Silver lady, p.17
Silver Lady, page 17
Glynis laughed. “You say the nicest things, and you don’t make them sound like false flattery.”
“I don’t lie without a very good reason,” he said firmly. “And never to family.”
“I love your Tremayne family. You and Cade listen, the way Matthew does,” she said wistfully. “Can I be adopted into the Tremayne family the way you’ve adopted Merryn?”
Bran hoped that Merryn would soon be a Tremayne legally, but his family of the heart was nothing if not flexible. “Of course you can join. My mother Gwyn Tremayne says that the families we choose are the best, so you can choose us, as well as those members of your birth family whom you want to keep.”
“If only it was that easy! I’d keep my mother, of course. My father . . .” She sighed. “He was never what I would call easy, but he wasn’t always as difficult as he is now. We have a rather nice house in Plymouth, and we used to stay there regularly, as well as for the festivals. But for the last several years, my father has been in pain all the time, I think, and that makes him bad tempered. He hates not being able to do so many things that he used to do easily.”
Bran considered how he would feel about his own ailing health when he was Lord Penhaligon’s age. He didn’t think he’d be as bad tempered, but he would not be happy about increasing limitations, particularly if he was always in pain. “I’ll try to be more patient with him.”
“My mother and I would like that.” They were at the castle walls, so Glynis released his arm. “Thank you for escorting me home. I’ll see you at dinner tonight.”
He watched until she entered the castle, then turned back toward the dower house. He had no problem imagining Glynis and Matthew Davey living long and happily together.
Now that he was in love with Merryn, he wanted everyone else to be just as happy.
Chapter 30
Dinner at the castle was unusual because Lord Penhaligon joined them at the table. As soon as the food was served, he said brusquely, “Glynis tells me there is going to be a Royal Navy Festival at Plymouth Dock four days from now.” He took a large swallow of wine. “I haven’t been to one in years, but I’m going to this one.”
Lady Penhaligon looked concerned. “Are you sure you’re well enough for such an event, my lord?”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever have another chance, so I’m damned well going to this one!” he barked. “We will all stay in Tamar House, which is quite convenient to the yard. That means all of you.”
He glanced around the table with narrowed eyes. “Lady Penhaligon. Glynis. Certainly, you, boy!” He glared at Bran. “You can show some filial feeling by pushing my wheelchair around the yard.”
Next his gaze moved to Cade and Tamsyn. “You should come, too. It’s a fine show. Tamar House has plenty of space.”
“I would enjoy that,” Tamsyn said lightly. “Glynis has told us something about the festival and it sounds very enjoyable.”
Thinking of Merryn, Bran said, “I’d like to see the festival, but I’ll stay in an inn. The one I used on my previous visit was good, and it’s less work for Lady Penhaligon and the servants.”
“No!” Lord Penhaligon slammed his hand down on the table so hard that the silverware rattled. “You were supposed to be spending time at the castle and estate to learn more about them, but you’ve barely been here at all! You certainly don’t act like my son, and maybe you aren’t. It’s hard to believe a bloodless man like you can even be a Penhaligon!”
“Being thrown away by my own father was hardly designed to create family loyalty,” Bran said dryly. “Perhaps if I grew up here, I’d have developed a sufficiently bad temper to suit you.”
While Tamsyn and Glynis winced, Lord Penhaligon let loose with a string of curses that included words Bran had never heard before. Cornish, perhaps.
The tirade ended when Lord Penhaligon lurched to his feet. “The hotels will be full for the festival, so you’ll stay under my roof and act like a member of the family, or be damned to you!” Then he snarled, “Serve my dinner in my study” to the butler and limped off, leaning heavily on his cane.
Bran broke the uneasy silence, saying, “I’m sorry, Lady Penhaligon. It was bad of me to provoke him like that.”
She smiled wryly. “I can’t say that I blame you. He probably thinks better of you now, though he much prefers shouting to elegant verbal knives.”
Bran said with equal wryness, “Perhaps I should practice my shouting.”
“I can help you with that,” Cade said, straight-faced. “I’m better at being bad tempered.”
That produced a ripple of laughter and the meal resumed. After dinner there was discussion and planning for the festival, but the evening broke up early. Bran carried a lantern as he and Cade and Tamsyn took the footpath back to the dower house.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw you lose your temper, Bran,” Tamsyn said. “I assume that it’s because you don’t want to stay at Tamar House and leave Merryn alone.”
“Exactly right as always, Tam. I can’t leave her on her own when she might not be safe.” Bran sighed. “I’m considering alternatives.”
“We can take her to Plymouth Dock with Annie Fletcher and the children,” Cade said thoughtfully. “Annie’s sister Alice apparently has a reasonable-sized house, so they should be able to find a corner for a little bit of a thing like Merryn.”
Bran’s annoyed “Merryn is exactly the right size!” clashed with Tamsyn’s indignant “Merryn and I are the same size, which is exactly right!”
Cade laughed.
“You are both perfect petite princesses. But I think this is a good plan. Merryn will be safe and anonymous there, and she can become acquainted with Eselde.”
Bran thought, then nodded. “Given the enormous favor you’re doing for Annie and her family, I’m sure they’ll be happy to help us.” It was a very good solution. He just wished he and Merryn would be under the same roof.
* * *
Merryn was curled up on the drawing room sofa reading by lamplight when the others returned. She set the book aside and bounced up to meet them. “How was your dinner?”
“We had a lovely time storming the castle,” Tamsyn said as she removed her cloak. “Bran lost his temper and showed some sharp edges, and Lord Penhaligon is threatening to disown him.”
“Oh, my,” Merryn said, not sure how Bran would feel about that.
“Worse was to come.” Bran stepped up to Merryn and gave her a warm embrace, which included a very thorough kiss. “We’re all going to Plymouth Dock for the festival, but you can’t stay with us in Tamar House, of course, which is the Penhaligon home in town.”
That was enough to startle her out of what had been a thoroughly enjoyable kiss. She leaned back, frowning. “Am I to stay here?”
“No, we’ve decided it’s best to leave you with Annie Fletcher and her family, including Eselde,” Bran explained. “It’s Cade’s idea and a good one, I think. We’ll be close and you’ll be able to see the festival, and I think you can safely disappear into a household of women and children.”
Merryn thought about the suggestion, then gave a brisk nod. “Yes, that’s exactly the right place for me.”
Which was true. But her sense of gathering menace grew more intense.
Chapter 31
Annie Fletcher and all three children were waiting on the stone steps in front of Jago Evans’s cottage when Cade’s wagon rumbled up the rutted lane and pulled to a stop. Cade gave Bran the reins and jumped to the ground. “I’m glad to see that you’re all ready for your journey.”
Annie and the children stood immediately. “Ready and praying that nothing has happened to stop us from leaving!” Her gaze went to the others who climbed from the wagon.
“Eselde, you’ve already met my brother Bran. Your uncle Bran.” Cade gestured Tamsyn forward. “This is my sister Tamsyn Tremayne, so she’s your aunt Tamsyn.”
Eselde’s gaze went to her with interest. “You have pretty hair.”
“Thank you,” Tamsyn said with a warm smile. “You can call me Aunt Tamsyn or Aunt Tam, but not Aunt Tammy!”
Eselde nodded, then turned to Merryn. “Your hair is like Aunt Tamsyn’s. Are you another aunt?”
“I hope to make her one,” Bran said as he rested his hand on Merryn’s shoulder.
She frowned at him. “Don’t rush your fences, Bran!”
He chuckled. “We’re still negotiating that, Eselde.” Sobering, he said, “Merryn is being hunted by a dangerous man and we need to keep her safe.” With a glance he passed the conversation to his brother.
“Yesterday I visited your sister Alice to let her know you and your children are coming. She and her daughter are delighted by the news,” Cade said. “Since the Penhaligon household will be staying near Plymouth Dock for the festival, I asked if Merryn could stay in her house for several days. We’ll be nearby, but it’s better if Merryn is difficult to find. Your sister is willing to have an extra visitor and I hope you are, too?”
“I know it’s a great deal to ask, Mrs. Fletcher,” Merryn said softly. “I won’t be any trouble and I look forward to getting to know Eselde and Danny and Henry.”
Annie stepped forward and took both of Merryn’s hands. “Please call me Annie! We’ll be happy to have you, Merryn. My sister and I know quite a bit about difficult men.” She grimaced. “And we do not approve of them!”
“Luckily, there are also men who are very good,” Tamsyn said with a wave at her brothers. “Let me help you with your belongings so we can be on our way.”
Cade skillfully turned the wagon around in the yard; then the pitifully modest possessions were packed in the back. There were three rows of seats. As Cade helped Annie into the second row, he asked quietly, “Do you have any last thoughts about Jago’s cottage?”
She sighed as she glanced at the whitewashed stone. “We usually had enough to eat, but not much more. I left a note saying goodbye and that we won’t be coming back. It won’t take him long to replace me.”
Then she settled in the middle of the seat, with one of her boys on each side of her. Tamsyn had already taken Eselde under her wing, with the little girl sitting between Tamsyn and Cade in the front seat.
The rutted lane made slow going until they got to the coast road; then their pace increased. Bran sat next to Merryn on the back seat, discreetly holding her hand. With the three children chattering excitedly, his soft voice could be heard only by Merryn. “I hate that we’ll be separated for the next several days.”
She gave him a mischievous glance. “Even worse is being separated for the next few nights!”
The warmth in her gaze made his heart rate increase. “Very true,” he said, his voice thickening a little. “I’ll just have to remember these last nights until we’re together again.” A thought struck him. “Will a few nights of sleeping alone give you more appreciation for the advantages of marriage?”
She gave him a rueful smile. “It might do just that!”
They made several stops along the way to eat and take advantage of bushes when necessary. It was late afternoon when they reached Alice Williams’s house in Plymouth Dock.
Alice and her small daughter had been waiting, and they swept out of the house and down the steps when the wagon pulled up in front. Alice’s daughter appeared to be about Eselde’s age; both mother and daughter had the family red hair.
“I’m so glad you’re here!” Alice said as she and Annie embraced. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other!”
“Too long,” Annie said, tears in her eyes.
Tamsyn introduced Annie’s children to their cousin Emily, while Bran and Cade transferred the small bags of belongings from wagon to house. When that was done, Alice invited everyone in for tea and shortbread.
As the water heated, Alice said, “Merryn, I’m so happy to have you as our guest. It’s like a grand lordly house party! Come with me and I’ll show you to your room. It’s small, but I’ve tried to make it comfortable.”
Everyone followed Alice to a back corner of the ground floor. The room was furnished with a narrow cot, a chair, several shelves for storage, and a wooden box on the floor with...
“Kittens!” Merryn dropped onto her knees beside the box. The mother was a comfortable-looking tabby and her five kittens were a range of colors and patterns. They were large enough to be active and curious, and a gray tabby promptly lurched out of the box and into Merryn’s lap.
She cooed at the kitten, then raised her head. “Alice, you could not possibly have furnished this room better. I may never leave!”
The other adults laughed, while Annie’s children knelt to exclaim over the kittens. “Handle them very, very carefully,” Merryn cautioned.
The children obeyed, their faces shining with pleasure. Merryn suspected that mutual kitten love was breaking down any uncertainties the children might have about this blending of two families.
“We need more kittens!” Tamsyn said with a laugh. “One for each of us here. Emily, since you’ve been living with these little darlings, may I borrow the one you’re holding?”
Emily stood, smiling shyly. “I call her Sweetie.”
Tamsyn gently accepted the kitten, which was mostly black with white socks and face. “What a delight a kitten is!”
Danny, the older of Annie’s sons, said, “Puppies are very nice, too.”
“Indeed they are.” Tamsyn set Sweetie on Cade’s shoulder.
Startled, he gave a rare smile as he stroked the kitten with one finger, while Sweetie explored his shoulder, shedding white hairs on the dark fabric of his coat. “We definitely need more kittens.”
Kittens and humans had a wonderful time, and it was with regret that Tamsyn said, “We must be going if we are to return to Penhaligon before it’s full dark.”
“But we’ll be coming to Tamar House tomorrow,” Cade said. He brushed a hand over his small sister’s tangled hair. “I intend to visit regularly.”
“And I hope for advice about what to see and do here in Plymouth Dock,” Tamsyn said as the adults left the kitten room and headed outside to the wagon, the children following behind and chattering happily.
Bran lingered behind to give Merryn a private goodbye. “I really wish we weren’t being separated,” he said, his gaze intense.
“So do I,” Merryn murmured as they slid into each other’s arms. They’d been together almost constantly since he’d rescued her. “I’ve grown accustomed to having you around all the time.”
His arms tightened around her. “The Penhaligons will be arriving en masse tomorrow, but the naval celebration won’t begin for another two days. Shall I bring our horses so we can go riding the day after tomorrow? Matthew Davey says there are several good beaches within riding distance.”
She loved riding with Bran, and an outing might offer a chance for real, mischievous privacy. Nuzzling his neck, she said, “I’d like that. Should I wear a riding habit or trousers so I can ride astride?”
“Since we’re in town, the riding habit would be best. Do you have yours with you? If not, I can bring it with my things.”
“Please do. A nice, long ride will make up for the sad fact that we’re sleeping under separate roofs.”
“Not for long.” He bent into a kiss that rapidly turned serious. She fell into his embrace, wondering why she was resisting the idea of marriage with Bran. It was true they hadn’t known each other long, but surely there was no other man anywhere who could affect her like this!
“I want to sweep you up and run away with you,” he said huskily. “But it’s a very long distance to Gretna Green, so we must wait.”
She laid her hand against his cheek. “Since you pointed out Tamar House when we drove here, I know where to find you if necessary, and you know where to find me.”
He stepped away from her and pulled a well-filled purse from an inside coat pocket. “Here’s some pin money, since you don’t want to be penniless in town.”
Her eyes widened at the weight of the purse. “You’re very generous!”
“Money is useful, not least to buy treats for children who haven’t had many. Buy them sweets or new clothes or whatever is needed.”
She would enjoy that as much as the children. She could see herself escorting Eselde through a happy crowd enjoying the celebration. Then a shocking new image seared across her mind.
She gasped and swayed dizzily. Bran caught her arms to steady her. “Did you see something upsetting?” he asked in a low, calm voice.
“Terrifying!” She drew a deep breath as she tried to master herself. “I saw a pistol being pointed right at your heart!” She bit her lip, appalled at what she’d seen. “And . . . and I heard it fire.”
Bran’s expression became very still. “I am now forewarned, and I’m very good at ducking.”
“I hope that’s true,” she whispered.
“We haven’t talked much about your foretelling ability,” he said. “How often do you see things? Are they usually very dramatic or sometimes mundane? How accurate are your visions? Can you consciously try to discover what will happen?”
She blinked at the barrage of questions. “I’ll think about all this so we can discuss it when we go riding. A simple answer is that nothing is absolute.” She hesitated, considering. “Sometimes I see possibilities, events that may or may not happen. For example, my warning to you of the man with a pistol may help you be prepared so you can avoid disaster.”
“We will have much to discuss.” He brushed a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you. I promise I will be very, very careful.”
As he turned and headed toward the front door, she stood frozen, realizing that he hadn’t promised that he would survive, only that he would be careful. If he was killed, how would she live without him? The thought made her realize just how very, very much she cared for him.
Chilled, she walked back to her room and settled by the kitten box again. This time all five little fur balls crawled onto her lap, exploring with tiny purrs. Very soothing. She reminded herself that she hadn’t seen Bran dead, so either the pistol misfired or his dodging skills were excellent. She hoped both were true.
