her sister could hear her. They were not supposed to be outside. “Wenna!”

  Senny ran along the path calling for her sister. Finally, Wenna heard as Senny neared her. As Wenna turned toward her, Senny watched in horror as an arm wielding a large stick came from behind one of the large evergreen topiaries. The arm smacked Wenna on the head with the stick. Senny screamed as her sister crumpled to the ground. She ran toward her sister. She saw blood trickling down Wenna’s forehead as she lay still upon the ground.

  Strong arms from behind immobilized her. A hand clamped over her mouth. John Madingly stepped from the bushes to stand in front of her. He smiled as he held the branch up then tossed it carelessly to the ground with a satisfied smile.

  “Sennen Penrose, you will be coming with me. I have need of you. You’ll be easier to handle than that red-headed fishwife.”

  Senny struggled to break free. She kicked, she wriggled and she managed to bite the large hand that covered her mouth.

  Madingly removed a pistol from his coat. He pointed it at her unconscious sister’s head. “If you try to get away again
, she will die.”

  Senny stilled immediately.

  “I have men here, inside Menadue. If you do not obey me, and do exactly as I say, I will order your sister and crippled old grandfather killed, do you understand me?” he warned harshly.

  Senny nodded slowly.

  Madingly turned to the other man, “Let’s get to the horses, Fullard! We have our insurance to cross the Tamar. We need to leave Cornwall at once! They will be on us in a heartbeat. We must stop at St. Mabyn long enough for me to gather a few items and procure my other horse. Come, let’s away!”

  When Trevan reached the Conservatory and saw the open door, he knew something was terribly wrong. “Nancy,” he looked to the maid who entered carrying a tea tray and who had given him Senny and Wenna’s location. “Stay inside.”

  The girl set down the tray and nodded.

  Marrek moved past the maid and followed Trevan.

  The garden was still and quiet. Trevan knew something was wrong. “Wenna! Zenny!” He bellowed. There was no answer.

  Marrek removed his pistol from his coat. One of the men on watch was running toward them from the direction of the chapel. “Your Grace! Your Grace!”

  “What is it, Duncan?” Trevan called out.

  “We heard a window being broken at the chapel. I ran to see what had caused it. There was a man on horseback leaving as I got there. I saw him meet with two other riders in the woods behind. One of them was carrying a woman up with him, and God help me sir, it looked to be the golden-haired Penrose girl. She looked straight at me. Her arms were being held down.” The man stopped before them, his breathing ragged.

  “Did you see my fiancée, Duncan?”

  “Miss Penrose, no, Your Grace. I did not see her.”

  Tremayne came out of the house. His boots crunched in the gravel on the path. He had been searching the inside of the house for the Penrose sisters. “They are not inside. Tristan, Harry and Newt helped me search.”

  “Tremayne, go with Duncan, he saw three riders near the chapel, and he thought he saw Zenny with them. Marrek and I will search this side of the garden for them.”

  As they reached the wide center path, Trevan saw a crumpled form on the ground. He ran. Fear gripped him when he saw her flaming auburn hair. “Wenna!”

  As he knelt beside her, Trevan first saw the blood dripping down her forehead. Then he noticed how pale she was. She was breathing, thank God. He started to lift her in his arms.

  “I’ll take her inside. You must use your gift, cousin. We must know what happened to Senny. I can feel that she was here.” Marrek lifted Wenna into his arms.

  Trevan nodded. “Stay for a moment.” Trevan instructed him. He gently placed his fingers on Wenna’s forehead. He stood very still and closed his eyes. He saw only darkness at first. He felt sadness and despair. From Wenna? He saw the garden as she looked over it. It seemed to calm her. He felt a gentle soul behind her, warm and happy. He knew that energy to belong to Zenny. He saw an arm with a large stick. Then he felt an excruciating pain on his head and everything went black again.

  He concentrated on Zenny’s energy. He felt her panic at seeing her sister injured. He knew she fought them, he knew she struggled to break free. Then he saw John Madingly pointing a gun at Wenna’s head. He felt Zenny go still. She stopped struggling and willingly went with the men. She was aware they were dangerous. She was focused on escaping. He watched in his mind’s eye as she tore off and dropped a blue ribbon from her gown as they pulled her away.

  Trevan opened his eyes and walked up the path a bit. He gazed down at the large stick he knew had been used to harm Wenna. A few steps further, he found a blue ribbon on the gravel path. He held it up. “They took Zenny, Marrek. It was Madingly. We have to find her!”

  Marrek approached him and gently placed Wenna back into his arms. “You need to stay with Wenna, Trevan. This could be a ploy to draw some of us away from Menadue. You need to be here. They still want your scrolls. With the others arriving, they have probably have guessed the treasure is here as well. I’ll get a party together and begin a search at once for Zenny.”

  Marrek met Tremayne upon entering the house. Tremayne informed him that one horse was indeed carrying two riders. Marrek called immediately for Diggory to gather supplies for him and his riders. He had already selected Ruan and Creed to join him. The Avalon Society members assembled in the library.

  “I want Tristan to stay with Trevan. Riding about the countryside will not be good for your broken arm, cousin. Tremayne will join us and I need the Trevelyans to assist us.”

  “I will go.” Newt offered.

  “Good, we can use a man with your aim. Harry, I would prefer you stay with Trevan.”

  “I’ll join you,” Owen offered.

  “Owen, I appreciate that, but your new wife and daughter need you to be with them and I want you here to help Harry. Matthias, you must stay with your daughter. Wyldhurst, can you take over the guard?”

  “Certainly, St. Erth,” Lucien “Luc” Saintmaur, Lord Wyldhurst nodded.

  “Cleve, I want you to join us. We need your tracking skills.”

  Cleve Griffith, Viscount Templeton, nodded. “I’ll get my weapons and meet you…?”

  “At the stables in five minutes.” Marrek turned to Ruan, “Get my weapons and ammunition from my room, will you?”

  Ruan nodded.

  Marrek hurried toward the large parlour where the ladies chose to congregate since the earlier attack on Menadue. It was where he saw his wife fifteen minutes earlier.

  He stuck his head in the door, “Catherine, may I speak with you a moment? You as well, Aunt Morva, please.”

  The bright smile his lovely, chestnut-haired wife gave him took his breath away. His wife!

  “Yes, Marrek?” Catherine asked him as Morva drew up beside her.

  “Aunt Morva, Kitty, we have trouble here. I recognized Madingly, the Vicar of St. Mabyn, as an assassin who turned against the Crown. Apparently, before he fled Menadue’s grounds, he harmed Miss Penrose and he along with two other men took Miss Senny. I am taking a group of men to track them and find her. Everyone must stay inside the house. No one is to venture outdoors.”

  “Oh dear God in Heaven. My poor Senny! How is Wenna?” Morva visibly paled.

  “I do not know how Wenna is. Trevan has carried her upstairs. I must leave this minute to find Senny. I’ve not a moment to waste.”

  His aunt called out for Elowen and a few of the other women to help her with Wenna.

  “Be careful, Marrek,” Catherine placed her hand upon his cheek.

  She appeared to be worried. Marrek took her hand and brought her palm to his lips. “I will. Take care of yourself, Kitty.”

  She smiled up at him. “Of course. I will see you very soon, I hope. I pray you find Senny.”

  “You will see me soon, Kitty. I will find her.” Marrek wanted to kiss her, but it was too soon. This he knew. He merely smiled, nodded and left her.

  The Reverend had gone back to St. Mabyn. That bit of carelessness pleased Marrek. It gave him more time to find Senny. They had found his safe open. His housekeeper said he also took his other horse.

  Marrek and his riders stopped on the road outside St. Mabyn to study the tracks.

  “I think they are trying to throw us off. I think they exchanged horses with someone. The horse with the mark in his shoe is too obvious. Look here, the tracks with the mark in the shoe go this way, and the others that way,” Marrek said as he squatted and studied the tracks in the road.

  He rose and continued, “Our Reverend knows it is in his best interest to get himself from Cornwall as quickly as possible. He will go east toward Saltash, rather than the main road through Bodmin. He is clearly trying to throw us off.”

  “I agree, Marrek. I’ll take five men, go toward Bodmin, and follow the marked shoe tracks. I doubt we will find anything, but it is best to follow both trails,” Cleve offered.

  “The rest of us will go in the direction of Saltash.” Marrek
rose and mounted his horse. He looked to Cleve, “Join us when you are certain they did not go Bodmin way.”

  Cleve nodded.

  Split into two groups, the men dispersed.

  Several miles up the road, Marrek dismounted when he saw a snatch of light blue silk. He lifted the torn piece of ribbon from a cluster of bushes. “Good girl, Senny. I will find you, I swear it,” he whispered. Knowing what he did about Isaac Slaughter, Marrek knew he had to find Senny soon. Slaughter would not leave her alive. He was using her to get out of Cornwall. No telling what he would do to her in the meantime. Slaughter would never allow her to cross the Tamar, this Marrek knew.

  Elowen stood bent over Wenna. She looked up when Trevan re-entered the room.

  “How is she, Elowen?”

  “She is still unconscious, cousin. She took quite a blow to the head. She needed a few stitches. The doctor said she should recover. We must still try to rouse her. Her color is better and her breathing is stronger.” Elowen placed the bloody cloths she had cleaned her wound with on her tray. “I applied a poultice to stave off infection, and to lessen the swelling. Will you sit with her while I tend to this?” Elowen picked up her tray of soiled cloths and bottles of medicines.

  Trevan nodded.

  “See if you can wake her. She is restless and mumbles in her sleep, but she hasn’t come to yet,” Elowen advised him.

  When Elowen left them alone in the room, Trevan moved to the edge of the bed. He bent and placed a kiss to Wenna’s cheek.

  “Wenna Penrose, you must get better. You must wake, Wen Pen. I love you. I was on my way to talk with you when I found you.” Trevan continued talking to her. He became discouraged after a time and retreated into silence.

  About ten minutes later, Wenna started to mumble. He thought he heard her whisper his name. A tear escaped out of the corner of one of her eyes.

  “That’s it Wen Pen. Wake up. Come on. We need to talk, Wenna. I love you with all my heart. We will be wed, you will be my Duchess, and I’ll not take no for an answer. Whatever I have to do to make things right, I will do it. Just tell me, please, you will have me.”