Lord of the Abbey (20 page)

“Oh my.” Frances raised up, her face ashen as she turned to locate Rowena behind her. There was not much more color in Sir John’s face as he sat up.

“Well, well!” Sir John said. “Reminds me a bit of my military days. Indeed!”

Rowena lessened her grip when she realized her fingers were dug into Harry’s arm.

Harry, however, did not loosen his grip about Rowena’s waist. “Are you all right, Rowena?”

“Yes, Harry. I’m fine.”

When they reached Magdalene Street, Rowena was able to relax. She allowed herself to lean back fully against Harry’s broad chest. It would be dusk shortly. The mad pounding of her heart, caused by the tense moments at the Brides, slowed and eventually calmed by the time they turned onto Bere. “Perhaps we were mistaken, Harry. Perhaps no one fired at us.”

“
Had there not been two armed riders, one in front of us and one behind, I might be inclined to agree with you.”

“
There was something not right about what happened,” Lyon spoke as he rode beside them. “I think it was a warning, otherwise they would have charged us.”

“
But there were four of you.” Rowena shuddered. She was thankful the two men did not charge them.

“
Lyon, you and Charlie go up Chilkwell to the Grange. Check on everything there and bring back clothing to Stonedown for us all. Bring the carriage if you need to. We’re all staying at Stonedown together until we figure out what exactly is going on, who these men are, and what they want. Alert Woollard. Tell him to be extra cautious and to send word right away if anything appears out of the ordinary at the Grange.”

“
Absolutely Harry. Do you think it wise to turn off now? We can escort you all the way to Stonedown if you’d rather.” Lyon studied their surroundings cautiously.

“
I think we’re fine now. Micah and I are both armed. Best you get to the Grange and back to Stonedown as quickly as possible. You don’t want to miss us opening the box,” Harry drawled.

“
I best not miss
you
opening the box, Harry.
I
crawled through the mud to find it, and tore up a shrine to get at it!
I’m
going to open the box.”

“
I knew you tore up a shrine! How could you?” Micah called back to Lyon from the phaeton.

Lyon chuckled.

“
You had best hurry back to Stonedown, Lyon,” Harry warned with a grin.

“
Come on, Charlie. We’re going to the Grange.” Lyon turned his bay away from Harry and Rowena.

Rowena was warm and comfortable in Harry’s embrace. She looked up at the graying sky. Harry’s fingers were currently splayed against her belly. His grip around her tightened. Occasionally his fingers moved lightly across her belly, a gentle caress. She tingled every time she became aware of his touch, or she remembered her thighs were cradled by his. She let her hands rest once again on his arm. Harry’s hand moved a little higher then, stopping to rest on her ribs, beneath her breast. Though she was enjoying this contact with him immensely, it was also like a slow, sweet torture.

Harry was not certain if he was in heaven or hell. Heaven for he held the Angel quite intimately in his arms, hell because his body felt every inch of the warm softness of her body acutely. With every step the black took, every time Rowena squirmed or shifted, every time he moved, he was tortured into bittersweet arousal. Some part of his anatomy brushed, rubbed or caressed some part of hers. The most tortured part of his body was currently nestled against her round derrière. Were he alone with Rowena, he guessed he’d be tempted to end his agony by pulling her off his horse and getting his hands under the skirts of her cornflower riding habit that molded to her curves so well. What was he thinking? He chased such ungentlemanly thoughts from his brain. They would certainly not help him in his quest to woo Rowena, nor would they help with the predicament he currently found himself in. They would make it much, much worse.

Harry turned the direction of his thoughts. Decided it was a magical moment. His hands and body knew almost every inch of hers, just from holding her against him. And after the initial danger passed, Rowena trusted him enough to lean against him. Even at this moment, her fingers absently caressed his arm.

For the second night in a row, dinner was served late at Stonedown Manor. Once again, it was to be an informal affair. Lyon cleaned up at the Grange. He and Charlie returned, bringing Micah’s belongings as well as more clothing for Harry.

Rowena shrugged aside the silver watered silk Betsy prepared for her. It was far too formal for their late and informal meal. Instead she wore a plum silk, her favorite dark blue having apparently been stained. The plum colored gown was a bit more formal than what she wished, but she hadn’t a lot of time to search for something simpler and more practical to change into without holding up the already late meal.

There was soup a la Reine, lamb cutlets, and roasted fowl with jelly wine sauce, and asparagus, potatoes and peas, and lastly there was a dessert of preserved cherries and walnuts. Sherry was served with dessert, as the men elected to escort the ladies straight to the library. The conversation primarily centered upon their trip to the Brides.

Upon leaving the dining room, the party filtered into the library, where the leaden box removed from St. Bridget’s Well awaited.

Harry appreciated the lower décolleté of the plum silk gown Rowena wore tonight. Apparently, Micah, Lyon, and Charlie appreciated it as well, for they flocked about her as she entered the library. Harry had to resort to a murderous stare to persuade Lyon from taking the empty chair next to hers. Harry sat quickly in the chair, and moved it as close to Rowena’s as politeness allowed. He then proceeded to glare at his three friends from where he sat if he thought their gazes might be resting anywhere near the area of Rowena’s beautifully displayed cleavage. He was quite certain he was a mad man. This behavior was so unlike him.

The leaden box was previously cleaned off. It sat upon the massive library table.

“
Who will do the honors and open the box for us?” Rowena looked to the gentlemen. She smiled, her eyes resting on Lyon.

“
Since I crawled into the well, and chiseled the box out of the stone wall behind the shrine, I will be happy to do the honors and open the box, Lady Rowena.” Lyon remained standing after being ejected from his preferred seat choice by Harry’s threatening glare. He tried to loosen the top of the box. “I’ll need something with which to pry it open. I don’t imagine it will open so easily after being in a perpetually damp well for centuries.” He looked to Charlie.

“
I’ll be back momentarily. If you’ll excuse me, ladies,” Charlie sighed, rose and bowed to Rowena and her aunt before leaving the room.

“
Lady Sperring told us before you arrived downstairs, Lady Rowena, of the picnic and the Ball to welcome Harry to the town,” Micah began, “I think due to the incident in the library and what happened today, it is imperative we make ourselves accessible to the townsfolk. We need to discover the identities of the men in the brown coats and hats who stole the books from the library, and who were watching us at the Brides and St. Bridget’s well today.”

Micah continued, “The picnic and Ball shall be perfect opportunities to question the residents of Glastonbury and deduce who may possess a real interest in Stonedown and our activities. In addition, Harry and I discussed it, and we must make it known that the reason we four gentlemen are in residence here at Stonedown is to help with and execute the plans for our grand festivities. Not to look for treasure.”

He added, “We must make our presence known often in town and speak with the locals as much as possible, while we carry out the business of preparing for the social events. Being in town will also allow us the opportunity to keep an eye on the general population of Glastonbury.”

“
I doubt they shall appear in Glastonbury in their brown coats and hats, but we can keep our eyes open to any who are the same build, or who appear to be watching us,” Lyon added.

Harry added, “Lady Sperring and I decided before dinner our plans should be more elaborate, and that perhaps the picnic should be something more of a Faire. And that all of Glastonbury should be invited to our Arthurian Faire on the abbey grounds. Lady Sperring reasoned that with everyone invited, our attackers might be more likely to attend. The Ball of course shall be limited to the original guest list,” Harry declared. He was adamant he would not take any more risks with Rowena’s safety in her own home. “And hopefully, our thief and pursuers shall find themselves on that guest list.” He looked to Rowena with a smile, conceded with a nod of his head to his Angel, “and the Ball shall be held here, at Stonedown, as Lady Rowena and Lady Sperring wish.”

His reward, a very pleased smile from his angel, warmed his heart.

“
If there was a theme for our Ball, perhaps allowing costumes and masks to be worn, it might entice the thieves to attend if they happened to not be on our guest list,” Rowena thought aloud.

“
Very good idea, Lady Rowena,” Lyon praised.

“
An obvious choice for a theme might be the Arthurian to coincide with our Faire,” Harry suggested.

“
Yes! And we might have jousting and the like at the Faire! The entertainment might keep everyone in one area for awhile at least.” Frances’ eyes lit up as she began making plans in her head. “Of course we need knights to joust.”

“
We’ll do it,” Lyon accepted for them all. “Micah can be the Black Knight.”

“
Very good! But why would I be the Black Knight-“ Micah stopped in mid sentence as Charlie entered the library with a wooden chest that no doubt contained tools needed to open the momentarily forgotten box.

“
I can’t believe we’ve gone for hours without opening it.” Rowena squirmed impatiently in her chair.

A hush fell over them all then.

She watched as Charlie and Lyon worked on the box. After a minute, a loud squeak sounded as Lyon slightly lifted the lid. Another squeak erupted and was immediately followed by a clang as the lid not only lifted but completely fell off the box due to the hinges being completely corroded away.

Everyone rose at once, the better to peek inside the box.

Two more leaden boxes were snugly fit inside, one smaller than the other. The larger one was taller.

Lyon picked up the smaller one. “My guess is this box contains the sapphire.” He tugged at the lid. Eventually it gave. A very wide smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “I guessed well.” With his fingers, Lyon picked up the object and lifted it so all could view its beauty. An enormous, round sapphire, sparkled brilliantly in the lamplight. He handed the object to Rowena.

“
My, it is large!” It came close to filling her palm where it rested. “And so beautiful.” Rowena gazed at the stone, in awe of its exquisite brilliance. Her hand and arm tingled as she held it.

It was Micah who removed the other box. After working the lid loose, he carefully unbound the contents from swatches of old, stained linen. He pulled out two small, long, earthen jars, each having two delicate, curving handles on the sides.

“
Behold the sweat and blood of Jesus Christ.” Micah’s voice was somber, serious. “The cruets are in truth ampullae.”

Rowena wondered if everyone else felt the power of the energy emanating from the
ampullae
? It was strong. Her flesh goose-pimpled. The hair rose on her arm. She felt the crackle of electricity along her shoulders. And was it a coincidence that at that very moment, the moon moved from cloud cover and sent glorious beams into the library through the lancet windows? She thought not.

Rowena was well acquainted with the energy of angels, one in particular, and knew this was an occasion of great import.

Everyone was silent. In truth, the party was in awe to behold such wonder.

“
Now the duty falls to us to protect such relics. How do we even begin?” Rowena’s voice was but a whisper. The realization that such a wondrous treasure was extremely valuable as well as dangerous to possess hit her.

“
Do you have a safe, Lady Sperring?” Harry inquired, his thoughts obviously mirroring Rowena’s.

“
There are three in the house, Harry. One in my bedchamber, one in the study, and one in the gallery in the original part of the house.”

“
We shall not put this in your bedchamber and endanger you further, Lady Sperring. Let’s look at the safe in the gallery.” Harry rose. “I fear the study may be too difficult to keep an eye on, being small and tucked away as it is.”